The Church of the Nazarene is a Christian denomination that has its roots in the Wesleyan holiness movement of the 19th century within Methodism. It is headquartered in Lenexa, Johnson County, Kansas, and its members are commonly known as Nazarenes. It is the largest denomination in the world associated with the Wesleyan-sanctity movement and is a member of the World Methodist Council. The Christian influence at Eastern Howard School Corp.
is evident in many ways among administrators, staff, and students. A nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the separation of church and state has raised questions about some practices of Eastern Howard School Corp. Two weeks after the Freedom From Religion Foundation expressed concern about possible constitutional violations at Eastern Howard School Corp. At the 1980 General Assembly, held in Kansas City, the denomination officially committed itself to internationalization, a deliberate policy of being a church of congregations and districts around the world, rather than being divided into national churches as before. The Nazarene Publishing House (NPH) has a board of directors and is accountable to one of the six General Superintendents of the Church of the Nazarene who oversees NPH. In time, the Church of the Nazarene and the Wesleyan Church became the two main denominations that emerged from the smaller bodies of the 19th-century Wesleyan holiness movement.
Nazarene Youth International (NYI) is a youth organization that has been associated with the Church of the Nazarene since its creation as the Nazarene Youth Society (NYPS) in 1923. At the First General Assembly that united Bresee's denomination with the Association of Pentecostal Churches of the United States in October 1907, the denominational name that emerged was Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene, reflecting both denominational tributaries. According to its website, The Church of the Nazarene's General Assembly is its supreme doctrine formulation, legislative and election authority, subject to its constitution. NPH is an independent corporate entity accountable to The Church of The Nazarene. Howard Davis; and three churches organized by William Howard Hoople since January 1894 which became The Association of Pentecostal Churches of The United States. The Church of The Holiness Of Christ itself was a merger between The Church Of Christ Of The New Testament (founded in July 1894 in Milan, Tennessee by R.The General Meeting Of The Church Of The Nazarene was created by action at The 1923 General Assembly to replace a system of independent general boards that often competed for church money.
The Church Of The Nazarene actively participates in The Cinematographic Project On Jesus and organizes teams to screen films about Jesus. The basic organizational unit Of The Church Of The Nazarene is a local church congregation which can be an organized church or a church-type mission (often referred to as New Starts). However, in recent years Sunday and Wednesday night services in many Nazarene churches have shifted from worship services to discipleship trainings and many growing churches have used weekly small group meetings. When a missionary church reaches a place where it can become fully self-sufficient, The District Missionary Superintendent (SIC) will organize it into a self-sufficient body according to The Manual Of The Pentecostal Church Of The Nazarene adapted to local needs and will be governed by it.
