[3][4] In 2009, it refined that mission statement to be expressed by "making disciples through evangelism, education, showing compassion, working for justice, and bearing witness to the kingdom of God.

"[8] The Manual includes a brief historical statement of the denomination; the sixteen core beliefs, or Articles of Faith; its Constitution details the Church polity; and guidance on living a contemporary Christian lifestyle.

[9] Churches with similar points of view concentrated in New England, California and Texas agreed to meet and align more formally as one denomination.

These meetings, now known as General Assemblies, resulted in the formation of the Church of the Nazarene, as it appears today, and with a centralized denominational headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri.

At the time of its merger with the Church of the Nazarene in 1907, the APCA existed principally from Nova Scotia to Iowa and the northeastern United States.

In 1922, more than one thousand members and most of the workers led by Joseph G. Morrison, from the Laymen's Holiness Association (founded in 1917) located in the Dakotas, joined the Church of the Nazarene.

The name of the denomination comes from the biblical description of Jesus Christ, who had been raised in the village of Nazareth, Israel, and using the demonym of Nazarene.

It was first recommended by Dr. Joseph Pomeroy Widney, a former president of the University of Southern California and an influential figure in the early days of the Church of the Nazarene on the West Coast.

[22] As early as March 3, 1914, Nazarene mission policy developed for the work in Japan by Reynolds encouraged the creation of "self-supporting and self-governing churches.

At the General Assembly held in 1972 in Miami Beach, Florida, the Church adopted several policies, now known as the Covenant of Christian Conduct, into The Manual.

These included statements advising how a Nazarene should view and act in regards to contemporary social issues, like abortion, human sexuality, gambling, and entertainment.

It was only in 1972 that the general secretary of the church began to include overseas membership in reporting totals, as prior to this time it had been difficult to collect the needed data.

As the Church approached its 100th anniversary, the Board of General Superintendents decided to have regional and local Centennial celebrations rather than one global gathering.

The "Articles" include the following: one eternal self-existent God manifest in a Trinity; the divinity of Jesus and the Holy Spirit; the authority of the Bible; Original and Personal Sin; the work of atonement; prevenient grace; the need for repentance; justification, regeneration, and adoption; entire sanctification; the church; creedal baptism; the Lord's Supper for all believers; divine healing; the return of Jesus Christ; and the resurrection of the dead.

[30] A key outgrowth of this theology is the commitment of Nazarenes not only to the Evangelical Gospel of repentance and a personal relationship with God, but also to compassionate ministry to the poor.

Contemporary Nazarene theologians include Craig Keen, Samuel M. Powell, Bryan Stone, Rob Staples, and Thomas A. Noble.

Noble has been commissioned to write a three-volume systematic theology for the denomination that seeks to be intellectually coherent, comprehensive, contemporary, and global.

The concept of entire sanctification (also called Christian perfection and Baptism with the Holy Ghost) stems from John Wesley's teaching.

[32] The spiritual vision of early Nazarenes was derived from the doctrinal core of John Wesley's preaching and the holiness movement of the 19th century.

Prevenient grace allows those tainted by sin to nevertheless make a truly free choice to accept or reject God's salvation in Christ.

The Church of the Nazarene also takes a stance on a wide array of current moral and social issues, which is published in the Manual and online.

There are an increasing number of Nazarene scientists who support theistic evolution, among them Karl Giberson, Darrel R. Falk, and Richard G. Colling.

Services are often focused toward a time of prayer and commitment at the end of the sermon, with people finding spiritual help as they gather for corporate praying.

More recently, a small number of local churches have adopted a more formal liturgical style based on practices in the Anglican tradition.

Dr Hiram F. Reynolds (1854–1938), one of the original two General Superintendents elected in October 1907, holds the record as the oldest person to serve in this office, retiring in 1932, at the age of 78.

It focuses on partnership and collaboration to help equip Nazarene churches support mission at community, district, regional and international levels.

[82] Funded through a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation, the consortium connects Nazarene seminaries by optimizing the global resources available for theological education.

[51] The NYI-sponsored Third Wave emerging leadership conference was held from January 3–8, 2012 in Bangkok, Thailand, with approximately 250 participants from 55 countries attending.

[3] Nazarenes have been instrumental in assisting people in every part of the globe who have been affected by war, famine, hurricane, flood, and other natural and human-made disasters.

The Other Sheep (later World Mission) magazine began publication in 1913 under founding editor Charles Allen McConnell, who was NPH manager from 1916 to 1918.