Church of the Nazarene

ASARB Member

Church of the Nazarene

17001 Prairie Star Pkwy
Lenexa, KS 66220
United States

Attesting Officer
Gen. Sec, Dr. David P. Wilson


38.9550665, -94.7810052


The Church of the Nazarene resulted from the merger of three independent holiness groups. The Association of Pentecostal Churches in America, located principally in New York and New England, joined at Chicago in 1907 with a largely West Coast body called the Church of the Nazarene and formed the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene. A southern group, the Holiness Church of Christ, united with the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene at Pilot Point, Texas, in 1908. In 1919 the word "Pentecostal" was dropped from the name. Principal leaders in the organization were Phineas Bresee, William Howard Hoople, H. F. Reynolds and C. B. Jernigan. Dr. H. F. Reynolds organized the first Canadian congregation in 1902 at Oxford, Nova Scotia. The Church of the Nazarene emphasizes entire sanctification or Christian Holiness. It stresses the importance of a devout and holy life and a positive witness through Christ-like character shaped by the Holy Spirit. Nazarenes express their faith through evangelism, compassionate ministries, and education. The church is connectional. Its polity combines episcopal, presbyterian, and congregational elements. Churches call pastors. Districts conduct annual assemblies and elect leaders. The quadrennial General Assembly, a delegated body, is international in scope and establishes doctrine and order, elects the general superintendents (currently six), and elects members to various church boards and agencies. Internationally the church has 13 liberal arts colleges and universities, five graduate seminaries, 34 Bible colleges, three schools of nursing, an education college, and a junior college. The church maintains 702 missionaries and has work in 156 world areas. World services include medical, educational and religious ministries. Books, periodicals and other Christian literature are published at the Nazarene Publishing House. The church is a member of the Christian Holiness Partnership, National Association of Evangelicals, the World Methodist Council, and the European Methodist Council.


Full Communicants Average Attendance Other Members Total Inclusive Members Total Churches Membership Calculation Method
1969
376,569
0
789
377,358
4,777
1968
368,493
0
786
369,279
4,787
1967
362,000
0
856
362,856
4,786
1966
354,281
0
987
355,268
4,753
1965
346,508
0
641
347,149
4,715
1964
339,967
0
739
340,706
4,699
1963
332,832
0
741
333,573
4,673
1962
326,264
0
691
326,955
4,630
1961
318,130
0
826
318,956
4,602
1960
310,136
0
689
310,825
4,581
1959
303,120
0
656
303,776
4,542
1958
293,543
0
629
294,172
4,434
1957
284,303
0
606
284,909
4,357
1956
280,127
0
614
280,741
4,321
1955
272,765
0
540
273,305
4,224
1954
262,497
0
525
263,022
4,108
1953
251,495
0
405
251,900
3,953
1952
244,929
0
355
245,284
3,840
1951
237,096
0
222
237,318
3,728
1950
227,901
0
6,576
234,477
3,596
1949
219,867
0
290
220,157
3,476
1948
212,529
0
307
212,836
3,408
1947
205,139
0
311
205,450
3,332
1946
197,399
0
235
197,634
3,251
1945
191,297
0
267
191,564
3,155
Serving Churches Retired Other Service to the Church Total Clergy
1969
0
0
0
8,492
1968
0
0
0
8,375
1967
0
0
0
8,246
1966
0
0
0
8,029
1965
0
0
0
7,929
1964
0
0
0
7,772
1963
0
0
0
7,705
1962
0
0
0
6,242
1961
0
0
0
5,807
1960
0
0
0
5,736
1959
0
0
0
5,593
1958
0
0
0
5,497
1957
0
0
0
5,317
1956
0
0
0
5,269
1955
0
0
0
5,188
1954
0
0
0
5,027
1953
0
0
0
4,886
1952
0
0
0
4,785
1951
0
0
0
4,673
1950
0
0
0
4,552
1947
0
0
0
3,809
1944
0
0
0
3,809
1942
0
0
0
3,809
1940
0
0
0
3,809
1938
0
0
0
3,809
Total Schools Staff Pupils Total Individuals
1962
4,522
58,145
620,420
683,978
1961
4,489
57,215
615,698
680,891
1960
4,455
56,584
614,590
678,457
1959
4,447
55,303
618,070
677,998
1958
4,330
53,186
599,101
655,491
1957
4,258
51,173
549,976
609,296
1956
4,239
48,749
537,739
595,072
1955
4,142
47,257
535,218
589,767
1954
4,014
44,711
506,555
558,654
1953
3,840
41,963
473,926
522,601
1952
3,714
39,820
463,595
509,548
1951
3,592
39,643
460,055
488,056
1950
3,439
36,631
427,830
469,274
1949
3,306
0
0
443,940
1948
3,223
0
0
415,327
1947
3,127
0
0
391,290
1946
3,024
0
0
363,059
1945
2,931
0
0
344,821
1944
2,873
0
0
331,568
1943
2,827
0
0
327,735
1942
2,716
0
0
334,458
1941
2,609
0
0
337,305
1940
2,529
0
0
336,102
1939
2,439
0
0
322,853
1938
2,345
0
0
301,420
Total Benevolences Total Financials Total Giving Local Expenses Method
1969
$15,675,925
$79,991,321
$56,224,149
$64,315,396
1968
$15,184,361
$74,997,300
$52,490,605
$59,812,939
1967
$13,223,140
$68,492,380
$48,502,238
$55,269,240
1966
$12,535,129
$63,481,875
$44,858,770
$50,946,746
1965
$11,277,201
$57,808,591
$41,155,472
$46,531,390
1964
$10,499,466
$54,492,280
$38,841,736
$43,992,814
1963
$9,548,570
$50,922,636
$36,664,457
$41,374,066
1962
$8,871,201
$48,150,966
$34,433,925
$39,279,765
1961
$8,303,582
$45,693,789
$32,728,797
$37,390,207
1960
$8,023,094
$43,771,938
$30,952,949
$35,748,844
1959
$7,820,639
$40,838,884
$29,064,531
$33,018,245
1958
$7,295,636
$38,856,979
$27,510,003
$31,561,343
1957
$6,973,155
$37,519,425
$26,255,981
$30,546,270
1956
$6,460,877
$36,137,227
$25,021,648
$29,676,350
1955
$6,280,105
$34,047,698
$23,061,176
$27,767,593
1954
$5,923,932
$32,542,917
$21,799,221
$26,618,986
1953
$5,318,544
$29,126,843
$19,455,864
$23,808,299
1952
$4,851,580
$28,729,155
$19,201,492
$23,877,575
1951
$4,266,684
$26,358,837
$17,170,418
$22,092,153
1950
$3,756,836
$23,709,282
$15,541,466
$19,952,446
1949
$3,773,986
$22,793,831
$14,410,480
$19,019,845
1948
$3,195,974
$21,474,019
$13,283,352
$18,278,045
1947
$2,951,717
$18,424,463
$11,739,644
$15,472,746
1946
$2,823,379
$16,088,590
$10,427,797
$13,265,211
1945
$2,566,685
$14,354,246
$9,595,204
$11,787,561