The Church of the Nazarene is a Christian denomination that emerged in North America from the 19th-century Wesleyan-Holiness movement within Methodism. It is headquartered in Lenexa, Kansas. With its members commonly referred to as Nazarenes, it is the largest denomination in the world aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement and is a member of the World Methodist Council.
The Holiness movement, also known as the Wesleyan–Holiness movement, is a Christian movement that emerged chiefly within 19th-century Methodism, and to a lesser extent influenced other traditions such as Quakerism, Anabaptism, and Restorationism. The movement is historically distinguished by its emphasis on the doctrine of a second work of grace, generally called entire sanctification or Christian perfection and by the belief that the Christian life should be free of sin. For the Holiness movement, "the term 'perfection' signifies completeness of Christian character; its freedom from all sin, and possession of all the graces of the Spirit, complete in kind." A number of evangelical Christian denominations, parachurch organizations, and movements emphasize those beliefs as central doctrine.
Olivet Nazarene University (ONU) is a private Nazarene university in Bourbonnais, Illinois. Named for its founding location, Olivet, Illinois, ONU was originally established as a grammar school in east-central Illinois in 1907. In the late 1930s, it moved to the campus in Bourbonnais. The university is affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene and is the annual site of the church's Regional Celebrate Life youth gathering for the Central USA Region.
Northwest Nazarene University (NNU) is a private Nazarene university in Nampa, Idaho.
J. Kenneth Grider was a Nazarene Christian theologian and former seminary professor primarily associated with the followers of John Wesley who are part of the Holiness movement.
John C. Bowling is the former president of Olivet Nazarene University (ONU). John Cubby Bowling was the president of Olivet Nazarene University from 1991 to 2021. His tenure as president ended at the end of the 2020–2021 school year. His 30-year tenure makes him the longest serving president in Olivet's history.
John Mordechai Gottman is an American psychologist, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Washington. His work focuses on divorce prediction and marital stability through relationship analyses. The lessons derived from this work represent a partial basis for the relationship counseling movement that aims to improve relationship functioning and the avoidance of those behaviors shown by Gottman and other researchers to harm human relationships. His work has also had a major impact on the development of important concepts on social sequence analysis. He and his wife, psychologist Julie Schwartz Gottman, co-founded and lead a relationship company and therapist training entity called The Gottman Institute. They have also co-founded Affective Software Inc, a program designed to make marriage and relationship counseling methods and resources available to a larger audience.
Richard G. Colling is a former professor of biology and chairman of the biological sciences department at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois, who was barred from teaching general biology after writing a book that attempts to reconcile Christian belief with a scientific understanding of evolution.
Edward G. Lawlor (1907-1987), born in England into a Roman Catholic family and raised in Canada, was a minister for most of his adult life in the Church of the Nazarene.
Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary (APNTS) is a graduate-level theological institution located near Metro Manila in the Philippines. APNTS is a seminary in the Wesleyan theological tradition and affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene through its Division of World Mission. Its mission is to prepare "men and women for Christ-like leadership and excellence in ministries." Its institutional vision is: "Bridging cultures for Christ, APNTS equips each new generation of leaders to disseminate the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout Asia, the Pacific, and the world.
The Wesleyan Philosophical Society (WPS) is an academic society largely represented by academic institutions affiliated with Christian denominations in the Wesleyan tradition. Despite its primarily Wesleyan orientation, there has been increasing participation from scholars in Catholic, Orthodox, and other Protestant traditions. Likewise, there are no formal doctrinal or affiliational requirements for membership in the society or participation at its conferences. Anyone with an interest in philosophical subjects pertaining to conference themes is welcome to attend, regardless of his or her personal theological orientation or affiliation.
Dan B. Allender is an American Christian therapist, author, and professor focusing on sexual abuse and trauma recovery, as well as story, marriage and family, and Christian Sabbath. Allender received his Master of Divinity from Westminster Theological Seminary and his PhD in Counseling Psychology from Michigan State University. He has taught at Grace Theological Seminary (1983-1989), Colorado Christian University (1989-1997), and The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology.
Olivet University is a private Christian university in Anza, California. It is accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) to award certificates, bachelor's, master's, D. Min., and Ph.D. degrees.
Professor Leah Marangu is a Kenyan academic. She was born in South Imenti, Meru County, Kenya. She is considered to be one of Kenya's most distinguished and decorated scholars.
Haldor Lillenas was "one of the most important twentieth-century gospel hymn writers and publishers" and is regarded as "the most influential Wesleyan / Holiness songwriter and publisher in the 20th century". Additionally, Lillenas was an ordained minister in the Church of the Nazarene, author, song evangelist, poet, music publisher and prolific hymnwriter, who is estimated to have composed over 4,000 hymns, the most famous being Wonderful Grace of Jesus. In 1931 Lillenas was the producer of Glorious Gospel Songs, the first hymnal for the Church of the Nazarene. In 1982 Lillenas was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
Arnold Gordon Wetmore was an American theologian who was president emeritus of the Nazarene Theological Seminary and a former president of the Northwest Nazarene College.
David Jang is a Korean professor, Christian theologian, and pastor. He has founded several Christian organizations, including Olivet University in San Francisco, Christian Today headquartered in Korea, Christian Daily Korea, and Christianity Daily in Los Angeles, CA. He served as a member of the North American Council of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) from 2007 to 2018, the former president of World Olivet Assembly, the founder and first international president of Olivet University, and current president of the Holy Bible Society. Jang was also the 88th President of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Korea. He has traveled around the world, including Africa, East and South Asia, Europe, and North and South America, advising churches, educational institutions, and other Christian ministries.
E. LeBron Fairbanks is a leadership consultant, an adjunct professor at Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary, and a retired American ordained minister in the Church of the Nazarene who is President emeritus of Mount Vernon Nazarene University, President emeritus of Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary, and who served the Church of the Nazarene as the Education Commissioner from March 2008 to September 2011. Additionally, Fairbanks was an editor in the Church Schools Department of the Church of the Nazarene in Kansas City, Missouri; Academic Dean of European Nazarene Bible College in Busingen, Germany (1978–1982); Associate Professor of Christian Education and Lay Ministry Development, and Coordinator of the Master of Ministry program at Bethany Nazarene College (1982–1984); the 2nd President of Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary (APNTS) in Taytay, Rizal, the Philippines from September 1984 to July 1989; and the 5th President of Mount Vernon Nazarene University (MVNU) in Mount Vernon, Ohio, for over 17 years from July 1989 until his retirement on January 31, 2007. Fairbanks founded and has served as the director of BoardServe LLC, "a consulting service for governing boards and their leaders", since 2011.
Leslie J. Sacks was a Los Angeles-based art dealer and founder of Women's Voices Now.
The 1998 Azusa Pacific Cougars football team was an American football team that represented Azusa Pacific University as an independent during the 1998 NAIA football season. In their fourth and final season under head coach Vic Shealy, the Cougars compiled a 12–2 record and won the NAIA national championship.
