A study of the history of the Church of the Nazarene with special attention given to its organization, heritage, and distinctive mission. Non-Nazarene students may petition for a special study in their own denominational history and polity.

The following learning goals will be achieved by this course:

1. Locate the Church of the Nazarene within the Wesleyan, evangelical, and holiness traditions of the larger Christian family.
2. Identify the factors leading to the rise of the Church of the Nazarene as well as those contributing to the growth, development, and perpetuation of the denomination.
3. Name and discuss key leaders who organized the new work and contributed to its story over the years.
4. Understand and articulate the distinctive doctrine of the Church of the Nazarene in biblical, evangelical, and Christian context.
5. Communicate the unique values, social principles, and ethical standards of the Church of the Nazarene: how/why they were formed, how/why they were modified, and why they are important today.
6. Grasp and apply the distinguishing features of our church polity on the local, district, and general levels.
7. More effectively communicate our denominational mission as vital to our sense of identity, character, purpose, and future as well as our dialogue with the larger Christian family, American Society, and our global village.
8. Apply new insights learned to leadership and ministry.

The following are Competencies for Ministry as outlined in the Sourcebook on Ordination USA that will be addressed in this course:

1. CN7 Ability to articulate the Nazarene Articles of Faith.
2. CN8 Ability to demonstrate an understanding of theological reflection, including its sources, its historical development, and its Wesleyan contemporary expressions.
3. CN12 Ability to identify the formative influences of the American Holiness Movement and the Church of the Nazarene.
4. CN13 Ability to identify and explain the significance of the major events, and male and female figures in the Church of the Nazarene.
5. CN14 Ability to identify the directives of the Manual of the Church of the Nazarene that pertain to the organization and ministry of the local, district, and general church.
6. CN30 Ability to explain the governance systems of the church at local, district and general levels.
7. CX6 Ability to analyze and describe the ministry context in light of its local history.

There are no prerequisites for this course.