Caring for the Poor, Comforting the Dying.

As missionaries and minsters, we are often asked, "what's the Church of the Nazarene?"

There are short answers and long answers to this question.

One of the short answers (particularly in new fields) is, "we're a lot like Methodists."

One of the longer answers is (particularly in Western Europe) is, "We're a Christian, Protestant church in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition, one that's based in the United States but international in structure and vision."

One of the best answers we've read in a while, however, comes from the Minutes of the meeting of the congregation of Los Angeles First Church of the Nazarene (THE first Church of the Nazarene) on October 30, 1895:

We seek the simplicity and power of the New Testament church. 

The field of labor to which we feel called is the neglected quarters of the cities and wherever else may be found waste places and souls seeking pardon and cleansing from sin. 

This work we aim to do through the agency of city missions, evangelistic services, house to house visitation, caring for the poor, comforting the dying. To this end we strive personally to walk with God and to invite others to do so...

This. This is why we choose to be Nazarene. This!