Defining Characteristics

At the 2013 General Assembly, the Board of General Superintendents unveiled seven defining characteristics for the Church of the Nazarene:

1. Meaningful Worship

2. Theological Coherence

3. Passionate Evangelism

4. Intentional Discipleship

5. Church Development

6. Transformational Leadership

7. Purposeful Compassion

While these descriptors do not take the place of our mission “to make Christlike disciples in the nations” or our core values of “Christian, holiness and missional,” they describe what we believe should characterize every Church of the Nazarene and in large part, should be reflected by Nazarenes everywhere. We urge church leaders to emphasize, and all Nazarenes to embody, these characteristics as we go forward. Let us explore how, over time, they might become realities for the global church.