The Church of the Nazarene is a part of the holiness movement, the group of evangelical churches and denominations that came out of the Wesleyan Revival in England in the 18th century. This movement began as a renewal movement for a church that needed to be revived. This renewal movement emphasized sound biblical teaching and a heart-felt, life-changing experience with God through Jesus Christ.

The need for a new experience with God is because humans have the profound need to be reconciled to God. We were born estranged from God and compounded that by sin and rebellion against Him. However, by repenting of our sins and accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are transformed from a life of sin and rebellion to a new life and  relationship with God. We believe God has the power to save us from our sins and to keep us from continuing in sin. A lot of emphasis is placed on commitment to doing God's will and being cleansed from our sin.