The Church of the Nazarene is a conservative, evangelical, Christian church in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition. It is headquartered in the United States of America with nearly 3 million members worldwide. Church governance, as well as statements of the church's beliefs, are found in a book called The Manual of the Church of the Nazarene. This dictates: "The General Assembly shall meet every fourth year…”
The Church of the Nazarene also hosts other conventions and conferences that support the mission of the church and provide resources to pastors and laity across the globe. Each division under the Church could host a convention per their individual constitutions. Most notably is the convention for Nazarene Youth which began hosting a conference in 1958. Each geographical sub-region, or District, is required to host an annual assembly to report on the status of the church within those geographical boundaries.
The Manual also says: “The general superintendents and said commission shall also have power, in case of an emergency, to change the time and place of the meeting of the General Assembly." Which was the case for postponing the 2021 General Assembly to 2023 due to complications of travel visas, and vaccination requirements and social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The General Assembly and Conventions of the Church of the Nazarene (General Assembly, or GA) is the premier convention of the Church of the Nazarene, as it is provided for the supreme legislative body of the Church of the Nazarene. Since 1985, the General Assembly has been held in the year following the United States presidential election. General Assemblies offer workshops, networking, seminars, and praise and worship services for all delegates and guests.
The General Assembly comprises elected and ex officio delegates from around the world. The General Assembly elects six general superintendents and a General Board, in whom authority is vested between General Assemblies.
The general superintendents are assigned jurisdictional authority over the districts, regions and other institutions of the Church of the Nazarene, and are given authority to ordain qualified women and men into the ministry. (Article 304.5)"
The Church of the Nazarene announced in February 2007 that instead of a global convention to celebrate the centennial, each local church will participate in a global telecast on Sunday October 5, 2008.
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In the mid-quadrennial year, the USA/Canada region of the Church of the Nazarene hosts a conference which focuses on missions and evangelism for the United States and Canada Region. Commonly referred to as M and the numeral of the year it takes place in. (i.e. 2011 was called M11). The most recent Missions Conference held was in Kansas City, Missouri.[8]
In 1958 the first Nazarene Youth Conference or NYC was held in Estes Park, Colorado. Originally called the "International Institute," it was the brain child of the Nazarene Young Peoples Society (now Nazarene Youth International or NYI). NYC is an event that has focused on bringing together the Nazarene youths of the world for a time of praise and worship, Bible Quizzing, seminars, workshops, inspiring messages, and challenges to change their communities and the world through the power of the Gospel. Held in the off non-Olympiad to the General Assembly, NYC is the highlight for high-school aged teens every four years. Selection of the NYC Host City is done by the NYI Council. NYC has been hosted in four different countries (Germany, Mexico, Canada and the United States), making it the first Nazarene convention to be held outside the United States. Starting in 2003, Houston, NYC was designated “NYC USA/Canada” as other NYCs were being held in each of the seven world regions of the Nazarene Church. NYI USA/CANADA is also creating "mini-NYCs", similar to a spiritual retreat in nature, for the USA/Canada Region called FUEL. These events take place at various locations across the region. In 2008, FUEL was held in Los Angeles, CA; Orlando, FL, Nampa, ID, and Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
^This is the First General Assembly of the P-CotN (Now CotN); 47 churches belonged to the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene
^This was the 13th for the Church of the Nazarene (Bresee), and Pentecostal Churches of America, 4th for the Holiness Church of Christ, and 2nd for the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene (National) In 1919 P-CotN will change to just CotN
^Kansas City First Church at the corner of 24th Street and Troost Avenue.
^The term "Church of the Nazarene" is officially adopted.
^Construction of the Lucas Oil Stadium created the need for the GA Commission to move the location of the 27th General Assembly from Indianapolis to Orlando Florida
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