Bethany Church of the Nazarene
AI summary — doctrinal positions on this page are inferred by AI from this church's own public statements and may be inaccurate.
Inherited from denomination
What Church of the Nazarene teaches
Positions bound by the denomination's confessional standards. This is what the tradition teaches; whether this specific congregation publicly holds each is a separate question — see Statements below.
Affirms
- Infant BaptismSTRONGWestminster XXVIII; Book of Concord SC IV; Council of Trent Session VII; Wesleyan Articles Art. XVII
- Marriage as one man and one womanSTRONGGenesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4–6; historic universal Christian teaching.
- Permissibility of divorce and remarriagestandardMatthew 19:9 (adultery ground); 1 Corinthians 7:15 (abandonment ground). Practice varies.
- Women in pastoral / ordained officestandardVarious denominational actions (TEC 1976, ELCA 1970s, PC(USA) 1956, AG 1935, CofE 1994 priests / 2014 bishops, etc.)
Denies
- Apostolic SuccessionstandardCongregational and presbyterian polity reject the necessity of tactile episcopal succession.
- Assumption of MarystandardUniversal Protestant rejection — not attested in Scripture; not received as dogma.
- Homosexual practice and biblical sexual ethicsSTRONGRomans 1:26–27; 1 Corinthians 6:9–10; historic universal Christian teaching.
- Immaculate ConceptionSTRONGUniversal Protestant + Orthodox rejection. Orthodox reject on the grounds that they hold prepurification at the Annunciation, not conception.
- Perpetual Virginity of MarystandardNatural reading of Matthew 13:55–56 (brothers of Jesus); typical modern Baptist / evangelical position.
- Real PresencestandardMemorialist / Zwinglian view; typical Baptist and Free Church position
- TransubstantiationSTRONGOrthodox reject the Aristotelian metaphysics; Lutherans use 'sacramental union'; 39 Articles Art. XXVIII rejects explicitly; Reformed/Baptist reject substance-change.
Wrestles with
- Believer's BaptismstandardPaedobaptist bodies practice adult baptism on credible profession where infant baptism was omitted, but do not consider it normative.
- Pacifism vs. just-warweakDefault just-war framework — usually unwritten. Inheriting at weak confidence.
In their own words
Statements
statement_of_faith
<!doctype html> Beliefs – Bethany Church Skip to content Our Mission About Expand About Us Staff & Leaders Ministries Beliefs Sermons Events Give PLAN YOUR VISIT Toggle Menu A Journey of Grace Bethany is a community of people on a journey together, drawn in by the grace of God. We believe that grace is not something you have to earn or prove yourself worthy of. It is a gift, freely offered to every single person. We are part of the Church of the Nazarene, a denomination rooted in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition. That heritage shapes how we read Scripture, how wSource ↗
about_us
<!doctype html> About – Bethany Church Skip to content Our Mission About Expand About Us Staff & Leaders Ministries Beliefs Sermons Events Give PLAN YOUR VISIT Toggle Menu Our Vision Experience His presence together We are a Spirit-filled community centered on Christ, shaped by authentic relationships, humble service, and a shared life that bears witness to who God is. Our vision has always been simple; to experience His presence together and to let that presence change everything around us. Theology What We Believe We believe that God’s grace is a gift forSource ↗
mission
<!doctype html> Our Mission – Bethany Church Skip to content Our Mission About Expand About Us Staff & Leaders Ministries Beliefs Sermons Events Give PLAN YOUR VISIT Toggle Menu Mission. Vision. Values. Mission To Lift up Christ and Love people. Vision To be a Spirit-filled community centered on Christ, experiencing His presence through authentic relationships, humble service, and a life that bears witness to God. Our Strategy We Engage people where they are, Equip them to grow, and Empower them to serve, all within the context of Community. Our Values | KingdomSource ↗