ABOUT US
The Northwestern Ohio District Church of the Nazarene is one of seventy U.S. districts of the International Church of the Nazarene. Organized in 1960 NWO has continued to grow and now has approximately 9500 persons in worship in our sixty churches each week. We are actively engaged in starting new churches across our district.
Northwestern Ohio District is home to Lighthouse Camp and Conference Center, a fifty-acre retreat center located near St. Marys. This is home to our annual children’s camps as well as our annual week-long Family Camp Meeting. This facility is used by a wide variety of local churches, denominations, and community organizations year-round.
Likewise NWO is pleased to be an active supporter of Mount Vernon Nazarene University (MVNU.edu), one of the Midwest’s premier Christian liberal arts universities.
One of the primary characteristics of NWO is its strong support of the international missions ministry of the Church of the Nazarene. Each year well over $1,000,000 is given in support of Nazarene missions. Many of our churches and people engage in overseas missions experiences in one of the 151 countries/world areas where the Church of the Nazarene is located.
The Church of the Nazarene is a Protestant Christian church in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition. Organized in 1908, the Church is now home to more than 1.9 million members worshiping in over 24,000 local congregations in 156 world areas.
Our Mission
The mission of the Church of the Nazarene is to make Christlike disciples in the nations.
Global Ministry Center
The Global Ministry Center provides support services that include maintaining ministerial credentials and church records, coordinating the support and sending of missionaries, developing Sunday School and discipleship curriculum, providing retirement support programs for pastors, encouraging the starting of new churches, facilitating strategies of outreach and education to all parts of the globe, and much more. The Church of the Nazarene Global Ministry Center is located in Lenexa, Kansas.
Nazarene Publishing House
Nazarene Publishing House (NPH) is the largest publisher of Wesleyan-Holiness literature in the world. Products include Sunday School curriculum, music, periodicals, and books. In addition, many kinds of merchandise items are carried for the convenience of churches in fulfilling their mission. NPH is located in Kansas City, Missouri.
Education
Nazarenes support 13 liberal arts institutions in Africa, Brazil, Canada, Caribbean, Korea, and the United States, as well as 5 graduate seminaries, 32 undergraduate Bible/theological colleges, 3 nurses training colleges, and 1 education college worldwide.
Global Outreach
Nazarenes are passionate about making a difference in the world by taking the good news of Jesus Christ to people everywhere. Today there are 724 missionaries and volunteers serving around the world. Each week, Nazarenes worship in more than 212 languages or tribal languages, with literature produced in 90 of these. The church operates 33 medical clinics and hospitals worldwide. This missionary enterprise is made possible by the contributions of the global Nazarene family. Nazarenes also engage in starting new churches and congregations by praying, giving, and supporting worldwide volunteers and contracted missionaries.
Agreed Statement of Belief
These are the beliefs Nazarenes hold to be true:
We believe in one God-the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We believe that the Old and New Testament Scriptures, given by plenary inspiration, contain all truth necessary to faith and Christian living.
We believe that man is born with a fallen nature, and is, therefore, inclined to evil, and that continually.
We believe that the finally impenitent are hopelessly and eternally lost.
We believe that the atonement through Jesus Christ is for the whole human race; and that whosoever repents and believes on the Lord Jesus Christ is justified and regenerated and saved from the dominion of sin.
We believe that believers are to be sanctified wholly, subsequent to regeneration, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We believe that the Holy Spirit bears witness to the new birth, and also to the entire sanctification of believers.
We believe that our Lord will return, the dead will be raised, and the final judgment will take place.