Welcome to the Manchester Church of the Nazarene! We'd like to take a moment to tell you about ourselves and how we came to be in Manchester, CT.

The Church of the Nazarene (the denomination) was formally organized in 1908 at Pilot Point, Texas. A union of many different protestant congregations, the Church of the Nazarene (COTN) was one of the first Christian mergers across the Mason-Dixon line following the Civil War. This merger was the result of some of the fruits of the American Holiness Movement which spread across America in the last half of the 1800s.

Locally, the Manchester, CT, Church of the Nazarene began as the John Wesley Pentecostal Church in 1897. The original building was further south on Main Street and now functions as the MACC Compassionate Ministries Center. In the 1950s, a new building was erected at 236 Main Street, eventually followed by a third building at 218 Main Street, the current location. In 1981, The Cornerstone Christian School was founded, which flourishes to this day. Approximately 200 students attend this Pre-K to 12th grade school, which is housed in both the main building and the previous church building (The McLain Building).

Our current pastor, Rev. Dan Whitney, began his tenure here in 2011 upon the retirement of his predecessor, Rev. Gary Jones. Associate Pastors, Revs. Chima & Julia Ezeigbo, have served the church since 2022.

From the beginning, the COTN has been very concerned about Compassionate Ministries, Mission, and Education. Today, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries respond to crises and disasters around the world, while international missionaries work in over 160 world areas. The COTN has a vast system of educational institutions stretching around the world, including 8 regional liberal arts colleges in the US, as well as theological seminaries and bible colleges. A complete history, along with theological statements can be found at the denominational website: www.nazarene.org.