Our Focus, Our Future…

Mission Possible

"It is our goal to place God first in our lives, in the lives of our families, and in our Church, and to encourage others to do likewise. The mission of the Hartford FIRST Church Of The Nazarene is to uplift and to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and to advance the kingdom of God by preaching and teaching the gospel message of salvation and Christian Holiness, as set forth in the Bible. We commit ourselves to minister to all groups, all ages, through worship, friendship, discipleship, stewardship and fellowship, and to endeavor "... by all means to save some!"

Why We Are Here  

We are a church focused on sharing the lov­ing word of God by:

• Exalting our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

• Evangelizing the lost for Christ

• Encouraging one another

• Equipping Christians for ministry

Thus, it is our purpose to:

• Saturate the City of Hartford with prayer

• Saturate the City of Hartford with the gospel by boldly sharing the loving word of God

• Adequately use the gifts of all who attend our fellowship

• Reach out to a community that needs God's grace

• Praise, exalt and worship God

• Open the doors of our hearts and facilities to a hurting world

• Share what God has given us with those less fortunate.

• Equip believers for ministry

What We Believe

We believe that the rights and privileges of church membership should be for those who are truly Christians. Our official statement of belief is based on a vital relationship with Jesus Christ. In brief, we believe:

• In one God -the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

• That the Old and New Testament Scriptures, given by plenary inspiration, contain all truth nec­essary to faith and Christian living.

• That man is born with a fallen nature, and is, therefore, inclined to evil, and that continually.

• That the finally impenitent are hopelessly and eternally lost.

• 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.

• That believers are to be sanctified wholly, sub­sequent to regeneration, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

• In the return of our Lord, in the resurrection of the dead, and in the final judgment.

THE HISTORY OF OUR CHURCH

The Hartford First Church of the Nazarene was started by Rev. Robert J. Dixon, who was born in Ireland and came to the United States as a lad with his family who settled in Avon, CT. When Robert became a young man, he moved to Hartford and became a Born-again Christian. While attending a Holiness meeting in a home on New Park Avenue, he was gloriously sanctified. He soon felt the call of God upon him to preach the Gospel, and began his ministerial training at God's Bible School in Cincinnati.

After coming into contact with the Church of the Nazarene, he attended Pasadena Nazarene University, then University of Southern California, later becoming Head of the Dept. of Philosophy in Pasadena Nazarene University.

Despite his academic success, his heart burned with a burden for the people of Hartford, and on August 12, 1912, he began holding nightly meetings in a hall at the corner of Park and Heath Streets in Hartford. After a month, the meetings moved to a store front church on Franklyn Avenue. On October 28, a permanent home for that congregation was found at 20 Wells Street in downtown Hartford.

Two years later, on June 20, 1914, the congregation was officially organized with 32 charter members, and the Hartford First Church of the Nazarene was born. Rev. Robert J. Dixon served as the pastor of the Hartford First Church until 1917.

On September 1, 1915, the congregation moved to a hall at 235 Asylum Street, with a membership of fifty-two. That property was sold, and the church was forced to move to 431 Zion Street on March 1, 1917. The church bought property at 153-157 Hungerford Street which became the home of the Hartford First Church for several years.

On November 1, 1937, the church bought the present property at 932 Capital Avenue. The current congregation is approximately 220. The church membership is 109, and our average Sunday morning Worship attendance is 148.

Hereunder is a list of the Pastors who served in the Hartford First Church: