Chariton Nazarene

In 1912 there was a revival meeting that was held in the Center School house. The evangelist was Rev. Charles Henderson. A group interested in starting a Nazarene church in Chariton met in a house. Shortly after plans for a building was started but in the meantime they started meeting in a room of the Lucas Co. Courthouse.  The first service in their new church building at the corner of 12th and Braden was June 1, 1913. In 1915 the Third District Assembly of the Iowa District was held in Chariton Church of the Nazarene.

On September 2nd, 2012 under the pastor Jeff O’Rourke the church celebrated 100 years of ministry as the Church of the Nazarene in Chariton. Most of those 100 years were served in the original building on the corner of 12th and Braden; and on January 31st, 2021 we sold our church building at the corner of 12th and Braden as God called us to. We currently meet at the Chariton Community Center and have hopes to build out on the 10 acre property on the edge of town.