The Church of the Nazarene began in 1908 to unite churches from the American holiness movement, which came out of Methodism. It spread to West Virginia in 1910, starting in Newell after a revival led by preacher Howard Sloan. Other early churches were started in Mannington (1915) and Grafton (1919).

Nazarene churches are known for their lively revival-style services, regular Bible studies, and summer camp meetings, notably at their campground in Summersville, started in 1947.

They value Sunday school, and some churches began as Sunday school classes. The church grew most in the Charleston-Huntington area, with key churches in Huntington, South Charleston, Charleston, and Davis Creek—once one of the biggest rural churches in the state.

Women have played important roles as pastors in West Virginia Nazarene churches since the 1910s, earlier than in many other churches.