Our Story

The story of Nazarene Way Church began in 2024, when our founder, Rabbi Scott, and his wife were preparing for the birth of their son. As they anticipated this new life, they began visiting churches across Southern California in search of a spiritual home—one that truly reflected the original faith of Jesus the Nazarene (aka, "Yeshua").

Scott, an independent scholar of early Christianity and Second Temple Judaism, had long studied the historical and theological roots of Jesus’ original movement. He has read extensively and interacted with leading scholars, including Dr. Bart Ehrman, in pursuit of understanding how the simple, Torah-observant faith of Jesus evolved into the institutionalized religion we know today.

Through years of study, Scott came to a clear conviction: the original faith of Jesus—and those who walked beside him—was not the same as the religion shaped by Paul of Tarsus. While Paul’s writings dominate the New Testament, his theology often contradicted the words and Way of Jesus.

Jesus declared in Matthew 5:17 that he did not come to abolish the Torah, but to fulfill it. He and his earliest followers—later known as the Nazarenes—continued to observe the sacred practices of Israel. These included keeping the Sabbath, honoring the festivals, practicing immersion in living waters, maintaining purity, and in some communities, observing vegetarianism, and optionally, taking the Nazirite vow (abstaining from wine, strong drink, contact with the dead, and the cutting of one’s hair).

In 2024, Scott and his wife began attending a Messianic Jewish congregation in Southern California. For six months, they participated faithfully, hoping to find alignment with the original faith of Jesus. While they respected the community and its leaders, they soon recognized that its purpose was not to restore the authentic religion of Jesus, but rather to evangelize Jewish people into Pauline Christianity. Week after week, sermons focused not on Jesus’ teachings, but on the letters of a man who never met him.

It was then that God spoke to Scott through the Holy Spirit, placing on his heart a divine calling:

“If no one else will restore the original faith of Jesus the Nazarene, then you must begin.”

And so, Nazarene Way Church was born—a community devoted to reviving the faith of Jesus, his family, and his first disciples.

Soon after, providence began to unfold. Through divine orchestration, Scott connected with Chris Sartain, founder of Ebionite Mystic on YouTube. Chris introduced Scott to other teachers and seekers of the Way—people such as Aaron Abke, James Benefico (The Jesus Way Podcast), Kam Waters (Christspiracy), and many other modern-day Nazarenes who share the same mission: to restore what was lost.

A movement was forming. The Spirit was moving once again.

Today, Nazarene Way Church stands at the dawn of a new era—one that follows the same pattern as the Jerusalem Assembly founded by James the Just, the brother of Jesus. From humble beginnings, that first assembly grew into a movement that changed the world.