Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee)
Church of God | |
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Church of God with Signs Following, The (Original) Church of God | |
Official website | churchofgod |
The Church of God, with headquarters in
Name
The precise legal name of this body is "Church of God". After a protracted court case involving donations intended for the use of its orphanages being received by other groups using the same name, the
History
Origins (1886–1902)
Even though not intending to form a new church or denomination, their rejection of Landmarkist values placed them in conflict with traditional churches in that area. Within a short period of time it became clear that they would not be allowed to remain as members of their churches. On August 19, 1886, after being barred from his local Baptist church, R.G. Spurling and eight others organized the Christian Union at the Barney Creek Meeting House in Monroe County, Tennessee. They agreed to free themselves from man-made creeds and unite upon the principles of the New Testament. Between 1889 and 1895, Spurling organized three other congregations, all with the name Christian Union, each functioning independently under Baptist polity.[4] While this group would later disband and its members return to their original churches, the Church of God traces its origins to this 1886 meeting.[5]
In 1896, three Tennessee evangelists (William Martin, Joe M. Tipton, and Milton McNabb) with links to Benjamin H. Irwin's
The worshipers began to meet in the house of William F. Bryant (1863–1949), a Baptist deacon prior to his joining the holiness movement, who assumed leadership of the group. R.G. Spurling often worshiped with the small fellowship and was the driving force behind its 1902 decision to organize into a church, called the Holiness Church at Camp Creek.[7] Organization was made necessary because Irwin's more fanatical teachings were influencing the movement, and there was a need for authority to discipline erring members.[8]
Tomlinson era (1903–1923)
It would be
By 1905, there was a desire for greater organization among the churches. Delegates from four churches met at Camp Creek (approximately a mile northwest of Fields of the Wood) in January 1906 to conduct the 1st General Assembly of the "Churches of East Tennessee, North Georgia, and Western North Carolina." Though the intention was still to avoid the creation of a creed and denomination, the members' consensus on certain endeavors and standards laid the groundwork for the future denomination. The Assembly declared, "We hope and trust that no person or body of people will ever use these minutes, or any part of them, as articles of faith upon which to establish a sect or denomination," and that the General Assembly was not "a legislative or executive body, [but] judicial only."[11] The 1st Assembly decided that foot washing was on the same level as the sacrament of communion and, like other holiness groups, condemned the use of tobacco. Tomlinson served as moderator and secretary.[12] The name "Church of God" was adopted in 1907, and Tomlinson was elected general overseer in 1909.[13]
The Church of God was a part of the
In 1910, the official publication, "The Church of God Evangel," was founded, and it remains the oldest continuous Pentecostal publication. Growth followed in the years after organization. In 1902, there was one church with 20 members. By 1910, there were 1,005 members in 31 churches throughout the Southeastern United States.[15]
Statistics
The denomination reported that in 2022, they had 36,000 churches and 7 million members in 178 countries.[16]
Clergy
The Church of God recognizes three ranks of credentialed ministers: Exhorter (initial level), Ordained
Beliefs
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The church has a
Structure
International
The Church of God is a hierarchical church with an episcopal polity.[20][13] The Church of God's highest judicial body is the International General Assembly.[21] This body has "full power and authority to designate the teaching, government, principles, and practices" of the Church of God.[22] Meeting every two years, the General Assembly's voting membership includes all lay members, credentialed ministers of the Church of God, and members 16 years of age or older, but to vote one must be present and registered. The General Assembly is responsible for electing the church's executive officers. These are the general overseer, the three assistant general overseers, and the secretary general. In addition, it elects the directors of the church's missionary and Christian education ministries.[23]
Higher education
The Church of God operates Lee University, a Christian Liberal Arts university in Cleveland, Tennessee, established in 1918.[24] In response to the need for a graduate seminary, the Church of God Graduate School of Christian Ministries opened in 1975. Its name was changed to the Church of God School of Theology, Church of God Theological Seminary, and most recently to the Pentecostal Theological Seminary (PTS) with the hopes of appealing to a broader student base.[citation needed]
Related bodies
- Church of God (Chattanooga)(org. 1917)
- Church of God with Signs Following(org. circa 1922)
- Church of God of Prophecy (org. 1923)
- Church of God, House of Prayer (org. 1939)
- Church of God (Huntsville, Alabama) (org. 1943)
- The Church of God (Jerusalem Acres)(org. 1957)
- The Church of God for All Nations(org. 1981)
- Church of God (Charleston, Tennessee)(org. 1993)
Recent history
In 2007, the denomination had 6 million members worldwide. [25]
Notable ministers
- Charles Paul Conn – Chancellor of Lee University
- Raymond F. Culpepper – First Assistant General Overseer
- Marcus Lamb – Founder of Daystar Television Network
- G. Dennis McGuire – Former General Overseer
- Perry Stone– Evangelist, author, host of Manna-fest
- Jentezen Franklin - Pastor, Free Chapel
See also
- Church of God (Anderson, Indiana)
- Church of God (Guthrie, Oklahoma)
- Church of God (Huntsville, Alabama)
- The Church of God (Charleston, Tennessee)
- Protestantism in the United States
- List of the largest Protestant bodies
- Christianity in the United States
Notes
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8028-2416-5.
- ^ Stephen C. Finley, Torin Alexander, African American Religious Cultures, ABC-CLIO, USA, 2009, p. 151
- ^ Roebuck 1999, p. 2.
- ^ Roebuck 1999, p. 3.
- ^ Synan 1997, p. 73.
- ^ Synan 1997, p. 72.
- ^ Roebuck 1999, pp. 4–5.
- ^ Synan 1997, p. 74.
- ^ Synan 1997, pp. 74–75.
- ^ Roebuck 1999, p. 6.
- ^ Roebuck 1999, p. 7.
- ^ Synan 1997, pp. 77–78.
- ^ a b Synan, The Holiness–Pentecostal Tradition, p. 79.
- ^ Roebuck 1999, pp. 9–10.
- ^ Synan 1997, p. 79.
- ^ Church of God (Cleveland), A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF GOD, churchofgod.org, USA, retrieved November 5, 2022
- ^ In emergencies, Exhorters may be authorized by their state overseer to baptize converts and receive new church members. When serving as pastors, if state laws allow, the Exhorter may solemnize marriages. 2012 COG Minutes S58.II, pp. 155.
- ^ Roebuck 1999, p. 8.
- ^ Church of God (Cleveland), WE BELIEVE, churchofgod.org, USA, retrieved November 5, 2022
- ^ 2012 COG Minutes S35.1, p. 115.
- ^ 2012 COG Minutes S1.IV.A, p. 58.
- ^ 2012 COG Minutes S3.I.1, pp. 65–67.
- ^ 2012 COG Minutes S2.VI.1, pp. 59–61.
- ^ "Facts in Brief". Archived from the original on February 13, 2013. Retrieved December 5, 2012.
- ^ Eric Patterson, Edmund Rybarczyk, The Future of Pentecostalism in the United States, Lexington Books, USA, 2007, p. 139
References
- Black, Daniel L., ed. (2012), Minutes 2012: Church of God Book of Discipline, Church Order, and Governance, Cleveland, Tennessee: Church of God Publishing House.
- Conn, Charles W (2008) [1955], Like a Mighty Army.
- Crew, Michael. The Church of God: A Social History. University of Tennessee Press, 1990.
- Roebuck, David G (1999), "Restorationism and a Vision for World Harvest: A Brief History of the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee)" (PDF), Cyberjournal for Pentecostal-Charismatic Research, 5, retrieved June 12, 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-8028-4103-2.
Bibliography
- Conn, Charles W. Where the Saints Have Trod: A History of Church of God Missions. Cleveland: Pathway Press, 1957.
- Robins, R.G. Tomlinson. Plainfolk Modernist. Oxford: University Press, 2004.