[33] In 2009, Bishop Blake unveiled an aggressive program known as "Urban Initiatives" to address the plight of America's urban areas. Nurses Aid Ministry nurses taking their skills to the mission field. Recognizing the significance of women to the ministry, COGIC has created numerous positions that allow women to work as counterparts to the department presidents as chair ladies (YPWW) and Elect ladies (Evangelism). According to the Articles of Religion, "We believe that we are not baptized with the Holy Ghost in order to be saved, but that we are baptized with the Holy Ghost because we are saved". Gary Lewis was elected to the post of Secretary General on July 29, 2022 at the Church of God International General Assembly in San Antonio, Texas. The general assembly meets biannually each year in April and November while the presidium acts as the executive branch of the church, overseeing the day-to-day operation when the general assembly is not in session. This seasonal period was selected because most of the COGIC members were farmers and were finished harvesting their crops around this time. Timothy Wright, Myrna Summers, Rev. The first Sunday School Superintendent was Professor L. W. Lee (19081916). She revolutionized and reorganized the music ministry to become a leading department in the church. He was pastor of the Pentecostal Temple Institutional COGIC in Memphis, Tennessee, and was the Presiding Prelate of the Tennessee Headquarters Jurisdiction. In addition, the office certifies delegates to the General Assembly, publishes official documents and certificates, maintains the official record of General Assembly proceedings, distributes pertinent information to the constituents of the Church, plays a pivotal role in church: legal matters, collects and reports church statistics, maintains an accurate database of credential holders, officers, churches and jurisdictions, and keeps an archive of historical documents from across the church, including, books, national and jurisdictional records, and photographs and memorabilia of historical value. Today COGIC operates the All Saints Bible College in Memphis, the C. H. Mason system of bible colleges, and the C. H. Mason Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia. B. McEwen, Bishop J. S. Bailey, and Bishop O. M. Kelly as his assistants. Under her leadership and tenure, COGIC choirs and individual singers came to dominate gospel music producing a number of recordings and gospel hits. Over time, the ministers and churches under Leonard P. Adams also separated from COGIC; they assimilated into other white Pentecostal groups or organizations. COGIC believes in divine healing, however, it does not advocate the exclusion of medical supervision. The fastest growing areas include Nigeria, South Africa, Brazil, and India. Coffey was a child convert to COGIC under the preaching of Bishop Mason, and was influential in organizing many of the auxiliaries, bands, and units that exist within the COGIC Women's Department. Email: cogsecgeneral@churchofgod.org. Bishop J.W. According to its 1973 Constitution, the church has two structures to govern the church: civil and ecclesiastical. Owens outlined a progressive plan to position the COGIC for ministry in the twenty-first century, known as "Vision 2000 and Beyond." He self-identifies as Bishop/CEO of his newly organized fellowship called the 7000 Club (not to be confused with The 700 Club from Pat Robertson). Bishop Elijah Hankerson III - Board member (2021present), Bishop Charles E. Blake Presiding Bishop Emeritus. COGIC believes, though, that even then in the case of saving the life of the mother, that abortion should still only be considered as a last resort, if all other options to help the mother and the unborn fetus have been thoroughly exhausted. These jurisdictions are then separated into districts, which consist of 5 to 7 churches and are governed by superintendents (ordained elder or pastor). Washington, Bishop Chandler D. Owens, Bishop Brandon B. Porter, and Bishop J. As has been stated, COGIC does not ordain women as elder or bishop, however, COGIC would not have become the largest predominately African-American Pentecostal church in the world, nor have the largest Women's convention of any major denomination without the contributions of women. It has had rapid growth in many regions as one of the fastest-growing and largest religious groups in the United States.[30]. After the death of Mother Coffey in 1964, Dr. Annie L. Bailey (19641975), became the third General Supervisor. They are tasked with the day to day operation of the Church of God in Christ. [47], COGIC teaches that the church is the community of Christian believers who have accepted Jesus Christ and submit to his Lordship and authority in their lives. [93] Leaders within the COGIC, other denominations and Bishop Blake's own family came to his defense. It is a separate and distinct work of grace that occurs in the lives of believers after conversion. The church is thought to have nearly two million members in 7,000 churches on the continent of Africa. [96][97][98][99], This article is about the Holiness Pentecostal denomination. He was elected four times uncontested as presiding bishop. [44], COGIC teaches that salvation is the work of redemption to the sinner and his restoration to divine favor and communion with God. Mason sent ministers and evangelists to cities and urban areas outside the South, including William Roberts (Chicago), O. M. Kelly (New York), O. T. Jones Sr. (Philadelphia), E. R. Driver (Los Angeles), and Samuel Kelsey (Washington, D.C.) From these major cities, COGIC spread throughout the country. Welcome to the Official Church Of God In Christ, Inc Online Store Dismiss. In keeping with the times, the school had some industrial education and training for its students, so that they could learn practical skills. Not everyone in the church were willing to accept "speaking in tongues" as the initial evidence of baptism of the Holy Ghost. [5] Although an international and multi-ethnic religious organization, it has a predominantly African-American membership based within the United States. He also instituted the Annual Prayer Breakfast, conducted Evangelistic Crusades across the country and developed the Church of God in Christ National Evangelist Registry. This system HAS BEEN LICENSED FOR USE BY the General Secretary's and Financial Secretary's Offices of the Church Of God In Christ. In addition to the general board, there is a board of bishops that is composed of all jurisdictional and auxiliary bishops, a national trustee board that is composed of 15 members who are elected for a term of four years, the General Council of Pastors and Elders, which is open to any officially recognized pastor and current credentialed ordained elder in the church. COGIC became a staple of gospel music under the guidance and leadership of Dr. Mattie Moss Clark. In her brief tenure, she encouraged the women to stay focused and supportive to the leadership of the church. Bishop Patterson was also to date the youngest person to ever be elected presiding bishop of COGIC at the age of 56; the second youngest was his nephew Gilbert Earl (G.E.) [48] COGIC clergy are also encouraged to have a certain degree of training in marriage counseling as well. Sin was transmitted to humanity when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, as a result all men have original sin. Remarriage is usually highly discouraged, except in the case of the death of a spouse or former spouse. He was a strong advocate for social justice. As a result, an ongoing dispute between Elder Carter and Bishop Blake continued without resolution. The church declares to be evangelical in ministry, fundamental in doctrine and practice and Pentecostal in worship and expression. Deaconess Missionaries serve and assist in the ceremonial and temporal affairs of the local church. Mother Jennie Bell Dancy Jones of Arkansas became the first National Field Representative under Bishop Patrick. At the start of the new millennium, then COGIC presiding Bishop Gilbert Earl Patterson, continued to support the advancement of civil rights. Adjutant General Bishop Dickerson L. S. Wells Sr.. General Supervisor, Department of Women Mother Barbara McCoo Lewis. She was greatly interested in the building of Mason Temple and she kept her national building fund drives functioning until she knew the building was ready for dedication. The first general secretary of COGIC was Elder William B. Holt, a white minister. Mother Dorothy Exume#, foreign missionary, Evangelist Reatha D. Herndon#, first and longest-serving elect Lady, church organizer, national evangelist, Supervisor Deola Wells Johnson, national evangelist, jurisdictional supervisor, Evangelist Maria Gardner Langston, COGIC pastor, national evangelist, former Elect Lady, Mother Elsie Washington Mason#, third and final wife of Bishop Mason, Mother Lelia Washington Mason#, second wife of Bishop Mason. She served as the jurisdictional supervisor of several states including Maryland and New Jersey helping to establish and stabilize struggling jurisdictions. In 1968, Two sanitation workers who were also COGIC members, Echol Cole and Robert Walker, were crushed to death in a garbage compactor where they were taking shelter from the rain. The Presiding Bishop is the both the President and the CEO of the corporation, the other eleven members complete the Board of Directors. Page in 1927. Bishop Jones was the only living bishop of the five original bishops consecrated by Bishop Mason. His pastor and mentor was Bishop F. D. Washington of Brooklyn, NY. Driver, who was the overseer of California and pastor of the Saints Home COGIC led an interracial congregation made up of many Blacks, Whites, and Latinos, for many years. He was able to bridge denominational barriers and encourage non-COGIC ministries to work collboratively with the COGIC denomination. Built in the 1940s during World War II, the nearly 4000-seat building was the largest church auditorium of any African-American religious group in the United States. [29] She is also the Jurisdictional Supervisor of Women for the South Carolina Jurisdiction. In 1982 during the Seventy-Fifth Holy Convocation, the diamond jubilee of the church, COGIC published its own hymnal, Yes, Lord!, which included many arrangements and songs written by COGIC and African-American musicians and songwriters. He was denied such trial in 2016. Hall Sr. Board member (2021present). Welcome to the home page of the General Board of the Church Of God In Christ, Inc. It was reopened in the early 1990s under the administration of Bishop L.H. She formed her daughters into a singing group who became known as the legendary "Clark Sisters" who helped introduce and became leaders of the contemporary gospel music era. [47] COGIC regards homosexuality, infidelity, and any other forms of sexual immorality that does not agree with Biblical scripture as sinful. [55], A 2014 statistical study from the Pew Research Center Forum on Religion & Public Life, reported that most members of COGIC usually got married between the ages of 25 and 30, and that over 42% of COGIC members between the ages of 25 and 65+ were married, at least 19% were divorced or separated, 32% were never married, and at least 5% were widowed. Patterson Sr., the five major departments of COGIC were united under an umbrella convention known as UNAC-5 (United National Auxiliary Convention). The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) is a Holiness - Pentecostal Christian denomination, [1] [2] with a predominantly African-American membership. COGIC became a major force in the collective Black Church and worldwide Pentecostal movement. Each jurisdictional bishop appoints a jurisdictional supervisor to lead the work of the women on a jurisdictional level. The presiding bishop is part of a general board, consisting of eleven other bishops elected by a general assembly consisting of pastors, elders, chaplains, bishops, missionaries, supervisors, and designated lay delegates. Just another Church Of God In Christ, Inc. site. The church believes that women are gifted and called to ministry; it does not, however, officially ordain women to the office of elder, pastor, or bishop. All rights reserved. [22], The years of 19621968 has been described as a "Dark Period" in the history of the Church of God in Christ, because there was polarization and conflict in leadership following the death of the founder. Rev. As public education was segregated and underfunded by white officials in the South through most of the tenure of the first major leader, this school became a destination for parents wanting their children to have high-quality education. [29] COGIC continued to grow and in 1973, the church claimed a worldwide membership of nearly three million. The Church may search and retrieve any information stored within this system. [31], Bishop Ford also renovated several COGIC structures in Memphis, including Mason Temple. According to the Articles of Religion in the COGIC Official Manual, COGIC believes in biblical inspiration and holds that the Bible is the supreme and final authority for doctrine and practice. General Treasurer Bishop Charles Harrison Mason Patterson Sr.. Financial Secretary Bishop Frank A. They rejected denominational names such as Baptist, Methodist, or Episcopal. For a brief period of time, the YPWW Congress was combined with the Sunday School Congress in a joint convention until 1951. Jones Sr. was elected Senior Bishop by the General Assembly. Ford was pastor of the St. Paul COGIC in Chicago and was Presiding Prelate of the Historic Illinois First Jurisdiction. We believe that the redemptive work of Christ on the Cross provides healing for the human body in answer to believing prayer. [9] This Holiness group/fellowship adopted the name Church of God in Christ, and COGIC began to develop congregations throughout the South. [26], The parties filed lawsuits in the Chancery Court of Shelby County, Tennessee, to resolve the legitimate authority of the denomination. Mrs. Mattie McCaulley of Tulsa, Oklahoma was the first to respond, and was sent to Trinidad. Holy Temple COGIC was the first church to open its doors to the garbage workers. The current Presiding Bishop is Bishop John Drew Sheard Sr., who is the Senior Pastor of the Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ of Detroit, Michigan. Vice President of COGIC World Missions-Bishop Nate' M. Jefferson. Helm Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi, attended by Mason and others from several states. In 2015, after more than 40 years of faithful service, Bishop Carlis L. Moody was emeritized as Bishop of Missions. forgot password WARNING!!! Divorce is considered inconsistent with biblical teachings and highly discouraged as well. She built a home for missionaries in the Bahamas, a pavilion for senior citizens and unwed mothers in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. B. McEwen made conflicting administrative and executive decisions. We believe that the regeneration by the Holy Ghost is absolutely essential for personal salvation. These elders became the first Pentecostal General Assembly of the Church of God in Christ. A. Jeter was selected as Overseer of Arkansas. [50], In July 2016 during their annual Auxiliaries in Ministries convention, COGIC announced their Urban Initiative Outreach ministries and Missions and Charity departments would be partnering up with The Human Coalition, an anti-abortion advocacy group, from 2016 to 2019 for a three-year initiative to encourage COGIC pastors and ministers to encourage anti-abortion advocacy in their local churches. Mother Rivers also began the "49 and Under" to enlist and focus the younger women of COGIC to remain committed to the doctrine and teachings of the church. [29] The spread of COGIC was due largely to the efforts of its evangelists through crusades and revivals. Create your ARC account Complete the form below to request an ARC account from your Jurisdictional Secretary. The racial climate in the post WWI years, when there was high competition for jobs and housing and violent unrest in many cities in 1919, would not sustain this relationship. As African Americans migrated north and west to industrial cities during the Great Migration, he began to establish COGIC churches in the north and, especially after 1940, in the west. The first youth leader on a national level was Elder M.C. [29], Bishop Charles E. Blake assumed leadership and was elected Presiding Bishop of the church after the death of Bishop G.E. On October 23, 2020, Bishop Blake announced that he will not seek a re-election as Presiding Bishop nor as a member of the General Board and that he would retire from the Office of Presiding Bishop and from the General Board in 2021.[34]. Demons exist as manifestation of evil or unclean spirits. Her life story led many African-Americans into the Holiness movement, including Mason. He established the World Fellowship of Black Pentecostal Churches and gained COGIC membership in the Congress of National Black Churches. [12] Mason stayed in Los Angeles for five weeks and his visit to the Azusa Street Revival changed the direction of the newly formed holiness church. Her predecessor was Evangelist Dr. Rita Womack of Los Angeles, California. Salvation is an operation of the Holy Spirit upon sinners brought about by repentance toward God, which brings about conversion, faith, justification, and regeneration. These twelve bishops, chosen from the Board of Bishops, are voted into office by the General Assembly for a term of four years . [29], Bishop Gilbert Earl (G. E.) Patterson began his ministry as co-pastor of the Holy Temple COGIC with his father, Bishop W. A. Patterson. It had a membership of more than 400,000, who supported more than 4,000 churches. During the tenure of Bishop J. O. Patterson Sr. as Presiding Bishop in the 1970s and 80s, Bishop Patterson established several interdenominational Christian schools and seminaries, and helped to establish the World Fellowship of Black Pentecostal Churches and gained COGIC membership in the Congress of National Black Churches as well, a national caucus of Black church denominations that represent different denominations and organizations of the Black Church in America. Student Aid a ministry of support to foreign students. 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