It is one of the largest gathering of Christian women from any major denomination and religious organization. From the very beginning of gospel music, COGIC members have influenced its rise. They determined to separate from COGIC and form what would eventually become the Worldwide Fellowship of the Assemblies of God. In 1988, after a thirteen-year exodus from COGIC, Bishop G. E. Patterson returned as the founding Prelate of the newly formed Tennessee Fourth Jurisdiction. [45] It teaches that salvation is a work of grace brought about through faith in Jesus Christ; it does not promulgate nor encourage the doctrine of eternal security, also known as "once saved, always saved. Assistant Financial Secretary Bishop David A. Sanders. He was denied such trial in 2016. COGIC teaches that the Holy Spirit is alive and active in the world. In 1916, a few white churches were organized as a white branch of COGIC. In 1976, under the leadership of Bishop J.O. [49] The church does not practice infant baptisms or christenings, but does conduct baby dedications in formal ceremonies. The current presiding bishop and chief apostle is Bishop J. COGIC considers any physical, sexual relationship outside of the sanctity of marriage to be outside of the sovereign will of God and unbiblical. Three years later on October 12, 1955, he added three more bishops to the hierarchy: Bishop U. E. Miller, Bishop S. M. Crouch, and Bishop O. T. Jones Sr. In 2009 he was appointed as a member of Barack Obama's Inaugural Advisory Council of the Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships where he served for one year on the council. Winbush was selected to serve as the first chairman. In 1982 he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Education, and in 1998 he earned a Master of Arts in Mathematics from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. A. The first general secretary of COGIC was Elder William B. Holt, a white minister. Co Directors of the Men's Department Bishop Michael B. Patterson Sr. in 1989. He is credited with systematically restructuring church departments and ministries, expanding the church in Asia, primarily India and the Philippines, and placing the COGIC on a solid financial status. As founder and CEO of Save Africas Children, a program of the Pan African Childrens Fund, he helps to support more than 200,000 children in 400 orphan care programs throughout more than 23 nations on the continent of Africa. The most notable rift occurred in 1969, when fourteen bishops met in Evanston, Illinois, to form the Church of God in Christ, International. Drew Sheard elected as COGIC's new presiding bishop; two Memphis bishops elected to general board Sheard, 62, was elected in late March to lead the predominantly African American . In 1996, the then Elder J. 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). [15], COGIC originated among African Americans in the Southern states of Mississippi, Arkansas, and Tennessee. Dr. Roy L.H. Bishop Prince E. W. Bryant Sr. Board member (2021present). This endorsement allows female chaplains who are serving in the military, working in an institution or jails to perform religious services including funerals and weddings. In 1982, Patterson led COGIC in its Diamond Jubilee, in a celebration of the International Holy Convocation. His ministry spanned more than seven decades. President Moody also added these ministries to the Missions Department:[62]. Well-known gospel musicians with COGIC roots include; Andrae Crouch and Sandra Crouch, Walter Hawkins and Edwin Hawkins, Tramaine Hawkins, Rubenstein McClure, Yvette Flunder, Sara Jordan Powell, Daryl Coley, BeBe and CeCe Winans, The Winans, "Detroit" Gary Wiggins, John P. Kee, The O'Neal Twins, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Rance Allen, Rev. Today however, many church mothers have been reserved to titular positions as many pastor's wives have assumed the role of leader of women's ministries in local congregations. On June 5, 1951, he selected Bishop A. He accepted his call into the ministry in 1956. At the 1907 COGIC Convocation held in Jackson, a separation occurred among Jones and other leaders in the church because of such disagreements. Presiding Bishop J. It was reopened in the early 1990s under the administration of Bishop L.H. In Chicago, Ford organized voter registration initiatives. The Church of God in Christ was formed in 1897 by a group of disfellowshipped Baptists, most notably Charles Price Jones (18651949) and Charles Harrison Mason (18641961). 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. Mason was influenced by the testimony of the African-American Methodist evangelist Amanda Berry Smith, one of the most widely respected African-American holiness evangelists of the nineteenth century. Protestant doctrinal debates about Calvinism and Wesleyan Perfectionism affected how even local African-American Baptist pastors responded to new Christian movements at the time. From 1985 to 2009, he maintained the position of Prelate for the First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of California, where he was responsible for overseeing over 250 churches. She was the Jurisdictional Supervisor of Women for Texas Southwest Jurisdiction under the late Bishop T. D. Iglehart. At the start of the new millennium, then COGIC presiding Bishop Gilbert Earl Patterson, continued to support the advancement of civil rights. [46], COGIC teaches that the baptism of the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit is an experience subsequent to conversion and sanctification, can be experienced by all believers who ask for it. Factions developed within the organization as both the senior bishop and Bishop A. Together he and his wife, Karen, founded Karew Records, a faith-based record label focusing on various forms of Gospel, Christian and Inspirational music. Presiding Bishop J. Mason Theological Seminary to train its ministers and ministry leaders. [47] COGIC regards homosexuality, infidelity, and any other forms of sexual immorality that does not agree with Biblical scripture as sinful. G iving to the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) fell by nearly 50 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic. 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. It has nine members, elected by the general assembly, including three bishops, three elders, and three lay members. The constitutional convention drafted and approved a new constitution which dissolved both the office of the Senior Bishop and the executive board; it also established the General Assembly, which meets biannually, as the supreme authority over the church to decide matters of faith and practice. In April 2018, Bishop Blake led COGIC in partnership with American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis to continue to struggle for civil rights in the 21st Century. Throughout the dispute, Elder Carter made allegations against Bishop Blake for impropriety, sexual misconduct, and abuse of power as presiding bishop. Dr. Mattie McGlothen (19751994) the fourth General Supervisor, was a tremendous organizer with great impact on the development of the Women's Department. He is also known for his aggressive initiative, "Save Africa's Children" which supports hundreds of African children who have been affected by HIV/AIDS in orphanages in several countries in Africa. Patterson established protocols of worship, policy and practices. Some of these African-American Baptist pastors in local Southern areas such as Mississippi, Tennessee, and Arkansas considered Jones and Mason to be controversial. Adelle M. Banks. In 2010, Bishop Blake led more than 50,000 delegates to the 103rd International Holy Convocation to St. Louis, Missouri. Vice President of COGIC World Missions-Bishop Nate' M. Jefferson. There was the creation of the Sunday School Field Representative. The current president of the Missions Department is Bishop Vincent Mathews Jr. of South Africa. At its first convocation held in 1897, the group identified simply as the "Church of God." Chairman of the National Board of Trustees Bishop Dwight E. Walls Sr.. First Vice Chairman of the National Board of Trustees Superintendent Melton Timmons. Bishop Elijah Hankerson III - Board member (2021present), Bishop Charles E. Blake Presiding Bishop Emeritus. Herndon and her twin sister Leatha were pioneers of the evangelistic work of the Church of God in Christ. In November 2008, Bishop Blake was re-elected to serve a four-year term as Presiding Bishop. The current General Supervisor of Women is Dr. Barbara McCoo Lewis of Los Angeles, California. She established a high school and gained accreditation for it, and then for the junior college which she founded on campus. The rope that holds the shaft together represents Charles Harrison Mason, COGIC's founding father. Robinson was a staunch advocate for holiness and taught strict guidelines for the women with regard to dress and worldliness. They unanimously chose C.H. He is an example of servant leadership and has become a voice to the nations to uphold the standards of holiness. 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. In 1968, COGIC established the C.H. By 1906, the church had grown to nearly 100 congregations in three states. Ford was pastor of the St. Paul COGIC in Chicago and was Presiding Prelate of the Historic Illinois First Jurisdiction. As Pentecostals, the Church believes that demons can be subdued and subjugated through the power of the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ. The presiding bishop and all twelve members of the general board are to be elected every four years and preside over the church when the General Assembly is not in session. Jones was acquainted with Seymour between 1895 and 1905, as Seymour's travels led him to many Holiness preachers such as John G. Lake and Martin Wells Knapp. General Secretary Bishop Joel H. Lyles Jr.. Chairman of the General Assembly Bishop Lemuel F. Thuston. [33] C. E. Blake served as the Presiding Prelate of the First Jurisdiction of Southern California. When she died in 1945, she had laid an impressive foundation for the women's ministry in COGIC. Battles served as president until his death in December 1996. These jurisdictions are then separated into districts, which consist of 5 to 7 churches and are governed by superintendents (ordained elder or pastor). Bishop John Drew Sheard is Presiding Bishop and Chief Apostle of the Church of God in Christ, Inc., one of the largest African American Pentecostal denominations in the United States with 12,000 churches in over 112 countries. COGIC has always been traditionally anti-abortion. Humanity can only be restored through salvation offered only through Jesus Christ. Church Of God In Christ, Inc. 2015-23. Young were appointed as a committee by C. P. Jones to investigate reports of a revival in Los Angeles, California that was being led by an itinerant preacher named William J. Seymour. Malcolm X's Funeral was held in Harlem, New York City at Faith Temple Church Of God in Christ. Bishop Mason appointed her as a young woman to be head of the small school in 1926, after she had been teaching there. However, in 1996, the umbrella format was revised under the administration of Bishop C.D. [1] [2] Early life [ edit] We believe that the redemptive work of Christ on the Cross provides healing for the human body in answer to believing prayer. We believe in the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling a Christian is enabled to live a holy and separated life in the present world. Drew Sheard is a former public-school teacher. In a November 2007 special election, he was elected to complete the unexpired term of his predecessor as Presiding Bishop. The current leader of the International Music Department is recording artist Dr. Myron Williams, succeeding Dr. Judith Christie McAllister of Los Angeles, California, who is also a praise and worship national recording artist. Patterson, as Presiding Bishop of the Church in the 2000s, he helped bridge denominational barriers and encouraged non-COGIC ministries and denominations to work collaboratively with the COGIC denomination to help support charity efforts for poor and disadvantaged African Americans and people affected by poverty and disasters in foreign countries through the COGIC Charities Department and the COGIC Missions and Evangelism Department. In 1988, he was installed as Pastor of Greater Emmanuel Church. There seemed no prospect of an integrated Pentecostal movement under the leadership of an African-American such as C. H. Second Vice Chairman of the National Board of Trustees Attorney Amos Smith. Bishop Jerry W. Macklin First Assistant Presiding Bishop (2021present) and board member (2004present). As a result, many local congregations, foreign missions, and schools were established through the leadership and efforts of women in COGIC. [9] This Holiness group/fellowship adopted the name Church of God in Christ, and COGIC began to develop congregations throughout the South. Remarriage is usually highly discouraged, except in the case of the death of a spouse or former spouse. The church has a tradition of prayer, fasting, praise, and consecration that was once unique to Holiness or Holiness Pentecostal groups. In 1915, after years of court litigation over the name of the organization and use of the name "Church of God in Christ" by the two groups; Mason's group was granted the use of the name and Jones's group organized a legally chartered Holiness body called the Church of Christ (Holiness) U.S.A.[14], After moving to Memphis, Tennessee, Bishop Mason established a local congregation called Temple COGIC. A. Jeter was selected as Overseer of Arkansas. The judicial board serves as the judicial branch and is the supreme body that interprets polity and practice. The current International Sunday School Superintendent is Superintendent Mark Ellis of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the International Field Representative is Mother Cleolia Penix of Chicago, Illinois.[29]. The following 4 pages are in this category, out of 4 total. Carter was found in contempt of court for failing to obey the court order and was jailed until he removed all videos and agreed to comply. Rev. [42], COGIC teaches that angels are messengers sent from God who served during the creation, throughout the Old Testament, the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, the establishment of the church and the ministry of the apostles, and continue to be at work in the Kingdom of God. More:J. By. The church started with only 50 members in 1969 when he became pastor. As a compassionate advocate for the advancement of Gods Kingdom, he is committed to accomplishing Gods agenda as both a leader and a laborer, reaping a harvest of souls. She developed the International Women's Convention into a training institute for women in the ministry. They are fallen angels who joined Satan in his failed attempt to usurp power in Heaven. Nevertheless, as time progressed in the 1950s and 60s, and as COGIC began to grow and became increasingly institutionalized as a denomination, several other churches and denominations began partnering up with COGIC's leaders to help advance the cause of Civil Rights for African Americans, most notably such as the National Baptist Convention, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, and many other similar predominantly Black denominations as well. Medger Evers, the famed NAACP Field representative for the state of Mississippi who was gunned down in the front of his house in 1963 was raised in by his mother as a member of COGIC before later becoming a Baptist. She revolutionized and reorganized the music ministry to become a leading department in the church. Bishop. The international headquarters is in Memphis, Tennessee. Later in 1897, while in Little Rock, Arkansas, C. H. Mason stated that God had given him such a name for the group, the "Church of God in Christ". Bishop Sheard was first elected to the General Board in 2012 and re-elected in 2016. Bishop Blake also won a defamation lawsuit in 2016 against Earl Carter, who was ordered to remove all defamatory videos and to cease and desist from further conduct disparaging Bishop Blake. Jesse Jackson was invited to speak during the COGIC International Holy Convocation when he was running for the presidency. Drew Sheard, Sr. as Presiding Bishop on March 20, 2021. Bishop J. Owens and became known as AIM (Auxiliaries in Ministry). 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. A. Blake, Jr., who is also a bishop and pastor in the COGIC denomination in San Diego, California. He served on the trustee board for 12 years and has served on the general board for eight years. COGIC became a staple of gospel music under the guidance and leadership of Dr. Mattie Moss Clark. [29] Former International Music Department President Professor Iris Stevenson-McCullough (originally from Rochester, NY) is a major influence in the gospel music industry around the world. He served faithfully as an Ordained Deacon, the Sunday School Superintendent and the Guitarist. Churches are organized in dioceses called jurisdictions, each under the authority of a bishop. [29] COGIC continued to grow and in 1973, the church claimed a worldwide membership of nearly three million. It was destroyed by fire in 1936. He also instituted the Annual Prayer Breakfast, conducted Evangelistic Crusades across the country and developed the Church of God in Christ National Evangelist Registry. Bishop Blake was the pastor of the West Angeles Church of God in Christ,[7] one of the largest African-American churches in the Western United States, with a membership of over 24,000, from 1969 until his retirement in 2022. In 1997, Bishop Chandler D. Owens appointed Evangelist Richard "Mr. Clean" White as president of the Department of Evangelism. Known for the achievements of her students and school alumni, she had also served during these years, by invitation and appointment, on national federal commissions and with noted African-American women's groups. They have two children, Kierra Kelly and John Drew Sheard, II, one son-in-love, Jordan Kelly, and two grandchildren. After graduating from high school, he matriculated to Wayne State. 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. Bishop J. The Church of God in Christ will host the installation service of Rev. Save Africa's Children, a program of PACF, currently provides support to over 220 charity missions and orphanages throughout sub-Saharan Africa. All rights reserved. The civil structure of the Church of God in Christ includes a president, first vice-president, second vice-president, general secretary, general treasurer, and the financial secretary. 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. During the formative stages of COGIC, Bishop Mason organized departments to further support the work of the church as it continued to grow and expand. Religious Figure, former Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), the fourth largest Protestant denominaton in the world. [7] The leadership of the Mississippi State Convention of the National Baptist Convention intervened and expelled Jones, Mason, and others who embraced the Wesleyan teaching of entire sanctification. He was elected four times uncontested as presiding bishop. [29], Bishop Charles E. Blake assumed leadership and was elected Presiding Bishop of the church after the death of Bishop G.E. Patterson, former presiding bishop of the Church of God In Christ.. A Jeter and D. J. Washington, Bishop Chandler D. Owens, Bishop Brandon B. Porter, and Bishop J. 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.