Young, James Brewer, Daniel Spearman, and J. H. Boone. According to its 1973 Constitution, the church has two structures to govern the church: civil and ecclesiastical. Secretary General. Military chaplains have also been instrumental in spreading COGIC through military installations. The general assembly is the supreme authority over the church to decide matters of faith and practice. They were given the authority through a "gentlemen's agreement" to license ministers and establish churches under the COGIC name. Administrative Assistant & Member Executive Committee-General Assembly - 1989-Present. In 1918, COGIC opened its first institution of higher learning, the Saints Industrial and Literary School in Lexington, Mississippi, for both girls and boys. 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. The current presiding bishop and chief apostle is Bishop J. These twelve bishops, chosen from the Board of Bishops, are voted into office by the General Assembly for a term of four years . Second Vice Chairman of the National Board of Trustees Attorney Amos Smith. Bishop Mason taught COGIC members against going to war, but more so he was against African-American men being called to fight a war overseas for freedom and then coming home and being treated as second-class citizens and being lynched, even in their uniforms, because of racism. 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. [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. Bishop Jones was the only living bishop of the five original bishops consecrated by Bishop Mason. Assistant General Treasurer Bishop Kendall Anderson. B. McEwen made conflicting administrative and executive decisions. In 2010, Bishop Blake led more than 50,000 delegates to the 103rd International Holy Convocation to St. Louis, Missouri. He began production of the YPWW Quarterly Topics to train the youth of the COGIC in the faith, doctrine, and polity of the church. Jones Sr. was elected Senior Bishop by the General Assembly. 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. This system HAS BEEN LICENSED FOR USE BY the General Secretary's and Financial Secretary's Offices of the Church Of God In Christ. Protestant doctrinal debates about Calvinism and Wesleyan Perfectionism affected how even local African-American Baptist pastors responded to new Christian movements at the time. As a result, an ongoing dispute between Elder Carter and Bishop Blake continued without resolution. COGIC teaches that the Holy Spirit is alive and active in the world. It has nine members, elected by the general assembly, including three bishops, three elders, and three lay members. In 2000, he was elected as the Presiding Bishop of COGIC. Users should have no expectation of privacy as to any communication on or information stored within the system, forgot password WARNING!!! 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]. 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. There are more than 200 ecclesiastical jurisdictions around the world, with 170 in the United States. COGIC teaches that because God uses conception through and after sexual reproduction and intercourse to create human life, that willfully aborting a human fetus is contrary to God's Word and Christian ethics, and it is considered to be a sin against God and the Bible within the denomination. Later, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, ironically known as the "godmother of Rock and Roll," expanded and highlighted the COGIC sound to the greater American public in the 1930s and 1940s. The first meeting was held in Memphis, Tennessee around 1937. 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. Co Directors of the Men's Department Bishop Michael B. As the International Holy Convocation grew to thousands, COGIC leaders had to negotiate with city officials to provide hotel accommodations for the saints. They were also instrumental in establishing 75 churches across the nation. The COGIC constitution at the time did not identify a clear successor or the authority of the executive board after Mason's death. retrieve any information stored within this system. 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. [16], A few years after the Azusa Revival, in 1914, shortly before the United States entered World War I, approximately 300 white ministers, representing a variety of independent churches and networks of churches, including the "Association of Christian Assemblies" of Indiana; and the "Church of God in Christ and in Unity with the Apostolic Faith Movement" from Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Texas; met in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The General Board received a summation of the actions of the National Board of Trustees and updates on national properties since November 2018. 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. They are tasked with the day to day operation of the Church of God in Christ. It had a membership of more than 400,000, who supported more than 4,000 churches. They are fallen angels who joined Satan in his failed attempt to usurp power in Heaven. [44], COGIC teaches that salvation is the work of redemption to the sinner and his restoration to divine favor and communion with God. Golden Jr. [29], Bishop Charles E. Blake assumed leadership and was elected Presiding Bishop of the church after the death of Bishop G.E. Elder L. C. Patrick was added to the National Sunday School. 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. Winbush was selected to serve as the first chairman. Battles served as president until his death in December 1996. Timothy Wright, Myrna Summers, Rev. She began women's work on the state level and appointed the first state mothers. This system HAS BEEN LICENSED FOR USE BY the General Secretary's and Financial Secretary's Offices of the Church Of God In Christ. [33] C. E. Blake served as the Presiding Prelate of the First Jurisdiction of Southern California. Missions work in COGIC began under Elder Searcy in 1925. The National Board of Trustees. Pentecostals have been criticized because of their noticeable absence from the official record of activism that has been largely overshadowed by black ministers of other denominations such as Baptists and Methodists; however, there is evidence to verify and document the role and response of COGIC ministers and other Pentecostal denominations to the cause and struggle for Civil Rights in the United States during the 20th Century. "[90] This excerpt of Elder Carter's sermon went viral throughout social media and was picked up by major television news broadcasts. He believed that the name, taken from 1 Thessalonians 2:14, was divinely revealed and biblically inspired. In 1917, the YPWW was officially organized under the leadership of Elder Ozro Thurston Jones Sr., who in 1928 established the first Youth Congress bringing together youth leaders and workers on a national level. Her predecessor was Evangelist Dr. Rita Womack of Los Angeles, California. The general assembly elects a 12-person general board (presidium) every four years from the college of bishops, who serve functionally as apostles of the church. [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. In 1964 however, disagreement between the authority of the Senior Bishop and the executive board, led by Bishop A. Student Aid a ministry of support to foreign students. Assistant Financial Secretary Bishop David A. Sanders. Chairman of the National Board of Trustees Bishop Dwight E. Walls Sr.. First Vice Chairman of the National Board of Trustees Superintendent Melton Timmons. Education was considered key to advancement of the race. They exist primarily in the spiritual realm and are organized according to duty and function. Page in 1927. [48] COGIC clergy are also encouraged to have a certain degree of training in marriage counseling as well. Some of these African-American Baptist pastors in local Southern areas such as Mississippi, Tennessee, and Arkansas considered Jones and Mason to be controversial. Al Sharpton, a noted civil rights activist, began his ministerial career as a minister in COGIC. At the 1907 COGIC Convocation held in Jackson, a separation occurred among Jones and other leaders in the church because of such disagreements. In 1927, the call was made for workers to go to serve the Lord in foreign lands. 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. Field representative, International Sunday School Department Mother Cleolia Penix. The presidium includes a separately elected international presiding bishop by the general assembly who serves a term of four years, who, then appoints two assistant presiding bishops. COGIC continues to influence gospel music with a new generation of artists with COGIC roots that include: Kim Burrell, Ivan Powell, Doobie Powell, Kierra Sheard, J. Moss, Micah Stampley, Kurt Carr, Ricky Dillard, Kelly Price, Mary Mary Erica Campbell (musician) and Tina Campbell (musician), Tamela Mann, Dr. Gennie Ruth Cheatham Chandler, Earnest Pugh, Jonathan McReynolds, Jabari Johnson, DuShawn Washington, Instrumentalists: Dr. Vernard Johnson (saxophonist), Samuel Murrell (violinist) and Terrance Curry (trombonist), D'Extra Wiley (II D Extreme) and Michelle Williams (Destiny's Child). The first general secretary of COGIC was Elder William B. Holt, a white minister. 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. William B. Holt was appointed as General Superintendent. [15], COGIC originated among African Americans in the Southern states of Mississippi, Arkansas, and Tennessee. He was elected four times uncontested as presiding bishop. She built a home for missionaries in the Bahamas, a pavilion for senior citizens and unwed mothers in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. These elders became the first Pentecostal General Assembly of the Church of God in Christ. COGIC became a major force in the collective Black Church and worldwide Pentecostal movement. The denomination teaches that God gives life to human beings, biologically and spiritually, through the moment of conception in the womb of the mother, using Jeremiah 1:5, Genesis 1:2627, and Psalms 139:1316 as their scriptural basis for this belief. The exception is when the charges are against a Bishop which would be filed with the Board of Bishops. Complete biographical information will be added to this page soon. Mason. Bishop Darrell L. Hines Board member (2016present). The school and college remain closed at present.[29]. Vice Chairman of the General Assembly Bishop Jerry W. Maynard. Bishop Brandon B. Porter Secretary to the General Board (2021present) and board member (2012present). A Jeter and D. J. "[50][51] COGIC also encourages mothers that if they know they will not be able to provide proper care to their child, they should seek assistance to give the child up for either private adoption, legal adoption through domestic or international adoption agencies, or foster care. In her brief tenure, she encouraged the women to stay focused and supportive to the leadership of the church. 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". [20], In 1926, Mason authorized the church's constitution, outlining the bylaws, rules, and regulations of the church. We believe that there is One God, eternally existent in three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. As the church continued to grow, she created women auxiliaries including the Purity Class and the Sunshine Band. We believe that the only means of being cleansed from sin is through repentance and faith in the precious Blood of Jesus Christ. Many Holiness Christian groups and fellowships forming at the time wanted biblical names for their local churches and fellowships, such as "Church of God, Church of Christ, or Church of the Living God". [15], In 1951, when Bishop Mason was approaching 85 years of age, he set up a "special commission" to help with the administration and oversight of the church. She served as chairperson of the board of supervisors, member, Executive Board, member, Screening Committee, member, Program Committee General Church, coordinator, Leadership Conference, International Marshall, secretary, and Assistant General Supervisor for the Department of Women. This seasonal period was selected because most of the COGIC members were farmers and were finished harvesting their crops around this time. [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. COGIC theology and beliefs fall in the tradition of Wesleyan-Arminian theology.[40]. The seminary is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) and is part of a consortium of the Interdenominational Theological Center. The school enjoyed its greatest growth and success under the leadership of Dr. Arenia Conella Mallory (19041977). [36], In 2022, it was present in 112 countries in 2022. Chairman of AIM Bishop Linwood Dillard. Chairman of the Board of Bishops Bishop Albert Galbraith. Bishop J.W. The COGIC has always had a long history with Christian ecumenism, partnering up with and collaborating with other Christian churches and denominations for the purposes of advancing ministry and charity efforts, both in the United States, and globally in foreign countries as well. They were given the authority through a "gentlemen's agreement" to license ministers and establish churches under the COGIC name. 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.) The pair modeled the pastor and wife ministry team in COGIC. As previously stated, COGIC although predominately black, had a significant white membership during its first decade of existence, with a number of white ministers holding leadership positions in the church. As a result, the general board exercises great authority over the church. Forms; Assessments, Records and Credentials Portal; Resolution; General Assembly Minutes; COGIC ARC; OGS Training Registration; Facebook; Contact; 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. Dr. Mattie McGlothen (19751994) the fourth General Supervisor, was a tremendous organizer with great impact on the development of the Women's Department. Rev. Washington, Bishop Chandler D. Owens, Bishop Brandon B. Porter, and Bishop J. Youth on a Mission (YOAM) a ministry of young people visiting the mission field to serve each summer. The current president of the Missions Department is Bishop Vincent Mathews Jr. of South Africa. It teaches that sanctification should precede the baptism with the Holy Spirit. In addition, the Office of the General Secretary is an integral part of all ceremonial activities, inaugurals, celebrations and ecumenical services. Dress should be modest and business-formal. During his visit, Mason received the baptism of the Holy Ghost; the evidence was believed to be his "speaking in other tongues", in accordance with the biblical account found in the book of Acts 2:4. Throughout the 1970s and 80s, as COGIC continued to grow to millions of members nationwide, COGIC ministers all over the country continued to advance civil rights in their communities. Mason Theological Seminary to train its ministers and ministry leaders. Bishop Michael E. Hill Assistant Secretary to the General Board (2021present) and board member (2021present). Vice President of COGIC World Missions-Bishop Nate' M. Jefferson. Bishop Charles H. McClelland Board member (2021present). However, the General Assembly vested authority in the executive board composed of the seven bishops selected by Bishop Mason before his death. During World War I, the FBI opened a file on Bishop Mason and conducted surveillance on him because of his pacifism during the war. Vice chairman of the General Council of Pastors and Elders Bishop Marcus Ways. 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. On the local church level in addition to the office of missionary, COGIC developed and has maintained the position of the "church mother." James Moore, Thomas Whitfield (singer), Deniece Williams, Hubert Powell, Donnie McClurkin, LaShun Pace, The Anointed Pace Sisters, Dr. Bettye Ransom Nelson, Bishop Richard "Mr. Clean" White, Bishop Paul S. Morton, The Clark Sisters: (Jacky Clark-Chisholm, Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark, Dorinda Clark-Cole and Karen Clark-Sheard). The church has more than 3,000 churches in Asia, and 2,000 churches in the Caribbean and South America. And South America ( 2012present ) fall in the Caribbean and South America bishops consecrated by Bishop a to... Or information stored within the system, forgot password WARNING!!!!! A noted civil rights activist, began his ministerial career as a result the... ( 2016present ) the authority through a `` gentlemen 's agreement '' to license ministers establish..., Daniel Spearman, and Tennessee how even local African-American Baptist pastors responded to new Christian at. Led by Bishop Mason before his death in December 1996 around the world the current president the! Precede the baptism with the Board of Trustees Attorney Amos Smith the name, taken from Thessalonians. Of more than 4,000 churches the only means of being cleansed from sin through. 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