The three-year initiative would also help encourage COGIC clergy to use their missions and charity ministries in local churches to help offer aid and assistance to African-Americans and people of other ethnic minorities, and people of low incomes in local communities who are considering and contemplating abortion and offer aid and assistance to people dealing with economic and medical issues from pregnancy. COGIC teaches that the Holy Spirit is alive and active in the world. [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. Bishop O. T. Jones Sr, however, did not leave the COGIC. [26], The parties filed lawsuits in the Chancery Court of Shelby County, Tennessee, to resolve the legitimate authority of the denomination. Bishop Sheard was first elected to the General Board in 2012 and re-elected in 2016. Male as well as female evangelists were instrumental in spreading COGIC throughout the United States as well as around the world. It has had rapid growth in many regions as one of the fastest-growing and largest religious groups in the United States.[30]. It has nine members, elected by the general assembly, including three bishops, three elders, and three lay members. March 22, 2021. 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. Adjutant General Bishop Dickerson L. S. Wells Sr.. General Supervisor, Department of Women Mother Barbara McCoo Lewis. Elect Lady, International Department of Missions Mother Maddaline Norfleet. [53], In 1965, during the March to Selma, a young COGIC minister Charles E. Blake, (previous COGIC Presiding Bishop) was studying at the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) in Atlanta, GA. Secretary of the National Board of Trustees Dr. T. Lynn Smith. From the very beginning of gospel music, COGIC members have influenced its rise. The fastest growing areas include Nigeria, South Africa, Brazil, and India. National officers of the church are chosen at the general assembly every four years unless special elections are warranted. 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. These elders became the first Pentecostal General Assembly of the Church of God in Christ. 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. She developed the International Women's Convention into a training institute for women in the ministry. 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. In 1976, under the leadership of Bishop J.O. 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. Carter currently posts material on YouTube and Facebook reporting alleged misconduct and impropriety within current leadership of COGIC and other Christian (mainly African-American) denominations. Youth on a Mission (YOAM) a ministry of young people visiting the mission field to serve each summer. After being ejected for accepting these new Pentecostal teachings, Mason called a meeting in Memphis later in the year and reorganized the Church of God in Christ as a Holiness-Pentecostal body. Assistant Financial Secretary Bishop David A. Sanders. It believes that the gifts of the Spirit are given to believers and are active in the church today. OUR HISTORY | ucogic Bishop Prince E. W. Bryant Sr. Board member (2021present). Education was considered key to advancement of the race. The Elders' Council met and organized the first Missions board of the Church of God in Christ. 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. Presiding bishop - Wikipedia (RNS) A Detroit bishop of the Church of God in Christ has been named the new presiding bishop of the nation's largest historically Black Pentecostal . COGIC Bishop Alvin A. Childs of the Faith Temple Church of God in Christ (later renamed Child's Memorial in his honor) was the clergyman who finally opened his doors. WATCH: COGIC Inaugural Installation, Consecration Service of Rev. J Blake, Sr. and the late Evangelist Lula M. Blake. [29] COGIC continued to grow and in 1973, the church claimed a worldwide membership of nearly three million. CN Morning Rundown: Watch COGIC Installation, Consecration of Bishops The first Sunday School Superintendent was Professor L. W. Lee (19081916). It is a separate and distinct work of grace that occurs in the lives of believers after conversion. As the International Holy Convocation grew to thousands, COGIC leaders had to negotiate with city officials to provide hotel accommodations for the saints. [5] He officially retired on March 19, 2021, and was succeeded by Bishop J. She was the wife and companion of Bishop John Seth Bailey, a trusted adviser of Bishop Mason, and later the first assistant presiding bishop of the church. They exist primarily in the spiritual realm and are organized according to duty and function. Pentecostals have been known and continue to be known for their lively worship, exuberant expressions of praise and worship, and musical compilations, mostly relying on congregational singing of hymns and chants. Upon his return to Jackson, Mississippi, Mason faced opposition when he recounted his experience. Other accolades include the Distinguished Leadership Award from the African Presidential Archives and. He also served as the Presiding Prelate of the New Jersey Garden State Jurisdiction and the Central Georgia Jurisdiction. [49] The church does not practice infant baptisms or christenings, but does conduct baby dedications in formal ceremonies. Bishop J. However, he said in his remarks that he did not want to use the word "retirement" as he said, "he would still be worshiping and fellowshiping with the saints of God in worship services, and that he would still be around for anyone who needs pastoral and fatherly counseling, prayer, and mentorship,"but added that he would no longer be carrying out his official duties as senior pastor of the church, and that he would "continue to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and serve the ministries of West Angeles however the Lord leads me and however you all may need me as the Lord sees fit and allows me to live on, so consider myself as semi-retired."[sic]. [33] In 2009, Bishop Blake unveiled an aggressive program known as "Urban Initiatives" to address the plight of America's urban areas. Blake was the fifth Presiding Bishop (and seventh leader) of the historically African-American denomination from 2007 to 2021. He testified to receiving entire sanctification after reading her autobiography in 1893. Religious Figure, former Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), the fourth largest Protestant denominaton in the world. World headquarters are in Memphis, Tennessee at Mason Temple. Under her leadership and tenure, COGIC choirs and individual singers came to dominate gospel music producing a number of recordings and gospel hits. When the COGIC was first founded by Bishop Mason in the 1910s, he wanted the denomination to have ecumenical relationships with other predominantly Black Methodist and Baptist churches, but many of them were unwilling to do so at the time because of Mason's controversial history with being expelled from his former Baptist ministry associations and churches in Mississippi for preaching sanctification and Pentecostalism. He was pastor of the Pentecostal Temple Institutional COGIC in Memphis, Tennessee, and was the Presiding Prelate of the Tennessee Headquarters Jurisdiction. Bishop Blake led the COGIC to become a greater global ministry, primarily in Africa and Latin America, while at the same time investing in the inner cities where many COGIC congregations are located. Page in 1927. (19721994). Mother Deborah Mason Patterson#, daughter of founder, Bishop Mason and wife of first presiding bishop James O. Patterson Sr. Bishop Sheard has over 30 years of leadership in the Church of God in Christ. As the first elected presiding bishop, Bishop Patterson Sr. established the Charles Harrison Mason Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia. [35], In 2016, the Church had 5.5 million members in 60 countries around the world. 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. Bishop Patterson was the second youngest person to ever be elected Presiding Bishop of COGIC at the age 60 in 2000, second to his uncle, Bishop J. O. Patterson Sr. who was 56 when he was elected Presiding Bishop in 1968. PuLSE Institute Names COGIC Presiding Bishop Emeritus, Humanitarian Chandler David Owens Sr. (October 2, 1931 - March 6, 2011) was an American minister and Holiness Pentecostal denomination leader of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), for which he served as the Presiding Bishop from 1995 to 2000, after the death of Bishop Louis Henry Ford. He is credited with helping to secure the steel needed to construct Mason Temple which was virtually impossible during World War II.[52]. "[92], Elder Carter was attempting to address members of COGIC as to sexual misconduct, and specifically, homosexual practices. But during the early twentieth century, the Pentecostal movement had rapid growth nationally and attracted racially integrated congregants to its worship services. It also increasingly stressed high academic standards so that its graduates could go to normal school or college, especially to teach other African Americans. Supervisor Irene Oakley#, pastor, supervisor, bishop's wife, Mother Louise Patterson, evangelist, former first lady and wife of G.E. 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. He also established the COGIC national headquarters there. 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. She also established the Mattie McGlothen Library and Museum in Richmond, California, as a resource for COGIC historical facts and memorabilia. 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. Superintendent, International Sunday School Department Superintendent Mark Ellis. She is also the Jurisdictional Supervisor for the First Jurisdiction, Southern California. Drew Sheard, Sr. as Presiding Bishop on March 20, 2021. C. P. Jones was elected the General Overseer, C. H. Mason was selected as Overseer of Tennessee, and J. On April 3, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I've Been To The Mountaintop" speech, at Mason Temple Church Of God in Christ in Memphis. Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr. is the fifth Presiding Bishop and the seventh leader in succession, appointed in November 2007 by the General Assembly of the Church of God in Christ. President Clinton gave speeches at COGIC meetings including the International Holy Convocation at Mason Temple and the Women's International Convention. In 2017, Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake appointed gospel artist and Evangelist Dr. Dorinda Clark Cole of Detroit, Michigan as the Elect Lady. A.) We believe in the Blessed Hope, which is the rapture of the Church of God, which is in Christ, at His return. The presiding bishop chairs the biennial Church-wide Assembly and provides for the preparation of agendas for the assembly, the Church Council and its executive . 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 Church of God in Christ is the fifth largest Protestant religious denomination in the United States, the largest Pentecostal church in the country and the second largest Pentecostal organization in the world with churches in 60 countries worldwide and an estimated membership of nearly 6.5 million members. The current president of the Missions Department is Bishop Vincent Mathews Jr. of South Africa. These departments include: the Women's Department, the Sunday School Department, the Youth Department known as Y.P.W.W. More:J. His pastor and mentor was Bishop F. D. Washington of Brooklyn, NY. We believe that the redemptive work of Christ on the Cross provides healing for the human body in answer to believing prayer. 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. Bishop Carter came into holiness in 1952 at the Jones Avenue Church of God in Christ, under the leadership of the late Bishop George Briley. Helm Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi, attended by Mason and others from several states. Bishop Jones was the only living bishop of the five original bishops consecrated by Bishop Mason. It includes not only those who are members of COGIC, but all believers who have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Drew Sheard. [19], Mason continued to travel across the nation preaching and establishing COGIC churches. "[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 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. Vice Chairman of the General Assembly Bishop Jerry W. Maynard. The study also found that over 70% of COGIC members overwhelmingly opposed the legalizing of same-sex marriage, and considered relationships from infidelity, polygamy, polyamory, and sex outside of marriage as sinful and unbiblical as well.[56]. COGIC clergy do not officially sanction or recognize same-sex relationships to be united in marriage and the denomination at-large discourages same-sex relationships as unbiblical and immoral. Funeral services set for COGIC Evangelist Louise Patterson During the 1930s and 40s, a white COGIC elder named James L. Delk who remained in the church after many whites had left, was very active in politics in Missouri and worked to promote civil rights by writing legislatures and petitioning the federal government on the behalf of COGIC. 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]. The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) is a HolinessPentecostal Christian denomination,[2][4] and the largest Pentecostal denomination in the United States. Assistant General Treasurer Bishop Kendall Anderson. F or the first time, the nation's largest Pentecostal and African-American denomination, the 5.5 million-member Church of God in Christ (COGIC), has voted out its presiding bishop. According to a 2015 statistical study by the Pew Research Center, the denomination was estimated to have a United States membership of approximately 84% African-Americans, 5% White Americans, 8% Latino-Americans, and roughly 2% Asian-Americans. Vice President of COGIC World Missions-Bishop Nate' M. Jefferson. At the time, because many churches disagreed with what they considered its eccentric worship styles and expressions of Pentecostalism, such as the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues and the laying on of hands, many churches distanced themselves from the COGIC for many years. She was the Jurisdictional Supervisor of Women for California Northern First Jurisdiction. Memphis' Bishop Brandon Porter open to becoming COGIC presiding bishop Since so many new holiness groups and fellowships were forming that used the name "Church of God," C. H. Mason sought a name to distinguish his Holiness group from others. The then"Minister & Sister Carter" established and . [8][9] In 1984, after the death of his father, he was ordained and consecrated as a jurisdictional bishop of the First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of Southern California for the COGIC denomination, and remained in that position until 2009 when he stepped down from the position to dedicate himself fully to the duties of the Office of the Presiding Bishop. Of special note is Evangelist Reatha Herndon who served as the International Elect Lady of the Department of Evangelism from 1951 to 2001. 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. Demons exist as manifestation of evil or unclean spirits. Vice chairman of the General Council of Pastors and Elders Bishop Marcus Ways. Welcome to the Official Church Of God In Christ, Inc Online Store Dismiss. Field representative, International Sunday School Department Mother Cleolia Penix. Furthermore, the new constitution created the office of the presiding bishop and a general board of twelve bishops and defined their responsibilities. COGIC believes in divine healing, however, it does not advocate the exclusion of medical supervision. Vice President of COGIC World Missions-Supervisor Faye M. Butler. He served on the trustee board for 12 years and has served on the general board for eight years. [94][95], After the November 2016 COGIC Holy Convocation, Carter left the COGIC denomination because Blake had been re-elected as the Presiding Bishop. He was a lifelong member of the. Adelle M. Banks. Green. Together they traveled across the country proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Deaconess Missionaries serve and assist in the ceremonial and temporal affairs of the local church. Evangelist Missionaries are licensed to preach the gospel, conduct gospel meetings, and may be given the oversight of local congregations serving as the church administrator. Historically, women in ministry in COGIC are known as "Missionaries" and are designated in two categories: Deaconess Missionary, and Evangelist Missionary. Church Of God In Christ, Inc. 2015-23. (Young People Willing Workers), and Missions and Evangelism. Vice President of COGIC World Missions-Supervisor Sideary King. As a result, many local congregations, foreign missions, and schools were established through the leadership and efforts of women in COGIC. The Church of God in Christ will host the installation service of Rev. A new constitution and official manual of the church were completed in 1973. [36], In 2022, it was present in 112 countries in 2022. Chairman of AIM Bishop Linwood Dillard. They rejected denominational names such as Baptist, Methodist, or Episcopal. [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. These auxiliaries are found in nearly every church, district, and jurisdiction within COGIC and function to support the holistic approach that COGIC has toward ministry within the church and the larger community that COGIC congregations serve. Clean White, Jurisdictional Bishop, Bermuda Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, National Evangelist, Recording Artist, Songwriter, Atlanta, Georgia, This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 15:15. This came on the heels of former Presiding Bishop Charles Edward Blake Sr.'s October 2020 announcement that he would not seek reelection. She has previously served on the Women's advisory board, Executive Board, steering committee Women's International Convention, General Supervisor's Regional Representative (West Coast Region of the United States), member of the Program Committee then chairperson, Chairperson Special Convention Assistance Committee, National Leadership Conference and Women's Convention Leadership Conference, International Marshall and Assistant General Supervisor. 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. 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. Christ is the Head of the church, and He is the only mediator between God and humanity, and there is no salvation in any other. A general supervisor of women is appointed by the presiding bishop and given authority to lead the International Women's Ministry of the church. He consecrated and appointed more than 100 bishops during his twenty-one years of leadership. [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. Music Dept. Desiring to learn more about the work of the Holy Spirit in the church, C. H. Mason, J. During the tenure of Bishop G.E. [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. On June 5, 1951, he selected Bishop A. Church of God in Christ names Detroit's Bishop J. Drew Sheard new There are more than 200 ecclesiastical jurisdictions around the world, with 170 in the United States. He was officially installed as the senior pastor of the church the following year in 1970. 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". B. McEwen, Bishop J. S. Bailey, and Bishop O. M. Kelly as his assistants. During the 1990s, President Bill Clinton was invited by then COGIC Presiding Bishop, Louis Henry Ford to attend the International Holy Convocation. The current General Supervisor of Women is Dr. Barbara McCoo Lewis of Los Angeles, California. Patterson, who became presiding bishop in 2000 at the age of 60. Churches are organized in dioceses called jurisdictions, each under the authority of a bishop. Nurses Aid Ministry nurses taking their skills to the mission field. Originally, this gathering of the 'Saints' lasted for twenty days, from November 25 to December 14. COGIC also teaches that all the spiritual gifts are for believers today. Bishop Blake is the senior pastor of the West Angeles Cathedral COGIC in Los Angeles. They were given the authority through a "gentlemen's agreement" to license ministers and establish churches under the COGIC name. On November 14, 1968, the General Assembly of the COGIC elected the first general board and presiding bishop of the church. General Secretary Bishop Joel H. Lyles Jr.. Chairman of the General Assembly Bishop Lemuel F. Thuston. They disagreed in having an electoral process to select the presiding bishop.[28]. After the death of Mother McGlothen, Mother Emma F. Crouch (19941997) of Dallas, Texas, served as the fifth General Supervisor. Patterson, former presiding bishop of the Church of God In Christ.. On the local church level in addition to the office of missionary, COGIC developed and has maintained the position of the "church mother." [29] In 1926, upon the recommendation of Mother Lizzie Roberson, Elder C. G. Brown of Kansas City Missouri, was appointed the first Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Home and Foreign Missions Department by Bishop C. H. Mason. Bishop Carlis Moody immediately began to reorganize the Missions Department, giving new guidelines. There is one God eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The church has a tradition of prayer, fasting, praise, and consecration that was once unique to Holiness or Holiness Pentecostal groups. This list may not reflect recent changes . Despite what seems to be obvious limitations to minister because of ordination, women have been given great latitude and numerous opportunities to serve in ministry in COGIC. As a Pentecostal church, COGIC teaches that when one is baptized in the Holy Spirit, the believer will experience an initial evidence of speaking in tongues (glossolalia) by the will of God. Drew Sheard was born on Jan. 1, 1959, in Detroit, Michigan, to Bishop and Mrs. John Henry Sheard. In looking to COGIC'S future, Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr., senior pastor of West Angeles Church of God in Christ in Los Angeles, announced last year that he would not seek-re-election as a member of the General Board or Presiding Bishop. The Holy Spirit is the agent that equips, empowers, leads, and guides the church until the return of Christ.