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. The pair modeled the pastor and wife ministry team in COGIC. On May 19, 1952, he added Bishop J. O. Patterson Sr. Also in 1952, Mason revised the constitution to determine the leadership and succession of the church after his death. In 1955, Emmett Till's funeral was held at Robert's Temple Church Of God in Christ in Chicago, Illinois. [35], In 2016, the Church had 5.5 million members in 60 countries around the world. 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. We believe that there is One God, eternally existent in three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Co Directors of the Men's Department Bishop Michael B. The current chairman of AIM is Bishop Linwood E. Dillard of Memphis, TN.[62]. On February 21, 1965, when Malcolm X was assassinated and the family needed a place for his funeral, no major black church or facility would open their doors for the service. General Treasurer Bishop Charles Harrison Mason Patterson Sr.. Financial Secretary Bishop Frank A. Today, the International Youth Department (IYD) is led by the International Youth President, Superintendent Nathaniel Green of Dallas, TX, and the International Chairlady, Evangelist Vandalyn Kennedy of Queens, NY. 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). 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. Drew Sheard, Sr. as Presiding Bishop on March 20, 2021. 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. [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. He accepted his call into the ministry in 1956. Bishop Charles H. McClelland Board member (2021present). During the tenure of Bishop L. H. Ford as Presiding Bishop in the 1990s, he helped gain COGIC membership into the Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America, a more diverse, international caucus of different Pentecostal church denominations and organizations that sought to heal the racial divides in the North American Pentecostal movement.[57]. The rain in the background represents the, Members of the General Board (2021present), General supervisors for the Department of Women, Young People Willing Workers (YPWW) International Youth Department (IYD), United National Auxiliary Conference (UNAC) and Auxiliaries in Ministry (AIM), Last edited on 26 February 2023, at 15:15, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Worldwide Fellowship of the Assemblies of God, Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America, List of jurisdictions of the Church of God in Christ, "Bishop Mason built COGIC out of revival, the faith of former slaves", "A Brief Historical Sketch of the Church of God in Christ, International (Arkansas)", "PRESS RELEASE: Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake Sr. Will Not Seek Reelection", "Catholics, Mormons, Assemblies of God growing; Mainline churches report a continuing decline", "The most and least racially diverse U.S. religious groups", "Human Coalition Launches Three-year Initiative with Church of God in Christ", "Proclamation on Marriage | COGIC General Assembly", "Racial and ethnic composition among members of the Church of God in Christ", https://mccormick.edu/content/daniels-david-ii, "RootsWeb's WorldConnect Project: York's Fentress County Tennessee", http://www.mtairycogic.com/index.php/about-us/243-drlouisfelton, "James Haynes Obituary (19312015) Dallas, TX Dallas Morning News", "Ohio North First Jurisdiction COGIC | About Us", "Senior Pastor | St. Stephen's Cathedral Church Of God in Christ", "Chicago's Historic Roberts Temple COGIC Receives Landmark Status", "Our Pastor GREATER EMMANUEL INSTITUTIONAL CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST", "Nathaniel Simmons Obituary (2006) Atlanta, GA Atlanta Journal-Constitution", "Barnett Thoroughgood Obituary (2012) Norfolk, VA The Virginian-Pilot", "Wells Memorial Church of God in Christ About Us", "Influential Hampton Roads Bishop Levi E. Willis Sr. dies", "Bishop Roy L.H. It ultimately ended by 1930, when the Depression set in. As the church continued to grow, she created women auxiliaries including the Purity Class and the Sunshine Band. 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. We believe that the redemptive work of Christ on the Cross provides healing for the human body in answer to believing prayer. Bishop Malcolm W. Coby Board member (2021present). Another body operating under the same name Church of God in Christ, International, split and organized in the Northeast area under Bishop R. T. Jones of Philadelphia and later Bishop C. E. Williams Sr. of Brooklyn, New York. In 1981, Bishop J.O. It is one of the largest gathering of Christian women from any major denomination and religious organization. 2 in the denomination and whose death was reported by The Detroit News; Bishop Timothy Scott, a leader for nearly 50 years of the denomination in Mississippi whose death was reported Drew Sheard is a former public-school teacher. On June 5, 1951, he selected Bishop A. Secretary of the National Judiciary Board Attorney Peter Davis. Military chaplains have also been instrumental in spreading COGIC through military installations. The church declares to be evangelical in ministry, fundamental in doctrine and practice and Pentecostal in worship and expression. Robinson was a staunch advocate for holiness and taught strict guidelines for the women with regard to dress and worldliness. 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. 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. Bishop O. T. Jones Sr, however, did not leave the COGIC. Student Aid a ministry of support to foreign students. During the 1950s and 60s, during the height of the civil rights movement, COGIC ministers and congregations played host to many significant events. According to Alex Haley, "He and his wife then received bomb threats at home and at church." A. Jeter was selected as Overseer of Arkansas. Music Dept. He was denied such trial in 2016. They have three children and eight grandchildren. [94][95], After the November 2016 COGIC Holy Convocation, Carter left the COGIC denomination because Blake had been re-elected as the Presiding Bishop. Drew Sheard was appointed Superintendent of the Emmanuel District, by Bishop Herbert J. Williams, Sr., Prelate of the North Central Michigan Jurisdiction. Bishop Mason was opposed to the ordination of women to formal ministry, but in 1911 created an autonomous department to promote the ministry of women in the church. The early conventions of the Evangelist Board were basically crusades led by Page and a few other Evangelists from across the country. He also established the COGIC national headquarters there. White. In 1968, COGIC established the C.H. Bishop Mason was pivotal in licensing and credentialing both white and African-American ministers, who spread the Pentecostal message and planted new churches. 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. The church is thought to have nearly two million members in 7,000 churches on the continent of Africa. President, International Youth Department Superintendent Nathaniel Green. 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. Charles Edward Blake Sr. (born August 5, 1940) is an American minister and pastor who served as the Presiding Bishop and leader of the Church of God in Christ, a 6 million-member Holiness Pentecostal denomination, that has now grown to become one of the largest predominantly African American Pentecostal denominations in the United . After the death of Mother McGlothen, Mother Emma F. Crouch (19941997) of Dallas, Texas, served as the fifth General Supervisor. G. E. Patterson established the Temple of Deliverance, the Cathedral of Bountiful Blessing which grew to become the largest Pentecostal church in Memphis with over 14,000 members. [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. The current president of the Missions Department is Bishop Vincent Mathews Jr. of South Africa. He was a lifelong member of the. 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. In 1918, COGIC opened its first institution of higher learning, the Saints Industrial and Literary School in Lexington, Mississippi, for both girls and boys. C. D. Owens had gained national attention in the church as the president of the Youth Department. 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 . Mother Willie Mae Rivers served faithfully for 20 years as General Mother until 2017 and the age of 91. They were also instrumental in establishing 75 churches across the nation. After the death of Mother Coffey in 1964, Dr. Annie L. Bailey (19641975), became the third General Supervisor. [44], COGIC teaches that salvation is the work of redemption to the sinner and his restoration to divine favor and communion with God. African-American parents sent their children to this school from across the United States, especially those who had grown up in Mississippi and knew its reputation. C. P. Jones and those Holiness leaders who did not embrace the Azusa Revival experience continued as Holiness churches. Mamie Till-Mobley was a member of St. Paul COGIC led by then Elder Louis Henry Ford (who would later become the presiding bishop of the denomination) officiated the service. 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. Remarriage is usually highly discouraged, except in the case of the death of a spouse or former spouse. [2][4] The church teaches three separate and distinct works of grace that God performs in the life of believers: salvation, entire sanctification, and the baptism or infilling of the Holy Ghost. He is known to many as being an eloquent, compassionate and practical leader, as well as a humanitarian and an advocate with a God-given gift for ministering to the whole man. Salvation is an operation of the Holy Spirit upon sinners brought about by repentance toward God, which brings about conversion, faith, justification, and regeneration. The rope that holds the shaft together represents Charles Harrison Mason, COGIC's founding father. B. McEwen, came to a head and was addressed at the 57th Holy Convocation. Assistant Elect Lady, COGIC World Missions-Supervisor Lee E.Van Zandt. 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. COGIC has always been traditionally anti-abortion. A Jeter and D. J. Presiding Bishop J. The designated church mother along with other "older and seasoned" women of the church provided the practical teaching of holiness in daily life and practice. He became nationally recognized in 1955 for officiating at the funeral of 15-year-old Emmett Till, who was brutally murdered in Mississippi. He continued to build on the department through expansion of the Regional Administration into 10 geographical locations across the country. Furthermore, the new constitution created the office of the presiding bishop and a general board of twelve bishops and defined their responsibilities. In his first year as Presiding Bishop in 2021, in order to combat debt that the church had accrued from previous years, Bishop Sheard helped to launch the "I Love My Church" Initiative, which was a massive fundraising campaign that helped the COGIC denomination to pay off much of its debts, renovate and refurbish its headquarters church, Mason Temple, establish housing complexes for low-income families throughout Shelby County, Tennessee near the church's headquarters, and purchased a former Catholic nunnery convent in Memphis to provide housing for single mothers affected by health challenges, disabilities, teen pregnancies, and domestic violence. The beliefs of the Church of God in Christ are briefly written in its Statement of Faith, which is reproduced below:[41] It is often recited in various congregations as part of the order of worship and all national and international convocations. (19721994). He was able to bridge denominational barriers and encourage non-COGIC ministries to work collboratively with the COGIC denomination. A general supervisor of women is appointed by the presiding bishop and given authority to lead the International Women's Ministry of the church. Over time, the ministers and churches under Leonard P. Adams also separated from COGIC; they assimilated into other white Pentecostal groups or organizations. His testimony "literally went viral, and brought upon him criticism and sardonicism. Bishop J.W. Today the International Women's Convention/Crusade meets annually in May in different cities throughout the nation drawing thousands of women from around the world. In 1982 he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in . As a result, the general board exercises great authority over the church. [29], Bishop Louis Henry Ford of Chicago, Illinois, was elected after the death of J.O. COGIC licensed female evangelists may also serve as chaplains in military, federal, state, and local institutions requiring chaplains. [33] In 2009, Bishop Blake unveiled an aggressive program known as "Urban Initiatives" to address the plight of America's urban areas. Today thousands of COGIC women when ministering the gospel or serving in official capacities are seen in their civic (black) or ceremonial (white) habits. General Secretary Bishop Joel H. Lyles Jr.. Chairman of the General Assembly Bishop Lemuel F. Thuston. Under her leadership and tenure, COGIC choirs and individual singers came to dominate gospel music producing a number of recordings and gospel hits. Treasurer of the General Council of Pastors and Elders Pastor William Ward. The current presiding bishop and chief apostle is Bishop J. [48] COGIC clergy are also encouraged to have a certain degree of training in marriage counseling as well. When she died in 1945, she had laid an impressive foundation for the women's ministry in COGIC. Together he and his wife, Karen, founded Karew Records, a faith-based record label focusing on various forms of Gospel, Christian and Inspirational music. Welcome to the Official Church Of God In Christ, Inc Online Store Dismiss. At the 1907 COGIC Convocation held in Jackson, a separation occurred among Jones and other leaders in the church because of such disagreements. In 1997, Bishop Chandler D. Owens appointed Evangelist Richard "Mr. Clean" White as president of the Department of Evangelism. He was a noted evangelist who had pastored several churches, including: Bostick Temple in St. Louis, Missouri; Well's Cathedral COGIC in Newark, New Jersey; and Greater Community COGIC in Marietta, Georgia. Nigeria alone has 19 bishops and more than 2000 churches. His passion for meeting the needs of the whole man reaches globally through his humanitarian efforts. Drew Sheard was born on Jan. 1, 1959, in Detroit, Michigan, to Bishop and Mrs. John Henry Sheard. March 22, 2021. The international membership of COGIC is estimated be between one and three million adherents. The church has a tradition of prayer, fasting, praise, and consecration that was once unique to Holiness or Holiness Pentecostal groups. They disagreed in having an electoral process to select the presiding bishop.[28]. The ordinances of the church are water baptism by immersion, the Lord's Supper and foot washing. He is an example of servant leadership and has become a voice to the nations to uphold the standards of holiness. [11] In 2016, Bishop Blake was appointed as the Co-Chairperson to the leadership council of the Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America. In 1927, the call was made for workers to go to serve the Lord in foreign lands. By 1906, the church had grown to nearly 100 congregations in three states. Her predecessor was Evangelist Dr. Rita Womack of Los Angeles, California. 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 . These women have been listed for their significant contributions and impact to the church. 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. The most active women's auxiliaries include: Missionary Circle, Hospitality, Executive Hospitality, Hulda Club, Wide Awake Band, Minister's Wives Circle, Deaconess, Deacon's Wives Circle, Prayer Warriors, Young Women's Christian Council, Usher Board, Educational Committee, Boy's League, Big Brothers, Cradle Roll, Women's Chorus, Board of Examiners, Public Relations, News Reporters and the Burners Home and Foreign Mission Bands. President, International Department of Evangelism Evangelist Gary Sprewell, Elect Lady, International Department of Evangelism . 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. The COGIC constitution at the time did not identify a clear successor or the authority of the executive board after Mason's death. On October 23, 2020, Bishop Blake announced that he will not seek re-election as Presiding Bishop nor as a member of the General Board. A. In 1946, the National Sunday School Congress began to meet with the Young People's Willing Workers (YPWW) Congress. (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 . 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. From 1985 until 2009, he was the Jurisdictional Prelate of the First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of Southern California, overseeing more than 250 churches that compose the jurisdiction. Jesse Jackson was invited to speak during the COGIC International Holy Convocation when he was running for the presidency. In 1924, the Sunday School was formally organized under "Father" F. C. Christmas (19161944). Most recently, Biola University conferred an honorary doctorate upon him on June 12, 2010. [37] The National Council of Churches ranks it as the fifth largest Christian denomination in the U.S.[38] COGIC is a HolinessPentecostal Christian denomination,[2][4] with a predominantly African-American membership. Founder 1907-1961* Senior Bishop & Chief Apostle Charles Harrison Mason: . Mason. Patterson Sr. in 1989. Factions developed within the organization as both the senior bishop and Bishop A. She is also the Jurisdictional Supervisor for the First Jurisdiction, Southern California. The school closed in 1977 after her death, as it struggled financially in a period when some families were choosing integrated schools for their children. Patterson Sr., the five major departments of COGIC were united under an umbrella convention known as UNAC-5 (United National Auxiliary Convention). During 19101913, two white ministers, Elder H. A. Goss and Elder Leonard P. Adams, were clergy under the authority of C. H. Mason. [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. Mother Jennie Bell Dancy Jones of Arkansas became the first National Field Representative under Bishop Patrick. This came on the heels of former Presiding Bishop Charles Edward Blake Sr.'s October 2020 announcement that he would not seek reelection. The school and college remain closed at present.[29]. Owens outlined a progressive plan to position the COGIC for ministry in the twenty-first century, known as "Vision 2000 and Beyond." Elder L. C. Patrick was added to the National Sunday School. B. McEwen was elected chairman of the executive board, and O.T. 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. The court ordered the church to convene a constitutional convention in February 1968. The Voice of Missions a bimonthly magazine, John Seth Bailey#, general board member, jurisdictional bishop, Michigan Southwest Jurisdiction; pastor, Bailey Cathedral, Detroit, MI, Elmer Elijah Cleveland#, jurisdictional bishop, Northern California Jurisdiction, pastor, Ephesians, Oakland, CA, Bishop David Willard Grayson, Sr#, Jurisdictional Bishop of Maine, Founding Jurisdictional Bishop of Eastern New York Fourth, David Daniels, educator, professor, auxiliary bishop, James Logan Delk#, politician, pastor, First, Hopkinsville, KY, James Louis Felton, auxiliary bishop, pastor, Mount Airy, Philadelphia, PA, James Neaul Haynes#, general board member, jurisdictional bishop, Texas Northeast First Jurisdiction; pastor, Saintsville, Dallas, TX, Roderick Hennings, author, auxiliary bishop, pastor, Zion Dominion Global Ministries, Amherst, NY, William Morgan James#, general board member, jurisdictional bishop, Ohio North First Jurisdiction, pastor, St. James, Toledo, OH and James Temple, Cincinnati, OH, Orzo Thurston Jones Jr.#, general board member, jurisdictional bishop, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Jurisdiction; pastor, Holy Temple, Philadelphia, PA, Otha Miema Kelly#, general board member, jurisdictional bishop, Eastern New York First Jurisdiction; pastor, Kelly Temple, Harlem, NY, Otis Lockett#, church planter, jurisdictional bishop, North Carolina Second Jurisdiction, pastor, Evangel Word Fellowship, Greensboro, NC, George Dallas McKinney#, scholar, general board member, jurisdictional bishop, Southern California Second Jurisdiction; pastor, St. Stephen's Cathedral, San Diego, CA, S.E. 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". COGIC does not teach that Spirit baptism is the same as salvation.