[27], Bishop James Oglethorpe Patterson Sr. was elected in November 1968 as the first presiding bishop of the church by the General Assembly at the Sixty-First Holy Convocation of the church. 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. 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. Bishop O. T. Jones Sr, however, did not leave the COGIC. Elect Lady, International Department of Missions Mother Maddaline Norfleet. This seasonal period was selected because most of the COGIC members were farmers and were finished harvesting their crops around this time. As the International Holy Convocation grew to thousands, COGIC leaders had to negotiate with city officials to provide hotel accommodations for the saints. [58], Her successor, Lillian Brooks Coffey (19451964) was the organizer of the Women's International Convention to support the work of foreign missionaries. Its doctrine and practice are charismatic in nature, much like the Assemblies of God, meaning that they emphasize personal religious experience and divinely inspired powers, such as healing, prophecy, and speaking in tongues. He continued to build on the department through expansion of the Regional Administration into 10 geographical locations across the country. However, in 1996, the umbrella format was revised under the administration of Bishop C.D. 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). They exist primarily in the spiritual realm and are organized according to duty and function. The Church may search and retrieve any information stored within this system. Secretary of the General Council of Pastors and Elders Superintendent Prince W. Bryant, II. For the Anabaptist denomination, see, The official seal of the COGIC features a sheaf of wheat representing the members of the COGIC. This group of seven bishops became known officially as the executive commission; they took on greater responsibility over church affairs until Mason's death. Of special note is Evangelist Reatha Herndon who served as the International Elect Lady of the Department of Evangelism from 1951 to 2001. Bishop Malcolm W. Coby Board member (2021present). President, International Department of Evangelism Evangelist Gary Sprewell, Elect Lady, International Department of Evangelism . The first youth leader on a national level was Elder M.C. 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". COGIC became a major force in the collective Black Church and worldwide Pentecostal movement. 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. Bishop Elijah Hankerson III - Board member (2021present), Bishop Charles E. Blake Presiding Bishop Emeritus. 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. He was pastor of the Pentecostal Temple Institutional COGIC in Memphis, Tennessee, and was the Presiding Prelate of the Tennessee Headquarters Jurisdiction. General Secretary Church of God in Christ, Inc. 930 Mason Street Memphis, Tennessee 38126 To file charges against a bishop, send the grievance to; The Chairman of the Board of Bishops, the Chairman of the Board of Bishops Grievance Committee, and the General Secretary Bishop Lyle. 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. They were given the authority through a "gentlemen's agreement" to license ministers and establish churches under the COGIC name. Chairman of the Board of Bishops Bishop Albert Galbraith. 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. 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. Under her leadership and tenure, COGIC choirs and individual singers came to dominate gospel music producing a number of recordings and gospel hits. There seemed no prospect of an integrated Pentecostal movement under the leadership of an African-American such as C. H. He consecrated and appointed more than 100 bishops during his twenty-one years of leadership. In 1927, the call was made for workers to go to serve the Lord in foreign lands. 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. The General Secretary. Then in 1946, the YPWW Department was combined with the Sunday School Department for joint conventions until 1951 when they were separated once again. 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. After the death of Bishop Mason, he assumed leadership as the Senior Bishop of the Church of God in Christ. He gave the eulogy for Till at Robert's Temple COGIC in 1955. In 1895, C.P. Jones and C.H. Mason were licensed Baptist ministers in Mississippi who began teaching and preaching a Wesleyan doctrine of Christian perfection or entire sanctification as a second work of grace to their Baptist congregations. 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. 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. Nevertheless, women are licensed in COGIC to proclaim the gospel as evangelists. Please note: Fields with ( *) are required. Field representative, International Sunday School Department Mother Cleolia Penix. Assistant Financial Secretary Bishop David A. Sanders. A. Jeter was selected as Overseer of Arkansas. 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. He began production of the YPWW Quarterly Topics to train the youth of the COGIC in the faith, doctrine, and polity of the church. Bishop Charles E. Blake, as the Presiding Bishop of the COGIC from the late 2000s up to the 2010s, was also dedicated to increasing and maintaining stable ecumenical relationships from the COGIC with other diverse Christian denominations, most notably Pentecostal/Charismatic churches, Baptist churches, African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Churches, and A.M.E. Zion churches, and even some non-denominational Christian ministries for the purposes of ministry efforts and collaborating on addressing social issues that affect Christians and specifically the Black Church in America, most notably through his Urban Initiatives program. 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. Adjutant General Bishop Dickerson L. S. Wells Sr.. General Supervisor, Department of Women Mother Barbara McCoo Lewis. Sin originated in eternity when Satan committed open rebellion against God in heaven. Throughout the dispute, Elder Carter made allegations against Bishop Blake for impropriety, sexual misconduct, and abuse of power as presiding bishop. [21], In 1907, there were ten COGIC churches, but by the time of Bishop Mason's death in 1961, COGIC had spread to every state in the United States and to many foreign countries. Regards, Executive Secretary Sidney Buggs, III. 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. 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. As COGIC has continued to grow, new departments, auxiliaries, and ministries have been established including the music department, the National Adjutancy, Men's Department, COGIC Charities, and Urban Initiatives to name a few. All rights reserved. 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. [61] Finally, she changed the visible presence of women in ministry with the introduction of the ministry "habit". Welcome to the home page of the General Board of the Church Of God In Christ, Inc. One of her contributions was to divide the women's fellowship in the local congregations into two groups: The Christian Women's Council for the middle aged and senior women, and the Young Women's Christian Council (YWCC) for the younger women. Office of the General Secretary Office of the General Secretary Church Of God In Christ | Memphis TN retrieve any information stored within this system. [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. All charges against a Pastor or a local Church must be filed with the General Secretary, and the Jurisdictional Secretary. As the church continued to grow, she created women auxiliaries including the Purity Class and the Sunshine Band. His testimony "literally went viral, and brought upon him criticism and sardonicism. 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. 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 1951, the first separate National Sunday School Convention convened in Kansas City, Missouri. Forms; Assessments, Records and Credentials Portal; Resolution; General Assembly Minutes; COGIC ARC; OGS Training Registration; Facebook; Contact; However, after a meeting in Hot Springs, Arkansas that led to the founding of the Assemblies of God, the white constituency of COGIC continued to decline, until it was almost nonexistent by the 1930s. The son-in-law of Bishop Mason, J. O. Patterson Sr., had served the church previously as a member of the executive board and as executive secretary. During the 1940s and 50s, Bishop Mason often invited the white elected officials of the city of Memphis to the International Holy Convocation on Civic Night. Demons exist as manifestation of evil or unclean spirits. We believe that the regeneration by the Holy Ghost is absolutely essential for personal salvation. 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 Elders' Council met and organized the first Missions board of the Church of God in Christ. "[92], Elder Carter was attempting to address members of COGIC as to sexual misconduct, and specifically, homosexual practices. They were given the authority through a "gentlemen's agreement" to license ministers and establish churches under the COGIC name. The most notable rift occurred in 1969, when fourteen bishops met in Evanston, Illinois, to form the Church of God in Christ, International. Mason as General Overseer and Chief Apostle. The seminary is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) and is part of a consortium of the Interdenominational Theological Center. Mason Theological Seminary to train its ministers and ministry leaders. [23][24] After Mason's death, in accordance with the 1952 church constitution, the control of the church reverted to the COGIC Board of Bishops. This office is reserved for a woman who serves as counterpart to the Sunday School Superintendent. Today COGIC has more than 12,000 churches, and several schools, missions, and medical clinics in more than eighty nations, including every inhabited continent. On the local church level in addition to the office of missionary, COGIC developed and has maintained the position of the "church mother." By accessing and using this system, you are consenting to such monitoring and information retrieval for The men selected to lead the Church were chosen by God and the membership of the Church Of God In Christ. Complete biographical information will be added to this page soon. 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]. 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. Bishop Mason appointed her as a young woman to be head of the small school in 1926, after she had been teaching there. [3] His dream was to establish an international ministry complex known as "Saints Center" and an accredited institution known as "All Saints University". Jurisdictions are set up similar to the national church in terms of composition, polity, and procedure. In 1968, Two sanitation workers who were also COGIC members, Echol Cole and Robert Walker, were crushed to death in a garbage compactor where they were taking shelter from the rain. They disagreed in having an electoral process to select the presiding bishop.[28]. It has had rapid growth in many regions as one of the fastest-growing and largest religious groups in the United States.[30]. 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. Login ::: Church Of God In Christ ARC Portal ::: Log-in to your ARC account. Co Directors of the Men's Department Bishop Michael B. These women have been listed for their significant contributions and impact to the church. In 1946, the National Sunday School Congress began to meet with the Young People's Willing Workers (YPWW) Congress. In 2014, at the COGIC International Holy Convocation held in St. Louis, Missouri, COGIC minister Elder Earl Carter was selected by the General Board to be the keynote speaker for Saturday night. The first convention was held in Los Angeles, California, in 1951. Bishop David A. Salvation is an operation of the Holy Spirit upon sinners brought about by repentance toward God, which brings about conversion, faith, justification, and regeneration. C. P. Jones and those Holiness leaders who did not embrace the Azusa Revival experience continued as Holiness churches. [31], Bishop Ford also renovated several COGIC structures in Memphis, including Mason Temple. COGIC clergy are also allowed to be married. During the tenure of Bishop G.E. For many years, West Angeles has been one of the fastest growing churches in the United States and remains the largest COGIC local congregation with a membership of 25,000. The Board was updated on a proposed budget modification to cover outstanding obligations from the previous fiscal year. This system HAS BEEN LICENSED FOR USE BY the General Secretary's and Financial Secretary's Offices of the Church Of God In Christ. The current General Supervisor of Women is Dr. Barbara McCoo Lewis of Los Angeles, California. Founded . Chairman of AIM Bishop Linwood Dillard. In 2015, after more than 40 years of faithful service, Bishop Carlis L. Moody was emeritized as Bishop of Missions. She was greatly interested in the building of Mason Temple and she kept her national building fund drives functioning until she knew the building was ready for dedication. The designated church mother along with other "older and seasoned" women of the church provided the practical teaching of holiness in daily life and practice. Lizzie Woods Robinson (19111945) was the first "General Mother" of the church. It teaches that sanctification should precede the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Login ::: Church Of God In Christ ARC Portal ::: Log-in to your ARC account. Battles served as president until his death in December 1996. Ford, as Saints' Academy, a private co-educational grade school. As African Americans migrated north and west to industrial cities during the Great Migration, he began to establish COGIC churches in the north and, especially after 1940, in the west. The human soul is immortal and will spend eternity either in heaven as the redeemed or in hell as the damned. Outstanding obligations from the previous fiscal year, Elect Lady, International Department of Evangelism from 1951 2001! Death in December 1996 we believe that the regeneration by the Association of Theological Schools ATS. Gary Sprewell, Elect Lady of the Church may search and retrieve any information stored within this system they in! 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