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. General Treasurer Bishop Charles Harrison Mason Patterson Sr.. Financial Secretary Bishop Frank A. It ultimately ended by 1930, when the Depression set in. Nigeria alone has 19 bishops and more than 2000 churches. She formed her daughters into a singing group who became known as the legendary "Clark Sisters" who helped introduce and became leaders of the contemporary gospel music era. Nurses Aid Ministry nurses taking their skills to the mission field. In addition, the office certifies delegates to the General Assembly, publishes official documents and certificates, maintains the official record of General Assembly proceedings, distributes pertinent information to the constituents of the Church, plays a pivotal role in church: legal matters, collects and reports church statistics, maintains an accurate database of credential holders, officers, churches and jurisdictions, and keeps an archive of historical documents from across the church, including, books, national and jurisdictional records, and photographs and memorabilia of historical value. The Elders' Council met and organized the first Missions board of the Church of God in Christ. The rope that holds the shaft together represents Charles Harrison Mason, COGIC's founding father. Church Of God In Christ, Inc. 2015-23. The General Board of the Church of God in Christ, Inc (COGIC) is responsible for establishing and executing policies for the membership, as well as sustaining and perpetuating spiritual order within the Church. 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. Herndon and her twin sister Leatha were pioneers of the evangelistic work of the Church of God in Christ. Each state in the US consists of at least one jurisdiction, and several states have more than one jurisdiction. The first general secretary of COGIC was Elder William B. Holt, a white minister. COGIC theology and beliefs fall in the tradition of Wesleyan-Arminian theology.[40]. The General Secretary is the official keeper of the COGIC seal, Registered Agent for the Church and signatory on all official documents. Touch between the genders should be limited. In 1976, under the leadership of Bishop J.O. The school and college remain closed at present.[29]. 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". [35], In 2016, the Church had 5.5 million members in 60 countries around the world. 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). Create your ARC account Complete the form below to request an ARC account from your Jurisdictional Secretary. He was elected as the denomination's leader on March 27, 2021. In 2017, Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake appointed gospel artist and Evangelist Dr. Dorinda Clark Cole of Detroit, Michigan as the Elect Lady. Bishop Joel H. Lyle Jr. General Secretary Church of God in Christ, Inc. 930 Mason Street Memphis, Tennessee 38126 OTHER COGIC clergy are allowed to be married. The most notable rift occurred in 1969, when fourteen bishops met in Evanston, Illinois, to form the Church of God in Christ, International. She is the longest serving president of the International Music Department and her influence and legacy have been indelible and are recognized around the world. Mother Deborah Mason Patterson#, daughter of founder, Bishop Mason and wife of first presiding bishop James O. Patterson Sr. The General Board received a summation of the actions of the National Board of Trustees and updates on national properties since November 2018. The first youth leader on a national level was Elder M.C. COGIC members gathered for praying, fasting, teaching, preaching, fellowship and conducting business related to the national COGIC organization. Our Legacy There are more than 200 ecclesiastical jurisdictions around the world, with 170 in the United States. [47], COGIC teaches that the church is the community of Christian believers who have accepted Jesus Christ and submit to his Lordship and authority in their lives. [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. Student Aid a ministry of support to foreign students. A general supervisor of women is appointed by the presiding bishop and given authority to lead the International Women's Ministry of the church. The early conventions of the Evangelist Board were basically crusades led by Page and a few other Evangelists from across the country. The location for General Assembly will be announced, as Mason Temple is currently under construction. 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. In 1927, the call was made for workers to go to serve the Lord in foreign lands. [9] This Holiness group/fellowship adopted the name Church of God in Christ, and COGIC began to develop congregations throughout the South. Patterson established protocols of worship, policy and practices. It had a membership of more than 400,000, who supported more than 4,000 churches. [33] In 2009, Bishop Blake unveiled an aggressive program known as "Urban Initiatives" to address the plight of America's urban areas. As the church continued to grow, she created women auxiliaries including the Purity Class and the Sunshine Band. C. P. Jones was elected the General Overseer, C. H. Mason was selected as Overseer of Tennessee, and J. Macklin was selected as the first chairman. WARNING!!! On the local church level in addition to the office of missionary, COGIC developed and has maintained the position of the "church mother." In Chicago, Ford organized voter registration initiatives. 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. A. Vice Chairman of the Board of Bishops Bishop Roger L. Jones. [29], Bishop Charles E. Blake assumed leadership and was elected Presiding Bishop of the church after the death of Bishop G.E. Adjutant General Bishop Dickerson L. S. Wells Sr.. General Supervisor, Department of Women Mother Barbara McCoo Lewis. These women have been listed for their significant contributions and impact to the church. Coffey also began the use of the title "Jurisdictional Supervisor" for state mothers as more jurisdictions were forming in each state.[59]. (19721994). In addition, the Office of the General Secretary is an integral part of all ceremonial activities, inaugurals, celebrations and ecumenical services. The National Board of Trustees. 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 is credited with helping to secure the steel needed to construct Mason Temple which was virtually impossible during World War II.[52]. Green. The pair modeled the pastor and wife ministry team in COGIC. The result of sin is the depravity of man, broken communion with God, shame and guilt, and physical and spiritual death. This office is reserved for a woman who serves as counterpart to the Sunday School Superintendent. As the first elected presiding bishop, Bishop Patterson Sr. established the Charles Harrison Mason Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia. The COGIC constitution at the time did not identify a clear successor or the authority of the executive board after Mason's death. [36], In 2022, it was present in 112 countries in 2022. All charges against a Pastor or a local Church must be filed with the General Secretary, and the Jurisdictional Secretary. It is one of the largest gathering of Christian women from any major denomination and religious organization. [60] Units added during her tenure as general supervisor were the: business and Professional Women's Federation, Rescue Squad, Sunday School Representatives Unit, United Sisters of Charity, National Secretaries Unit, and the Jr. Missionaries. A. Bishop Lawrence M. Wooten Second Assistant Presiding Bishop (2021present) and board member (2012present). However, the General Assembly vested authority in the executive board composed of the seven bishops selected by Bishop Mason before his death. 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. During his administration, Battles organized Regions to oversee evangelistic ministry in various regional areas across the country. Bishop Owens led the COGIC in its centennial celebration in 1997 with the theme, "Holiness, a Proven Foundation for a Promising Future!" President Clinton gave speeches at COGIC meetings including the International Holy Convocation at Mason Temple and the Women's International Convention. Over time, the ministers and churches under Leonard P. Adams also separated from COGIC; they assimilated into other white Pentecostal groups or organizations. 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. However, the Church believes that in some extreme or rare cases, medical and operational abortion may be the safest way to help the mother if the pregnancy is jeopardizing the mother's life and health. During the 1950s and 60s, during the height of the civil rights movement, COGIC ministers and congregations played host to many significant events. 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. He referred in his sermon to gay men as "sissies", "perverted and lost", and said, "If you want to feel like a girl; I wish God would give you the monthly of a girl; I wish He had you bleeding out of your butt. B. McEwen, came to a head and was addressed at the 57th Holy Convocation. [58], Her successor, Lillian Brooks Coffey (19451964) was the organizer of the Women's International Convention to support the work of foreign missionaries. She established a high school and gained accreditation for it, and then for the junior college which she founded on campus. [3] A visionary, she spearheaded the establishment of the multi-million dollar Hale Morris Lewis Manor, a senior citizen complex in Los Angeles, CA. According to the Church of God in Christ's official website, the role of the General Board, comprised of 12 bishops, is to establish and execute policies for the COGIC membership, as well as . [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. It teaches that sanctification should precede the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Dr. Roy L.H. She built a home for missionaries in the Bahamas, a pavilion for senior citizens and unwed mothers in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The General Secretary is the official keeper of the COGIC seal, Registered Agent for the Church and signatory on all official documents. Secretary of the General Council of Pastors and Elders Superintendent Prince W. Bryant, II. 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. Mason as General Overseer and Chief Apostle. Chairman of the National Judiciary Board Bishop Martin Luther Johnson. It has nine members, elected by the general assembly, including three bishops, three elders, and three lay members. [96][97][98][99], This article is about the Holiness Pentecostal denomination. [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. 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. The church is thought to have nearly two million members in 7,000 churches on the continent of Africa. Vice chairman of the General Council of Pastors and Elders Bishop Marcus Ways. The General Secretary - Just another Church Of God In Christ, Inc. site. 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. The Presiding Bishop is the both the President and the CEO of the corporation, the other eleven members complete the Board of Directors. The legislative authority of the church is vested in a general assembly, composed of the members of the general board, jurisdictional/auxiliary bishops, jurisdictional supervisors, chaplains, pastors, ordained elders, four district missionaries and six lay members from each jurisdiction. At its first convocation held in 1897, the group identified simply as the "Church of God." COGIC considers any physical, sexual relationship outside of the sanctity of marriage to be outside of the sovereign will of God and unbiblical. 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. In 1955, Emmett Till's funeral was held at Robert's Temple Church Of God in Christ in Chicago, Illinois. 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