Mason as General Overseer and Chief Apostle. But during the early twentieth century, the Pentecostal movement had rapid growth nationally and attracted racially integrated congregants to its worship services. William B. Holt was appointed as General Superintendent. 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. [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 Church of God in Christ (COGIC) is a HolinessPentecostal Christian denomination,[2][4] and the largest Pentecostal denomination in the United States. 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. Divorce is considered inconsistent with biblical teachings and is highly discouraged as well, but exceptions are made for special circumstances. The church is thought to have nearly two million members in 7,000 churches on the continent of Africa. Bishop Elijah Hankerson III - Board member (2021present), Bishop Charles E. Blake Presiding Bishop Emeritus. Multiple Bishops and Pastors within Church of God in Christ Have Died 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 the church continued to grow, she created women auxiliaries including the Purity Class and the Sunshine Band. It also increasingly stressed high academic standards so that its graduates could go to normal school or college, especially to teach other African Americans. 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. President Moody also added these ministries to the Missions Department:[62]. Jones Sr. was elected Senior Bishop by the General Assembly. [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. In 1982, he was selected by Ebony magazine as one of the 15 "Greatest Preachers in America". Porter pointed out that he is based in Memphis. In 1976, under the leadership of Bishop J.O. [9] This Holiness group/fellowship adopted the name Church of God in Christ, and COGIC began to develop congregations throughout the South. Sin originated in eternity when Satan committed open rebellion against God in heaven. [48] COGIC clergy are also encouraged to have a certain degree of training in marriage counseling as well. This list may not reflect recent changes . His decision means that the Feb. 23 Quadrennial Election will vote-in a new Presiding Bishop. He was one of the nine members of the strategy committee that organized the sanitation strike in Memphis. 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. 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. 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". Mason sent ministers and evangelists to cities and urban areas outside the South, including William Roberts (Chicago), O. M. Kelly (New York), O. T. Jones Sr. (Philadelphia), E. R. Driver (Los Angeles), and Samuel Kelsey (Washington, D.C.) From these major cities, COGIC spread throughout the country. 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. 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. 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. 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. [4] He was reelected to a third term as Presiding Bishop on November 15, 2016. His sons Reverend Charles Blake, Jr. and Reverend Lawrence Blake were officially appointed as the senior pastor and assistant pastor of the church in October of 2022.[13]. As a visionary who is both inspiring and influential, the awards and recognitions that Bishop Blake has received are extensive. It has had rapid growth in many regions as one of the fastest-growing and largest religious groups in the United States.[30]. Drew Sheard was born on January 1, 1959, in Detroit, Michigan, to Bishop and Mrs. John Henry Sheard. Blake, Sr. and the late Evangelist Lula M. Blake. [39], COGIC is a trinitarian Holiness Pentecostal denomination. Malcolm X's Funeral was held in Harlem, New York City at Faith Temple Church Of God in Christ. In 1964 however, disagreement between the authority of the Senior Bishop and the executive board, led by Bishop A. [29], Bishop Charles E. Blake assumed leadership and was elected Presiding Bishop of the church after the death of Bishop G.E. In the 1920s, Arizona Dranes, a blind Evangelist Missionary became one of the first gospel artists to bring the musical styles of COGIC to the public in her records for Okeh and performances. 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. The early pioneers of this newly formed Holiness-Pentecostal body in 1907 were E. R. Driver, J. Bowe, R. R. Booker, R. E. Hart, W. Welsh, A. COGIC also teaches that all the spiritual gifts are for believers today. To be consistent with progressive measures and modernization, in the Nineties, the international church along with many local COGIC churches began to use the term "youth department" instead of "YPWW. " Over time, the ministers and churches under Leonard P. Adams also separated from COGIC; they assimilated into other white Pentecostal groups or organizations. Although headquartered in Memphis, COGIC's leaders . Mason was given authority to lead the new denomination. 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 . More:J. Evangelist Goldia Haynes, Elder Utah Smith, Madame Earnestine Washington, and Marion Williams continued COGIC's influence throughout the fifties and sixties. Green. He also served as the Presiding Prelate of the New Jersey Garden State Jurisdiction and the Central Georgia Jurisdiction. The early conventions of the Evangelist Board were basically crusades led by Page and a few other Evangelists from across the country. Music Dept. Chairman of the National Board of Trustees Bishop Dwight E. Walls Sr.. First Vice Chairman of the National Board of Trustees Superintendent Melton Timmons. 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. Bishop O. T. Jones Sr, however, did not leave the COGIC. Drew Sheard who was elected in 2021. After being removed from the office of Senior Bishop, he remained the Jurisdictional Bishop of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania until his death in 1972. It ultimately ended by 1930, when the Depression set in. Bishop Mason was pivotal in licensing and credentialing both white and African-American ministers, who spread the Pentecostal message and planted new churches. Bishop Mason appointed her as a young woman to be head of the small school in 1926, after she had been teaching there. Today thousands of COGIC women when ministering the gospel or serving in official capacities are seen in their civic (black) or ceremonial (white) habits. [29] She is also the Jurisdictional Supervisor of Women for the South Carolina Jurisdiction. When she died in 1945, she had laid an impressive foundation for the women's ministry in COGIC. 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. They determined to separate from COGIC and form what would eventually become the Worldwide Fellowship of the Assemblies of God. In 1996, the then Elder J. For a brief period of time, the YPWW Congress was combined with the Sunday School Congress in a joint convention until 1951. We believe that the redemptive work of Christ on the Cross provides healing for the human body in answer to believing prayer. 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. On May 19, 1952, he added Bishop J. O. Patterson Sr. From 1997-2001 Bishop Sheard served COGIC as President of the International Youth Department; and he served as Chairman of the AIM Convention from 2004 to 2012. [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. In November 2008, Bishop Blake was re-elected to serve a four-year term as Presiding Bishop. March 22, 2021. It believes that the gifts of the Spirit are given to believers and are active in the church today. In April 2018, Presiding Bishop Charles Blake along with Lee Saunders, Andrew Young, DeMaurice Smith, and Brian Dunn coordinated the "I AM 2018 Mountaintop Conference" at the historic Mason Temple in Memphis to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. COGIC believes marriage is a monogamous sacred, civil, and legal union between a husband and wife that is recognized as a covenant between them and God for the purpose of the couple being a helpmate to each other and raising a family together. Dr. Mattie Moss Clark#, second and longest-serving president of Int'l. In 1969, he was asked by his father and by Southern California COGIC bishop, Bishop Samuel M. Crouch, to take over as the pastor of the West Angeles Church of God in Christ. A visionary, she spearheaded the establishment of the multi-million dollar Hale Morris Lewis Manor, a senior citizen complex in Los Angeles, CA. [10] After testifying to being sanctified, members of the church referred to themselves as "Saints", believing that they were set apart to live a daily life of Christian Holiness in words and deeds.[11]. She was the Jurisdictional Supervisor of Women for California Northern First Jurisdiction. The Church of God in Christ will host the installation service of Rev. Church of God in Christ names Detroit's Bishop J. Drew Sheard new He is also known for his aggressive initiative, "Save Africa's Children" which supports hundreds of African children who have been affected by HIV/AIDS in orphanages in several countries in Africa. Elder L. C. Patrick was added to the National Sunday School. The Presiding Bishop - Church Of God In Christ Mallory retired in 1976 after fifty years of service; and she had a national reputation. After the death of Mother Coffey in 1964, Dr. Annie L. Bailey (19641975), became the third General Supervisor. In 1924, the Sunday School was formally organized under "Father" F. C. Christmas (19161944). [26], The parties filed lawsuits in the Chancery Court of Shelby County, Tennessee, to resolve the legitimate authority of the denomination. Protestant doctrinal debates about Calvinism and Wesleyan Perfectionism affected how even local African-American Baptist pastors responded to new Christian movements at the time. He accepted his call into the ministry in 1956. The presiding bishop and all twelve members of the general board are to be elected every four years and preside over the church when the General Assembly is not in session. His testimony "literally went viral, and brought upon him criticism and sardonicism. COGIC policies and bylaws have also been established regarding sexual misconduct of COGIC clergy and laymembers for disciplinary purposes. COGIC clergy are also allowed to be married. In Chicago, Ford organized voter registration initiatives. It includes not only those who are members of COGIC, but all believers who have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. BISHOP CHARLES E. BLAKE, SR. - Church Of God In Christ After the death of Bishop Mason, he assumed leadership as the Senior Bishop of the Church of God in Christ. Vice President of COGIC World Missions-Bishop Glenn Plummer. It was destroyed by fire in 1936. Assistant Elect Lady, COGIC World Missions-Supervisor Lee E.Van Zandt. Holy Temple COGIC was the first church to open its doors to the garbage workers. 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. Blake has served as Chair of the Executive Committee, member of the Board of Directors of Oral Roberts University, and as a member of the Board of Directors of International Charismatic Bible Ministries. Mrs. Anna Broy Crockett Ford was the first organizer and director of the National Music Department, which was formally established in November 1949. In 2000 at the Ninety-Third International Holy Convocation, the COGIC General Assembly elected Bishop Gilbert Earl Patterson to replace Owens as Presiding Bishop. B. McEwen, came to a head and was addressed at the 57th Holy Convocation. Founder 1907-1961* Senior Bishop & Chief Apostle Charles Harrison Mason: . The general secretary, general treasurer, and financial secretary terms run concurrent with the current presidential administration that is elected every four years.[20]. She is also the Jurisdictional Supervisor for the First Jurisdiction, Southern California. The church's new presiding bishop, who took office on March 20, said he will have to. In 1916, a few white churches were organized as a white branch of COGIC. Jurisdictions are set up similar to the national church in terms of composition, polity, and procedure. 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 . They were also instrumental in establishing 75 churches across the nation. COGIC teaches that according to the Word of God, there will be final events and conditions that address the end of this present age of the world. It is one of the largest gathering of Christian women from any major denomination and religious organization. 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. Together they traveled across the country proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The then"Minister & Sister Carter" established and . 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. Churches are organized in dioceses called jurisdictions, each under the authority of a bishop. 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. [12] On November 15, 2016, Bishop Blake was reelected as the Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ during the 2016 COGIC Election held by the COGIC General Assembly to a third four-year term. [29], Bishop Louis Henry Ford of Chicago, Illinois, was elected after the death of J.O. National Baptist Convention of America, Inc. National Missionary Baptist Convention of America, Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Church of Universal Triumph, Dominion of God, Fire Baptized Holiness Church of God of the Americas, Triumph the Church and Kingdom of God in Christ, United Pentecostal Council of the Assemblies of God, Incorporated, Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America, Imani Temple African-American Catholic Congregation, Israelite School of Universal Practical Knowledge, Original Church of God or Sanctified Church, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charles_Edward_Blake_Sr.&oldid=1138808010, People from Los Angeles County, California, Presiding Bishops of the Church of God in Christ, African-American television personalities, Interdenominational Theological Center alumni, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, April, 2007, November 2008, November 2012, November 2016, This page was last edited on 11 February 2023, at 19:00. Mother Willie Mae Rivers (19972017) of Goose Creek, South Carolina, succeeded Mother Crouch. There was the creation of the Sunday School Field Representative. After graduating from high school, he matriculated to Wayne State. In 1982 he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Education, and in 1998 he earned a Master of Arts in Mathematics from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Patterson in March 2007. 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. The COGIC constitution at the time did not identify a clear successor or the authority of the executive board after Mason's death. CN Morning Rundown: Watch COGIC Installation, Consecration of Bishops Winbush was selected to serve as the first chairman. Bishop Jerry W. Macklin First Assistant Presiding Bishop (2021present) and board member (2004present). Drew Sheard is a former public-school teacher. Giving Down by Half in Church of God in Christ - News & Reporting However, the General Assembly vested authority in the executive board composed of the seven bishops selected by Bishop Mason before his death. Save Africa's Children, a program of PACF, currently provides support to over 220 charity missions and orphanages throughout sub-Saharan Africa. The school and college remain closed at present.[29]. Under her leadership, the Women's International Convention added the term "and Crusade" to highlight and promote the evangelistic approach of the convention. Some pastor's wives have served as pastor of congregations usually after the death of a pastor sometimes serving under the title of "shepherdess, shepherd mother, or church administrator. [29] COGIC continued to grow and in 1973, the church claimed a worldwide membership of nearly three million. 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. Mitchell#, national evangelist, pastor, St. Andrew, Denton, TX, Carlis L. Moody#, foreign missionary, jurisdictional bishop emeritus, Germany Jurisdiction; pastor, Faith Temple, Evanston, IL, Eugene Franklin Rivers, political activist, pastor, Azusa Christian Community, Boston, MA, William Roberts#, jurisdictional bishop, Illinois First Jurisdiction, pastor, Robert's Temple, Chicago, IL, John Drew Sheard, general board member, jurisdictional bishop, Michigan North Central Jurisdiction; pastor, Greater Emmanuel Institutional, Detroit, MI, Nathan Simmons#, national evangelist, pastor, Citadel of Hope Evangelistic, Atlanta, GA, Robert James Ward#, jurisdictional bishop, Eastern Missouri First Jurisdiction; pastor, Historic Kennerly Temple, St. Louis, MO, Wyoming Wells#, jurisdictional bishop, Greater North Carolina Jurisdiction; pastor, Well's Memorial, Greensboro, NC; Well's Chapel, Greenville, NC, Frank Otha White#, General Board Member, Jurisdictional Bishop, New York Eastern Third Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction; Pastor, Zion Cathedral, Freeport, NY, David Lawrence Williams Sr.#, general board member, jurisdictional bishop, Virginia Second Jurisdiction; pastor, Mason Memorial, Norfolk, VA, Levi Edgar Willis#, radio and television personality, jurisdictional bishop, Virginia Third Jurisdiction; pastor, Garden of Prayer Temple, Norfolk, VA, Roy Lawrence Hailey Winbush#, general board member, jurisdictional bishop, Louisiana First Jurisdiction; pastor, Gethsemane, Lafayette, LA, Bishop Richard Mr. He called for an annual gathering of COGIC members, known as the "International Holy Convocation", to be held in Memphis. [35], In 2016, the Church had 5.5 million members in 60 countries around the world. Between 2009 and 2011, in response to the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa, Blake founded and was the first president of the Pan African Children's Fund (PACF).