Mother Willie Mae Rivers served faithfully for 20 years as General Mother until 2017 and the age of 91. Owens outlined a progressive plan to position the COGIC for ministry in the twenty-first century, known as "Vision 2000 and Beyond." They disagreed in having an electoral process to select the presiding bishop.[28]. After the death of Mother Coffey in 1964, Dr. Annie L. Bailey (19641975), became the third General Supervisor. 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. The general secretary, general treasurer, and financial secretary terms run concurrent with the current presidential administration that is elected every four years.[20]. Ford was pastor of the St. Paul COGIC in Chicago and was Presiding Prelate of the Historic Illinois First Jurisdiction. Patterson Sr., the five major departments of COGIC were united under an umbrella convention known as UNAC-5 (United National Auxiliary Convention). forgot password WARNING!!! The fastest growing areas include Nigeria, South Africa, Brazil, and India. Office of the General Secretary Office of the General Secretary Church Of God In Christ | Memphis TN Churches are organized in dioceses called jurisdictions, each under the authority of a bishop. Lizzie Woods Robinson (19111945) was the first "General Mother" of the church. Southern California Second Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction. 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. 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. She led its expansion and emphasized high academic standards, disciplined behavior, and prayer. Bishop David A. 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. In 1988, after a thirteen-year exodus from COGIC, Bishop G. E. Patterson returned as the founding Prelate of the newly formed Tennessee Fourth Jurisdiction. [20], The first national tabernacle was built and completed in 1925. The school enjoyed its greatest growth and success under the leadership of Dr. Arenia Conella Mallory (19041977). 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. COGIC clergy are also allowed to be married. We believe the Bible to be the inspired and only infallible written Word of God. 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 General Board received a summation of the actions of the National Board of Trustees and updates on national properties since November 2018. Administrative Assistant & Member Executive Committee-General Assembly - 1989-Present. Originally, this gathering of the 'Saints' lasted for twenty days, from November 25 to December 14. The Office of the General Secretary is responsible for developing and maintaining data pertaining to the Church Of God In Christ and oversees the credentialing of those engaged in the ministry of the Church. It is one of the largest gathering of Christian women from any major denomination and religious organization. It teaches that sanctification should precede the baptism with the Holy Spirit. 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]. 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. As the first elected presiding bishop, Bishop Patterson Sr. established the Charles Harrison Mason Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia. Battles served as president until his death in December 1996. Bishop Lawrence M. Wooten Second Assistant Presiding Bishop (2021present) and board member (2012present). Owens continued to serve as a jurisdictional bishop and member of the General Board until his death in 2011. She also established the Mattie McGlothen Library and Museum in Richmond, California, as a resource for COGIC historical facts and memorabilia. During her leadership, several new buildings were constructed on the 350-acre campus to serve this expansion. In 1982, Patterson led COGIC in its Diamond Jubilee, in a celebration of the International Holy Convocation. Today thousands of COGIC women when ministering the gospel or serving in official capacities are seen in their civic (black) or ceremonial (white) habits. He protested during the 1950s and 1960s against lodging segregation in Memphis, while participating in COGIC Holy Convocations there during the Civil Rights era before federal laws prohibiting such segregation. Carter was found in contempt of court for failing to obey the court order and was jailed until he removed all videos and agreed to comply. The Church may search and retrieve any information stored within this system. During the formative stages of COGIC, Bishop Mason organized departments to further support the work of the church as it continued to grow and expand. These twelve bishops, chosen from the Board of Bishops, are voted into office by the General Assembly for a term of four years . B. McEwen, came to a head and was addressed at the 57th Holy Convocation. Secretary of the Board of Bishops Bishop William Watson, III. They are tasked with the day to day operation of the Church of God in Christ. Secretary of the National Judiciary Board Attorney Peter Davis. [39], COGIC is a trinitarian Holiness Pentecostal denomination. They unanimously chose C.H. Some of these African-American Baptist pastors in local Southern areas such as Mississippi, Tennessee, and Arkansas considered Jones and Mason to be controversial. [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. law enforcement and other purposes. 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. Mason as General Overseer and Chief Apostle. Mother Willie Mae Rivers (19972017) of Goose Creek, South Carolina, succeeded Mother Crouch. Login ::: Church Of God In Christ ARC Portal ::: Log-in to your ARC account. Women in COGIC have been influential in the leadership and organization of the church since its inception. 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". Founded . [8], In 1897, Elder Mason founded the St. Paul Church in Lexington, Mississippi, as the first church of the new movement. The general assembly meets biannually each year in April and November while the presidium acts as the executive branch of the church, overseeing the day-to-day operation when the general assembly is not in session. J. O. Patterson Sr. was the Presiding Bishop at that time. 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. Bishop Prince E. W. Bryant Sr. Board member (2021present). A. Jeter was selected as Overseer of Arkansas. Patterson in March 2007. 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. Vice Chairman of the General Assembly Bishop Jerry W. Maynard. Welcome to the Official Church Of God In Christ, Inc Online Store Dismiss. 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. During the 1990s, President Bill Clinton was invited by then COGIC Presiding Bishop, Louis Henry Ford to attend the International Holy Convocation. The pair modeled the pastor and wife ministry team in COGIC. He gave the eulogy for Till at Robert's Temple COGIC in 1955. There seemed no prospect of an integrated Pentecostal movement under the leadership of an African-American such as C. H. Dr. Valerie Daniels Carter, entrepreneur, Jurisdictional Supervisor, Dr. Dorinda Clark Cole, International Elect Lady of Evangelism Dept., international evangelist. Green. including information stored locally or on any other media connected to this system. Throughout the 1970s and 80s, as COGIC continued to grow to millions of members nationwide, COGIC ministers all over the country continued to advance civil rights in their communities. He established the World Fellowship of Black Pentecostal Churches and gained COGIC membership in the Congress of National Black Churches. President, International Department of Evangelism Evangelist Gary Sprewell, Elect Lady, International Department of Evangelism . He began production of the YPWW Quarterly Topics to train the youth of the COGIC in the faith, doctrine, and polity of the church. 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. The denomination reports having more than 12,000 churches and over 6.5 million members in the United States. In addition, the Office of the General Secretary is an integral part of all ceremonial activities, inaugurals, celebrations and ecumenical services. [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. [93] Leaders within the COGIC, other denominations and Bishop Blake's own family came to his defense. [17][16] The organizers of the meeting in Hot Springs had sent invitations only to white ministers to discuss a new movement. Factions developed within the organization as both the senior bishop and Bishop A. 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. General Secretary Bishop Joel H. Lyles Jr.. Chairman of the General Assembly Bishop Lemuel F. Thuston. 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. He consecrated and appointed more than 100 bishops during his twenty-one years of leadership. Bishop O. T. Jones Sr, however, did not leave the COGIC. 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. 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. Login ::: Church Of God In Christ ARC Portal ::: Log-in to your ARC account. Pentecostals have been criticized because of their noticeable absence from the official record of activism that has been largely overshadowed by black ministers of other denominations such as Baptists and Methodists; however, there is evidence to verify and document the role and response of COGIC ministers and other Pentecostal denominations to the cause and struggle for Civil Rights in the United States during the 20th Century. Page in 1927. The first meeting was held in Memphis, Tennessee around 1937. Over time, the ministers and churches under Leonard P. Adams also separated from COGIC; they assimilated into other white Pentecostal groups or organizations. He is credited with systematically restructuring church departments and ministries, expanding the church in Asia, primarily India and the Philippines, and placing the COGIC on a solid financial status. The current president of the Missions Department is Bishop Vincent Mathews Jr. of South Africa. [3] Dress should be modest and business-formal. In 1927, the call was made for workers to go to serve the Lord in foreign lands. For the Anabaptist denomination, see, The official seal of the COGIC features a sheaf of wheat representing the members of the COGIC. He became nationally recognized in 1955 for officiating at the funeral of 15-year-old Emmett Till, who was brutally murdered in Mississippi. [18], The H. A. Goss faction left COGIC to join the Assemblies of God USA. Our Legacy These jurisdictions are then separated into districts, which consist of 5 to 7 churches and are governed by superintendents (ordained elder or pastor). It is a separate and distinct work of grace that occurs in the lives of believers after conversion. In 1976, under the leadership of Bishop J.O. [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]. Three years later on October 12, 1955, he added three more bishops to the hierarchy: Bishop U. E. Miller, Bishop S. M. Crouch, and Bishop O. T. Jones Sr. [29] She is also the Jurisdictional Supervisor of Women for the South Carolina Jurisdiction. They were given the authority through a "gentlemen's agreement" to license ministers and establish churches under the COGIC name. Adjutant General Bishop Dickerson L. S. Wells Sr.. General Supervisor, Department of Women Mother Barbara McCoo Lewis. 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. Bishop Mason was pivotal in licensing and credentialing both white and African-American ministers, who spread the Pentecostal message and planted new churches. [29] Former International Music Department President Professor Iris Stevenson-McCullough (originally from Rochester, NY) is a major influence in the gospel music industry around the world. 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. This system HAS BEEN LICENSED FOR USE BY the General Secretary's and Financial Secretary's Offices of the Church Of God In Christ. 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. Nigeria alone has 19 bishops and more than 2000 churches. Welcome to the home page of the General Board of the Church Of God In Christ, Inc. COGIC believes "that if such a case arises, the mother should pray and seek the wisdom and guidance of God and the Holy Spirit on whether or not they should resort to emergency abortion if it is necessary to save her life," but if not, the Church traditionally encourages expecting mothers to "seek God's guidance for other options and choices regarding their unborn child so that they do not have to choose aborting it, and can safely go through with their pregnancy until childbirth. The General Secretary. Today COGIC operates the All Saints Bible College in Memphis, the C. H. Mason system of bible colleges, and the C. H. Mason Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia. B. McEwen, Bishop J. S. Bailey, and Bishop O. M. Kelly as his assistants. 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. Secretary General. Mother Jennie Bell Dancy Jones of Arkansas became the first National Field Representative under Bishop Patrick. Patterson appointed Dr. Edward Lee Battles President of the Department of Evangelism. She established a high school and gained accreditation for it, and then for the junior college which she founded on campus. He was able to bridge denominational barriers and encourage non-COGIC ministries to work collboratively with the COGIC denomination. The Holy Spirit is the agent that equips, empowers, leads, and guides the church until the return of Christ. C. P. Jones and those Holiness leaders who did not embrace the Azusa Revival experience continued as Holiness churches. The international headquarters is in Memphis, Tennessee. Home; Secretaries Please click on the drop down tab. Young, James Brewer, Daniel Spearman, and J. H. Boone. COGIC has always been traditionally anti-abortion. Coffey also began the use of the title "Jurisdictional Supervisor" for state mothers as more jurisdictions were forming in each state.[59]. As a classical Holiness Pentecostal denomination,[2][4] COGIC continues to embrace its holiness heritage, teaching modesty in dress, appearance, moderate participation in secular entertainment and prohibitions against profanity, alcohol, substance abuse and immoral behavior. She developed the role of the State Minister of Music and traveled the world conducting seminars and workshops perfecting the quality of choir music, their performance, appearance and demeanor, and the COGIC sound. 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. Chairman of the National Board of Trustees Bishop Dwight E. Walls Sr.. First Vice Chairman of the National Board of Trustees Superintendent Melton Timmons. Treasurer of the General Council of Pastors and Elders Pastor William Ward. He is credited with helping to secure the steel needed to construct Mason Temple which was virtually impossible during World War II.[52]. 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). In Chicago, Ford organized voter registration initiatives. After the death of Bishop Mason, he assumed leadership as the Senior Bishop of the Church of God in Christ. Touch between the genders should be limited. Her life story led many African-Americans into the Holiness movement, including Mason. At the 1907 COGIC Convocation held in Jackson, a separation occurred among Jones and other leaders in the church because of such disagreements. 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. 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