Thereafter, missionaries were sent to Africa and the islands of the Caribbean, Asia, and elsewhere. [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. A visionary, she spearheaded the establishment of the multi-million dollar Hale Morris Lewis Manor, a senior citizen complex in Los Angeles, CA. The first convention was held in Los Angeles, California, in 1951. However, the General Assembly vested authority in the executive board composed of the seven bishops selected by Bishop Mason before his death. [20], In 1926, Mason authorized the church's constitution, outlining the bylaws, rules, and regulations of the church. After graduating from high school, he matriculated to Wayne State. 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. Pages in category "Presiding Bishops of the Church of God in Christ". 1st Assistant Presiding Bishop Bishop Jerry W. Macklin. Not everyone in the church were willing to accept "speaking in tongues" as the initial evidence of baptism of the Holy Ghost. Jurisdictions range in size between 30 and 100 churches. At its first convocation held in 1897, the group identified simply as the "Church of God." Blake has also formerly served as an Advisory Committee Member of the Pentecostal World Conference, and as the founder and Co-chair of the Los Angeles Ecumenical Congress (LAEC), an interdenominational coalition of religious leaders and pastors for the city of Los Angeles. The result of sin is the depravity of man, broken communion with God, shame and guilt, and physical and spiritual death. The early conventions of the Evangelist Board were basically crusades led by Page and a few other Evangelists from across the country. Some of these African-American Baptist pastors in local Southern areas such as Mississippi, Tennessee, and Arkansas considered Jones and Mason to be controversial. He became a Christian and converted to Pentecostal Christianity as a young adolescent, under the ministry of his mother and father in Arkansas, and he and his family moved to Los Angeles when he was in his 20's when his father was asked to take over as a bishop of the First Jurisdiction of Southern California for the COGIC denomination. In 1917, the YPWW was officially organized under the leadership of Elder Ozro Thurston Jones Sr., who in 1928 established the first Youth Congress bringing together youth leaders and workers on a national level. In 1933, he set apart five overseers to the Office of Bishop in the church, the first five bishops of COGIC. However, his out-spoken criticism of the racial prejudice and discrimination of whites led most, if not all of them, to leave his church for other ministries where the message against racism was not so obvious and offensive to them. [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. Together he and his wife, Karen, founded Karew Records, a faith-based record label focusing on various forms of Gospel, Christian and Inspirational music. The current chairman of AIM is Bishop Linwood E. Dillard of Memphis, TN.[62]. 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. It has had rapid growth in many regions as one of the fastest-growing and largest religious groups in the United States.[30]. They have three children and eight grandchildren. Here are the other 11 members elected to COGIC's general board, its highest executive board: Bishop Prince Bryant Sr., pastor of The Island of Hope Church of God in Christ and Buck Street Memorial . It had a membership of more than 400,000, who supported more than 4,000 churches. 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 Five Presiding Bishops of the Church Of God In Christ Dr. Valerie Daniels Carter, entrepreneur, Jurisdictional Supervisor, Dr. Dorinda Clark Cole, International Elect Lady of Evangelism Dept., international evangelist. 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. 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. He announced that he met with the ministry leaders and church council and trustee board members and consulted with them to approve of Reverend Charles Blake, Jr and Reverend Lawrence Blake, taking over much of his duties as the de facto pastor and assistant pastor of the church. Michigan Chronicle Endorses Bishop J. Drew Sheard for Re-election to It teaches that sanctification should precede the baptism with the Holy Spirit. 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. [55], A 2014 statistical study from the Pew Research Center Forum on Religion & Public Life, reported that most members of COGIC usually got married between the ages of 25 and 30, and that over 42% of COGIC members between the ages of 25 and 65+ were married, at least 19% were divorced or separated, 32% were never married, and at least 5% were widowed. On October 23, 2020, Bishop Blake announced that he would not seek a re-election as Presiding Bishop nor as a member of the General Board and that he would retire from the Office of Presiding Bishop and from the General Board in 2021. The church started with only 50 members in 1969 when he became pastor. Patterson, former presiding bishop of the Church of God In Christ.. In November 2012, Bishop Blake was re-elected again to serve a four-year term as the Presiding Bishop. Factions developed within the organization as both the senior bishop and Bishop A. [6], In June 1896, Jones held a Holiness convention at Mt. In 1924, the Sunday School was formally organized under "Father" F. C. Christmas (19161944). General Treasurer Bishop Charles Harrison Mason Patterson Sr.. Financial Secretary Bishop Frank A. She was the wife and companion of Bishop John Seth Bailey, a trusted adviser of Bishop Mason, and later the first assistant presiding bishop of the church. 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. Mother Deborah Mason Patterson#, daughter of founder, Bishop Mason and wife of first presiding bishop James O. Patterson Sr. 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. More:J. Lizzie Woods Robinson (19111945) was the first "General Mother" of the church. [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]. As a visionary who is both inspiring and influential, the awards and recognitions that Bishop Blake has received are extensive. On June 5, 1951, he selected Bishop A. The first general secretary of COGIC was Elder William B. Holt, a white minister. He served on the trustee board for 12 years and has served on the general board for eight years. [58], Her successor, Lillian Brooks Coffey (19451964) was the organizer of the Women's International Convention to support the work of foreign missionaries. 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. At the 1907 COGIC Convocation held in Jackson, a separation occurred among Jones and other leaders in the church because of such disagreements. Mother Willie Mae Rivers served faithfully for 20 years as General Mother until 2017 and the age of 91. It was destroyed by fire in 1936. Succession of Church of God in Christ Leaders. We believe that the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, according to Acts 2:4, is given to believers who ask for it. 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 . William B. Holt was appointed as General Superintendent. [49] The church does not practice infant baptisms or christenings, but does conduct baby dedications in formal ceremonies. The Department of Evangelism was officially organized on a national level by Overseer L.C. He was succeeded by Bishop Joe L. Ealy. 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 . 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. 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. Bishop Charles E. Blake Sr., Presiding Bishop Emeritus of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), the largest Black Christian denomination in the country with a membership of 6.5 million, and an international statesman and humanitarian, has been named to the National Advisory Panel of The PuLSE Institute (Institute for Public Leadership and Social Equity), In 2000, he was elected as the Presiding Bishop of COGIC. Protestant doctrinal debates about Calvinism and Wesleyan Perfectionism affected how even local African-American Baptist pastors responded to new Christian movements at the time. In 1945, Mason dedicated Mason Temple in Memphis as the church's national meeting site. Bishop Sheard has over 30 years of leadership in the Church of God in Christ. Church of God in Christ: COGIC Presiding Bishop Ousted The general assembly is the supreme authority over the church to decide matters of faith and practice. The following 4 pages are in this category, out of 4 total. In 1945, Bishop S. Crouch of the Northern California Jurisdiction appointed Elder H. C. Johnson as State Sunday School Superintendent who appointed Missionary Lucille Cornelius to be Chairlady, the first woman to lead the supervision of COGIC women in the Sunday School Department. 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 They rejected denominational names such as Baptist, Methodist, or Episcopal. [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. The human soul is immortal and will spend eternity either in heaven as the redeemed or in hell as the damned. Field representative, International Sunday School Department Mother Cleolia Penix. 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. Drew Sheard June 22 and the consecration service for the jurisdictional and auxiliary bishop designates June 23, 2021. . Of special note is Evangelist Reatha Herndon who served as the International Elect Lady of the Department of Evangelism from 1951 to 2001. B. McEwen, Bishop J. S. Bailey, and Bishop O. M. Kelly as his assistants. For the Anabaptist denomination, see, The official seal of the COGIC features a sheaf of wheat representing the members of the COGIC. Secretary of the National Board of Trustees Dr. T. Lynn Smith. 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. His dream was to establish an international ministry complex known as "Saints Center" and an accredited institution known as "All Saints University". [29] She is also the Jurisdictional Supervisor of Women for the South Carolina Jurisdiction. He testified to receiving entire sanctification after reading her autobiography in 1893. Patterson in March 2007. Rev. He continued to build on the department through expansion of the Regional Administration into 10 geographical locations across the country. She has previously served on the Women's advisory board, Executive Board, steering committee Women's International Convention, General Supervisor's Regional Representative (West Coast Region of the United States), member of the Program Committee then chairperson, Chairperson Special Convention Assistance Committee, National Leadership Conference and Women's Convention Leadership Conference, International Marshall and Assistant General Supervisor. After the death of Bishop Mason, he assumed leadership as the Senior Bishop of the Church of God in Christ. She began women's work on the state level and appointed the first state mothers. Chairman of the Board of Bishops Bishop Albert Galbraith. COGIC members gathered for praying, fasting, teaching, preaching, fellowship and conducting business related to the national COGIC organization. Bishop O. T. Jones Sr, however, did not leave the COGIC. Robinson was a staunch advocate for holiness and taught strict guidelines for the women with regard to dress and worldliness. 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. President Moody also added these ministries to the Missions Department:[62]. After being removed from the office of Senior Bishop, he remained the Jurisdictional Bishop of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania until his death in 1972. 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. 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. Bishop James Oglethorpe Patterson 1968-1989* *Tenure as leader of the church: Presiding Bishop Gilbert Earl Patterson 2000-Present: Bishop Louis Henry Ford 1990-1995* Bishop Chandler David Owens 1995-2000* March 22, 2021. 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. Jones Sr. was elected Senior Bishop by the General Assembly. 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. [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. The court ordered the church to convene a constitutional convention in February 1968. A new constitution and official manual of the church were completed in 1973. He was recognized in Washington, D. C. by President Barack Obama in 2009 and invited to serve on the White House Advisory, Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Assistant General Treasurer Bishop Kendall Anderson. She is also the Jurisdictional Supervisor for the First Jurisdiction, Southern California. (19721994). There is one God eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In 2015, after more than 40 years of faithful service, Bishop Carlis L. Moody was emeritized as Bishop of Missions. They exist primarily in the spiritual realm and are organized according to duty and function. 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. The denomination considers these to be inconsistent with COGIC doctrine and teaching. She organized the sewing circle and after meeting Elder Searcy, she encouraged the women to support mission work through the Home and Foreign Mission bands. Patterson established protocols of worship, policy and practices. Drew Sheard, Sr. as Presiding Bishop on March 20, 2021. The Presiding Bishop - Church Of God In Christ He also established the COGIC national headquarters there. 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. Al Sharpton, a noted civil rights activist, began his ministerial career as a minister in COGIC. In 1951, when Bishop Mason was approaching 85 years of age, he set up a "special commission" to help with the administration and oversight of the church. It also increasingly stressed high academic standards so that its graduates could go to normal school or college, especially to teach other African Americans. Desiring to learn more about the work of the Holy Spirit in the church, C. H. Mason, J. He was denied such trial in 2016. 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. [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. 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. Church of God in Christ - Wikipedia Owens continued to serve as a jurisdictional bishop and member of the General Board until his death in 2011. PuLSE Institute Names COGIC Presiding Bishop Emeritus, Humanitarian The Five Presiding Bishops of the Church Of God In Christ Jonathan DesVerney Gospel Channel 349K subscribers 740 65K views 5 years ago I created this video a long time ago, this is just the. The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) is a HolinessPentecostal Christian denomination,[2][4] and the largest Pentecostal denomination in the United States. Patterson Sr. in 1989. [32], Bishop Chandler David Owens Sr. was elected Presiding Bishop after the death of Bishop Ford in 1995. Throughout the dispute, Elder Carter made allegations against Bishop Blake for impropriety, sexual misconduct, and abuse of power as presiding bishop. Category : Presiding Bishops of the Church of God in Christ 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. 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. The jurisdictional supervisor is assisted by district missionaries who oversee the women's ministry of the district. In 1976, under the leadership of Bishop J.O. Timothy Wright, Myrna Summers, Rev. Later, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, ironically known as the "godmother of Rock and Roll," expanded and highlighted the COGIC sound to the greater American public in the 1930s and 1940s. Vice Chairman of the Board of Bishops Bishop Roger L. Jones. She built a home for missionaries in the Bahamas, a pavilion for senior citizens and unwed mothers in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. 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. They unanimously chose C.H. Male as well as female evangelists were instrumental in spreading COGIC throughout the United States as well as around the world. COGIC policies and bylaws have also been established regarding sexual misconduct of COGIC clergy and laymembers for disciplinary purposes. At the time, because many churches disagreed with what they considered its eccentric worship styles and expressions of Pentecostalism, such as the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues and the laying on of hands, many churches distanced themselves from the COGIC for many years. [5] He officially retired on March 19, 2021, and was succeeded by Bishop J. 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. 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. They are the largest department in the COGIC. The pair modeled the pastor and wife ministry team in COGIC. They determined to separate from COGIC and form what would eventually become the Worldwide Fellowship of the Assemblies of God. [47] COGIC regards homosexuality, infidelity, and any other forms of sexual immorality that does not agree with Biblical scripture as sinful. The fastest growing areas include Nigeria, South Africa, Brazil, and India. President, International Department of Evangelism Evangelist Gary Sprewell, Elect Lady, International Department of Evangelism . During the tenure of Bishop G.E. 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. They exist today as adversaries to the kingdom, purpose and will of God. 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. On November 14, 1968, the General Assembly of the COGIC elected the first general board and presiding bishop of the church. [15], COGIC originated among African Americans in the Southern states of Mississippi, Arkansas, and Tennessee. The current presiding bishop and chief apostle is Bishop J. This office is reserved for a woman who serves as counterpart to the Sunday School Superintendent. In 2000 at the Ninety-Third International Holy Convocation, the COGIC General Assembly elected Bishop Gilbert Earl Patterson to replace Owens as Presiding Bishop. These jurisdictions are then separated into districts, which consist of 5 to 7 churches and are governed by superintendents (ordained elder or pastor). As founder and CEO of Save Africas Children, a program of the Pan African Childrens Fund, he helps to support more than 200,000 children in 400 orphan care programs throughout more than 23 nations on the continent of Africa. 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. Under her leadership and tenure, COGIC choirs and individual singers came to dominate gospel music producing a number of recordings and gospel hits. Ford, as Saints' Academy, a private co-educational grade school. The school and college remain closed at present.[29]. Succession of COGIC Leaders The church has more than 3,000 churches in Asia, and 2,000 churches in the Caribbean and South America. The COGIC constitution at the time did not identify a clear successor or the authority of the executive board after Mason's death. As Senior Pastor of the 26,000 member, West Angeles Church of God In Christ in Los Angeles, California, Bishop Blakes leadership is positively impacting lives and enhancing the community through the work of the many ministries offered. (Young People Willing Workers), and Missions and Evangelism. Her life story led many African-Americans into the Holiness movement, including Mason. Nigeria alone has 19 bishops and more than 2000 churches. Bishop Darrell L. Hines Board member (2016present). Vice Chairman of the General Assembly Bishop Jerry W. Maynard. 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. COGIC teaches that the Holy Spirit is alive and active in the world. 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. In April 2018, Bishop Blake led COGIC in partnership with American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis to continue to struggle for civil rights in the 21st Century. It is a separate and distinct work of grace that occurs in the lives of believers after conversion. The former Detroit-based math teacher was elected as the new presiding bishop over the largest Pentecostal denomination in the country in March. The most notable rift occurred in 1969, when fourteen bishops met in Evanston, Illinois, to form the Church of God in Christ, International. In Chicago, Ford organized voter registration initiatives. There seemed no prospect of an integrated Pentecostal movement under the leadership of an African-American such as C. H.