There is a presiding bishop, known as the chief apostle of the church. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. Bishop Owens led the COGIC in its centennial celebration in 1997 with the theme, "Holiness, a Proven Foundation for a Promising Future!" The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) is an international HolinessPentecostal Christian denomination,[2][4] and the largest Pentecostal denomination in the United States. Send all correspondence via Certified Mail. She also established a musical program. [26], The parties filed lawsuits in the Chancery Court of Shelby County, Tennessee, to resolve the legitimate authority of the denomination. COGIC became a major force in the collective Black Church and worldwide Pentecostal movement. Bishop Lawrence M. Wooten Second Assistant Presiding Bishop (2021present) and board member (2012present). Treasurer of the General Council of Pastors and Elders Pastor William Ward. 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. *There is a three year Statute of Limitations for charges against a Bishop, except for sexual misconduct which has a ten (10) year limitation. As a result, many local congregations, foreign missions, and schools were established through the leadership and efforts of women in COGIC. Nevertheless, women are licensed in COGIC to proclaim the gospel as evangelists. 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. 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. On October 23, 2020, Bishop Blake announced that he will 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.[34]. [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. They were also instrumental in establishing 75 churches across the nation. 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. Young, James Brewer, Daniel Spearman, and J. H. Boone. "[90] This excerpt of Elder Carter's sermon went viral throughout social media and was picked up by major television news broadcasts. We believe that the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, according to Acts 2:4, is given to believers who ask for it. Vice Chairman of the National Judiciary Board Bishop Enoch Perry. Mother Willie Mae Rivers served faithfully for 20 years as General Mother until 2017 and the age of 91. Mason was given authority to lead the new denomination. [20], In 1926, Mason authorized the church's constitution, outlining the bylaws, rules, and regulations of the church. A general supervisor of women is appointed by the presiding bishop and given authority to lead the International Women's Ministry of the church. 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. Church mothers have historically served as the leader of the women's ministries in the local congregations. [48] COGIC clergy are also encouraged to have a certain degree of training in marriage counseling as well. We believe that there is One God, eternally existent in three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Vice President of COGIC World Missions-Supervisor Faye M. Butler. It is one of the largest gathering of Christian women from any major denomination and religious organization. In that assembly, delegates sent from jurisdictions in each state will elect 12 members of the general board, COGIC's highest executive board, of . All rights reserved. The Presiding Bishop is the both the President and the CEO of the corporation, the other eleven members complete the Board of Directors. Ford, as Saints' Academy, a private co-educational grade school. The seminary is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) and is part of a consortium of the Interdenominational Theological Center. What is C.O.G.I.C. ANCC Learn how your comment data is processed. Detroit pastor J. Drew Sheard elected COGIC presiding bishop (19721994). [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. Patterson, as Presiding Bishop of the Church in the 2000s, he helped bridge denominational barriers and encouraged non-COGIC ministries and denominations to work collaboratively with the COGIC denomination to help support charity efforts for poor and disadvantaged African Americans and people affected by poverty and disasters in foreign countries through the COGIC Charities Department and the COGIC Missions and Evangelism Department. Assistant Financial Secretary Bishop David A. Sanders. The Board of Bishops is an Independent Board, with an elected Chairman, First Vice-Chairman, Second Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Treasurer, Financial Secretary and Sergeant at Arms. 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.) COGIC licensed female evangelists may also serve as chaplains in military, federal, state, and local institutions requiring chaplains. Chairman of the Board of Bishops Bishop Albert Galbraith. Brooks, 1st Assistant Presiding Bishop and Bishop Jerry W. Macklin, 2nd Assistant Presiding Bishop serve as Presiding Bishop Blakes special aides on the General Board. According to Alex Haley, "He and his wife then received bomb threats at home and at church." B. McEwen was elected chairman of the executive board, and O.T. Elder Carter called for a Church trial before the COGIC General Assembly and Judicial Board according to the Constitution of the COGIC. The civil structure of the Church of God in Christ includes a president, first vice-president, second vice-president, general secretary, general treasurer, and the financial secretary. By 1906, the church had grown to nearly 100 congregations in three states. She led its expansion and emphasized high academic standards, disciplined behavior, and prayer. Southern California Metropolitan . 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. Vice President of COGIC World Missions-Supervisor Sideary King. J. Drew Sheard elected COGIC presiding bishop; 2 Memphis bishops In 1964 however, disagreement between the authority of the Senior Bishop and the executive board, led by Bishop A. A. [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. We hope you enjoy learning more about the Church leadership and the important role they have in leading Gods people. These women have been listed for their significant contributions and impact to the church. The YPWW department began in 1928 with the convening of its first Youth Congress. As COGIC continued to grow, the various departments began the practice of convening annually to conduct the business unique of their ministries. Vice chairman of the General Council of Pastors and Elders Superintendent Kiemba Knowlin. 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. Clean White, Jurisdictional Bishop, Bermuda Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, National Evangelist, Recording Artist, Songwriter, Atlanta, Georgia, This page was last edited on 2 May 2023, at 04:56. 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. Dr. Roy L.H. 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. Her predecessor was Evangelist Dr. Rita Womack of Los Angeles, California. Family Sacramento, CA as Chairman of the Board of Bishops for the global organization. These offices are found in every local, district, and jurisdiction to support development and growth of the Sunday School. [58], Her successor, Lillian Brooks Coffey (19451964) was the organizer of the Women's International Convention to support the work of foreign missionaries. [15], COGIC originated among African Americans in the Southern states of Mississippi, Arkansas, and Tennessee. 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 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. Supervisor Irene Oakley#, pastor, supervisor, bishop's wife, Mother Louise Patterson, evangelist, former first lady and wife of G.E. national news cogic Bishop Mason taught COGIC members against going to war, but more so he was against African-American men being called to fight a war overseas for freedom and then coming home and being treated as second-class citizens and being lynched, even in their uniforms, because of racism. [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. He also instituted the Annual Prayer Breakfast, conducted Evangelistic Crusades across the country and developed the Church of God in Christ National Evangelist Registry. Well-known gospel musicians with COGIC roots include; Andrae Crouch and Sandra Crouch, Walter Hawkins and Edwin Hawkins, Tramaine Hawkins, Rubenstein McClure, Yvette Flunder, Sara Jordan Powell, Daryl Coley, BeBe and CeCe Winans, The Winans, "Detroit" Gary Wiggins, John P. Kee, The O'Neal Twins, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Rance Allen, Rev. Military chaplains have also been instrumental in spreading COGIC through military installations. The most active women's auxiliaries include: Missionary Circle, Hospitality, Executive Hospitality, Hulda Club, Wide Awake Band, Minister's Wives Circle, Deaconess, Deacon's Wives Circle, Prayer Warriors, Young Women's Christian Council, Usher Board, Educational Committee, Boy's League, Big Brothers, Cradle Roll, Women's Chorus, Board of Examiners, Public Relations, News Reporters and the Burners Home and Foreign Mission Bands. [63] The current president of the Department of Evangelism is Bishop Elijah Hankerson III of St. Louis, Missouri. Officers - COGIC College of Bishops Through his leadership the board has continued its vision which is based on Titus 1:5, in which the Apostle Paul appointed Titus to lead the people of Crete as an elder. Drew Sheard. Missions work in COGIC began under Elder Searcy in 1925. 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. 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. Click here to view. Mason Theological Seminary to train its ministers and ministry leaders. The first youth leader on a national level was Elder M.C. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. 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. 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. God made me his bishop idesire to be taught how to set churchs in order can talk help me. 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. These twelve bishops, chosen from the Board of Bishops, are voted into office by the General Assembly for a term of four years. As the International Holy Convocation grew to thousands, COGIC leaders had to negotiate with city officials to provide hotel accommodations for the saints. Owens outlined a progressive plan to position the COGIC for ministry in the twenty-first century, known as "Vision 2000 and Beyond." Mother Willie Mae Rivers (19972017) of Goose Creek, South Carolina, succeeded Mother Crouch. On the local church level in addition to the office of missionary, COGIC developed and has maintained the position of the "church mother." COGIC Church Hit Hard By Coronavirus Deaths Among Its Leadership COGIC does not teach that Spirit baptism is the same as salvation. 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. The fastest growing areas include Nigeria, South Africa, Brazil, and India. The General Board; The General Secretary; The Trustee Board; The Judicial Branch. Social Media. Welcome to the home page of the General Board of the Church Of God In Christ, Inc. 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. 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. Here are some documents for the Board of Bishops. The General Board - Church Of God In Christ COGIC Bishop Candidates For The General Board 2021! - YouTube In 1945, Mason dedicated Mason Temple in Memphis as the church's national meeting site. 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. [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. There is one God eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Under her leadership, the Women's International Convention added the term "and Crusade" to highlight and promote the evangelistic approach of the convention. Built in the 1940s during World War II, the nearly 4000-seat building was the largest church auditorium of any African-American religious group in the United States. 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. Church of God in Christ, Inc. Sin originated in eternity when Satan committed open rebellion against God in heaven. 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. 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. William B. Holt was appointed as General Superintendent. 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). Malcolm X's Funeral was held in Harlem, New York City at Faith Temple Church Of God in Christ. COGIC clergy are also allowed to be married. Patterson in March 2007. 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.
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