Bishop Mason: Founder of largest Pentecostal denomination - NBC News The school and college remain closed at present.[29]. He became nationally recognized in 1955 for officiating at the funeral of 15-year-old Emmett Till, who was brutally murdered in Mississippi. In 1933, he set apart five overseers to the Office of Bishop in the church, the first five bishops of COGIC. [26], The parties filed lawsuits in the Chancery Court of Shelby County, Tennessee, to resolve the legitimate authority of the denomination. Vice President of COGIC World Missions-Supervisor Faye M. Butler. The son-in-law of Bishop Mason, J. O. Patterson Sr., had served the church previously as a member of the executive board and as executive secretary. Although headquartered in Memphis, COGIC's leaders . 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. 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". On November 14, 1968, the General Assembly of the COGIC elected the first general board and presiding bishop of the church. March 22, 2021. There was the creation of the Sunday School Field Representative. COGIC became a major force in the collective Black Church and worldwide Pentecostal movement. B. McEwen, Bishop J. S. Bailey, and Bishop O. M. Kelly as his assistants. As previously stated, COGIC although predominately black, had a significant white membership during its first decade of existence, with a number of white ministers holding leadership positions in the church. The Elders' Council met and organized the first Missions board of the Church of God in Christ. 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, 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. C. D. Owens had gained national attention in the church as the president of the Youth Department. For a brief period of time, the YPWW Congress was combined with the Sunday School Congress in a joint convention until 1951. We believe the Bible to be the inspired and only infallible written Word of God. 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. Patterson established protocols of worship, policy and practices. 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. COGIC does not teach that Spirit baptism is the same as salvation. The COGIC has always had a long history with Christian ecumenism, partnering up with and collaborating with other Christian churches and denominations for the purposes of advancing ministry and charity efforts, both in the United States, and globally in foreign countries as well. Co Directors of the Men's Department Bishop Michael B. We believe that the only means of being cleansed from sin is through repentance and faith in the precious Blood of Jesus Christ. [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. This convention brings thousands of COGIC members representing all the major departments including Sunday School, Missions, Evangelism, Music, and Youth together in July and meets in cities around the U.S. He was assassinated the next day, on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel.[54]. Church of God in Christ elects new Presiding Bishop The three-year-initiative with The Human Coalition was also supposed to encourage local COGIC clergy leaders across the United States, both male and female, to partner up with other anti-abortion advocacy groups and Christian ministries to lobby for more anti-abortion restrictions throughout local states.[51]. [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. These auxiliaries are found in nearly every church, district, and jurisdiction within COGIC and function to support the holistic approach that COGIC has toward ministry within the church and the larger community that COGIC congregations serve. His passion for meeting the needs of the whole man reaches globally through his humanitarian efforts. Mother Willie Mae Rivers served faithfully for 20 years as General Mother until 2017 and the age of 91. 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. Holy Temple COGIC was the first church to open its doors to the garbage workers. Assistant Secretary of the Board of Bishops Bishop Adrian Williams. Today the International Women's Convention/Crusade meets annually in May in different cities throughout the nation drawing thousands of women from around the world. During the tenure of Bishop G.E. It had a membership of more than 400,000, who supported more than 4,000 churches. She also established a musical program. The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) is a HolinessPentecostal Christian denomination,[2][4] and the largest Pentecostal denomination in the United States. He established the World Fellowship of Black Pentecostal Churches and gained COGIC membership in the Congress of National Black Churches. 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. Drew Sheard, Sr. as Presiding Bishop on March 20, 2021. Their pastor was then elder Gilbert Earl Patterson, who also became a COGIC Presiding Bishop, at Holy Temple COGIC in Memphis, Tennessee. The fastest growing areas include Nigeria, South Africa, Brazil, and India. 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. [49] The church does not practice infant baptisms or christenings, but does conduct baby dedications in formal ceremonies. Timothy Wright, Myrna Summers, Rev. The human soul is immortal and will spend eternity either in heaven as the redeemed or in hell as the damned. On June 5, 1951, he selected Bishop A. Her predecessor was Evangelist Dr. Rita Womack of Los Angeles, California. Chairman of the General Council of Pastors and Elders Superintendent Michael Eaddy. The Church of God in Christ ecclesiastical structure is an episcopal-presbyterian form of government. It was destroyed by fire in 1936. As COGIC continued to grow, the various departments began the practice of convening annually to conduct the business unique of their ministries. [2][3] On March 21, 2007, he became the Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, Inc., as a result of Presiding Bishop Gilbert E. Patterson's death. 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. This came on the heels of former Presiding Bishop Charles Edward Blake Sr.'s October 2020 announcement that he would not seek reelection. A. Blackwell, E. M. Blackwell, E. M. Page, R. H. I. Clark, D. J. Research Center at Boston University, the Greenlining Institutes Big Heart Award, a Trumpet Award, and the Urban Leagues Whitney M. Young award, among many others. These jurisdictions are then separated into districts, which consist of 5 to 7 churches and are governed by superintendents (ordained elder or pastor). In 1955, Emmett Till's funeral was held at Robert's Temple Church Of God in Christ in Chicago, Illinois. Each state in the US consists of at least one jurisdiction, and several states have more than one jurisdiction. We believe that the regeneration by the Holy Ghost is absolutely essential for personal salvation. 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]. Herndon and her twin sister Leatha were pioneers of the evangelistic work of the Church of God in Christ. Mrs. Anna Broy Crockett Ford was the first organizer and director of the National Music Department, which was formally established in November 1949. Humanity can only be restored through salvation offered only through Jesus Christ. C. P. Jones and those Holiness leaders who did not embrace the Azusa Revival experience continued as Holiness churches. Chairman of the Board of Bishops Bishop Albert Galbraith. He was able to bridge denominational barriers and encourage non-COGIC ministries to work collboratively with the COGIC denomination. 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. After graduating from high school, he matriculated to Wayne State University, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in education and a Master of Education degree in mathematics. COGIC has always been traditionally anti-abortion. After being ejected for accepting these new Pentecostal teachings, Mason called a meeting in Memphis later in the year and reorganized the Church of God in Christ as a Holiness-Pentecostal body. She built a home for missionaries in the Bahamas, a pavilion for senior citizens and unwed mothers in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. [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. During the tenure of Bishop L. H. Ford as Presiding Bishop in the 1990s, he helped gain COGIC membership into the Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America, a more diverse, international caucus of different Pentecostal church denominations and organizations that sought to heal the racial divides in the North American Pentecostal movement.[57]. Sin originated in eternity when Satan committed open rebellion against God in heaven. Bishop Carter came into holiness in 1952 at the Jones Avenue Church of God in Christ, under the leadership of the late Bishop George Briley. In 2021 he was again re-elected Bishop as a member of the Presidium (General Board) of the Church of God in Christ, Inc., at that time he was also subsequently elected to the Office of the Presiding Bishop as Chief Apostle. 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. Mrs. Mattie McCaulley of Tulsa, Oklahoma was the first to respond, and was sent to Trinidad. On June 5, 1951, he selected Bishop A. In keeping with the times, the school had some industrial education and training for its students, so that they could learn practical skills. 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. Drew Sheard was born on Jan. 1, 1959, in Detroit, Michigan, to Bishop and Mrs. John Henry Sheard. [9] This Holiness group/fellowship adopted the name Church of God in Christ, and COGIC began to develop congregations throughout the South. Patterson appointed Dr. Edward Lee Battles President of the Department of Evangelism. 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. Owens outlined a progressive plan to position the COGIC for ministry in the twenty-first century, known as "Vision 2000 and Beyond." Winbush was selected to serve as the first chairman. ", COGIC teaches that sanctification is a continuous operation of the Holy Spirit, by which he "delivers the justified sinner from the pollution of sin, renews his whole nature in the image of God and enables him to perform good works". 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.) President, International Youth Department Superintendent Nathaniel Green. [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. 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. Drew Sheard is a former public-school teacher. Bishop Blake is the senior pastor of the West Angeles Cathedral COGIC in Los Angeles. Supervisor Irene Oakley#, pastor, supervisor, bishop's wife, Mother Louise Patterson, evangelist, former first lady and wife of G.E. The racial climate in the post WWI years, when there was high competition for jobs and housing and violent unrest in many cities in 1919, would not sustain this relationship. We believe in the Blessed Hope, which is the rapture of the Church of God, which is in Christ, at His return. [96][97][98][99], This article is about the Holiness Pentecostal denomination. The first general secretary of COGIC was Elder William B. Holt, a white minister. In November 1975, at the National Holy Convocation in Memphis, TN., with the consent of the General Board, Bishop Carlis Moody Sr. of Evanston, Illinois, was appointed by Bishop J. O. Patterson to be president of the Department of Home and Foreign Missions. Salvation is an operation of the Holy Spirit upon sinners brought about by repentance toward God, which brings about conversion, faith, justification, and regeneration. COGIC believes, though, that even then in the case of saving the life of the mother, that abortion should still only be considered as a last resort, if all other options to help the mother and the unborn fetus have been thoroughly exhausted. His dream was to establish an international ministry complex known as "Saints Center" and an accredited institution known as "All Saints University". 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. His ministry spanned more than seven decades. 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. Vice President of COGIC World Missions-Supervisor Sideary King. He was a noted evangelist who had pastored several churches, including: Bostick Temple in St. Louis, Missouri; Well's Cathedral COGIC in Newark, New Jersey; and Greater Community COGIC in Marietta, Georgia. The general assembly is the supreme authority over the church to decide matters of faith and practice. It was also around this time, that he married his wife, Mae Lawrence Blake, a native of Michigan and daughter of another COGIC bishop and pastor, and they had three children together, Charles Blake, Jr., Lawrence "Larry" Blake, and Kimberly Blake. In 2009 he was appointed as a member of Barack Obama's Inaugural Advisory Council of the Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships where he served for one year on the council. [50], In July 2016 during their annual Auxiliaries in Ministries convention, COGIC announced their Urban Initiative Outreach ministries and Missions and Charity departments would be partnering up with The Human Coalition, an anti-abortion advocacy group, from 2016 to 2019 for a three-year initiative to encourage COGIC pastors and ministers to encourage anti-abortion advocacy in their local churches. Bishop Jerry W. Macklin First Assistant Presiding Bishop (2021present) and board member (2004present). Pastor Dennis Martin and Superintendent Willie James Campbell succeeded Bishop White as presidents. [11] In 2016, Bishop Blake was appointed as the Co-Chairperson to the leadership council of the Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America. COGIC teaches that the Holy Spirit is alive and active in the world. 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. The first convention was held in Los Angeles, California, in 1951. As a result, many local congregations, foreign missions, and schools were established through the leadership and efforts of women in COGIC. Missions work in COGIC began under Elder Searcy in 1925. The church started with only 50 members in 1969 when he became pastor. Bishop Blake was the pastor of the West Angeles Church of God in Christ,[7] one of the largest African-American churches in the Western United States, with a membership of over 24,000, from 1969 until his retirement in 2022. Drew Sheard. 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. 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 . Bishop L. H. Ford (Former Presiding Bishop COGIC) - YouTube [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. [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. By that time, it was known as Saints Academy and Junior College. In 1996, the then Elder J. During 19101913, two white ministers, Elder H. A. Goss and Elder Leonard P. Adams, were clergy under the authority of C. H. Mason. Secretary of the National Board of Trustees Dr. T. Lynn Smith. The jurisdictional supervisor is assisted by district missionaries who oversee the women's ministry of the district. When the COGIC was first founded by Bishop Mason in the 1910s, he wanted the denomination to have ecumenical relationships with other predominantly Black Methodist and Baptist churches, but many of them were unwilling to do so at the time because of Mason's controversial history with being expelled from his former Baptist ministry associations and churches in Mississippi for preaching sanctification and Pentecostalism. He is known to many as being an eloquent, compassionate and practical leader, as well as a humanitarian and an advocate with a God-given gift for ministering to the whole man. Church of God in Christ: COGIC Presiding Bishop Ousted He called for an annual gathering of COGIC members, known as the "International Holy Convocation", to be held in Memphis. In 1975, he resigned as co-pastor, withdrawing his membership in the COGIC because of leadership disagreements with his uncle, J. O. Patterson Sr. concerning an establishment of another jurisdiction in the city of Memphis. These departments include: the Women's Department, the Sunday School Department, the Youth Department known as Y.P.W.W. Originally, this gathering of the 'Saints' lasted for twenty days, from November 25 to December 14. 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. He accepted his call into the ministry in 1956. B. McEwen was elected chairman of the executive board, and O.T. 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. COGIC teaches the deity of Jesus Christ, his virgin birth, sinless life, physical death, burial, resurrection, ascension and visible return to the earth. 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. [19], Mason continued to travel across the nation preaching and establishing COGIC churches. 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. Jesse Jackson was invited to speak during the COGIC International Holy Convocation when he was running for the presidency. There seemed no prospect of an integrated Pentecostal movement under the leadership of an African-American such as C. H. 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. [5] He officially retired on March 19, 2021, and was succeeded by Bishop J. He is credited with helping to secure the steel needed to construct Mason Temple which was virtually impossible during World War II.[52]. Coffey also began the use of the title "Jurisdictional Supervisor" for state mothers as more jurisdictions were forming in each state.[59]. COGIC Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake issued a public apology, saying "I apologize for what seemed to be a harsh, uncompassionate, disrespectful spirit on the part of that speaker. Pages in category "Presiding Bishops of the Church of God in Christ". In 2010 Superintendent J. Lizzie Woods Robinson (19111945) was the first "General Mother" of the church. 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. [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]. Most recently, Biola University conferred an honorary doctorate upon him on June 12, 2010. The Five Presiding Bishops of the Church Of God In Christ J. O. Patterson Sr. was the Presiding Bishop at that time. 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. 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. Golden Jr. [4] He was reelected to a third term as Presiding Bishop on November 15, 2016. Chairman of the National Judiciary Board Bishop Martin Luther Johnson. Bishop Elijah Hankerson III - Board member (2021present), Bishop Charles E. Blake Presiding Bishop Emeritus. [39], COGIC is a trinitarian Holiness Pentecostal denomination. As a result, the general board exercises great authority over the church. They have two children, Kierra Kelly and John Drew Sheard, II, one son-in-love, Jordan Kelly, and two grandchildren. They were given the authority through a "gentlemen's agreement" to license ministers and establish churches under the COGIC name. In 1964 however, disagreement between the authority of the Senior Bishop and the executive board, led by Bishop A. 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. 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. During her leadership, several new buildings were constructed on the 350-acre campus to serve this expansion. World headquarters are in Memphis, Tennessee at Mason Temple. COGIC considers any physical, sexual relationship outside of the sanctity of marriage to be outside of the sovereign will of God and unbiblical. Presiding Bishop J. Military chaplains have also been instrumental in spreading COGIC through military installations. The church has a tradition of prayer, fasting, praise, and consecration that was once unique to Holiness or Holiness Pentecostal groups. Driver, who was the overseer of California and pastor of the Saints Home COGIC led an interracial congregation made up of many Blacks, Whites, and Latinos, for many years. 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. " Bishop. The first meeting was held in Memphis, Tennessee around 1937. [8][9] In 1984, after the death of his father, he was ordained and consecrated as a jurisdictional bishop of the First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of Southern California for the COGIC denomination, and remained in that position until 2009 when he stepped down from the position to dedicate himself fully to the duties of the Office of the Presiding Bishop. 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 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. In 2015, after more than 40 years of faithful service, Bishop Carlis L. Moody was emeritized as Bishop of Missions. Carter currently posts material on YouTube and Facebook reporting alleged misconduct and impropriety within current leadership of COGIC and other Christian (mainly African-American) denominations. As the church continued to grow, she created women auxiliaries including the Purity Class and the Sunshine Band. She developed the International Women's Convention into a training institute for women in the ministry. We believe that the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, according to Acts 2:4, is given to believers who ask for it. [27], Bishop James Oglethorpe Patterson Sr. was elected in November 1968 as the first presiding bishop of the church by the General Assembly at the Sixty-First Holy Convocation of the church.
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