William B. Holt was appointed as General Superintendent. COGIC Bishop Alvin A. Childs of the Faith Temple Church of God in Christ (later renamed Child's Memorial in his honor) was the clergyman who finally opened his doors. Amen. COGIC theology and beliefs fall in the tradition of Wesleyan-Arminian theology.[40]. Supervisor Irene Oakley#, pastor, supervisor, bishop's wife, Mother Louise Patterson, evangelist, former first lady and wife of G.E. Helm Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi, attended by Mason and others from several states. 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 States, from 2007 to 2021. COGIC members gathered for praying, fasting, teaching, preaching, fellowship and conducting business related to the national COGIC organization. Bishop Owens led the COGIC in its centennial celebration in 1997 with the theme, "Holiness, a Proven Foundation for a Promising Future!" [33] In 2009, Bishop Blake unveiled an aggressive program known as "Urban Initiatives" to address the plight of America's urban areas. This list may not reflect recent changes . [4] He was reelected to a third term as Presiding Bishop on November 15, 2016. Owens outlined a progressive plan to position the COGIC for ministry in the twenty-first century, known as "Vision 2000 and Beyond." 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 also served as the Presiding Prelate of the New Jersey Garden State Jurisdiction and the Central Georgia Jurisdiction. PuLSE Institute Names COGIC Presiding Bishop Emeritus, Humanitarian Chairman of the Board of Bishops Bishop Albert Galbraith. COGIC policies and bylaws have also been established regarding sexual misconduct of COGIC clergy and laymembers for disciplinary purposes. Al Sharpton, a noted civil rights activist, began his ministerial career as a minister in COGIC. Church Of God In Christ, Inc. 2015-23. [29] In 1926, upon the recommendation of Mother Lizzie Roberson, Elder C. G. Brown of Kansas City Missouri, was appointed the first Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Home and Foreign Missions Department by Bishop C. H. Mason. Bishop Michael E. Hill Assistant Secretary to the General Board (2021present) and board member (2021present). 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. The former Detroit-based math teacher was elected as the new presiding bishop over the largest Pentecostal denomination in the country in March. 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. Welcome to the Official Church Of God In Christ, Inc Online Store Dismiss. ", Elder Carter said that such public rebuke and condemnation were unwarranted, as he was not given a chance to say why he had made such statements. G. E. Patterson established the Temple of Deliverance, the Cathedral of Bountiful Blessing which grew to become the largest Pentecostal church in Memphis with over 14,000 members. Mother Willie Mae Rivers (19972017) of Goose Creek, South Carolina, succeeded Mother Crouch. [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. [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. She built a home for missionaries in the Bahamas, a pavilion for senior citizens and unwed mothers in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. 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. In 1946, the National Sunday School Congress began to meet with the Young People's Willing Workers (YPWW) Congress. The human soul is immortal and will spend eternity either in heaven as the redeemed or in hell as the damned. 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. 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. Drew Sheard who was elected in 2021. Then in 1946, the YPWW Department was combined with the Sunday School Department for joint conventions until 1951 when they were separated once again. Presiding Bishop J. Ford, as Saints' Academy, a private co-educational grade school. It can be spoken of as the individual and the collective, physical and spiritual. Bishop Blake said, "The Church of God in Christ does not compromise its stance against homosexuality as the Word of God condemns it as sin, but "this preacher's" (referring to Earl Carter) comments were unacceptably offensive and uncalled for, and will not be tolerated by the Church of God in Christ or its leadership. Missions work in COGIC began under Elder Searcy in 1925. Drew Sheard, Sr. as Presiding Bishop on March 20, 2021. 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). 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. On the local church level in addition to the office of missionary, COGIC developed and has maintained the position of the "church mother." Of special note is Evangelist Reatha Herndon who served as the International Elect Lady of the Department of Evangelism from 1951 to 2001. 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. [44], COGIC teaches that salvation is the work of redemption to the sinner and his restoration to divine favor and communion with God. The school closed in 1977 after her death, as it struggled financially in a period when some families were choosing integrated schools for their children. The result of sin is the depravity of man, broken communion with God, shame and guilt, and physical and spiritual death. Mallory retired in 1976 after fifty years of service; and she had a national reputation. 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. MEMPHIS, Tenn. The Church of God in Christ announced it has elected a new Presiding Bishop to lead the organization. A local church mother since the age of 21, she was committed to strengthening the auxiliaries in the local churches and to prepare the younger women to carry the mission of COGIC into the Twenty-first Century. [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. Battles served as president until his death in December 1996. Bishop Mason appointed her as a young woman to be head of the small school in 1926, after she had been teaching there. 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. By 1906, the church had grown to nearly 100 congregations in three states. The church declares to be evangelical in ministry, fundamental in doctrine and practice and Pentecostal in worship and expression. 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 as a member of the General Board or Presiding Bishop. 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. 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. These offices are found in every local, district, and jurisdiction to support development and growth of the Sunday School. The Church of God in Christ is the fifth largest Protestant religious denomination in the United States, the largest Pentecostal church in the country and the second largest Pentecostal organization in the world with churches in 60 countries worldwide and an estimated membership of nearly 6.5 million members. Mrs. Mattie McCaulley of Tulsa, Oklahoma was the first to respond, and was sent to Trinidad. In 1969, he was asked by his father and by Southern California COGIC bishop, Bishop Samuel M. Crouch, to take over as the pastor of the West Angeles Church of God in Christ. In 1982, he was selected by Ebony magazine as one of the 15 "Greatest Preachers in America". Young, James Brewer, Daniel Spearman, and J. H. Boone. She was the Jurisdictional Supervisor of Women for Texas Southwest Jurisdiction under the late Bishop T. D. Iglehart. Patterson Sr. in 1989. From 1985 to 2009, he maintained the position of Prelate for the First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of California, where he was responsible for overseeing over 250 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. Bishop J. He appointed regional presidents to serve as liaisons to the jurisdictional presidents. [citation needed] Bishop Ford is credited with inviting President Bill Clinton, a personal friend, to speak to the Eighty-Sixth International Holy Convocation on November 13, 1993. Timothy Wright, Myrna Summers, Rev. Humanity can only be restored through salvation offered only through Jesus Christ. [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. COGIC also teaches that all the spiritual gifts are for believers today. African-American parents sent their children to this school from across the United States, especially those who had grown up in Mississippi and knew its reputation. Patterson established protocols of worship, policy and practices. The following 4 pages are in this category, out of 4 total. In 1982, Patterson led COGIC in its Diamond Jubilee, in a celebration of the International Holy Convocation. Demons exist as manifestation of evil or unclean spirits. The early conventions of the Evangelist Board were basically crusades led by Page and a few other Evangelists from across the country. The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) is a HolinessPentecostal Christian denomination,[2][4] and the largest Pentecostal denomination in the United States. Lizzie Woods Robinson (19111945) was the first "General Mother" 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. Drew Sheard is a former public-school teacher. Mason Theological Seminary to train its ministers and ministry leaders. 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. The first Sunday School Superintendent was Professor L. W. Lee (19081916). [31], Bishop Ford also renovated several COGIC structures in Memphis, including Mason Temple. 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. After graduating from high school, he matriculated to Wayne State. In 1916, a few white churches were organized as a white branch of COGIC. Since 2007, Ebony has recognized Bishop Blake annually, as one of its 100+ most influential African Americans. In 1988, he was installed as Pastor of Greater Emmanuel Church. The current president of the Missions Department is Bishop Vincent Mathews Jr. of South Africa. Golden Jr. Vice President of COGIC World Missions-Supervisor Sideary King. A. Blake, Jr., who is also a bishop and pastor in the COGIC denomination in San Diego, California. Organized in the South and having a predominately African-American membership, COGIC has had a long history in advancing civil rights. They determined to separate from COGIC and form what would eventually become the Worldwide Fellowship of the Assemblies of God. The jurisdictional supervisor is assisted by district missionaries who oversee the women's ministry of the district. [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. They exist primarily in the spiritual realm and are organized according to duty and function. 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. We believe that there is One God, eternally existent in three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Drew Sheard was consecrated as Jurisdictional Bishop, succeeding Bishop Herbert J. Williams, Sr., the founding prelate of North Central Michigan Jurisdiction. Bishop O. T. Jones Sr, however, did not leave the COGIC. The church is thought to have nearly two million members in 7,000 churches on the continent of Africa. Bishop Sheard has over 30 years of leadership in the Church of God in Christ. During the current administration of Presiding Bishop Charles Blake, COGIC unveiled its Urban Initiatives Program to provide 60,000 programs nationwide through its more than 12,000 congregations to continue to promote the work of civil rights, and to reduce poverty, crime and violence, etc. Bishop Blake has several academic and honorary degrees, including a Doctor of Divinity from California Graduate School of Theology, a Doctor of Law degree from Oral Roberts University and an honorary doctorate from California State University, Los Angeles. Assistant Secretary of the Board of Bishops Bishop Adrian Williams. During her leadership, several new buildings were constructed on the 350-acre campus to serve this expansion. A. Blackwell, E. M. Blackwell, E. M. Page, R. H. I. Clark, D. J. 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. Vice Chairman of the National Judiciary Board Bishop Enoch Perry. Patterson, the nephew of the above-mentioned Bishop J.O. Patterson, Evangelist Joyce L Rodgers#, Jurisdictional Supervisor, Former Chairlady of Youth Dept., international evangelist, Dr. Lytia R. Howard, Emeritus, President of the Sunshine Band, COGIC Pastor, Mother Leatha Herndon Chapman Tucker#, church organizer, national evangelist, Mother Elizabeth White#, foreign missionary, Dr. Rita Womack, national evangelist, former Elect Lady, Mother Willa Mary Collins#, founding First Lady of Holy Trinity Church of God in Christ in Evansville, Indiana. Superintendent, International Sunday School Department Superintendent Mark Ellis. Category : Presiding Bishops of the Church of God in Christ 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. Education was considered key to advancement of the race. [29], Bishop Louis Henry Ford of Chicago, Illinois, was elected after the death of J.O. 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. President, International Youth Department Superintendent Nathaniel Green. He has also been awarded the Salvation Army's William Booth Award, the Greenlining Institute's Big Heart Award, and was the designated recipient of the L.A. Urban League's Whitney M. Young Award for the year 2000. The fastest growing areas include Nigeria, South Africa, Brazil, and India. 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 . [29], Bishop Charles E. Blake assumed leadership and was elected Presiding Bishop of the church after the death of Bishop G.E. He served on the trustee board for 12 years and has served on the general board for eight years. According to Alex Haley, "He and his wife then received bomb threats at home and at church." Church of God in Christ elects new Presiding Bishop Protestant doctrinal debates about Calvinism and Wesleyan Perfectionism affected how even local African-American Baptist pastors responded to new Christian movements at the time. Throughout the dispute, Elder Carter made allegations against Bishop Blake for impropriety, sexual misconduct, and abuse of power as presiding bishop. 2nd Assistant Presiding Bishop Bishop Lawrence M. Wooten. Presiding Bishop Emeritus of the Church of God in Christ, Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America, "COGIC Re-Elects Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake Sr. as Leader - Afro", "PRESS RELEASE: Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr. Will Not Seek Reelection", "Why the Power of the Black Church Matters This Election", "Whitehouse.gov - Inaugural Advisory Council: Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships", Succession of Church of God in Christ Leaders, Historically African-American Christian denominations, First African Baptist Church (Richmond, Virginia), First African Baptist Church (Savannah, Georgia). Michigan Chronicle Endorses Bishop J. Drew Sheard for Re-election to They unanimously chose C.H. Assistant Elect Lady, COGIC World Missions-Supervisor Lee E.Van Zandt. He called for an annual gathering of COGIC members, known as the "International Holy Convocation", to be held in Memphis. 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. Vice chairman of the General Council of Pastors and Elders Bishop Marcus Ways. [27], Several bishops disagreed with the new organizational structure; they severed ties with COGIC to start their own organizations. COGIC became a staple of gospel music under the guidance and leadership of Dr. Mattie Moss Clark. They exist today as adversaries to the kingdom, purpose and will of God. Charles Edward Blake Sr. - Wikipedia She established new auxiliaries including the International Hospitality Unit, the Educational and Bishop's Wives Scholarship funds, WE-12 and Lavender Ladies. He has one older brother, J. 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. He was a strong advocate for social justice. Bishop Jerry W. Macklin First Assistant Presiding Bishop (2021present) and board member (2004present). Winbush General Board Member Jurisdictional prelate", Atonement: COGIC Leader Slams "Disrespectful" Preacher & Apologizes To 'I'm Not Gay No More' Guy | AlwaysAList.com, Bishop Blake Condemns 'Bad Preacher'; Apologizes to 'I Don't Like Mens No More' Guy, "COGIC's Bishop Charles Blake Wins Defamation Lawsuit Against Minister Earl Carter", "Man Who Attacked COGIC Bishop Charles Blake Jailed", "Dr. Earl Carter Responses to Bishop Blake Apology", "A Letter to the Members of the Church of God in Christ, Inc", Succession of Church of God in Christ Leaders, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Church_of_God_in_Christ&oldid=1141739755, Bishop J. O. Patterson Sr. presiding bishop, Bishop J. S. Bailey first assistant presiding bishop, Bishop S. M. Crouch second assistant presiding bishop. As COGIC has continued to grow, new departments, auxiliaries, and ministries have been established including the music department, the National Adjutancy, Men's Department, COGIC Charities, and Urban Initiatives to name a few. Patterson, former presiding bishop of the Church of God In Christ.. 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. 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.
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