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I'm writing a paper on the COGIC churches, thought I would post it here while I work out some of the rough spots. Hope you enjoy it.
Historical Background
'The Church of God in Christ, the predominantly African American Pentecostal denomination has an estimated 5,579,000 members' (Lindner), in over 12,000 churches in the United States with nearly 6.5 million members in 60 nations on five continents' (COGIC). Their central office, Mason Temple in Memphis was the site of the last public address of Dr. Martin Luther King jr., where he gave his, 'I have been to the Mountain Top' speech. The founder, Charles Harrison Mason was a licensed Baptist preacher who began to teach Wesleyan Holiness Entire Sanctification. After his experience during the Azusa Street revival he started preaching the Baptism of the Holy Spirit as evidenced by speaking in other tongues. He would go on to found the churches that would grow to become the fifth largest Christian denomination in the United States.
The Pentecostal Movement began at the Bethel Bible, Topeka Kansas 1901 when Agnes Ozman is said to have received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit as evidenced by speaking in other tongues. In 1906 William J. Seymour led the Azusa Street Revival from which the Pentecostal churches sprang. The meetings continued for three years, and the Azusa Street revival's influence radiated to virtually every part of North America and even to Europe, Asia, and Africa (Tracy 392).
This revival was attended by Charles Harrison Mason, known as C.H. Mason, founder of the Church of God in Christ, or COGIC churches for short. He was a Baptist preacher that embraced the Wesleyan Holiness doctrine of entire sanctification that would later develop into the Pentecostal doctrine of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit as evidenced by speaking in other tongues. C.H. Mason after starting to teach the Wesleyan-Holiness doctrine of entire sanctification lost his credentials to preach in the Baptist churches that had previously licensed him. As a result he started the St. Paul Church in Lexington, Mississippi which was the first COGIC church. After attending the Azusa Street Revival he started teaching the Baptism of the Holy Spirit as evidenced by speaking in other tongues, causing a mutually agreed upon separation between the Wesleyan-Holiness and Pentecostal members of his church.
Social pressure drove the white members to split with COGIC churches to form the Assemblies of God denomination in 1914. In 1918, COGIC opened its first institution of higher learning, the Saints Industrial and Literary School in Lexington, Mississippi. In 1925 they built their first central church in Memphis Tennessee, it was destroyed by a fire in 1936 and in 1945 they dedicated Mason Temple. In 1926 as the result of the exodus from the rural south to the larger cities, known as the Great Migration, COGIC churches were established in major cities across the United States. That same year C.H. Mason authorized the church's constitution, outlining the bylaws, rules, and regulations of the church and established the first five COGIC Bishops and a Foreign Missions Department.
1962-1968 is described as a "Dark Period" in the history of COGIC. With the passing of C.H. Mason experienced in fighting as a result the lack of clearly defined leadership authority. February 1968 the constitutional convention drafted and approved a new constitution that dissolved both the office of the Senior Bishop and the Executive Board. These two offices were replaced by the Office of the Presiding Bishop and a General Board to be elected every four years to preside over the church. In 1973 COGIC adopted a new constitution and official manual, still in place to this day with occasional revisions and updates.
Theological Position
The COGIC Statement of Faith affirms the infallibility of Scripture, they call, 'the unerring revelation that God has given to us in His inspired Word' making clear their position, 'By this definition, we acknowledge the human authorship of the scripture, that God is the Primary Author (II Peter 1:21; II Timothy 3:16)' (Ford 40). They believe in the Trinity, the virgin birth. They affirm the Parousia including the bodily translation of believers, justification by grace through faith in Christ, regeneration through the power of the Holy Spirit, redemption through the cross, sanctification through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit available to all who ask for it. The denomination practices standard Christian ordinances like the Lord's Supper and water baptism as well as the practice of foot washing, the latter probably being a legacy practice from the early days of C.H. Mason's Baptist ministry.
The theology of COGIC reflects few denominational distinctives with the exception of speaking in tongues as a manifestation of the Holy Spirit that empowers the believer for service. Citing Cor. 14:2 the COGIC churches make a subtle distinction between the gift of tongues and and speaking in an 'unknown tongue' (Ford 48), generally understood as a private prayer language. The proof texts for the doctrine of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is directly tied to both historical and doctrinal discussion in the New Testament related to tongues. Specifically, this experience is regarded as the miraculous ability, 'to speak with other tongues, as the spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 4:31; 8:14-17; 10:44-46; 11:15; 19:2-6; Eph 1:13)' (Ford 46).
The Theology appears to be a hybrid of fundamentalist theology, Wesleyan holiness doctrine and the Pentecostal experience. There is a profound emotionally charged atmosphere in their worship which is the central focus of the churches. Women are not allowed to preach but in the COGIC churches they minister as teachers and evangelists and every COGIC local body has a woman known as 'Mother', who is the head of the women's ministries for that body. Members are not allowed to dance outside of church but dancing is very much a part of their worship.
As an evangelical I have a doctrinal difference with them on the matter of tongues but the COGIC churches are neither divisive or contentious on the matter, certainly not dogmatic. They are fundamentalist to their core and I have found no central doctrine of the Christian faith disturbed, much less contradicted. They demonstrate a fundamentalist approach to doctrine and practice with a strong emphasis on discipleship, evangelism and foreign missions.
Lessons and Applications
One of the unique aspects of COGIC practices is that early in their history they preached that there is no difference between the races and blacks and whites fellowshiped together at a time when this simply was not done. Unfortunately a group of white members of the COGIC churches left to form the Assemblies of God, leaving the two denominations separated specifically and exclusively over race . The day before Thanksgiving, November 26, 2013, at the invitation of the Assemblies of God at the AG national office. Bishop Charles E. Blake, presiding bishop of the Church of God in Christ delivered the message, 'During and After the Storm' (Blake).
George O. Wood, general superintendent of the Assemblies of God, in his introduction to Bishop Blake reviewed the rift between to two denominations over race. Expressing regret over the separation said, 'sometimes good people give into culture and instead of holding forth the ideal presented in the Gospel that there is in Christ neither Jew nor Greek, neither male nor female, neither slave nor free and neither black nor white. Instead of living with that ideal, we went through a sorrowful season when we were separate from one another'. In the message, Bishop Blake encouraged the listeners to find things to be thankful for, especially friends saying, 'We give thanks to God that we reached out to one another that this fellowship and time together and this mutual strategic effort between us and the Assemblies of God church. In an analogy from a delicate surgery he underwent to remove a tumor behind his ear. He speaks subtly, but directly to the promise of reconciliation saying, '' You know what a scar is, a scar is nothing but a healed wound' (Blake).
While I do not agree that the Pentecostal experience, known as glossolalia, is New Testament tongues, I think the COGIC churches are clearly New Testament Christians. It arises out of revivalist spirit, emotionally charged and has enjoyed phenomenal growth throughout it's history. It staggers the imagination what the COGIC churches with their newly formed alliance with their sister denomination might accomplish given the great success both denominations have enjoyed with regards to missions and evangelism. In spite of the controversy surrounding the rise of Pentecostalism I have yet to see them critical of other churches, in spite of scathing critiques of their doctrine from Wesleyan and Calvinist churches alike.
While exploring the theology of this denomination I was impressed with the straightforward, uncomplicated Gospel message they preach. Even though speaking in tongues remains an important doctrinal issue their theology, like everything else in their churches is focused on a spirit of worship and celebration.
WORKS CITED
Blake, Charles E. "Thanksgiving During and After the Storm." AG Chapel Service. AG National Office, Springfield MO. 26 Nov. 2013. AGTV.ag.org. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
"COGIC." About COGIC. Holy Convocation. COGIC.org, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
Ford, L. Howard., Ed. Official Manual with the Doctrines and Discipline of the Church of God in Christ 1973. Memphis: Church of God in Christ Inc. 1991. Print
Lindner, Eileen W. Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches, 2011. Nashville: Abingdon, 2011. Print.
Tracy, Wesley, and Stan Ingersol. Here We Stand: Where Nazarenes Fit in Today's Religious Market. Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill, 1998. Print.
Historical Background
'The Church of God in Christ, the predominantly African American Pentecostal denomination has an estimated 5,579,000 members' (Lindner), in over 12,000 churches in the United States with nearly 6.5 million members in 60 nations on five continents' (COGIC). Their central office, Mason Temple in Memphis was the site of the last public address of Dr. Martin Luther King jr., where he gave his, 'I have been to the Mountain Top' speech. The founder, Charles Harrison Mason was a licensed Baptist preacher who began to teach Wesleyan Holiness Entire Sanctification. After his experience during the Azusa Street revival he started preaching the Baptism of the Holy Spirit as evidenced by speaking in other tongues. He would go on to found the churches that would grow to become the fifth largest Christian denomination in the United States.
The Pentecostal Movement began at the Bethel Bible, Topeka Kansas 1901 when Agnes Ozman is said to have received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit as evidenced by speaking in other tongues. In 1906 William J. Seymour led the Azusa Street Revival from which the Pentecostal churches sprang. The meetings continued for three years, and the Azusa Street revival's influence radiated to virtually every part of North America and even to Europe, Asia, and Africa (Tracy 392).
This revival was attended by Charles Harrison Mason, known as C.H. Mason, founder of the Church of God in Christ, or COGIC churches for short. He was a Baptist preacher that embraced the Wesleyan Holiness doctrine of entire sanctification that would later develop into the Pentecostal doctrine of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit as evidenced by speaking in other tongues. C.H. Mason after starting to teach the Wesleyan-Holiness doctrine of entire sanctification lost his credentials to preach in the Baptist churches that had previously licensed him. As a result he started the St. Paul Church in Lexington, Mississippi which was the first COGIC church. After attending the Azusa Street Revival he started teaching the Baptism of the Holy Spirit as evidenced by speaking in other tongues, causing a mutually agreed upon separation between the Wesleyan-Holiness and Pentecostal members of his church.
Social pressure drove the white members to split with COGIC churches to form the Assemblies of God denomination in 1914. In 1918, COGIC opened its first institution of higher learning, the Saints Industrial and Literary School in Lexington, Mississippi. In 1925 they built their first central church in Memphis Tennessee, it was destroyed by a fire in 1936 and in 1945 they dedicated Mason Temple. In 1926 as the result of the exodus from the rural south to the larger cities, known as the Great Migration, COGIC churches were established in major cities across the United States. That same year C.H. Mason authorized the church's constitution, outlining the bylaws, rules, and regulations of the church and established the first five COGIC Bishops and a Foreign Missions Department.
1962-1968 is described as a "Dark Period" in the history of COGIC. With the passing of C.H. Mason experienced in fighting as a result the lack of clearly defined leadership authority. February 1968 the constitutional convention drafted and approved a new constitution that dissolved both the office of the Senior Bishop and the Executive Board. These two offices were replaced by the Office of the Presiding Bishop and a General Board to be elected every four years to preside over the church. In 1973 COGIC adopted a new constitution and official manual, still in place to this day with occasional revisions and updates.
Theological Position
The COGIC Statement of Faith affirms the infallibility of Scripture, they call, 'the unerring revelation that God has given to us in His inspired Word' making clear their position, 'By this definition, we acknowledge the human authorship of the scripture, that God is the Primary Author (II Peter 1:21; II Timothy 3:16)' (Ford 40). They believe in the Trinity, the virgin birth. They affirm the Parousia including the bodily translation of believers, justification by grace through faith in Christ, regeneration through the power of the Holy Spirit, redemption through the cross, sanctification through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit available to all who ask for it. The denomination practices standard Christian ordinances like the Lord's Supper and water baptism as well as the practice of foot washing, the latter probably being a legacy practice from the early days of C.H. Mason's Baptist ministry.
The theology of COGIC reflects few denominational distinctives with the exception of speaking in tongues as a manifestation of the Holy Spirit that empowers the believer for service. Citing Cor. 14:2 the COGIC churches make a subtle distinction between the gift of tongues and and speaking in an 'unknown tongue' (Ford 48), generally understood as a private prayer language. The proof texts for the doctrine of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is directly tied to both historical and doctrinal discussion in the New Testament related to tongues. Specifically, this experience is regarded as the miraculous ability, 'to speak with other tongues, as the spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 4:31; 8:14-17; 10:44-46; 11:15; 19:2-6; Eph 1:13)' (Ford 46).
The Theology appears to be a hybrid of fundamentalist theology, Wesleyan holiness doctrine and the Pentecostal experience. There is a profound emotionally charged atmosphere in their worship which is the central focus of the churches. Women are not allowed to preach but in the COGIC churches they minister as teachers and evangelists and every COGIC local body has a woman known as 'Mother', who is the head of the women's ministries for that body. Members are not allowed to dance outside of church but dancing is very much a part of their worship.
As an evangelical I have a doctrinal difference with them on the matter of tongues but the COGIC churches are neither divisive or contentious on the matter, certainly not dogmatic. They are fundamentalist to their core and I have found no central doctrine of the Christian faith disturbed, much less contradicted. They demonstrate a fundamentalist approach to doctrine and practice with a strong emphasis on discipleship, evangelism and foreign missions.
Lessons and Applications
One of the unique aspects of COGIC practices is that early in their history they preached that there is no difference between the races and blacks and whites fellowshiped together at a time when this simply was not done. Unfortunately a group of white members of the COGIC churches left to form the Assemblies of God, leaving the two denominations separated specifically and exclusively over race . The day before Thanksgiving, November 26, 2013, at the invitation of the Assemblies of God at the AG national office. Bishop Charles E. Blake, presiding bishop of the Church of God in Christ delivered the message, 'During and After the Storm' (Blake).
George O. Wood, general superintendent of the Assemblies of God, in his introduction to Bishop Blake reviewed the rift between to two denominations over race. Expressing regret over the separation said, 'sometimes good people give into culture and instead of holding forth the ideal presented in the Gospel that there is in Christ neither Jew nor Greek, neither male nor female, neither slave nor free and neither black nor white. Instead of living with that ideal, we went through a sorrowful season when we were separate from one another'. In the message, Bishop Blake encouraged the listeners to find things to be thankful for, especially friends saying, 'We give thanks to God that we reached out to one another that this fellowship and time together and this mutual strategic effort between us and the Assemblies of God church. In an analogy from a delicate surgery he underwent to remove a tumor behind his ear. He speaks subtly, but directly to the promise of reconciliation saying, '' You know what a scar is, a scar is nothing but a healed wound' (Blake).
While I do not agree that the Pentecostal experience, known as glossolalia, is New Testament tongues, I think the COGIC churches are clearly New Testament Christians. It arises out of revivalist spirit, emotionally charged and has enjoyed phenomenal growth throughout it's history. It staggers the imagination what the COGIC churches with their newly formed alliance with their sister denomination might accomplish given the great success both denominations have enjoyed with regards to missions and evangelism. In spite of the controversy surrounding the rise of Pentecostalism I have yet to see them critical of other churches, in spite of scathing critiques of their doctrine from Wesleyan and Calvinist churches alike.
While exploring the theology of this denomination I was impressed with the straightforward, uncomplicated Gospel message they preach. Even though speaking in tongues remains an important doctrinal issue their theology, like everything else in their churches is focused on a spirit of worship and celebration.
WORKS CITED
Blake, Charles E. "Thanksgiving During and After the Storm." AG Chapel Service. AG National Office, Springfield MO. 26 Nov. 2013. AGTV.ag.org. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
"COGIC." About COGIC. Holy Convocation. COGIC.org, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
Ford, L. Howard., Ed. Official Manual with the Doctrines and Discipline of the Church of God in Christ 1973. Memphis: Church of God in Christ Inc. 1991. Print
Lindner, Eileen W. Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches, 2011. Nashville: Abingdon, 2011. Print.
Tracy, Wesley, and Stan Ingersol. Here We Stand: Where Nazarenes Fit in Today's Religious Market. Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill, 1998. Print.
