former presiding bishops of cogic former presiding bishops of cogic

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. [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. He gave the eulogy for Till at Robert's Temple COGIC in 1955. There was the creation of the Sunday School Field Representative. He is also known for his aggressive initiative, "Save Africa's Children" which supports hundreds of African children who have been affected by HIV/AIDS in orphanages in several countries in Africa. Bishop Mason: Founder of largest Pentecostal denomination - NBC News During the 1930s and 40s, a white COGIC elder named James L. Delk who remained in the church after many whites had left, was very active in politics in Missouri and worked to promote civil rights by writing legislatures and petitioning the federal government on the behalf of COGIC. Jones was acquainted with Seymour between 1895 and 1905, as Seymour's travels led him to many Holiness preachers such as John G. Lake and Martin Wells Knapp. The Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is the chief ecumenical officer of the church, and the leader and caretaker for the bishops of the synods. The denomination considers these to be inconsistent with COGIC doctrine and teaching. [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. The rain in the background represents the, Members of the General Board (2021present), General supervisors for the Department of Women, Young People Willing Workers (YPWW) International Youth Department (IYD), United National Auxiliary Conference (UNAC) and Auxiliaries in Ministry (AIM), Last edited on 26 February 2023, at 15:15, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Worldwide Fellowship of the Assemblies of God, Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America, List of jurisdictions of the Church of God in Christ, "Bishop Mason built COGIC out of revival, the faith of former slaves", "A Brief Historical Sketch of the Church of God in Christ, International (Arkansas)", "PRESS RELEASE: Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake Sr. Will Not Seek Reelection", "Catholics, Mormons, Assemblies of God growing; Mainline churches report a continuing decline", "The most and least racially diverse U.S. religious groups", "Human Coalition Launches Three-year Initiative with Church of God in Christ", "Proclamation on Marriage | COGIC General Assembly", "Racial and ethnic composition among members of the Church of God in Christ", https://mccormick.edu/content/daniels-david-ii, "RootsWeb's WorldConnect Project: York's Fentress County Tennessee", http://www.mtairycogic.com/index.php/about-us/243-drlouisfelton, "James Haynes Obituary (19312015) Dallas, TX Dallas Morning News", "Ohio North First Jurisdiction COGIC | About Us", "Senior Pastor | St. Stephen's Cathedral Church Of God in Christ", "Chicago's Historic Roberts Temple COGIC Receives Landmark Status", "Our Pastor GREATER EMMANUEL INSTITUTIONAL CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST", "Nathaniel Simmons Obituary (2006) Atlanta, GA Atlanta Journal-Constitution", "Barnett Thoroughgood Obituary (2012) Norfolk, VA The Virginian-Pilot", "Wells Memorial Church of God in Christ About Us", "Influential Hampton Roads Bishop Levi E. Willis Sr. dies", "Bishop Roy L.H. Michigan Chronicle Endorses Bishop J. Drew Sheard for Re-election to 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. In 1982, he was selected by Ebony magazine as one of the 15 "Greatest Preachers in America". In 1968, COGIC established the C.H. Vice President of COGIC World Missions-Bishop Glenn Plummer. 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. " Drew Sheard elected as COGIC's new presiding bishop; two Memphis bishops elected to general board Sheard, 62, was elected in late March to lead the predominantly African American . Blake, Sr. and the late Evangelist Lula M. Blake. The Church of God in Christ ecclesiastical structure is an episcopal-presbyterian form of government. He was elected as the denomination's leader on March 27, 2021. Gilbert. In November 2012, Bishop Blake was re-elected again to serve a four-year term as the Presiding Bishop. In 2000, he was elected as the Presiding Bishop of COGIC. In 1951, the first separate National Sunday School Convention convened in Kansas City, Missouri. Bishop John Drew Sheard is Presiding Bishop and Chief Apostle of the Church of God in Christ, Inc., one of the largest African American Pentecostal denominations in the United States with 12,000 churches in over 112 countries. Student Aid a ministry of support to foreign students. He was succeeded by Bishop Joe L. Ealy. Among those who died after reportedly contracting the virus were: First Assistant Presiding Bishop Phillip A. Brooks, a preacher, and leader from Detroit who was No. Dr. Roy L.H. These women have been listed for their significant contributions and impact to the church. In 2010, Bishop Blake led more than 50,000 delegates to the 103rd International Holy Convocation to St. Louis, Missouri. His ministry spanned more than seven decades. [29] She is also the Jurisdictional Supervisor of Women for the South Carolina Jurisdiction. In the 1990's and early 2000's, Blake also penned articles for Ebony and Christianity Today noting the importance of the Black Church's influence on presidential elections and American politics and society in general. 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. President, International Department of Evangelism Evangelist Gary Sprewell, Elect Lady, International Department of Evangelism . There are more than 200 ecclesiastical jurisdictions around the world, with 170 in the United States. Music Dept. The COGIC emphasized the use of the choir as an integral part of the worship experience. The Presiding Bishop - Church Of God In Christ Church Of God In Christ, Inc. 2015-23. It has nine members, elected by the general assembly, including three bishops, three elders, and three lay members. Church of God in Christ - Wikipedia [5] Although an international and multi-ethnic religious organization, it has a predominantly African-American membership based within the United States. He referred in his sermon to gay men as "sissies", "perverted and lost", and said, "If you want to feel like a girl; I wish God would give you the monthly of a girl; I wish He had you bleeding out of your butt. 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. The current presiding bishop and chief apostle is Bishop J. 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. Clinton is the only US president to have addressed a COGIC convocation at Mason Temple. Patterson established protocols of worship, policy and practices. 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. His passion for meeting the needs of the whole man reaches globally through his humanitarian efforts. He was assassinated the next day, on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel.[54]. Bishop Darrell L. Hines Board member (2016present). Demons exist as manifestation of evil or unclean spirits. Over time, the ministers and churches under Leonard P. Adams also separated from COGIC; they assimilated into other white Pentecostal groups or organizations. After the death of Mother Coffey in 1964, Dr. Annie L. Bailey (19641975), became the third General Supervisor. As the church continued to grow, she created women auxiliaries including the Purity Class and the Sunshine Band. Not everyone in the church were willing to accept "speaking in tongues" as the initial evidence of baptism of the Holy Ghost. She was the Jurisdictional Supervisor of Women for Texas Southwest Jurisdiction under the late Bishop T. D. Iglehart. 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. He testified to receiving entire sanctification after reading her autobiography in 1893. Drew Sheard, Sr. as Presiding Bishop on March 20, 2021. After being removed from the office of Senior Bishop, he remained the Jurisdictional Bishop of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania until his death in 1972. 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. [19], Mason continued to travel across the nation preaching and establishing COGIC churches. 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. [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. Porter pointed out that he is based in Memphis. Women in COGIC have been influential in the leadership and organization of the church since its inception. During the tenure of Bishop G.E. PuLSE Institute Names COGIC Presiding Bishop Emeritus, Humanitarian COGIC became a major force in the collective Black Church and worldwide Pentecostal movement. He led a group of students to participate in the March on Selma. 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 Five Presiding Bishops of the Church Of God In Christ Presiding Bishop J. [21], In 1907, there were ten COGIC churches, but by the time of Bishop Mason's death in 1961, COGIC had spread to every state in the United States and to many foreign countries. Vice Chairman of the National Judiciary Board Bishop Enoch Perry. [23][24] After Mason's death, in accordance with the 1952 church constitution, the control of the church reverted to the COGIC Board of Bishops. 1st Assistant Presiding Bishop Bishop Jerry W. Macklin. This came on the heels of former Presiding Bishop Charles Edward Blake Sr.'s October 2020 announcement that he would not seek reelection. 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). The church declares to be evangelical in ministry, fundamental in doctrine and practice and Pentecostal in worship and expression. 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. Presiding Bishop J. He is credited with systematically restructuring church departments and ministries, expanding the church in Asia, primarily India and the Philippines, and placing the COGIC on a solid financial status. Chairman of the National Judiciary Board Bishop Martin Luther Johnson. Church Of God In Christ, Inc. 2015-23. These elders became the first Pentecostal General Assembly of the Church of God in Christ. 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. The presiding bishop chairs the biennial Church-wide Assembly and provides for the preparation of agendas for the assembly, the Church Council and its executive . Drew Sheard, Sr. as Presiding Bishop on March 20, 2021. They have three children and eight grandchildren. [63] The current president of the Department of Evangelism is Bishop Elijah Hankerson III of St. Louis, Missouri. William B. Holt was appointed as General Superintendent. His testimony "literally went viral, and brought upon him criticism and sardonicism. A. Jeter was selected as Overseer of Arkansas. Charles Edward Blake Sr. - Wikipedia In 1982 during the Seventy-Fifth Holy Convocation, the diamond jubilee of the church, COGIC published its own hymnal, Yes, Lord!, which included many arrangements and songs written by COGIC and African-American musicians and songwriters. He was a strong advocate for social justice. Thereafter, missionaries were sent to Africa and the islands of the Caribbean, Asia, and elsewhere. Other accolades include the Distinguished Leadership Award from the African Presidential Archives and. Bishop James Oglethorpe Patterson 1968-1989* *Tenure as leader of the church: Presiding Bishop Gilbert Earl Patterson 2000-Present: Bishop Louis Henry Ford 1990-1995* Bishop Chandler David Owens 1995-2000* Category : Presiding Bishops of the Church of God in Christ "[92], Elder Carter was attempting to address members of COGIC as to sexual misconduct, and specifically, homosexual practices. Religious Figure, former Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), the fourth largest Protestant denominaton in the world. [17][16] The organizers of the meeting in Hot Springs had sent invitations only to white ministers to discuss a new movement. COGIC members gathered for praying, fasting, teaching, preaching, fellowship and conducting business related to the national COGIC organization. Mother Willie Mae Rivers served faithfully for 20 years as General Mother until 2017 and the age of 91. Bishop Blake led COGIC through the death of G. E. Patterson while preparing the church for its 100th Holy Convocation; an important milestone for the church. The following 4 pages are in this category, out of 4 total. She revolutionized and reorganized the music ministry to become a leading department in the church. [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. Patterson, who became presiding bishop in 2000 at the age of 60. The general secretary, general treasurer, and financial secretary terms run concurrent with the current presidential administration that is elected every four years.[20]. He was also a member of the General Board, the twelve head religious and executive leaders and head bishops of the COGIC denomination from 1988 until 2021. Medger Evers, the famed NAACP Field representative for the state of Mississippi who was gunned down in the front of his house in 1963 was raised in by his mother as a member of COGIC before later becoming a Baptist. President Moody also added these ministries to the Missions Department:[62]. 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. We believe that the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, according to Acts 2:4, is given to believers who ask for it. [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. 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. It can be spoken of as the individual and the collective, physical and spiritual. COGIC believes in divine healing, however, it does not advocate the exclusion of medical supervision. (RNS) A Detroit bishop of the Church of God in Christ has been named the new presiding bishop of the nation's largest historically Black Pentecostal . [43], COGIC teaches that man was created perfect and sinless in the image of God as a tripartite being having a body, soul, and spirit. COGIC does not teach that Spirit baptism is the same as salvation. B. McEwen was elected chairman of the executive board, and O.T. [29], Bishop Charles E. Blake assumed leadership and was elected Presiding Bishop of the church after the death of Bishop G.E. They determined to separate from COGIC and form what would eventually become the Worldwide Fellowship of the Assemblies of 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. In addition to the general board, there is a board of bishops that is composed of all jurisdictional and auxiliary bishops, a national trustee board that is composed of 15 members who are elected for a term of four years, the General Council of Pastors and Elders, which is open to any officially recognized pastor and current credentialed ordained elder in the church. B. McEwen made conflicting administrative and executive decisions. In keeping with the times, the school had some industrial education and training for its students, so that they could learn practical skills. [15], In 1951, when Bishop Mason was approaching 85 years of age, he set up a "special commission" to help with the administration and oversight of the church. Adelle M. Banks. 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. According to a 2015 statistical study by the Pew Research Center, the denomination was estimated to have a United States membership of approximately 84% African-Americans, 5% White Americans, 8% Latino-Americans, and roughly 2% Asian-Americans. COGIC teaches that the Holy Spirit is alive and active in the world. By 1906, the church had grown to nearly 100 congregations in three states. Elder L. C. Patrick was added to the National Sunday School. Herndon and her twin sister Leatha were pioneers of the evangelistic work of the Church of God in Christ. Bishop Blake is the senior pastor of the West Angeles Cathedral COGIC in Los Angeles. 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. Founder 1907-1961* Senior Bishop & Chief Apostle Charles Harrison Mason: . The judicial board serves as the judicial branch and is the supreme body that interprets polity and practice. Mother Lillian Coffey appointed Mother Reatha Herndon as president of the National Women's Evangelist Board in 1951. One of her contributions was to divide the women's fellowship in the local congregations into two groups: The Christian Women's Council for the middle aged and senior women, and the Young Women's Christian Council (YWCC) for the younger women. He was elected four times uncontested as presiding bishop. Mason Theological Seminary to train its ministers and ministry leaders. The first convention was held in Los Angeles, California, in 1951. Owens continued to serve as a jurisdictional bishop and member of the General Board until his death in 2011. Organized in the South and having a predominately African-American membership, COGIC has had a long history in advancing civil rights. They exist primarily in the spiritual realm and are organized according to duty and function. After graduating from high school, he matriculated to Wayne State. Blake was the fifth Presiding Bishop (and seventh leader) of the historically African-American denomination from 2007 to 2021. Assistant Secretary of the Board of Bishops Bishop Adrian Williams. 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. Supervisor Irene Oakley#, pastor, supervisor, bishop's wife, Mother Louise Patterson, evangelist, former first lady and wife of G.E. MEMPHIS, Tenn Funeral arrangements are set for COGIC Evangelist Louise Patterson, the widow of the late Bishop G.E. March 22, 2021. [5] He officially retired on March 19, 2021, and was succeeded by Bishop J. Male as well as female evangelists were instrumental in spreading COGIC throughout the United States as well as around the world. 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. The presiding bishop and all twelve members of the general board are to be elected every four years and preside over the church when the General Assembly is not in session. However, his out-spoken criticism of the racial prejudice and discrimination of whites led most, if not all of them, to leave his church for other ministries where the message against racism was not so obvious and offensive to them. In 2017, Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake appointed gospel artist and Evangelist Dr. Dorinda Clark Cole of Detroit, Michigan as the Elect Lady. [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. Nevertheless, as time progressed in the 1950s and 60s, and as COGIC began to grow and became increasingly institutionalized as a denomination, several other churches and denominations began partnering up with COGIC's leaders to help advance the cause of Civil Rights for African Americans, most notably such as the National Baptist Convention, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, and many other similar predominantly Black denominations as well. COGIC believes "that if such a case arises, the mother should pray and seek the wisdom and guidance of God and the Holy Spirit on whether or not they should resort to emergency abortion if it is necessary to save her life," but if not, the Church traditionally encourages expecting mothers to "seek God's guidance for other options and choices regarding their unborn child so that they do not have to choose aborting it, and can safely go through with their pregnancy until childbirth. Mother Deborah Mason Patterson#, daughter of founder, Bishop Mason and wife of first presiding bishop James O. Patterson Sr. Nurses Aid Ministry nurses taking their skills to the mission field. It was destroyed by fire in 1936. Rev. [32], Bishop Chandler David Owens Sr. was elected Presiding Bishop after the death of Bishop Ford in 1995. "Bishop Mason was one who lifted African Americans who were former slaves and the children of slaves, lifted them up from the degradation of slavery, ex-slavery, the brokenness of poverty,". All officers are elected by the General Assembly. Bishop Jones was the only living bishop of the five original bishops consecrated by Bishop Mason. [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. Pastor Dennis Martin and Superintendent Willie James Campbell succeeded Bishop White as presidents. The current president of the Missions Department is Bishop Vincent Mathews Jr. of South Africa. MEMPHIS, Tenn. The Church of God in Christ announced it has elected a new Presiding Bishop to lead the organization. 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. Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr. is the fifth Presiding Bishop and the seventh leader in succession, appointed in November 2007 by the General Assembly of the Church of God in Christ. [47] COGIC regards homosexuality, infidelity, and any other forms of sexual immorality that does not agree with Biblical scripture as sinful. As African Americans migrated north and west to industrial cities during the Great Migration, he began to establish COGIC churches in the north and, especially after 1940, in the west. 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. She is also the Jurisdictional Supervisor for the First Jurisdiction, Southern California. The church has more than 3,000 churches in Asia, and 2,000 churches in the Caribbean and South America. Chairlady, International Youth Department Evangelist Vandalyn Kennedy. During his administration, Battles organized Regions to oversee evangelistic ministry in various regional areas across the country. During his visit, Mason received the baptism of the Holy Ghost; the evidence was believed to be his "speaking in other tongues", in accordance with the biblical account found in the book of Acts 2:4. Her predecessor was Evangelist Dr. Rita Womack of Los Angeles, California. During the 1990s, President Bill Clinton was invited by then COGIC Presiding Bishop, Louis Henry Ford to attend the International Holy Convocation. In November 2008, Bishop Blake was re-elected to serve a four-year term as Presiding Bishop. [2][4] The church teaches three separate and distinct works of grace that God performs in the life of believers: salvation, entire sanctification, and the baptism or infilling of the Holy Ghost. The study also found that over 70% of COGIC members overwhelmingly opposed the legalizing of same-sex marriage, and considered relationships from infidelity, polygamy, polyamory, and sex outside of marriage as sinful and unbiblical as well.[56]. [20], The first national tabernacle was built and completed in 1925. According to the Articles of Religion, "We believe that we are not baptized with the Holy Ghost in order to be saved, but that we are baptized with the Holy Ghost because we are saved". Bishop Brandon B. Porter Secretary to the General Board (2021present) and board member (2012present). In 1992, during the Ford administration, UNAC was disbanded in favor of three separate conventions namely: the International Sunday School Convention, the MY Convention (Music and Youth) and the ME Convention (Missions and Evangelism) again meeting in separate cities.. The Church of God in Christ was formed in 1897 by a group of disfellowshipped Baptists, most notably Charles Price Jones (18651949) and Charles Harrison Mason (18641961).