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The
Church of God was founded in 1886 upon the principles of Christ as they
are revealed in the Bible, the Word of God. It has it's foundation of
faith and practice in the Scriptures and the vital experience of its
constituent's is scripturally oriented.
CHRISTIAN
First and foremost, the Church of God is a determinedly Christian
church. It is built upon the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The
doctrines and practices of the church are based upon His teachings.
PROTESTANT
The Church of God is founded upon the principles of Protestantism,
although it is not a traditional follower of any specific leader of the
Protestant Reformation. The denomination stands firmly for justification
by faith, the priesthood of believers, the authority of the Bible,
religious freedom, and the separation of church and state. It stands
against abuses and extravagance of ecclesiastical ritualism and dogmatism.
FOUNDATIONAL
The Church of God subscribes to the following five foundational
Christian doctrines:
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The inerrancy and
infallibility of the Bible.
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The virgin birth and
complete deity of Christ.
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The atoning sacrifice of
Christ's death for the sins of the world.
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The literal resurrection
of the body.
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Christ's second coming in
bodily form to earth.
EVANGELICAL
Evangelical is the term used to describe those who affirm the primary
doctrines revealed in the Scriptures. These doctrines include the
inspiration and authority of the Word of God; the Trinity; the deity and
virgin birth of Jesus Christ; salvation by faith in the atoning death of
Christ; His bodily resurrection and ascension to the right hand of the
Father; the ministry of the Holy Spirit; the second coming of Christ; and
the spiritual unity of believers in Jesus Christ.
The Church of God has
aligned itself with the basic statement of faith of NAE (National
Association of Evangelicals) the largest association of Evangelicals in
the USA. Members of NAE subscribe to a common statement of faith. The
Church of God can be described as positioned in the mainstream of
Evangelical Protestantism.
PENTECOSTAL
In 1896, many members of the Church of God experienced a spiritual
outpouring they identified as the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Because it
was so similar to the experience of the early Christians on the day of
Pentecost, it came to be called a Pentecostal experience, an enrichment of
the Christian life through the power of the Holy Spirit that empowered
believers to be effective witnesses of Christ. The principle distinctive
of the Church of God as a Pentecostal organization is its believe in
speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives the utterance and that
this is the initial evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
CHARISMATIC
 The
charismata (Gk.) or gifts of the Spirit appeared early in the life and
ministry of the Church of God. The gifts can be divided into three
categories: the gifts of revelation, the gifts of power and the gifts of
utterance or inspiration. The gifts of revelation are the gifts of the
word of wisdom, the word of knowledge and the discerning of spirits. The
gifts of power are faith, miracles, and gifts of healing. The gifts of
utterance and inspiration are prophecy, tongues and interpretation. The
Holy Spirit bestows these gifts and those who accept the validity of these
gifts are called charismatic.
EVANGELISTIC
From its inception the Church of God has been a revival movement.
Evangelism has been in the forefront of all its activities. The church has
maintained an aggressive effort to take the message of Christ throughout
the world by all means and methods. Every program of the church reflects
an evangelistic attitude: revivalism, conferences, worship services,
teaching, preaching and its missionary efforts.
ORGANIZED
The magnitude of the Great Commission requires a united effort. This
united endeavor is efficiently served by guidance, support, resources and
leadership from a common center. The Church of God is centrally organized.
Centralized church government is administration from the international,
state or territorial and local levels. It helps facilitate the fulfillment
of the mission of the church.
The control of the Church
of God rests with the laity and ministers, who jointly form a governing
body called the General Assembly which meets biennially. Benefits of
centralized government include the following: uniformity of doctrine and
practice; principles that bind together local churches in the same manner;
membership commitments in all churches; expansion and extension of
fellowship; accountability; cooperative decision-making; and united
efforts in evangelism and world outreach.
MINISTERS AND LAITY
Ministers and laity are full partners in ministry throughout every area
of the church. Ministers in the Church of God are ranked as ordained,
licensed, exhorter, minister of music and minister of Christian education.
They achieve these levels of ministry through a profession of faith,
commitment to the church, training, internship and fulfillment of
credential requirements. The Church of God emphasizes the doctrinal
position of the priest-hood of all believers and encourages laity to
assume a Biblical role in local church ministry.
EDUCATION
Emphasis upon education and training is a priority of the Church of
God. Educational opportunities are provided from local congregations
through institutions of higher learning at the international level of the
church.
UNIVERSITIES, COLLEGES, AND
SCHOOLS
Lee University, located in
Cleveland, Tennessee, is the Church of God's oldest and largest
educational institution at over 3,000 students. Founded in 1918, it offers
graduate and under-graduate degrees in more than 55 areas of study. Other
institutions include Lee University Charlotte Center (Charlotte, North
Carolina), European Bible Seminary (Rudersburg, Germany), Han Young
Theological University (Seoul, Korea),
International Bible College (Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada),
Patten College (Oakland, California),
Puerto Rico Bible College, School of Ministry (Cleveland, Tennessee) and
Western School of Christian Ministry (Fresno, California). In addition,
World Missions maintains 80 Bible Schools around the world. Founded in
1975 and one of only six Pentecostal seminaries in the U.S., the
Church of God Theological Seminary
(Cleveland, Tennessee) is the denomination's largest graduate institution.
It offers masters and doctoral programs. Lee University and Han Young
Theological University also offer graduate studies.
A CARING CHURCH
From its beginnings, the Church of God has felt its responsibility to
benevolence ministries. The church operates a number of specialized
programs and institutions.
Homes For
Children
The Church of God operates three homes for children in the United
States. These include the
Smoky Mountain
Children’s Home, Sevierville, Tennessee, North Carolina Home for
Children , Kannapolis, N.C., and the South Carolina Home for
Children, Mauldin,
S.C. There are also many children's homes and mission works around the
world.
Youth and Unwed
Mothers
Heart of Florida
Youth Ranch, Citra, Florida, and
New River Ranch,
Fayetteville, West Virginia, offer help and counseling for troubled boys
and teens. Covenant Place, Seymour, Tennessee, is a private home for
unwed mothers choosing the right to life.
Operation: "Compassion"
Several benevolence ministries including Helping Hands (providing
medical assistance), Children of the World (children's needs worldwide)
and Caravan of Compassion (inner city ministry) operate under the
umbrella of Church of God Operation Compassion.
Chaplaincy Ministries
Hundreds of Church of God chaplains serve a worldwide ministry in
full-time and voluntary positions. They are chaplains and counselors in
hospitals, jails, prisons and countless other agencies and institutions.
MINISTRY TO THE MILITARY
Due to the vast number of U.S. servicemen and women worldwide, the
Church of God maintains ministry centers around the world. Listed below
are the two areas that are involved in our ministry to the military.
Servicemen's
Centers
There are more than two dozen Church of God sponsored
servicemen's centers operating in twelve countries around the globe.
These centers offer fellowship, counseling and worship opportunities for
servicemen and women on the field.
Military Chaplaincy
The Chaplains Commission is vitally active in ministering to military
personnel and their families. Ordained military Chaplains now serve in
the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard as well as the National Guard
and Reserves. More than 100 Church of God ministers are active as
military, reserve, institutional, correctional/law enforcement or
specialized chaplains.
SOCIAL CONCERNS
The Church of God states its position on many issues of importance and
global events through resolutions adopted at the biennial General
Assembly. A copy of more than 40 resolutions adopted since 1968 may be
obtained by contacting the International Offices.
WORLD MISSIONS
 The
heart of World Missions ministry is the implementation of a global
strategy of evangelism, church planting and training. Its scriptural
purpose is to fulfill the Great Commission of Christ; share Christ's love
for the world; minister to the totality of human need; bring men and women
to the knowledge of God and His redeeming grace; and obey Christ by
confessing Him to the world. Today, Church of God missions is carried out
in 157 countries organized in eight geographical regions.
Missionaries
World Missions provides missionary services through the following:
teaching or administering in educational institutions and programs;
serving in medical ministries; planting new churches; working in relief
and development efforts; and many other areas. Men and Women of Action
exists as a humanitarian program. It organizes relief efforts following
natural disasters and assists in church building projects around the
globe. Volunteers in Medical Missions (VIMM) provides medical care and
supplies to needy areas around the world. The Church of God provides
avenues of outreach for the organization and supplies are provided
through private donations.
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