Church of God in Christ, USA

The Church of God in Christ, USA, is a relatively small group with a number of churches throughout the United States and in several foreign countries. The various churches known as COGIC, USA. IS UNTIED IN THE EFFORT OF  vision for fellowship in the faithful teachings of the Apostle's Doctrines and the foundation of the church as established by  Jesus Christ and His apostles in all the ways of practice in the faith and principles. The faith of the the church is deeply rooted in the 'heritage' of Apostle William Seymour and the Azusa Street Mission in the turn of the twentieth century. Apostle Seymour under God's guidance and leadership was used of God to established the Apostolic Twentieth Ministry in this century in Los Angeles. COGIC, USA traces its roots to this experience at Azusa and deeply recognized the experience and leadership of Bishop C. H. Mason as the Founder and Organizer of Church of God in Christ, Lexington, Ms and Memphis, Tennessee. COGIC, USA was birth in the ministry by our Chief Apostle, Bishop J. L. Payne, a son of these great pioneers of the Apostle Faith Ministry in America.

COGIC, USA is the re-discover of the Apostle's Order of ministry, pattern, teaching, structure and last command of Our Jesus Christ to establish the church upon Him. Because of this demand and standard, Chief Apostle J. L. Payne was led by God to establish this New Testament order of the church and to provide pastors, churches and ministries with the foundation of  the Net Testament Church procedures. The clear Bible supported message for this New Testament Church is prepared in his book title "Exposition of the Kingdom and the Church and also "Thy Kingdom Come Volume I&II. There is a document of God's Restored Ministry in our Bishop's latest book title "Restored Faith and Spirituality" We  oftentimes are looked upon as walking in the shallow of Bishop Charles Harrison Mason and others great giants of the church. This is true, because our founder, Bishop J. L. Payne is a spiritual son of Bishop C. H. Mason and Bishop A. B. McEwen maintaining the spiritual and vision of ministry planted in him by the late Bishop A. B. McEwen and many others such as the late Bishop Samuel Crouch, Los Angeles, Bishop E. B. Steward, Sr. of  Los Angeles and San Francisco, California and many others early pioneers of the Pentecostal movement birth in this pass century. 

The teaching of 'Holiness' was a peculiar and distinctive feature of this early movement and brought about a move of God worldwide. The seed of this present Pentecostal stir came from the Azusa Street Mission under the leadership of Apostle William Seymour. Thus main-line Christianity has been affect in many ways by this Holy Ghost move. We certainly profess to be Christians in the essential meaning of the term (Acts 11:26), but at the turn of this past century the followers of the church during this latter day out pouring was more commonly known and called 'Holiness people.' Among many contemporary Pentecostals, this term is not acceptable. There seems to be an effort to erase the past. But as modern day reformers in the church, we give a deeper and new meaning to this phase 'Holiness Church.' The message is in the understanding of the Christ's life in us as believers and the spirituality of that life in us as Christ's followers. There is a new demand to execute our rights as Christ's believers  with the authority of the Word. May we invite you to pick up a copy of  'Activating Spirituality in America' by our Bishop.  

Several major SCRIPTURES beliefs AND EMPHASES of the Church of God in Christ, USA, set US apart from a denominational church. We teach the foundational principles of the 1st century church as a guile to the church's age. This church in the book of Acts of the Apostles was the original order, plan and pattern for the church throughout this age. It was deeply rooted in the faith of it founder, the Lord Jesus Christ who was the very center of the church's mission, plan and purpose. Jesus came preaching the 'Kingdom of God is at Hand.' Here we have the foundational message of the church to all centuries. Preaching the message of the 'Kingdom of God.' This message have been left out of the modern church so long that many of our present day church leaders do not know what it is. Many do not know what the kingdom of God is.   

Another foundational truth is the nature of the new testament church, its' foundation, its faith, its practices in relationship to other churches in the fold, its autonomous nature in structure and operation.  All this and much more to give us a profound knowledge of God's original plan for the His Church.  Our  faith is personal salvation through the new birth in Jesus Christ. This experience further involves us into the company of  faith in Jesus Christ as Savior with others of the same experience. Repentance, forsaking our sins, faith toward Jesus Christ is only the beginning of the Christian life. We have the Christian's walk and growth into maturity and resulting in changing the world around us by serving Christ in His Kingdom through the church. .

COGIC, USA believe the Bible to teaches that as believers we are to be a separate people, not conformed to the world about us in spirit (our attitude and outlook) and life-style. We preach a holy life-style. We believe in simplicity and modesty in clothing, homes, and all other personal possessions. In addition to simplicity in our daily life, speech, dress and conduct, we hold to principles of faith "seeking first the Kingdom of God first and the others things be added unto you."  We believe God gave the man leadership and men should accept accountably and responsibility in leadership. We support saintly, Godly  women in ministry and women ministry in the church.

In all ways, COGIC, USA is move of God embracing the new testament, bible church of the book of Acts. 

Origin of the COGIC, USA  Church

The CHURCH  is largely a body of churches who embrace church's order according to the new testament and follow that order in church's government, pattern, principles and beliefs. Our leadership, bishops, apostles, prophets, evangelist, pastors and teachers are so named according to the doctrine and practice that was planted by Our Lord Jesus in the first Apostles of the Church. We carry that on the faith of the apostles of Jesus. Theirs was also the faith of the Reformers,  Reformation and other nonconformist groups of the Church Ages who dared to stay with the Lord Jesus Christ's ministry in the earth .They really were not influenced by neither named or placed. They were neither Catholics, or so called Protestants; their roots were in the deep heritage of the first century church foundation. Sometimes  they were opposed bitterly or misunderstood,  persecuted denominated control churches and even other so called independent churches. But of the various groups of churches that have roots in that first century church, we was largely a seed to fulfill the plan of God and His' Kingdom in the earth and perhaps the remnant to preserved the faith until the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We must remember it far better to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). 

The Name Church of God in Christ

In 1883, a Baptist preacher, Bishop Charles Harrison Mason, while walking the street of Little Rock, Arkansas was given the name Church of God in Christ and commissioned to begin a denomination in that church name. But prior to the experience of Bishop C. H. Mason, there was an Anabaptist from the church in  Europe,  John Holdeman (1832-1900), who was born of Mennonite parents in Wayne County, Ohio, saw the drift of his church from sound doctrine. But in spite of the drift away from sound doctrine, there were those who sought to "earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3). Among these was John Holdeman. Although he was converted at twelve years of age, he was not baptized until he reconsecrated his life to Christ at the age of twenty-one. He gave himself wholeheartedly to the study of the Scriptures and pledged unwavering loyalty to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He became increasingly aware that the Old Mennonite Church had drifted from the faithful practice of true doctrine. Some issues of concern were the apparent traditionalism and lack of spiritual life; the baptism of people who were not converted from worldliness; the lack of diligent child training; and default in practicing the doctrine of church discipline. John Holdeman appealed to church leaders and visited conference assemblies, seeking understanding and support. Although some agreed with his evaluations, few shared his concerns to the point of taking action. He and a few others began holding separate meetings in 1859. This small beginning eventually resulted in a permanent separation from the Old Mennonite Church. This group organized as the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite in 1859. (taken from the teaching 'An introduction of the Mennonite church.' The earliest permanent settlement of Mennonites in America was at Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1683, almost a century before the New England colonies became the United States of America. The coming of the early Mennonite settlers was brought about by personal invitation of William Penn, an English Quaker, who sought to fill an extensive tract of land granted him by the king of England. John Holdeman was a Spirit-filled preacher and evangelist, and he was soon recognized as a minister called of God to shepherd the little flock. He also became a prolific writer, both in German and English. His most outstanding work is the Mirror of Truth, a collection of doctrinal writings and practical Bible teachings still regarded as edifying and instructive by the Church today. Besides doing so much writing, John Holdeman traveled widely. As individuals experienced spiritual rebirth and came to the faith, congregations were formed in various states and provinces of the United States and Canada. Evangelism and mission outreach have been carried out from the beginning by individual members and by the Church on an organized basis. The Church of God in Christ, Mennonite, following the teaching and example of the apostolic church, invites people of every culture, race, and nation to come to Jesus to be saved. The Church of God in Christ, Mennonite exits today throughout the world.

 Church of God in Christ, USA IS IN THE TRADITION of these great churches. The wise man Solomon said "there is nothing new under the sun."  

The Church Today

The Church

Church Order and Discipline

Holiness

A true believer must  not love the world nor conform to the ways of the world. He is to be separate and live a holy life . Romans 12:1-2). Therefore, fashion, pleasure and entertainment, professional sports, politics, prestigious business, idolatrous art, etc., are avoided. The Christian must remain separate from the world in viewing certain television programs, listening to  radio, visiting  movies, popular music at dancing hall; the use of alcohol, illicit drugs, smoking, and all manner of immorality (Luke 16:15; 1 Peter 4:1-4).

New Testament Ordinances

We believe it is vitally important to observe the ordinances as taught by Christ and the apostles:
[1] Baptism should be administered only upon the confession of faith as an outward sign of an inward cleansing and infilling of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:38).
[2]Communion should be observed as a memorial of Christ's death, symbolizing the blood and body of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:23-33), preceded by self-examination (1 Corinthians 11:28).
[3] The washing of feet is observed with the Communion service, symbolizing both a cleansed walk of life and the humility of serving one another in Christian brotherhood (John 13:1-17).

The End of This Present World

1. We believe this present world will come to an end with the glorious appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 25:31-46; Titus 2:13; 2 Peter 3:10-14).
   

2.  Jesus will come to judge the world (2 Corinthians 5:10; Matthew 25:31-46).
   

3. Jesus is coming to claim His own (John 14:2-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17).
   

4. It will be a literal return (Acts 1:9-11; Revelation 1:7).

Hell

We believe that hell is the place of everlasting torment prepared for the devil and his angels, and that the wicked shall suffer with them forever and ever (Matthew 25:41,46; Daniel 12:2; Revelation 19:3; 20:10; 21:8).

Heaven

We believe that heaven is the final resting place of the righteous, where they will abide in the fullness of joy with God and the holy angels forever (John 14:1-3; Psalm 16:11; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54; Matthew 6:19-20; Revelation 7:9-17). God desires that all may have an opportunity to be saved (2 Peter 3:9; Revelation 22:17).

For more information on the COGIC, USA visit http://cogicchurch.us;  the Home Page of this article. 

We welcome your inquires, comments, impartations and suggestions. Send them to the to us.

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May God's blessings of grace and peace be with you.