Church of God (Tennessee)

General

 -Began in 1886 in a meeting house located at Barney Creek in eastern Tn.
 -Oldest of all Pentecostal denominations
 -Began as the Christian Union with 8 members. Since it's beginning it now has over 4 million members  world wide.
 -Some are separatists
 -Holiness in living is God's standard and our requirement.
 -Strong church commitment, too much leisure seen  as sinful
 -No association with oath bound societies. (Masons etc.)
 -Tithing and giving abundantly strongly encouraged.
 -Strong commitment to moral purity by the abstention from worldly vices
        -movies, theater, alcohol, 'offensive' music, tobacco, drugs, gambling, modesty in dress, make-up and use of jewelry.
 -Strongly pro-life
 -Both male and female pastors

Doctrine
 -The verbal inspiration of the Bible  (no mention of inerrancy)
 -Dispensational
 -Pentecostal: Tongues, healing, baptism of the HS
 -Eternal trinity
 -Evangelical in doctrine

Worship
 -2 Sacraments...Baptistic in style
 -Foot washing
 -Non-liturgical and 'free' worship

Government
 -Congregational government
 -Strong commitment to the leadership
 
 

Church of God  (Anderson, Ind)

History
       The Pietists and Methodists  (Wesleys) sought to restore deep personal piety and religious living.  A new reformation movement began in the late 19th century.    This one emphasized the main points of the other movements:  Justification by faith; sanctification by the Holy Spirit; and holiness in every day living.  The leaders of this reformation took great pains to keep from calling attention to themselves as persons, for they regarded every phase of the developing movement as the work of God, and not the produce of their own leadership.   As a result, not too much history is known of the Church of God reformation movement.   It did begin in the Midwestern part of the U.S. in approximately 1880.

       They believe that Eph. 4:4 makes it plain there is to be one body, and one spirit and that God is displeased when we try to divide the body of Christ.  This small group from Beaver Dam, Indiana, became the first congregation of the Church of God - of the group that does not believe in joining a church.

General
       This name emphasizes that the thousands of affiliated churches worldwide who identify themselves as Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) are but a small part of the Church of God whose membership includes all Christian people.

       This message of Christian unity along with adherence to the Wesleyan holiness tradition has been of  central importance since the early days of the movement in the 1880's. In its call for unity it has always avoided formal membership roles, indicating that it is God who makes  you a member of His church. It is not something that man does.  Thus this group has called itself "The Church where Christian Experience Makes You A Member." If you are a "Born Again" Christian, you are a member of God's church. No letter of transfer is necessary if you are a Believer. Baptism is not necessary for membership     and membership is strictly for business purposes only.In an effort to emphasize that the Bible is the standard for man's life, and not creeds created by man, the    Church of God has avoided written creeds. This has its advantages and disadvantages. It does make it a    little difficult to come up with a summary of the church's beliefs.

 -1/3 of all pastors are women.

 -2314 congregations in the U.S.; 52 in Canada; and 4035 in other countries.

 -While it is difficult to determine membership...estimates are about  216,000 born again Christians serving  in their
   congregations.  They ahave about 161,000 in Sunday School on an average Sunday.

 -They have a definite missionary emphasis. They believe that the truth should go out to all the world.

Doctrine
       In doctrine and practice, the Church of God is a part of the Holiness tradition. They believe in salvation    through belief in Christ and in a second work known as sanctification or infilling of the Holy Spirit that    empowers them to live a victorious life in service to Christ.  They are not Pentecostal or charismatic in general practice, but neither do they have a creed dictating    private devotional behavior.

 -Amillennial, kingdom is here and now.

 -They are strongly Bible oriented, believing the Bible to be the foundation of Christian faith and practice.

 -One of the earliest principles set forth was based on I Thess. 5:23--that every genuine Christian ought to  live a life that was
   holy..free from outward sin and also from any intention to do wrong.   They expect everyone who claims Christ as Saviour
   to live up to this, and thus they are called "saints."

 -Holiness is defined as living under the complete direction of the Holy Spirit,.. Rom.12:2--"Be ye not  conformed to this world,
   but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds."

Worship
 -2 Sacraments baptistic in style
  -Baptism not necessary for membership
  -open communion

 -Practices yearly foot washing on Maudy Thursday in line with John 13:14

 -Worship is non-liturgical and but somewhat structured with an order of worship that is followed each    week.

 -Congregational as well as pastoral prayer.

 -Women worship leaders.

 -Worship service would be much like our own.

Government
     They are congregational in church government with it's national offices in Anderson, Indiana for the    purpose of coordinating their voluntary cooperation. "Come out and be ye separate"(II Cor. 6:17). They believe that the N.T. church could be reconstructed  by inviting anyone who had been spiritually reborn to enter into a fellowship with them without the necessity of a formal church joining.

      They teach that the "Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."..Acts 2:47. , .No man or group of men had the right to say a man could be admitted or not be admitted to God's church...God alone can do that.

       If the church belonged to God..and He was the one to place people in His church, then He must also    govern the organization of His church...So they believe the church leaders in each congregation are    under  the direction of the Holy Spirit.  There is no church organization as such...no hierarchy...but we    do  realize the need of cooperation upon the part of God's people; so we organize a board, a Sunday    school, etc.
 

World Wide Church of God

General

  A Sabbath church: Church School on Saturday. Though physical Sabbath keeping is not required of Christians; it is still the tradition and practice of the WWCOG to hold it's weekly worship service on Saturday.

Doctrine

 -All Scripture is inspired by God and is the foundation of Christian faith and practice.
 -Evangelical
 -Dispensational

Worship

 -The absolute sovereignty and centrality of JC in all their worship
 - 'Charismatic' in style.
 -Worship on Saturday.
 -Follow the Biblical feasts

     Sacraments
          -Lord's Supper: Bread and Wine used. Foot washing w/ each celebration of communion.
          -Baptism
          -Same as Baptists

Government

 -Full time pastors
 

Church of God in Christ
 

History
       Founded by CH Mason who experienced sanctification in 1893 which started a revival in Jackson Miss in 1896. He was a Baptist pastor until this time and the Baptist church removed him.

General
 -Black denomination
 -2nd largest pentecostal denomination in US
 -8 Million members in 1997

Doctrine
 -Pentecostal
 -Evangelical
 -Baptismal Regeneration ?
      -Only way to be cleansed from sin is thru repentance, faith in the blood of JC and being baptized  in water.
 -Sanctified holiness is possible in this life
 -Healing thru believing prayer is made possible by the cross of Calvary.

Worship
 -Non'liturgical and unstructured.
 -Free pentecostal worship
 -Tongues
 -Sacramants
      -Baptism: Part of salvation experience. Immersion
      -Lord's Supper: Special spiritual union of the soul w/ the glorified Christ. Celebrated monthly
       -Foot washing accompanies Communion

Government
 -Hierarchical in structure.
      -With head guy as General Overseer and Chief Apostle
      -Complete authority over doctrine and to appoint overseers
 -Local leadership
     -Pastor is called Elder ....
     -Church Mother is called  Mother.....
     -Men: elders/bishops
     -Women: Mother/sister
 
 

United Church of God
General

 -Follow a sabbath rest on Sunday: no work, only worship.
 -Celebrates a  yearly Passover on 14 Abib the anniversary of Christ's death.
 -Celebrates the annual Jewish Holy Day feasts.
 -Do not eat the 'unclean' meats of Lev. 11 and Deut. 14
 -Peace denomination

Doctrine

 -Evangelical
 -Bible is inspired by God and inerrant
 -Christ death on the cross provided healing for all who pray in belief.
 -Unlimited atonement
 -Dispensational

Worship

 -Baptismal Regeneration
  -Baptism by immersion follows repentance. Thru the laying on of hands, w/ prayer, the Believer receives the HS and becomes a part of the spiritual body of JC.