The Church of God in Christ (COGIC)
As a student at the Bethel Bible School in Houston, TX, a young African American preacher by the name of William J. Seymore was influenced by the teachings of Charles Parham- generally considered to be the father of Pentecostalism. Parham was a racist, so Seymore was only allowed to sit outside the classroom and listen to the lessons, but the teachings of Parham’s Apostolic Faith Theology moved him to go to Los Angeles, where he founded the Azusa Street revival, held in an abandoned African Methodist Episcopal church in the downtown area.
The revivals were held from 1906 - 1909 and attended by preachers and people of all races. There was a high level of ethnic diversity in southern California, which was evident in the revivals. However, growing extremism on the part of the theology of Parham regarding the separation of the races, his hand in the establishment of the all white Assemblies of God ministries, and public attention to his quest for the Lost Arc of Noah, prompted Seymore to release an edict that the leadership of his Apostolic Faith Ministries only be African American. The mission died out by 1914, but it had spread across the state and the nation, particularly among immigrants, and by the time Seymore ceased holding revivals, several Pentecostal churches had been organized. The first all African American organization being the Church of God in Christ (COGIC).
The Holiness COGIC
Charles Harrison Mason was born in 1866, on the Prior Farm near Memphis, Tennessee. His parents had been slaves who had been converted to the Baptist faith. Mason was baptized by his brother, a Baptist preacher in Arkansas in 1878, and he became a Baptist minister in 1893 at the age of 27.
Mason was deeply moved by the Holiness Movement of the Second Great Awakening, attending revivals throughout the south and preached in his charismatic Holiness style anywhere from the street to week long revivals and camp meetings. He joined forces with several other preachers who shared his Holiness zeal and jointly, these militant gospel preachers conducted a revival in 1896, in Jackson, Mississippi, which had far-reaching affects on the city. During these revivals, large numbers were converted, sanctified, and “healed” the dogmatic teachings of Mason on the doctrine of Arminian theology, causing church doors within the Calvinist based Baptist churches to become closed to him and to all those that believed and supported his teachings.
Mr. John Lee, who desired to see Mason's ministry continue, provided the living room of his home for Mason’s revivals. Because of the overwhelming number that attended, a Mr. Watson, the owner of an abandoned warehouse in Lexington, Mississippi, gave his consent to transfer the revival meeting to the gin house on the bank of a little creek. This gin house subsequently became the meeting house for the Church of God in Christ. Members of the local KKK believed that the revivals “stirred up the Devil in the local African American population," and during one revival, someone shot five pistol shots and two double barreled shotgun blasts into the midst of the attendees while they were shouting and praying. Some persons were wounded but none of the shots were fatal. It was then apparent to Mason that establishing a church with a stronger appeal and greater encouragement for all Christians and believers was necessary. A proper church would emphasize the gravity of their Christian beliefs, deter negative attention from the local racist population, and attract more followers than meetings held in a gin house by the river. An emphasis was placed on making the church open to White membership also.
Mason and his compatriots established an organization, and sixty stood as charter members. Land was soon bought upon which was built a little edifice 60x40. These charter members formed a Pentecostal body known as the "Church of God." In 1897, the name "Church of God in Christ" came to Mason when reflecting on the scripture: I Thessalonians 2:14, "For ye brethren became followers of the Churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus: for ye have suffered like things of your own countrymen even as they have of the Jews." All of the church leadership unanimously agreed that this name which would distinguish the church from others of the similar title. The church was reorganized and Mason was appointed as overseer of Tennessee, with another of his partners being the general overseer.
The Pentecostal COGIC
A turning point in Mason's life came in March, 1907, when he journeyed to Los Angeles, California, to attend a great Pentecostal revival with two other church leaders. William Seymour was preaching at the Azusa Street Mission, and Mason was overcome by his Pentecostal theology, which emphasized a third act of grace and an emphasis on the crisis experience of receiving the Holy Spirit.
Of is visit to the Azusa Street Mission Mason wrote:
On the second day......“there came a light which enveloped my entire being above the brightness of the sun. When I opened my mouth to say Glory, a flame touched my tongue which ran down me. My language changed and no word could I speak in my own tongue. Oh! I was filled with the Glory of the Lord. My soul was then satisfied."
Other leaders of the church regarded the Mason’s experience of speaking in tongues as a delusion. Being unable to resolve their differences, the General Assembly of the Church of God in Christ terminated ties with Mason by withdrawing the "right hand" of fellowship from him. Mason then called a conference in Memphis, Tennessee of all ministers who believed in receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost according to the scriptures in Acts 2:1-4. Those who responded to Mason's urgent call were E. R. Driver, J.Bowe, R.R. Booker, R. E. Hart, W. Welsh, A. A. Blackwell, E. M. Page, R.H. I. Clark, D. J. Young, James Brewer, Daniel Spearman and J. H. Boone.
These 12 men organized the first General Assembly of the Pentecostal "Church of God in Christ." Mason was then chosen unanimously as the General Overseer and Chief Apostle of the denomination. He was given complete authority to establish doctrine, organize auxiliaries and appoint overseers. The organization leadership, in the vein of Mason’s mentor William Seymore, consisted only of African Americans. November 25th through December 14th was designated as the annual meeting time of the National Organization, because the majority of the communicants of the church lived in farming districts of Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas. By this time of the year, they had sufficient provisions and financial resources from the harvesting of their crops, to enable them to attend and support a national meeting.
The first national meetings were held in Memphis, Tennessee. The first National Tabernacle was built and completed in 1925. This Tabernacle, however, was destroyed by fire twelve years later in 1936. In the interim until 1945, the National Convocation was held within the Church pastored by Bishop Mason. In 1945, the Mason Temple at Memphis, Tennessee which was built. This auditorium became the largest convention hall owned by any African American religious group in America.
The church grew from ten congregations in 1907, to the second largest Pentecostal group in America. The membership of the Church of God in Christ grew from three million in 1973 to an estimated eight million in 1997. Churches under the parent body in Memphis, Tennessee, are now established throughout the United States and around the world.
Organization
The COGIC is organized into 188 jurisdictions, each one is overseen by a Bishop. This hierarchal organization is Anglo-Catholic in nature, and probably reflective of the fact that many of Mason’s followers came from the American Methodist Episcopal Church, the first African American church established in response to racism within the Episcopal church in the post slavery era. Each jurisdiction is autonomous in nature, but theologically, organizationally, and spiritually directed by a presidium of 12 Bishops and a Presiding Bishop.
Traditionally, Pentecostal churches do not shy away from women clergy. However, the COGIC consists of all male, African American clergy, although there are many women in the extended leadership of the church’s organization.
The COGIC auxiliary organizations include The Auxiliaries in Ministry, developed as a leadership training program that teaches church and evangelistic leadership to adults and youth: The COGIC Fine Arts Department, a scholarship program that encourages and develops African Americans interested in the arts: COGIC Housing and Convention Services, an organization that assists jurisdictions in conducting wide reaching revivals on a large magnitude and supports all services connected with conventions: COGIC International Women’s Convention, an organization geared at providing missionary opportunities around the world to the women of the the COGIC: COGIC National Men’s Conference, geared at giving the men of the COGIC an opportunity to explore and strengthen their Christian responsibility as leaders in the world. COGIC services are carried on satellite by the Black Entertainment Television and Trinity Broadcast Network.
Practices, Customs and Doctrine
The COGIC norm is to refer to it’s membership as “Saints” or “Apostles,” which is reflective of the Pentecostal doctrine of full Christianity being reached by receiving the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Leaders are referred to as “Elder,” and women leaders are referred to as “Mother.” The fellowship refer to each other as “Brother” and “Sister.” This practice has it’s roots in Calvinism, and is probably reflective of the fact that Mason and the original founders of the church had backgrounds in the the Calvin based Baptist Family.
It is customary for Sunday dress to be colorful, expressive, and formal. Women customarily wear hats, which is also a reverberation of the Calvinistic belief in female modesty. The services consist of lively music, usually referred to as “gospel music” and the instrumental accompaniment is usually varied and diverse. The clergy don robes, but the services are unstructured and the sermons are preached in a charismatic style of rhythmic speak. The congregation is encouraged to participate with affirmations spoken, even yelled, at the preacher, as a display of emotional response to the lessons. The membership is known to exhibit glossolalia, dance, clap, cry, faint, and laugh. The services are “revivalist” and “charismatic” in nature, and attendees report a feeling of being “filled with the Spirit” upon leaving. Services last anywhere from 3 to 5 hours, and are generally held in the afternoons of Sunday, the traditional Christian Sabbath.
The COGIC is doctrine is conservative. They openly oppose homosexuality (and gay marriage), abortion, extramarital intercourse, gambling, drugs, smoking and drinking. A lifestyle of healthy foods and exercise is promoted, as it is believed that God will bless the sanctified with good health. Strict adherents oppose music other than that geared at praising the Lord, and revealing or promiscuous dress. They do, however, subscribe to the belief of “wealth theology” and believe that the blessings of God will come upon the sanctified, of which it is acceptable to display through material possessions. Tithing (the giving of 10% of one’s income) is encouraged. Membership is open to all, although the majority of the membership is African American, urban, and low to lower middle class.
References
The Church of Christ in God, Inc. Website. as retrieved August 8, 2005 from http://www .cogic.org
The Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia. as retrieved August 8, 2005 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Deliverance_Church_of_God_in_Christ
The Way of Life.org website. as retrieved August 5, 2005 from http://www. wayoflife.org/ fbns/strange1.htm
BELIEVE Religious Information Source. as retrieved August 5, 2005 from http:// mbsoft .com/believe/txc/pentecos.htm
indexed by Perry Threlfall (August 2005)