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General Information "More a widely claimed title than an actual family, Church of God is the "denominational" name of over 200 conservative Protestant groups, all of which seize upon the apostle Paul's reference to the "church of God." Some pursue it as an ambition; others exalt it as a claim. In all cases, they are emphatically devoted to the Bible. They also affirm the nearness of God's spiritual power--the power to generate holiness and a life of righteousness, and often to equip believers with the gift of speaking in tongues. In the latter case, miracles are not exceptional but readily available, and for some groups their occurrence is requisite to spiritual authenticity . . ." Several Church of God bodies trace their roots to western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee during the years just before 1900 . . . the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee); the Church of God of Prophecy; The Church of God (Huntsville, Alabama); and the (Original) Church of God, Inc. But the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) subscribes to Holiness teaching without being pentecostal. Moreover, its history is totally unrelated to the southern Appalachian developments; it is a predominantly Midwestern denomination. Handbook of Denominations, p.108
Any of several Pentecostal churches that developed
in the U.S. South from the late 19th- and early 20th-century
Latter Rain revival, based on a belief that a second rain of
the gifts of the Holy Spirit would occur similar to that of the
first Christian Pentecost. They adhere to an ultraconservative
theology, by which they regard the state of The revival began in the Great Smoky Mountains
(northwest Georgia and eastern Tennessee) in 1886 under the leadership
of R.G. Spurling and his son, who were Baptists, and W.F. Bryant,
a Methodist. Members of the revival were organized into the Christian
Union, changed their name to the Holiness Church (1902) and later
to the Splits began to occur in 1917, when the Chattanooga congregation seceded and took the name of the Original Church of God, Inc. Other divisions followed and numerous independent groups were formed. When Tomlinson died in 1943, disputes between his sons led to further schisms. Homer A. Tomlinson set up the Church of God, World Headquarters, at Queens Village, N.Y.; and his brother Milton became head of the Cleveland, Tenn., group. Another branch in Cleveland became known as the Church of God of Prophecy. To cite this page: Website of the Church of God ( Anderson, Indiana) Http://www.chog.org/ Website of the Church of God of Prophecy (Cleveland, TN) Http://www.cogop.org/ Website of the Church of God (Cleveland, TN) Http://www.chofgod.org/  |