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 its foundation of
faith and practice in the Scriptures and the vital experience of its
constituents 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:
1. The inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible.
2. The virgin birth and complete deity of Christ.
3. The atoning sacrifice of Christ's death for the sins of the
world.
4. The literal resurrection of the body.
5. 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.
