A Brief History of the Church of God
It was 1886, in a crude meeting
house on the
Tennessee-North
Carolina border,
where the Church
of God traces
its roots. There,
a group of eight
sincere Christians
had a deep desire
for a closer
relationship
and life with
Christ. Realizing
the futility
of reforming
their own churches,
they established
a new church
whose objective
would be to
restore sound
scriptural doctrines
of the Bible,
encourage deeper
consecration
and promote
evangelism and
Christian service.
Twenty-one years
after the formation
of the Christian
Union that evening
at the Barney
Creek Meeting
House, the growing
movement would
establish themselves
permanently
as the Church
of God.
From this seemingly insignificant origin has grown one of the most influential worldwide Pentecostal denominations. For nearly 120 years the Church of God has been a distinctive movement focused upon communicating the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit. Presently, the Church of God has a world-wide membership of over 6 million with a presence in nearly 150 countries. Leaders of the Church of God are recognized as some of the most respected Pentecostal leaders of today.
The
call of the
Church of God
today beckons
back to those
early days at
Barney Creek.
Church of God
congregations
around the globe
are experiencing
the fire of
the Holy Spirit
today more than
ever. Reports
of revivals
where hundreds
are saved and
filled with
the Holy Spirit
are frequent
and on-going.
The call of
the Church of
God is for world
evangelization.
It is a call
to discipleship
and prayer.
It is a call
of commitment.
It is a call
for the Church
of God to be
a channel for
Pentecostal
revival well
into the new
millennium.
For further information on the history of the Church God, recommended reading is the book Like A Mighty Army, by Dr. Charles W. Conn, available through Pathway Press. Visit their web site at www.pathwaypress.org or view our Resource Center.
