The Church of God was founded in 1886 upon the principles of Christ as they are revealed in the Bible, the Word of God. 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 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. Evangelical is the term used to describe those who affirm the primary doctrines revealed in the Scriptures. 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.
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 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.
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. 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. 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.
Ministers in the Church of God are ranked as ordained bishops, ordained ministers, exhorters, ministers of music and ministers of Christian education. They achieve these levels of ministry through a profession of faith, commitment to the church, training, internship and fulfillment of credential requirements. Emphasis upon education and training is a priority of the Church of God. The educational system of the Church of God features all levels of instruction from certificates to doctoral programs. Lee University, located in Cleveland, Tennessee, is the Church of God’s oldest and largest educational institution at over 5,000 students. Founded in 1918, it offers graduate and under-graduate degrees in more than 100 areas of study. Other notable and established institutions around the world include Asian Center for Christian Ministries (Manila, Philippines), European Bible Seminary (Kniebis, Germany), Seminario Ministerial Sudamericano (Quito, Ecuador), and Eurasian Theological Seminary (Moscow, Russia).
In addition, World Missions maintains 80 Bible Schools around the world. From its beginnings, the Church of God has felt its responsibility to benevolence ministries. Homes For ChildrenThe Church of God operates three homes for children in the United States. These include the Smoky Mountain Children’s Home, Sevierville, Tennessee, North Carolina Home for Children, Kannapolis, N.C., and the South Carolina Home for Children, Mauldin, S.C. The Iris B. Vest Widows Center recently changed its name to The Iris B. Vest SpiritCare Center so that widows, widowers, and retired ministerial couples can have a place for retirement living. Chaplaincy MinistriesHundreds of Church of God chaplains serve a worldwide ministry in full-time and voluntary positions. servicemen and women worldwide, the Church of God maintains ministry centers around the world. Servicemen’s CentersThere are more than two dozen Church of God sponsored servicemen’s centers operating in twelve countries around the globe. Military ChaplaincyThe Chaplains Commission is vitally active in ministering to military personnel and their families. Ordained military Chaplains now serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard as well as the National Guard and Reserves.
Publishing HouseThrough the Church of God Publishing House and Pathway Press located in Cleveland, Tennessee, individuals can have access to a variety of printed materials including Sunday School literature, music and a variety of inspirational and religious books. The Church of God states its position on many issues of importance and global events through resolutions adopted at the biennial General Assembly. The heart of World Missions ministry is the implementation of a global strategy of evangelism, church planting and training. Its scriptural purpose is to fulfill the Great Commission of Christ; share Christ’s love for the world; minister to the totality of human need; bring men and women to the knowledge of God and His redeeming grace; and obey Christ by confessing Him to the world.
MissionariesWorld Missions provides missionary services through the following: teaching or administering in educational institutions and programs; serving in medical ministries; planting new churches; working in relief and development efforts; and many other areas. Men and Women of Action exists as a humanitarian program. It organizes relief efforts following natural disasters and assists in church building projects around the globe. Volunteers in Medical Missions (VIMM) provides medical care and supplies to needy areas around the world.
Hlavní rysy a učení
Centrální věrouka vyzdvihuje zásadu ospravedlnění vírou, kňěžství věřících, autoritu Bible, náboženskou svobodu a oddělení církve od státu. Evangelikální charakter vyjadřuje souhlas s primárními výroky uvedenými ve Písmu a s obecně sdílenou vírou evangelikálních sdružení, k nimž se Church of God hlásí skrze NAE.
Aplikace dárů Ducha Svatého, která začala 1896, zahrnuje dary poznání, moudrosti, rozlišování duchů (dary poznání a prorocké). Dary moci zahrnují víru, zázraky a dary uzdravování. Dary řeči a inspirace zahrnují proroctví, jazyky a výklad jazyků.
Organizace a vzdělání
Členové se podílejí na správě prostřednictvím Generálního shromáždění, které se koná každé dva roky. Významná je struktura centrálního řízení na mezinárodní, národní a místní úrovni. Vzdělání je klíčovou prioritou, s programy od certifikátů po doktoráty. Lee University je největší a nejstarší vzdělávací instituce církve s více než 5 000 studenty.
Další významné instituce zahrnují Asian Center for Christian Ministries, European Bible Seminary, Seminario Ministerial Sudamericano a Eurasian Theological Seminary. World Missions provozuje 80 Bible School po světě a v rámci misijní činnosti podporuje šíření evangelií, zakládání nových sborů a školící programy.
Sociální a dobročinné aktivity
Organizace spravuje domovy pro děti v USA a poskytuje chaplainskou službu vojákům a jejich rodinám po celém světě. Kromě toho provozuje servicemen’s centers v několika zemích a podporuje civilní i vojenské pracovníky prostřednictvím různých programů, jako jsou Resolution a Humanitarian Programs.
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