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.