What are C.O.G.I.C. Churches?

http://www.cogic.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_God_in_Christ

 

Church Of God In Christ

 

The Church of God in Christ is a rapidly growing Pentecostal denomination with episcopal polity. It is headquartered in Memphis, TN, and is historically and very largely African-American.

A friend of mine is fond of lamenting that the COGIC is larger than quite a few historically white denominations, but is overlooked by the media and by students of church life simply because it is a church of the disinherited (to use Richard Niebuhr's term) and is African-American ... therefore marginalized.

 

Cogic

I had a friend in college who was a COGIC preacher.

COGIC has historically been an African American denomination. It is actually one of the largest now, if the stats I read several years ago are still true.

It is set up with an episcopal form of government. The denomination started out as a Holiness denomination and because a Pentecostal denomination (and still Holiness in theology as well if I am not mistaken) after the Azusa Street Revival.

In the early years of the Pentecostal movement, many white preachers got COGIC ordination to get preacher discounts on the railways as they travelled and preached. A number of the preachers who formed or joined the Assemblies of God organization had been ordained through COGIC previously. The Assemblies, though, resembles the Southern Baptists in how it is organised.

 

You can watch Pastor GE Patterson on the Word network on Sundays. I don't know his exact title but he is way up there in that organization.

I like parts of his message but he speaks in tounges and doesn't believe (I should say preach) in eternal security.

 

As a Southern Baptist, I take exception. We are not organized. :tongue3: :smilewinkgrin: