Churches of God General Conference (Winebrenner)

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The Churches of God, General Conference (Winebrenner) is a baptistic Christian organization that originated in the revivalism and evangelistic efforts of John Winebrenner.

The CoGGC might best be described as a fundamentalist Bible church, though it has often been categorized as German Baptist or Arminian Baptist (e.g., see Rays of Light from All Lands, by George J. Hagar and A General History of the Baptist Denomination in America and Other Parts of the World, by David Benedict).

John Winebrenner (1797-1860) was ordained on September 28, 1820 as a minister of the German Reformed Church, a generally Calvinist body; he was given charge of the congregation in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Winebrenner labored extensively in revival meetings, but some of the older members opposed what they considered "unusual efforts for the conversion of sinners." In 1828 the General Synod of the German Reformed Church dropped him from its roster of ministers, in response to such complaints. In July of 1830, Winebrenner was rebaptized by immersion by Jacob Erb. That year, he and co-laborers sympathetic with his efforts met and organized the General Eldership of the Church of God. Representatives from various denominations were present, and the new organization reflected that diversity.

In the early years of the Church of God, its members were popularly called Winebrennerians, after their founder. The official name was changed to the General Eldership of the Churches of God in North America in 1845, and to its present title in 1975.

The basic theology of the Churches of God, General Conference is Arminian, conservative and evangelical. The church holds three positive ordinances: baptism by immersion, the Lord's supper, and feet washing. Church government is presbyterial in nature; the Bible is the church's only rule of faith and practice. The CoGGC is divided into regional conferences, with headquarters in Findlay, Ohio, where the church operates Winebrenner Theological Seminary on the University of Findlay campus. The Church Advocate is the CoGGC's official periodical, published quarterly by the church. The church reported 336 congregations with 32,208 members in 2000, principally in Pennsylvania and the Midwest.

[edit] Statistics

The denomination in 1906 numbered 518 organizations and 24,356 communicants, in the following states:

  • Pennsylvania (11,157)
  • Ohio (2980)
  • Indiana (1999)
  • Illinois (1555)
  • Maryland (1204)
  • Missouri (1053)
  • Iowa
  • West Virginia
  • Arkansas
  • Kansas
  • Oklahoma
  • Nebraska
  • Michigan
  • Washington
  • Oregon
  • Minnesota

Under the general eldership are:

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  • History of the Churches of God in the U. S. A., by C. H. Forney
  • Religious Congregations & Membership in the United States, 2000, Glenmary Research Center