"Helping people of all ages move closer to God by becoming fully-committed followers of Christ and His Church."

Common Value/Core Beliefs

The Church of God movement holds the firm conviction that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. Pioneers of this movement, which began around 1880, affirmed in sermon and song that "the Bible is our rule of faith." Their call was "back to the blessed old Bible, back to the light of its word." Thus, the inspiration and authority of Scripture was affirmed, and man-made creeds were denounced. 

The Church of God believes in a cluster of biblical teachings which form a vision of the church. 

Specifically:

1)     God's church is the community of redeemed persons. 

2)     God's church is a community of divine-human partnership with Christ as Head. 

3)     God's church is a holy community. 

4)    God's church is intended to be a unified community. The Church of God believes that God calls his people to mission. All Christians are mandated to bear witness to God¹s saving activity in Jesus Christ and to "make disciples of all nations.

Furthermore, the Church of God believes in the principle of openness to all affirmations of the Christian faith which are expressions of the biblical revelation. The intended unity among Christians is not based on the achievement of full agreement on all theological questions. Rather, it is based on a common membership in the church through the grace of God and is anchored by a common commitment to the centrality of Christ and the authority of the Word of God.

We have no intent of being "just another denomination," but a movement within the mainstream of Christendom. Therefore, our vision is one of unity among all Christians in the oneness of Christ. In our view, the Church is not an organization you join, but a fellowship of persons who by spiritual birth have become members of the family of God. The Church of God is a fellowship open to all who have joined themselves to God. A slogan often used is "where Christian experience makes you a member." 

Emphasizing unity as essential to truly represent Christ, the Bible as God's Word and guidebook, every Christian as a priest with a ministry of service, salvation through the atonement of Christ and an experience of holiness through a spirit-filled life, we work unceasingly to be a redemptive power in reconciling men to God. 

History

The Church of God began in 1881 when Daniel S. Warner and several associates felt constrained to forsake all denominational hierarchies and formal creeds, trusting solely in the Holy Spirit as their overseer and the Bible as their statement of belief. These people saw themselves at the forefront of a movement to restore unity and holiness to the church, not to establish another denomination but to promote primary allegiance to Jesus Christ so as to transcend denominational loyalties. 

The ministry these men began started in Grand Junction, Michigan. The town today is all but gone, but was an ideal location at the time due to its location on a main train line that ran across Michigan. Brother Warner preached on the grounds and revivals were held in a park that is now a Church of God Youth Camp (Camp Warner). Word of the movement spread through the publication of the Gospel Trumpet. This early medium was used to spread the word of the movement to Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia. Churches were started as women and men passed out copies of the Gospel Trumpet on the streets. 

As the Church of God grew, Daniel Warner moved south to Anderson, Indiana, and eventually the general offices of the church were established there. Today, Anderson is home to the general offices of the Church of God, Warner Press, the printing company of the Church of God, and Anderson University, one of many colleges affiliated with the Church of God.

Government

The Church of God is made up or ordinary human beings from many walks of life and with myriad ethnic, racial and cultural origins. We affirm the dignity and worth of every human being in God's sight and as an object of God's offered grace through Jesus Christ - our objective is simply to be God's people. Therefore, the Church of God is congregational in its government. Each local congregation is autonomous and may call any recognized Church of God minister to be its pastor and may retain him or her as long as is mutually pleasing. Ministers are ordained and disciplined by state or provincial assemblies made up predominantly of ministers. National program boards serve the church through coordinated ministries and resource materials.

For More Information, visit The Church of God Online