The mission of the Church of God is to perpetuate the full gospel of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19-20), in the Spirit and power of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4, 6, 13-18), through specific attention to and emphasis upon the centrality of God's Word, world evangelization, ministerial development, Christian discipleship, lay ministry, biblical stewardship, church growth, church planting, family enrichment, and servant leadership.
COG BRIEF HISTORY
1886
The Church of God began on August 19, 1886, in Monroe County, Tennessee, near the North Carolina border. Former Baptist Richard Green Spurling preached in a millhouse along Barney Creek and eight persons formed a Christian Union for the purpose of following the New Testament as their rule for faith and practice, giving each other equal rights and privilege to interpret Scripture, and sitting together as the church of God. Twenty-one years later the growing movement formally adopted the name Church of God.
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1896
Ten years after the organizational meeting, a revival at the Shearer Schoolhouse in nearby Camp Creek, North Carolina, introduced the doctrine of sanctification to the community. Opposition to this doctrine led to severe persecution, but a spirit of revival prevailed and the Holiness believers experienced an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that included speaking in tongues and divine healing. Such experiences prepared the way for the explosion of the Pentecostal movement in the early twentieth century.
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1916
The Church of God in Ohio has a rich and remarkable history, becoming established only 30 years following the organization of the first church in 1886, in Appalachia. Few states, north or south, have experienced the kind of growth Ohio has for over 100 years. In 1970, Ohio was divided into two regions, Northern and Southern. The two states made remarkable strides in growth. In 2010, however, under the guidance of both Northern and Southern state councils, Ohio was reunited and became ONE OHIO with offices located in Columbus.