Church of God

The Church of God is an Evangelical, Pentecostal movement representing over seven million members in 176 countries of the world.

The Church of God began at the dawn of the 20th Century. It is the oldest continuing Pentecostal denomination and has grown to become one of the largest in the world, with worldwide membership over 6 million in over 150 countries. The movement’s origins can be traced back to 1886 with a small meeting of Christians at Barney Creek Meeting House on the Tennessee/North Carolina border, making it the oldest Pentecostal denomination in the United States.

The Church of God existed as a countercultural movement in its beginning and continues to be a force for higher education and third world countries. The theological teachings of the church have not changed significantly since its foundation.

The Church of God has influenced many of those inside our community. It is our heritage. We find strength in our parents and grandparents who have felt tremendous life-change inside a Church of God. Even though the Church as a whole is our central purpose, we believe our history marks our lives and the tangible experience of God is at work in our world. We believe the Pentecostal expression embraces the good, true, and beautiful found within the Christian faith. We see the need for Pentecostal faith and support the higher education that our denomination supports.