+ STATEMENT OF IDENTITY

The Church of God, with international headquarters in Cleveland, Tennessee, traces its roots to 1886 in a meeting house located at Barney Creek in the mountains of eastern Tennessee. The Christian Union was organized with eight members. Since that inauspicious start, the Church of God has become an international church with a membership approaching 4 million. The Church of God is a grassroots organization with an appeal to and a concern for the common man and his needs.

+ OUR MISSION

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.

+ DECLARATION OF FAITH

The Church of God believes the whole Bible to be completely and equally inspired and that it is the written Word of God. The Church of God has adopted the following Declaration of Faith as its standard and official expression of its doctrine.

+ WE BELIEVE

• In the verbal inspiration of the Bible.
• In one God eternally existing in three persons; namely, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
• That Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of the Father, conceived of the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary. That Jesus was crucified, buried, and raised from the dead. That He ascended to heaven and is today at the right hand of the Father as the Intercessor.
• That all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and that repentance is commanded of God for all and necessary for forgiveness of sins.
• That justification, regeneration, and the new birth are wrought by faith in the blood of Jesus Christ.
• In sanctification subsequent to the new birth, through faith in the blood of Christ; through the Word, and by the Holy Ghost.
• Holiness to be God’s standard of living for His people.
• In the baptism with the Holy Ghost subsequent to a clean heart.
• In speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance and that it is the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
• In water baptism by immersion, and all who repent should be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
• Divine healing is provided for all in the atonement.
• In the Lord’s Supper and washing of the saints’ feet.
• In the premillennial second coming of Jesus. First, to resurrect the righteous dead and to catch away the living saints to Him in the air. Second, to reign on the earth a thousand years.
• In the bodily resurrection; eternal life for the righteous, and eternal punishment for the wicked.
  

+ DOCTRINAL COMMITMENTS

• Repentance. Mark 1:15; Luke 13:3; Acts 3:19.
• Justification. Romans 5:1; Titus 3:7.
• Regeneration. Titus 3:5.
• New birth. John 3:3; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 John 3:9.
• Sanctification subsequent to justification. Romans 5:2; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; Hebrews 13:12. Holiness. Luke 1:75; 1 Thessalonians 4:7; Hebrews 12:14.
• Water baptism. Matthew 28:19; Mark 1:9, 10; John 3:22, 23; Acts 8:36, 38.
• Baptism with the Holy Ghost subsequent to cleansing; the enduement of power for service. Matthew 3:11; Luke 24:49, 53; Acts 1:4-8.
• The speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives utterance as the initial evidence of the baptism in the Holy Ghost. John 15:26; Acts 2:4; 10:44-46; 19:1-7.
• The Church. Exodus 19:5, 6; Psalm 22:22; Matthew 16:13-19; 28:19,20; Acts 1:8; 2:42-47; 7:38; 20:28; Romans 8:14-17: 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17; 12:12-31; 2 Corinthians 6:6-18; Ephesians 2:19-22; 3:9, 21; Philippians 3:10; Hebrews 2:12; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 John 1:6, 7; Revelation 21:2, 9; 22:17.
• Spiritual gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:1, 7, 10, 28, 31; 1 Corinthians 14:1.
• Signs following believers. Mark 16:17-20; Romans 15:18, 19; Hebrews 2:4.
• Fruit of the Spirit. Romans 6:22; Galatians 5:22, 23; Ephesians 5:9; Philippians 1:11.
• Divine healing provided for all in the Atonement. Psalm 103:3; Isaiah 53:4, 5; Matthew 8:17; James 5:14-16; 1 Peter 2:24.
• The Lord’s Supper. Luke 22:17-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.
• Washing the saints’ feet. John 13:4-17; 1 Timothy 5:9, 10.
• Tithing and giving. Genesis 14:18-20; 28:20-22; Malachi 3:10; Luke 11:42; 2 Corinthians 9:6-9; 16:2; Hebrews 7:1-21.
• Restitution where possible. Matthew 3:8; Luke 19:8, 9.
• Premillennial second coming of Jesus. First, to resurrect the dead saints and to catch away the living saints to Him in the air. 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 2 Thessalonians 2:1. Second, to reign on the earth a thousand years. Zechariah 14:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:14; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Jude 14, 15; Revelation 5:10; 19:11-21; 20:4-6.
• Resurrection. John 5:28, 29; Acts 24:15; Revelation 20:5, 6.
• Eternal life for the righteous. Matthew 25:46; Luke 18:30; John 10:28; Romans 6:22; 1 John 5:11-13.
• Eternal punishment for the wicked. No liberation nor annihilation. Matthew 25:41-46; Mark 3:29; 2 Thessalonians 1: 8, 9; Revelation 20:10-15; 21:8.
  

+ PRACTICAL COMMITMENTS

The Church of God’s Practical Commitments offer scriptural guidelines for practical Christian living.

• Spiritual Example - We will demonstrate our commitment to Christ through our practice of the spiritual disciplines; we will demonstrate our commitment to the body of Christ through our loyalty to God and commitment to His church; and we will demonstrate our commitment to the work of Christ through our being good stewards.
• Moral Purity - We will engage in those activities which glorify God in our body and which avoid the fulfillment of the lust of the flesh. We will read, watch and listen to those things which are of positive benefit to our spiritual well-being.
• Personal Integrity - We will live in a manner that inspires trust and confidence, bearing the fruit of the Spirit and seeking to manifest the character of Christ in all our behavior.
• Family Responsibility - We will give priority to fulfilling family responsibilities, to preserving the sanctity of marriage and to maintaining divine order in the home.
• Behavioral Temperance - We will practice temperance in behavior and will abstain from activities and attitudes which are offensive to our fellowman or which lead to addiction or enslavement.
• Modest Appearance - We will demonstrate the scriptural principle of modesty by appearing and dressing in a manner that will enhance our Christian testimony and will avoid pride, elaborateness or sensuality.
• Social Obligation - It should be our objective to fulfill our obligations to society by being good citizens, by correcting social injustices, and by protecting the sanctity of life.