The Church of God

An Introduction

Chapter 1

The Christian Union:The Baptist Womb

Landmark Baptist Movement

1820—1893 Most influential

person in Baptist life in 19th century South

Editor of weekly The Tennessee Baptist (1848-1893)

Prolific publishing company

James R. Graves

“Remove not the ancient lamdmark” Proverbs 22:28

Graves wrote An Old Landmark Reset (1854) Accused Baptists of setting aside “old

landmarks” Rejected all non-Baptist baptisms Believed unbroken continuity of baptism

back to New Testament Taught other churches are “societies” Taught Christians in societies are in

rebellion

The Quest for Revival Richard Spurling

[father] Born ca. 1810 Bought property

on Barney Creek in Monroe County, Tennessee

Farmer/MillwrightRichard Spurling (1810-1891)

The Quest for Revival Richard Green

Spurling [son] Born July 28, 1857 Moved to Monroe,

County, Tennessee

Operated grist and lumber mills with his father Richard Spruling

R.G. and Barbara Spurling

Call for Reformation Two year period (1884-1886)

Prayer Bible Study Study of church history John Plemons was companion of

Spurlings Called for Conference at Barney

Creek Meeting House

Call for Reformation Four Concerns:

Churches failed to reform from human creeds

Churches adopted “Law of Faith” [=faith in a creed] rather than “Law of Love”

Churches failed to reserve a right of way for leadership of the Holy Spirit and freedom of human conscience

God’s Church exists where His law and government are observed

Barney Creek Meetinghouse

August 19, 1886 Call to union by R.G.

Spurling [son] Took “Christian Union”

as name Richard Spurling

[father] moderated meeting

R. G. Spurling

Restorationist Impulse“As many Christians as are here present that are desirous to be free from all man-made creeds and traditions, and are willing to take the New Testament, or law of Christ as your only rule of faith and practice; giving each other equal rights and privilege to read and interpret for yourselves as your conscience may dictate, and are willing to set together as the Church of God to transact business as the same come forward.”

R.G. Spurling

Chapter 2

The Holiness-Pentecostal Revival

Shearer Schoolhouse Revival

1896 Camp Creek in

Cherokee County, North Carolina

Lay evangelists Preached

SanctificationShearer Schoolhouse

Holiness Evangelists: Preaching the Revival

William “Billy” Martin (Methodist)

Joe M. Tipton (Baptist)

Elias Milton “Milt” McNabb (Baptist)William “Billy” Hamby (Baptist)

Milt McNabb

Billy Martin

W. F. Bryant:Conserving the Revival

Prayer meetings Sunday school Divine healings Some experienced

speaking in tongues

HealingsWilliam F. Bryant

Holiness Church:Fruit of the Revival

Organized May 15, 1902

Camp Creek, NC Conservation of

revival W.F. Bryant home 16 charter

members R.G. Spurling

called as PastorW.F. Bryant home

Chapter 3

A New Leader: A.J. Tomlinson

Early Life 1865-1943 Quaker Immediate family

not religious Interested in

sports and drama Businessman Conversion

Early Life Married Mary

Jane Taylor April 24, 1889

Lighting struck house Studied Bible and Prayed

Wedding Day

Colportage Work in N.C.

American Bible Society

American Tract Society

From about 1897

Missionary Evangelist

“We are waiting here in Ohio for God to give us the money to go to the mission fields in the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee.”—

A. J. Tomlinson (May 8, 1899)

Missionary Evangelist Established School Clothing Distribution Attempted Orphanage

Culberson, North Carolina

The Holiness Church

Tomlinson joined June 13, 1903 Had known and observed for

several years Introduction through Bryant’s son

Dad (W.F. Bryant) is “powerful religious”

Holiness Church

“If you take the whole Bible rightly divided, that makes it the Church of God.”A. J. Tomlinson

W. F. Bryant Home

The Holiness Church

Joined June 13, 1903

Tomlinson selected as Pastor

Bryant and Spurling free for evangelistic work

W.F. Bryant and R.G. Spurling (c. 1907)

Cleveland, Tennessee

Tomlinson relocated to Cleveland, TN

December 1904

50 miles from Camp Creek

Tomlinson home at 2525 Gaut Street

Chapter 4

The Development of Polity

First Assembly: Circumstances

Churches Camp Creek, NC Union Grove, TN Drygo, TN Jones, GA

Ministers Biblical Basis 21 Delegates Pastor

Tomlinson moderated

Union Grove, Tennessee

First Assembly: Location

Camp Creek, North Carolina J.C. Murphy Home (Owned by Dickson

Kilpatrick)

First Assembly:Topics of Discussion

Assembly record keeping Local church record keeping Communion and feet-washing Prayer-meetings Evangelism

First Assembly:Topics of Discussion

Use of tobacco Family worship Sunday school Letter of recommendation Annual assembly

First Assembly: Conclusion

“It seemeth good to the Holy Ghost and us, being assembled together with one accord, with the Spirit of Christ in the midst, and after much prayer, discussion, searching the Scriptures and counsel, to recommend these necessary things and that they be ratified and observed by all the local churches. It is the duty of The Church to execute the laws given us by Christ through His Holy Apostles.”

Assembly Minutes

Second Assembly January 9-13,

1907 Community church Near Cleveland Key leaders living

in Cleveland R.G. Spurling

preached opening service

Union Grove Community Church

Second Assembly Preachers’ Conference

Selected name of the church: “Church of God”

Christian Union (1886) Holiness Church (1902) Church of God (1907)

Determined method of credentialing ministers

Third Assembly (1908)

Met at Cleveland church

Largest church in movementCleveland (North) Church of God

Shift to Episcopal Polity Congregational polity (1906)

General Assembly of local congregations

Local Moderator and Clerk General leadership

General Overseer (1909) Elders Council (1916/1917)

State overseers (1911) Appointment of pastors (1913)

Chapter 5

A Pentecostal Theology

Tomlinson and Spirit Baptism:Awakening

“Where did Dr. Seamore [sic] get the Pentecostal doctrine that he preached in Los Angeles, Cal., a few years ago…?”

A.J. TomlinsonLast Great Conflict

William J. Seymour

Tomlinson and Spirit Baptism:Awakening

“In January 1907, I became more fully awakened on the subject of receiving the Holy Ghost as He was poured out on the Day of Pentecost. That whole year I ceased not to preach that it was our privilege to receive the Holy Ghost and speak in tongues as they did on the day of Pentecost.” [continued]

Tomlinson and Spirit Baptism:Awakening

“I did not have the experience, so I was always among the seekers at the altar. The Lord gave great revivals, and souls were converted and sanctified, and some really went through and were baptized with the Holy Ghost evidenced by the speaking in tongues.”

A.J. Tomlinson, Last Great Conflict

Tomlinson and Spirit Baptism:Awakening

Tomlinson visited revival in Birmingham AL June 1907 M.M. Pinson was

preacher

M.M. Pinson

Tomlinson and Spirit Baptism:Experience

G.B. Cashwell invited to Third Assembly (1908)

Preached two times

January 12, 1908 Tomlinson received

Spirit-baptism experience

G.B. Cashwell

Tomlinson and Spirit Baptism:Experience

“This was really the baptism of the Holy Ghost as they received Him on the day of Pentecost, for they all spake with tongues. With all I have written it is not yet told, but judging from the countries I visited I spoke in ten different languages.”

A.J. TomlinsonLast Great Conflict

Chapter 6

The Developing Movement

Church of God Evangel First titled

The Evening Light and Church of God Evangel

March 1, 1910 Name changed to

The Church of God Evangel in 1911

Early Education R.G. Spurling was a

teacher A.J. Tomlinson

God’s Bible School Holy Ghost and Us Bible

School School for children in

Culberson 1917 Assembly

approved a training schoolR.G. Spurling

Education: Lee University First opened:

January 1, 1918 Called Bible Training

School Nora Chambers was

first teacher Lee College (1947) Lee University (1997)Bible Training School--1918

Chapter 7

A Painful Division

Assembly Auditorium

Cleveland1920-

Expansion of Responsibilities: General Overseer for Life

10th General Assembly (1914)

Cleveland, Tennessee

Messages in tongues and interpretations

Human agreement

A. J. Tomlinson

Diversification of Responsibilities

Elders Council Suggested 1915 Created 1916 Selected 1917 First Meeting

October 4-17, 1917

Advisory or decision making?

Recommendations to General Assembly

Diversification of ResponsibilitiesExecutive Council (1922) [renamed Committee]

A.J. TomlinsonGeneral Overseer

F.J. LeeSuperintendent of Education

J.S. LlewellynEditor and Publisher

Road to Exclusion Investigation

Committee “The June Council”

June 12-21, 1923 Impeachment

The Guilty Verdict (July 26, 1923)

Elders select F.J. Lee as General Overseer

Aftermath of Division

A.J. Tomlinson begins new movement Church of God Tomlinson Church of

God Church of God, Over

Which A.J. Tomlinson is General Overseer

Church of God of Prophecy

Battle in the courtsBible Place on Central Avenue

Chapter 8

A Faithful Doctrine

Doctrinal Development Doctrinal tradition

Protestant Baptist Wesleyan Holiness Pentecostal

Historically anti-creedal Development of

diversity R. G. Spurling

Church Teachings Committee to assist

ministerial candidates Printed in Evangel

August 15, 1910 “The Teachings” Modified from time to

time

Our Statements of Faith “The Teachings”

divided in 1974 Doctrinal

Commitments (1-21) Practical

Commitments (22-34)

Practical Commitments revised in 1988

Resolution on Holiness (1960, 1976, and 2002)

Declaration of Faith 1948 General

Council Committee

appointed to draft Declaration of Faith

Chairman: James L. Slay

14 items approved

James L. Slay

Sources

Sources

Like A Might Army by Charles W. Conn (1996)

The Last Great Conflict by A.J. Tomlinson (1913)

Minutes of the Church of God General Assemblies

The End