The Church of God

1
The Church of God

• An Introduction

2
Chapter 1

• The Christian Union
• The Baptist Womb

3
Landmark Baptist Movement

• 18201893
• Most influential person in Baptist life in 19th
  century South
• Editor of weekly The Tennessee Baptist
  (1848-1893)
• Prolific publishing company

James R. Graves
4
Remove not the ancient lamdmark Proverbs 2228

• 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

5
The Quest for Revival

• Richard Spurling father
• Born ca. 1810
• Bought property on Barney Creek in Monroe County,
  Tennessee
• Farmer/Millwright

Richard Spurling (1810-1891)
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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
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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

8
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
• Gods Church exists where His law and government
  are observed

9
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
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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

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Chapter 2

• The Holiness-Pentecostal Revival

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Shearer Schoolhouse Revival

• 1896
• Camp Creek in Cherokee County, North Carolina
• Lay evangelists
• Preached Sanctification

Shearer Schoolhouse
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Holiness Evangelists Preaching the Revival

• Elias Milton Milt McNabb (Baptist)
• William Billy Hamby (Baptist)

Milt McNabb

• William Billy Martin (Methodist)
• Joe M. Tipton (Baptist)

Billy Martin
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W. F. BryantConserving the Revival

• Prayer meetings
• Sunday school
• Divine healings
• Some experienced speaking in tongues
• Healings

William F. Bryant
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Holiness ChurchFruit 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 Pastor

W.F. Bryant home
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Chapter 3

• A New Leader A.J. Tomlinson

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Early Life

• 1865-1943
• Quaker
• Immediate family not religious
• Interested in sports and drama
• Businessman
• Conversion

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Early Life

• Married Mary Jane Taylor
• April 24, 1889
• Lighting struck house
• Studied Bible and Prayed

Wedding Day
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Colportage Work in N.C.

• American Bible Society
• American Tract Society
• From about 1897

20
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)

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Missionary Evangelist

• Established School
• Clothing Distribution
• Attempted Orphanage

Culberson, North Carolina
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The Holiness Church

• Tomlinson joined June 13, 1903
• Had known and observed for several years
• Introduction through Bryants son
• Dad (W.F. Bryant) is powerful religious

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Holiness Church

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

W. F. Bryant Home
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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)
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Cleveland, Tennessee

• Tomlinson relocated to Cleveland, TN
• December 1904
• 50 miles from Camp Creek

Tomlinson home at 2525 Gaut Street
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Chapter 4

• The Development of Polity

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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
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First Assembly Location

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

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First AssemblyTopics of Discussion

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

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First AssemblyTopics of Discussion

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

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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

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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
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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

34
Third Assembly (1908)

• Met at Cleveland church
• Largest church in movement

Cleveland (North) Church of God
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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)

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Chapter 5

• A Pentecostal Theology

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Tomlinson and Spirit BaptismAwakening

• Where did Dr. Seamore sic get the Pentecostal
  doctrine that he preached in Los Angeles, Cal., a
  few years ago?
• A.J. Tomlinson
• Last Great Conflict

William J. Seymour
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Tomlinson and Spirit BaptismAwakening

• 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

39
Tomlinson and Spirit BaptismAwakening

• 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

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Tomlinson and Spirit BaptismAwakening

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

M.M. Pinson
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Tomlinson and Spirit BaptismExperience

• G.B. Cashwell invited to Third Assembly (1908)
• Preached two times
• January 12, 1908
• Tomlinson received Spirit-baptism experience

G.B. Cashwell
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Tomlinson and Spirit BaptismExperience

• 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. Tomlinson
• Last Great Conflict

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Chapter 6

• The Developing Movement

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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

45
Early Education

• R.G. Spurling was a teacher
• A.J. Tomlinson
• Gods Bible School
• Holy Ghost and Us Bible School
• School for children in Culberson
• 1917 Assembly approved a training school

R.G. Spurling
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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
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Chapter 7

• A Painful Division

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Assembly Auditorium
Cleveland 1920-
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Expansion of Responsibilities General Overseer
for Life

• 10th General Assembly (1914)
• Cleveland, Tennessee
• Messages in tongues and interpretations
• Human agreement

A. J. Tomlinson
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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

51
Diversification of Responsibilities
Executive Council (1922) renamed Committee
A.J. Tomlinson General Overseer
J.S. Llewellyn Editor and Publisher
F.J. Lee Superintendent of Education
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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

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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 courts

Bible Place on Central Avenue
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Chapter 8

• A Faithful Doctrine

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Doctrinal Development

• Doctrinal tradition
• Protestant
• Baptist
• Wesleyan
• Holiness
• Pentecostal
• Historically anti-creedal
• Development of diversity

R. G. Spurling
56
Church Teachings

• Committee to assist ministerial candidates
• Printed in Evangel
• August 15, 1910
• The Teachings
• Modified from time to time

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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)

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Declaration of Faith

• 1948 General Council
• Committee appointed to draft Declaration of Faith
• Chairman James L. Slay
• 14 items approved

James L. Slay
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Sources
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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

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The End