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| The Church of God (Jerusalem Acres) | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | HolinessPentecostal |
| Polity | Theocratic government |
| General Overseer | Lavell Craig |
| Region | Worldwide |
The Church of God is aholinessPentecostal body that descends from the Christian Union movement ofRichard Spurling,A. J. Tomlinson and others. They consider themselves officially The Church of God, but also designate themselves asThe Church of God (1957 Reformation) andThe Church of God (Jerusalem Acres), which is the name of their headquarters.
The Church of God at Jerusalem Acres shares its early history with theChurch of God of Prophecy. AfterA. J. Tomlinson formed the Church of Prophecy Markers Association in 1941, he appointedGrady R. Kent head over it in 1943. After Tomlinson's death, his son Milton was appointed General Overseer, but Kent remained a forceful preacher and influential leader. In 1948, the Church of God of Prophecy adopted a resolution making the General Assembly the highest authority in the church. This helped set the stage for division. Some members within the church accepted the practice oftheocratic government, with the Bishop or General Overseer ruling the church.
In 1957 Grady R. Kent went out of the Church of God of Prophecy and formed The Church of God, which adopted its name in 1958. The church was "reorganized" inCherokee, North Carolina, on February 17, 1957. On August 1, 1958, a seven-acre (28,000 m2) tract of land was purchased inCleveland, Tennessee, and the church undertook a project similar to theFields of the Wood, which is owned by the Church of God of Prophecy. Great authority was placed in "theocratic government" and the Chief Bishop, who was responsible for ruling the church. Bishop Kent died on March 31, 1964, of cancer of the nose. He refused medical treatment for the cancer until just before death, preferring to rely on a prayer vigil conducted by a rotating team of his 12 Apostles. Several other Bishops have presided over the church since then, and in 1996, another split happened with BishopJohn A Looper leaving the church after disagreements over doctrinal issues. Bishop Lavell Craig, as of March 2017, is the Presiding Bishop (they no longer use the term "Chief Bishop"). Under former Presiding Bishop Samuel Kramer's leadership, the church has fully returned to a Sabbath-keeping service schedule which had largely been abandoned under Looper's administration. The church has expanded and continues to grow in Haiti, Liberia, Zambia, Mexico, Argentina, Tanzania, India, and the Philippines.
The faith and practice of The Church of God at Jerusalem Acres is similar to the relatedChurch of God bodies, but with more of a "Jewish" flavor, which they call "New Testament Judaism". Because the church believes that Judaism is God's plan of worship, "New Testament Judaism" reflects the fact that Jesus came to reform Judaism, not to destroy it. In fact this body is often identified, and occasionally self-identified, as The Church of God (New Testament Judaism). This body teaches theocratic government and teaches that the wholeBible is the inspired word of God; salvation by acceptingJesus as Saviour; the seventh-day Sabbath; the nine gifts of theSpirit and five gifts of ministry; and the post-tribulationalpremillennial return of Jesus Christ. While the group accepts prophecy as ongoing today, they believe that modern prophets are fallible, and therefore modern prophecies are not considered equal with the Bible.
The Church of God at Jerusalem Acres does not celebrate traditional holidays which were introduced by the Roman Catholic Church, such asChristmas,Easter, andAll Saints Day. Their church calendar is based on theHebrew calendar. They observe or celebrate a number of days, some of which are peculiar to their denomination. For example:
The Church of God at Jerusalem Acres observes the seventh-day (Saturday) Sabbath, citing that the Bible states that this was the custom of bothJesus[1] andPaul.[2]
Theocratic government is the system of governance used by The Church of God. In this system, the Church is led by an Anointed Leader, often referred to as the Presiding Bishop (Presently Bishop Lavell Craig), who is considered to be the "good steward" who is commanded to give the church their "meat (or revelation) in due season".[3] In addition to the Presiding Bishop, Church government consists of twelve modern Apostles, Seven Businessmen and Seventy-Two Prophets, who oversee the works of the other bishops and deacons of the Church. Ministers are all welcome to participate in the discussion and any voting during the annual Minister's Council, but only ministers who have attained the level of Deacon or Bishop are allowed to present papers or subjects for discussion which may lead to a change in doctrine or procedure.
The Church of God considers all of the business of the church to fall under one of seven categories for each of which they have a corresponding business auxiliary. These categories are considered to be the seven distinct workings of the Holy Spirit (or the Seven Spirits of God), which they give the names "Love, Preservation, Marking, Teaching, Perfection, Publishing and Evangelism". The corresponding auxiliaries, in the same order, are "World Missions Auxiliary, Church Preservation Endeavor, Church Marking Association, Bible Teaching Auxiliary, Church Perfection Auxiliary, Church Publishing Company and Church Evangelistic Auxiliary".
As of 2013, The Church of God at Jerusalem Acres had 18 churches in the United States with many churches throughout Mexico, Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, South America, Africa, India and the Philippines. They have an estimated membership of 35,000 worldwide, and developing contacts in Russia, Ukraine, and Canada. Headquarters are at Jerusalem Acres in Cleveland, Tennessee.
