General Conference of the Church of God (Seventh-Day)
Encyclopedia
The General Conference of the Church of God (Seventh-Day), or simply Church of God (Seventh-Day) or CoG7, is a seventh-day Sabbath-keeping Christian denomination. Like the Seventh-day Adventist Church
(SDA), the Church of God (Seventh-Day) observes Sabbath on the seventh day of the week (Saturday).
Christians that rejected the visions and teachings of Ellen G. White
before the formation of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In 1858, five years before the founding of the SDA Church, a group led by Gilbert Cranmer (1814–1903) of Michigan
separated from the Adventists that supported White. Another independent Sabbatarian Adventist body formed in Iowa
in 1860, and joined with the Church of God (Seventh-Day) in 1863.
A publication called The Hope of Israel (now The Bible Advocate) was started in 1863, and this publication extended the influence of the body into other areas. Through this publication, the doctrines of the second advent and seventh-day Sabbath were promoted, and other Christians were invited to gather for meetings. This extended the movement into Missouri
, Nebraska
and other places, and in 1884 the General Conference of the Church of God was organized. They incorporated in 1899, and "(Seventh-Day)" was added to the name in 1923. Offices were established in Stanberry, Missouri
.
The most well-known member of the 7th day Churches of God was evangelist Herbert W. Armstrong (1893-1986).
Armstrong was challenged, in 1927, by his wife Loma to find a Biblical justification for keeping Sunday as the Christian Sabbath day.
Loma had come under the influence of Mrs. Runcorn, a member of the Seventh Day church in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Emma Runcorn
and her husband Ora were lay leaders in the Oregon conference.
Armstrong soon became a minister for that church and a popular writer for the Bible Advocate journal. Within a few years Armstrong began teaching the British-Israel Theory - the alternative history that regarded the nations of Western Europe and North America as the literal descendants of the "Lost Ten Tribes" of Israel - and the mandatory keeping of the Feast Days in Leviticus 23. Armstrong was ultimately disfellowshipped over these two issues, which were not originally doctrinal teachings of the Church of God. Armstrong sided with Rev. Dugger and supported the Salem, WV. group during the great split, also he was summarily disfellowshipped from that group.
The Church of God (Seventh Day) split at their conference meeting on November 4, 1933, creating a smaller body headquartered in Salem
, West Virginia
, and known as the Church of God (7th day) - Salem Conference
.
In the work of A. Dugger and C.O. Dodd (1935) the church once traced its history back to the Apostles through various medieval groups which they believed were Sabbath-keeping. In the case of some of these groups that claim is disputed, such as in the case of the Waldensians
and Paulicians.
and Canada
, with an estimated 11,000 members. Worldwide membership is over 125,000 members, with affiliated ministries in more than 20 other countries. Headquarters are located in Denver
, Colorado
as of 2004, with Whaid Rose serving as General Conference President. The church is a member of the Bible Sabbath Association (org. 1943), an organization promoting "fellowship and cooperation between Sabbath-keepers of various groups."
According to the Church of God (Seventh Day), salvation is by grace, received by faith in Jesus Christ, apart from good works. Obedience to the law, while not a means of salvation, is encouraged as an important part of Christian living. The church observes two ordinances - baptism by immersion and an annual Lord's supper (which is accompanied by feet washing
), observed annually on Passover, the day of Jesus' death. The eating of unclean meats such as pork and shellfish is discouraged. The church also opposes the observance of traditional holidays such as Christmas, Easter, and Good Friday
because of their pagan roots. Conscientious objection is the official position of this group.
Other groups:
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
(SDA), the Church of God (Seventh-Day) observes Sabbath on the seventh day of the week (Saturday).
History
The General Conference of the Church of God (Seventh-Day) represents a line of AdventistAdventist
Adventism is a Christian movement which began in the 19th century, in the context of the Second Great Awakening revival in the United States. The name refers to belief in the imminent Second Coming of Jesus Christ. It was started by William Miller, whose followers became known as Millerites...
Christians that rejected the visions and teachings of Ellen G. White
Ellen G. White
Ellen Gould White was a prolific author and an American Christian pioneer. She, along with other Sabbatarian Adventist leaders, such as Joseph Bates and her husband James White, would form what is now known as the Seventh-day Adventist Church.Ellen White reported to her fellow believers her...
before the formation of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In 1858, five years before the founding of the SDA Church, a group led by Gilbert Cranmer (1814–1903) of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
separated from the Adventists that supported White. Another independent Sabbatarian Adventist body formed in Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
in 1860, and joined with the Church of God (Seventh-Day) in 1863.
A publication called The Hope of Israel (now The Bible Advocate) was started in 1863, and this publication extended the influence of the body into other areas. Through this publication, the doctrines of the second advent and seventh-day Sabbath were promoted, and other Christians were invited to gather for meetings. This extended the movement into Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
and other places, and in 1884 the General Conference of the Church of God was organized. They incorporated in 1899, and "(Seventh-Day)" was added to the name in 1923. Offices were established in Stanberry, Missouri
Stanberry, Missouri
Stanberry is a city in Gentry County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,243 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Stanberry is located at ....
.
The most well-known member of the 7th day Churches of God was evangelist Herbert W. Armstrong (1893-1986).
Armstrong was challenged, in 1927, by his wife Loma to find a Biblical justification for keeping Sunday as the Christian Sabbath day.
Loma had come under the influence of Mrs. Runcorn, a member of the Seventh Day church in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Emma Runcorn
and her husband Ora were lay leaders in the Oregon conference.
Armstrong soon became a minister for that church and a popular writer for the Bible Advocate journal. Within a few years Armstrong began teaching the British-Israel Theory - the alternative history that regarded the nations of Western Europe and North America as the literal descendants of the "Lost Ten Tribes" of Israel - and the mandatory keeping of the Feast Days in Leviticus 23. Armstrong was ultimately disfellowshipped over these two issues, which were not originally doctrinal teachings of the Church of God. Armstrong sided with Rev. Dugger and supported the Salem, WV. group during the great split, also he was summarily disfellowshipped from that group.
The Church of God (Seventh Day) split at their conference meeting on November 4, 1933, creating a smaller body headquartered in Salem
Salem, West Virginia
Salem is a city in Harrison County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,006 at the 2000 census. It is located at the junction of U.S. Route 50 and West Virginia Route 23; the North Bend Rail Trail passes through the city...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, and known as the Church of God (7th day) - Salem Conference
Church of God (7th day) - Salem Conference
The Church of God – Salem Conference is a seventh-day Sabbath-keeping Christian denomination. The Church of God observes the seventh-day Sabbath, which is ) the Biblical Sabbath for the Judeo-Christian tradition.-History:...
.
In the work of A. Dugger and C.O. Dodd (1935) the church once traced its history back to the Apostles through various medieval groups which they believed were Sabbath-keeping. In the case of some of these groups that claim is disputed, such as in the case of the Waldensians
Waldensians
Waldensians, Waldenses or Vaudois are names for a Christian movement of the later Middle Ages, descendants of which still exist in various regions, primarily in North-Western Italy. There is considerable uncertainty about the earlier history of the Waldenses because of a lack of extant source...
and Paulicians.
Membership
As of 2001, the Church of God (Seventh Day) had 200 congregations in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, with an estimated 11,000 members. Worldwide membership is over 125,000 members, with affiliated ministries in more than 20 other countries. Headquarters are located in Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
as of 2004, with Whaid Rose serving as General Conference President. The church is a member of the Bible Sabbath Association (org. 1943), an organization promoting "fellowship and cooperation between Sabbath-keepers of various groups."
Doctrine and practices
The Church of God (Seventh Day) Statement of Faith states the following:- According to the Statement of Faith of the church, "GodGodGod is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
is revealed in Scripture as Father and Son." - ChristChristChrist is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
pre-existedPre-existence of ChristThe pre-existence of Christ refers to the doctrine of the ontological or personal existence of Christ before his conception. One of the relevant Bible passages is where, in the Trinitarian view, Christ is identified with a pre-existent divine hypostasis called the Logos or Word...
as the Son from eternity. - MankindMankindMankind may refer to:* The human species* Mankind , a 15th century morality play* Mankind , a 1998 massively multiplayer online real-time strategy game* Mankind , an album by Factory 81...
is mortal, and the soul is unconscious in death. - The DevilDevilThe Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
: It was Satan who tempted our first parents in the Garden of Eden,The Devil is still Capable of transforming himself into an Angel of light but will finally be destroyed in the lake of fire.
According to the Church of God (Seventh Day), salvation is by grace, received by faith in Jesus Christ, apart from good works. Obedience to the law, while not a means of salvation, is encouraged as an important part of Christian living. The church observes two ordinances - baptism by immersion and an annual Lord's supper (which is accompanied by feet washing
Feet washing
Foot washing or washing of feet is a religious rite observed as an ordinance by several Christian denominations. The name, and even the spelling, of this practice is not consistently established, being variously known as foot washing, washing the saints' feet, pedilavium, and mandatum.For some...
), observed annually on Passover, the day of Jesus' death. The eating of unclean meats such as pork and shellfish is discouraged. The church also opposes the observance of traditional holidays such as Christmas, Easter, and Good Friday
Good Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...
because of their pagan roots. Conscientious objection is the official position of this group.
External links
- Church of God (Seventh-Day)
- Church of God (Seventh-Day) - UK
- Profile of the Church of God (Seventh-Day) on the Association of Religion Data Archives website
- Iglesia De Dios (7o Dia) A.R. Mexico
- Church of God (Seventh-Day) - Jamaica
- A history of the True Religion Traced From 33 A.D. to Date
Other groups: