The Church of God (Guthrie, Oklahoma), also known as the Church of God Evening Light, is a

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

denomination in the

Wesleyan-Arminian Wesleyan theology, otherwise known as Wesleyan–Arminian theology, or Methodist theology, is a theological tradition in Protestant Christianity based upon the ministry of the 18th-century evangelical reformer brothers John Wesley and Charles W ...

and

Restorationist Restorationism (or Restitutionism or Christian primitivism) is the belief that Christianity has been or should be restored along the lines of what is known about the apostolic early church, which restorationists see as the search for a purer a ...

traditions, being aligned with the

conservative holiness movement The conservative holiness movement is a loosely defined group of theologically conservative Christian denominations with the majority being Methodists whose teachings are rooted in the theology of John Wesley, and a minority being Quakers (Frie ...

History

The origin of the Church of God lies in the

holiness movement The Holiness movement is a Christian movement that emerged chiefly within 19th-century Methodism, and to a lesser extent other traditions such as Quakerism, Anabaptism, and Restorationism. The movement is historically distinguished by its emph ...

, particularly the teaching of

Daniel Sidney Warner Daniel Sidney Warner (June 25, 1842 – December 12, 1895) was an American church reformer and one of the founders of the Church of God (Anderson) and other similar church groups in the holiness movement. He called for evangelism, the prea ...

that led to the establishment of the

Church of God (Anderson) Church of God is a name used by numerous denominational bodies. The largest denomination with this name is the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) Adventist Churches of God * Church of God General Conference (Church of God of the Ab ...

. Distinctives included the teaching that "all believers are members of the church of God" and the "concept of unity among believers." The Church of God taught

nonresistance Nonresistance (or non-resistance) is "the practice or principle of not resisting authority, even when it is unjustly exercised". At its core is discouragement of, even opposition to, physical resistance to an enemy. It is considered as a form of pri ...

and held that "interracial worship was a sign of the true Church", with both whites and blacks ministering regularly in Church of God congregations, which invited people of all races to worship there. Those who were entirely sanctified testified that they were "saved, sanctified, and prejudice removed." Though outsiders would sometimes attack Church of God services and camp meetings for their stand for racial equality, Church of God members were "undeterred even by violence" and "maintained their strong interracial position as the core of their message of the unity of all believers". George Winn, an ex-slave, founded the Guthrie congregation itself at Guthrie in 1905. Its early work toward racial integration gained it the pejorative title ''The Church of God (Holstein)''. The Guthrie congregation and associated congregations are from a group who under the leadership of C.E. Orr dissolved fellowship with

as a result of controversies, chiefly "worldly conformity in dress", that arose regarding liberal versus conservative issues during the years 1910-1917; the Church of God is thus among the progenitors of the

though it remains generally isolated due to its anti-sectarian position. The Guthrie congregation felt that the larger Church of God (Anderson) was compromising the original teachings of the Evening Light Reformation and chose to remain with what they believed to be the original standards. They felt that this could easily be ascertained by comparing the teachings of the Anderson Movement at that time with the original writings of the Evening Light Reformation. The term "Evening Lights Saints", connected to the Church of God's mission to

evangelism In Christianity, evangelism (or witnessing) is the act of preaching the gospel with the intention of sharing the message and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians who specialize in evangelism are often known as evangelists, whether they are i ...

, is derived from : "...it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light." In 2003, the ''Church of God (Guthrie, Oklahoma)'' had 43 congregations in 18 states in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

; (the largest concentrations being in

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

and

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

). The church does not keep membership rolls. ''Faith and Victory'' (founded 1923) is a monthly publication of the church. Through mission efforts the church has extended into at least 11 other countries outside of the U.S., including India, Mexico, Nigeria and the Philippines.

Theology and practices

This body teaches that believers should closely follow the teachings of The Bible. They see an example in spiritual leaders of the

such as

, among others, that were instrumental in bringing about the "Evening Light Reformation." They believe that God began to restore the church to the standards and light of the early morning church era through Warner and others in 1880. The doctrines and practices of the church reflect those of the

in its earlier days. In comparison, the church maintains a stronger emphasis on outward, practical holiness and separation from cultural trends of the world than the present Anderson Movement.

Entire Sanctification Christian perfection is the name given to theological concepts within some sects of Christianity that purport to describe a process of achieving spiritual maturity or perfection. The ultimate goal of this process is union with God characterized by ...

is held as a

second work of grace According to some Christian traditions, a second work of grace (also second blessing) is a transforming interaction with God which may occur in the life of an individual Christian. The defining characteristics of the second work of grace are tha ...

after the

New Birth Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sep ...

. The Church of God teaches that "Acts of benevolence and charity are foundational to the life of a Christian" and that "True godly love and religious faith are demonstrated through sacrifice in ministering to the needy and less fortunate." In keeping with the standard of holiness, a ministerial statement was issued in 1959 taking a stand against people in leadership positions in the church having televisions in their homes. Those who attend the Church of God practice

plain dress Plain dress is a practice among some religious groups, primarily some Christian churches in which people dress in clothes of traditional modest design, sturdy fabric, and conservative cut. It is intended to show acceptance of traditional gender ...

and do not wear jewelry, inclusive of wedding rings. Women do not wear makeup or cut their hair; "plaiting or interweaving material or other items into the hair is forbidden". In keeping with the doctrine of

outward holiness Outward holiness, or external holiness, is a Wesleyan–Arminian doctrine emphasizing modest dress and sober speech. It is a testimony of a Christian believer's regeneration, done in obedience to God. The doctrine is prevalent among denominations ...

, men keep their hair cut short and wear pants, while women wear long skirts or dresses. The church teaches that the committing of willful sin, and that alone, disqualifies someone from being a member. As the Church of God teaches

, it falls into the subcategory of Holiness Pacifists (along with other denominations such as the

Emmanuel Association of Churches __NOTOC__ The Emmanuel Association of Churches is a Methodist denomination in the conservative holiness movement. The formation of the Emmanuel Association is a part of the history of Methodism in the United States. It was formed in 1937 as a re ...

). It teaches that marriage is "a lifetime union between one man and one woman" and forbids the remarriage of divorced persons. Practices of the church include

baptism Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...

by immersion,

the Lord's supper The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instituted ...

feet washing Maundy (from Old French ''mandé'', from Latin ''mandatum'' meaning "command"), or Washing of the Saints' Feet, Washing of the Feet, or Pedelavium or Pedilavium, is a religious rite observed by various Christian denominations. The Latin word ...

, lifting up holy hands, anointing with oil, divine healing,

fasting Fasting is the abstention from eating and sometimes drinking. From a purely physiological context, "fasting" may refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight (see " Breakfast"), or to the metabolic state achieved after ...

and

a cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...

singing. With regard to the administration of Holy Communion, the Church of God teaches that "communion of the body and blood of the Lord among believers could not be signified in any other way than by all of them partaking of one loaf and one cup...A number of small individual glasses and a number of small individual wafers or pieces of bread may be a proper signification of sectism and division, or maybe of individualism, but not of the unity and oneness of believers as they partake of that one bread and one body." The Church of God has a ministry of elders and deacons. Teaching on the end of time is that the second coming of the Lord represents the end of the world and the end of life on the world for all people, both good and evil, without there being a one thousand-year reign on earth or second chance for the wicked to repent. Free-will offering is taught rather than tithing, and the ministry believes in living by faith rather than accepting salaries. Although Guthrie is home to one of the larger congregations in this fellowship, Guthrie is not the headquarters. The church teaches that Christ is the head of the church and that the headquarters is in heaven. An ecclesiastical hierarchy with one man having the preeminence over others is considered man-rule and not the pattern described in the Bible for church leadership. It opposes the

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement

practice of

glossolalia Speaking in tongues, also known as glossolalia, is a practice in which people utter words or speech-like sounds, often thought by believers to be languages unknown to the speaker. One definition used by linguists is the fluid vocalizing of sp ...

Camp meetings

The congregation at Guthrie hosts the Oklahoma State campmeeting each May and the Oklahoma State assembly meeting each December. A campground for church of God meetings was built at

Monark Springs, Missouri Monark Springs is a ghost town in Newton County, Missouri, United States. It is located approximately five miles east of Neosho. The site is on the north bank of Hickory Creek about 1.5 miles east of U.S. Route 60. The spring associated with t ...

. The original tabernacle was constructed in 1940, and has been expanded more than once. The tabernacle at Monark is still in use today for the national Church of God campmeeting, with attendance from a number of States and international locations. The Monark campmeeting begins the third Friday of each July and continues for 10 days. The grounds include dining and sleeping facilities. The Church of God ministry believes in Holy Spirit leadership in the services, allowing liberty for calling of songs, testimonies, and preaching in the general services, as the Lord leads rather than following a prepared schedule. Special services are usually set aside for missionary reports, for observance of foot-washing and the Lord’s supper, and for healing of the sick. The healing service coincides with fast day. Two meetings are held in Guthrie each year - the Oklahoma State Campmeeting toward the end of May and the Assembly meeting toward the end of December. Both are ten-day meetings. Other major meetings are held in California, West Virginia, and Louisiana each year.

References

*''Birth of a Reformation - Life and Labors of D. S. Warner'', by A. L. Byers *''Encyclopedia of American Religions'', J. Gordon Melton, editor *''Profiles in Belief: the Religious Bodies of the United States and Canada (Vol. III)'', by Arthur Carl Piepkorn *''Church of God Doctrines (1979 Edition), by Cecil C. Carver

External links

Church of God Website
- Doctrines of truth and holiness, books for the seeker, tracts for the believer and unbeliever, recorded messages that can be heard online, beautiful singing and food for the soul.
The Gospel Truth
- Church of God teaching
Church of God missionary efforts
- in Africa
Church of God missionary efforts
- in Honduras and India
Testimonies of Saints
- Healing, Salvation, and Sanctification
Church of God Singing
- Congregational and Special Songs
Church of God Preaching
- Gospel preaching by Church of God ministry
Predicación
- Predicación de la iglesia de Dios en Español
Church of God camp meeting notices
- Dates, locations, and contact information for Church of God meetings {{coord, 35.8812, -97.4396, type:landmark, display=title Methodism in the United States Churches in Oklahoma Guthrie, Oklahoma Holiness denominations Holiness pacifism