The United Covenant Churches of Christ or United Covenant Churches of Christ International is a
Pentecostal
Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement Holiness
Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...
denomination in the United States of America.
, the Presiding Bishop is Bishop GE Livingston.
[Bishop Livington is senior pastor at Life Changers Church, Decatur, Illinois.] The organization has its office in Orlando,Florida.
The organization has developed from
United Pentecostal Churches of Christ which was formed in 1992 by Bishop (later Archbishop)
Jesse Delano Ellis and others, and had its office at
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
.
[''A New Paradigm'', a promotional pamphlet published by United Covenant Churches of Christ International (c. 2004-08). On its title page, this pamphlet is headed "United Covenant Churches of Christ International (Formerly United Pentecostal Churches of Christ)". The pamphlet contains an historical account of the organization from 1992. It states that Bishop Ellis's resignation in June 1992 was necessary for health reasons. It also summarizes the organization's aims in terms of continuity with its past as United Pentecostal Churches of Christ and future development. The pamphlet explains the change of one word in the organization's name, from "Pentecostal" to "Covenant". The pamphlet can be downloaded at ]
History
May 1992 to June 2004: The United Pentecostal Churches of Christ
A Pentecostal congregation had been gathered at Cleveland, Ohio as long ago as 1935. Bishop Ellis was called to the Pastorate of this church in May 1989.
The organization named United Pentecostal Churches of Christ came into being during 1992, as a result of a meeting convened by Bishop Ellis and held on May 29, 1992.
At the first plenary assembly (August 22, 1992), Bishop Ellis was recognized as general overseer and president.
[
Bishop Ellis led the organization for twelve years, until his resignation on June 8, 2004.
In 2004, the organization was active in the United States, India and Africa; it had 17 bishops and 300 congregations.][report by M.A. Brachaer published in ''Chicago Tribune News'' on December 3rd 2004 (retrieved Jan 2014 from articles.chicagotribune.com)]
June 2004 to June 2009
Bishop Larry Darnell Trotter of Chicago was elected general overseer of the then "United Pentecostal Churches of Christ" on June 8, 2004, in succession to Bishop Ellis, and having been nominated for the role by Bishop Ellis.
Bishop Trotter was installed on December 11, 2004 and he led the organization until April 2009
It was during Bishop Trotter's time that the office of the organization moved from Cleveland, Ohio to Evergreen Park, Illinois (near Chicago).
A new name: United Covenant Churches of Christ
The name United Covenant Churches of Christ or United Covenant Churches of Christ International was adopted during Bishop Trotter's time as leader (2004-2009).
June 2009 Onwards
Bishop Eric Daniel Garnes of Brooklyn, New York was installed as general overseer and presiding prelate of United Covenant Churches of Christ on October 30, 2009.
The organization's founding figure, Bishop J. Delano Ellis served as Bishop Garnes' chief installer.
There was a congregation of about 2,500 present at Bishop Garnes' installation ceremony.
At the time of Bishop Garnes' installation, the United Covenant Churches of Christ had about 20,000 members.
In August/September 2020, Bishop Glenn E Livingston was chosen as the new ledaer in succession to Bishop Garnes.
Organizations with similar names
* International Pentecostal Church of Christ The International Pentecostal Church of Christ (or IPCC) is an organization formed in 1976 by the merger of two Pentecostal organizations.
In 1907, Gaston B. Cashwell, called the ''Apostle of Pentecost in the South'', founded a periodical called '' ...
: offices at London, Ohio.
* Pentecostal Church of Christ merged in 1976 with International Pentecostal Association to form International Pentecostal Church of Christ. See above.
* Pentecostal Churches of Christ
The Pentecostal Churches of Christ is a Protestant Christian denomination in the Oneness Pentecostal and Holiness-Pentecostal traditions. The Pentecostal Churches of Christ self-identify as "Anglican-Apostolic". The Pentecostal Churches of Chris ...
: offices at Cleveland, Ohio. Led (2014) by Bishop J. Delano Ellis.
* United Pentecostal Churches of Christ: founded at Cleveland, Ohio in 1992 by Bishop J. Delano Ellis and others, and led by Bishop Ellis until 2004. NOTE: In a published pamphlet "''A New Paradigm''" the United Covenant Churches of Christ International (the organization that is the subject of this wikipage) claim themselves to be a renaming of United Pentecostal Churches of Christ.
* United Pentecostal Church International
The United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI) is a Oneness Pentecostal denomination headquartered in Weldon Spring, Missouri, United States. The United Pentecostal Church International was formed in 1945 by a merger of the former Pentecostal C ...
or United Pentecostal Church or UPCI: this is part of the Oneness Pentecostal movement (see Oneness Pentecostalism
Oneness Pentecostalism (also known as Apostolic, Jesus' Name Pentecostalism, or the Jesus Only movement) is a nontrinitarian religious movement within the Protestant Christian family of churches known as Pentecostalism. It derives its distinct ...
). The organization is based in the St Louis suburb of Hazlewood, Missouri and claims two million adherents.[http://www.upci.org website of UPCI, and the UPCI wikipage cited above]
References
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Categories
Charismatic and Pentecostal organizations
Christian organizations based in the United States
Holiness denominations