The Church of Christ (Holiness) U.S.A. is a

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 ...

body of

Christians 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 ...

headquartered in

Jackson, Mississippi Jackson, officially the City of Jackson, is the Capital city, capital of and the List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city is also one of two county seats of Hinds County, Mississippi, ...

. In 2010, there were 14,000 members in 154 churches.

History

The Church of Christ (Holiness) U.S.A. shares a common early history with the

Church of God in Christ The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) is a Holiness–Pentecostal Christian denomination, and the largest Pentecostal denomination in the United States. Although an international and multi-ethnic religious organization, it has a predominantly Bl ...

Charles Price Jones Charles Price Jones Sr. (December 9, 1865 – January 19, 1949) was an American religious leader and hymnist. He was the founder of the Church of Christ (Holiness) U.S.A. Life Jones was born in Floyd County, Georgia. He became a missionary Bapt ...

, a

Missionary Baptist Missionary Baptists are a group of Baptists that grew out of the missionary / anti-missionary controversy that divided Baptists in the United States in the early part of the 19th century, with Missionary Baptists following the pro-missions move ...

preacher in

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

and later

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

, accepted the doctrine of

around 1896. During this time C.P. Jones became associated with W. S. Pleasant, J. A. Jeter,

Charles Harrison Mason Bishop Charles Harrison Mason Sr. (September 8, 1866 – November 17, 1961) was an American Holiness–Pentecostal pastor and minister. He was the founder and first Senior Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, based in Memphis, Tennessee. It d ...

, along with other Holiness leaders. In 1897, C.P. Jones conducted a Holiness convention from June 6–15 at the church he pastored, Mt. Helm Baptist Church, in Jackson, Mississippi. In 1898, the name Mt. Helm Baptist Church was changed to Church of Christ. This new group of Holiness leaders was expelled from the

Jackson Baptist Association Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, ...

. From that expulsion, they adopted the name Christ Association of Mississippi of Baptized Believers in Christ in 1900, and the national Holiness movement accepted the name by C. H. Mason—''Church of God in Christ''—in 1906. In that same year, an annual convocation selected J. A. Jeter, C. H. Mason, and D. J. Young to investigate the Azusa Street Revival conducted by

William J. Seymour William Joseph Seymour (May 2, 1870 – September 28, 1922) was an African-American Holiness movement, holiness preacher who initiated the Azusa Street Revival, an influential event in the rise of the Pentecostal and Charismatic Movement, Charis ...

. C.H. Mason and D. J. Young accepted William Seymour's teaching concerning the baptism of the Holy Spirit and returned with such doctrinal message with great enthusiasm. After an extended discussion on the issue of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, at the 1907 convention, a '' right hand of fellowship,'' a separation occurred, with C. H. Mason, D. J. Young and others leading a Holiness, Pentecostal group. C. P. Jones retained its Holiness emphasis when other early African-American leaders such as C. H. Mason embraced Pentecostalism. The name ''Church of God in Christ'' was widely held by both groups until 1907, when Bishop C. H. Mason had the name COGIC, incorporated. Churches of the Holiness division began to use the name ''Church of Christ Holiness'', and in October 1920 was chartered in the state of Mississippi as the Church of Christ (Holiness) U.S.A..

Theology

The ''Church of Christ (Holiness) U.S.A.'' is trinitarian with a Holiness emphasis. Water

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 ...

of believers by immersion and 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 ...

as a memorial are held to be ordinances of the church. Foot washing is also practiced, but it is not regarded as an ordinance. The church does not reject speaking in tongues (glossolalia). The church emphasizes that the Holy Spirit is an indispensable gift to every believer, but places no emphasis on an ''initial evidence'' as speaking in tongues to be the results of such gift.

Leadership

The church is episcopal in structure with a Senior Bishop as the highest official and spiritual leader. The church 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 ...

is divided into eight

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...

s - Eastern, North Central, Northern, Pacific North West, South Central, South Eastern, South Western, and Western. In 2008 the ''Church of Christ (Holiness)'' had 15,000 members in 167 congregations in the United States, the Dominican Republic and Africa. Board of Bishops • Bishop Vernon Kennebrew – Senior Bishop and Presiding Bishop of the Southwestern Diocese. • Bishop Lindsay E. Jones – National President and Presiding Bishop of the North Central Diocese • Bishop Emery Lindsay – Presiding Bishop of the Western Diocese & Pacific Northwest Diocese • Bishop Dale Cudjoe - First Vice President and Presiding Bishop of the Northern Diocese • Bishop H.Vonzell Castilla- Second Vice President,(newly elected and consecrated) Bishop of the Southeastern Diocese (July 2016) • Bishop Maurice Nicholson – Presiding Bishop of the Eastern Diocese • Bishop Robert Winn – Retired and Chairman of the COCHUSA World Mission Board • Bishop Victor Smith - Retired • Bishop Carl Austin - Retired Its annual "National Convention" is held during the month of July. The church celebrated its 124th National Convention in July 2020, in Dallas, Texas.

References

*''Handbook of Denominations in the United States'', by Frank S. Mead, Samuel S. Hill, and Craig D. Atwood

External links

Church of Christ (Holiness) U.S.A.
- official Web Site
Profile of Church of Christ (Holiness) U.S.A. on the Association of Religion Data Archives website
{{Authority control Christian organizations established in 1920 Holiness denominations Historically African-American Christian denominations Christian denominations established in the 20th century