I am joined into the
Church of God in Christ.
There is a church song which says, “This is the Church of
God in Christ, you can’t join in, you have to be born in”… These lyrics have
always troubled me because although I have been in church most of my life,
I was raised in a Baptist church. In fact, my childhood pastor, Dr. C.H. Hampton, was good friends with
Bishop J. A. Blake, the father of Presiding Bishop C.E. Blake. The notion
that you have to be born in has always troubled me because the Church of God in
Christ is the denomination that I belong to. I mean BELONG to. When I came to myself and called on the name of
the Lord to cleanse me and set me free, it was to the Church of God in Christ
that HE guided me. It was the Church of God in Christ where I re-dedicated my
life to Christ. It was at the Church of God in Christ that I got baptized for the
third time in my life. It is in the Church of God in Christ where I study God’s
holy word. It is within the Church of God in Christ that I follow my clergical
calling. And so, I have joined in. I am so glad that the Presiding Bishop
Patterson made us change the lyrics…
The rich history of
COGIC
Long before attending any sort of bible study, I began to
study the Church of God in Christ. When I was newly graduated from my new member’s
class, I was in the bookstore getting a few books and I
The “Dark Period” of
COGIC
It is interesting to note the COGIC “dark period” which
began after our beloved founder passed away. It is critical to note that this
dark period took place near and during the days of our current Presiding
Bishop’s college days. Consider this: Bishop Blake’s father was one of the original
members of the general board after the “reorganization” of our denomination.
Imagine the intuitiveness a young Charles Blake had as he was raised in the
footsteps of one of COGIC’s greatest and most influential preachers. So
intuitive that while he studied at the International Theological Center in
Atlanta, GA, one of his dissertations was known as “The Church of God in Christ:
It’s Organizational Crisis. This document is the scholarly foundation for
Bishop Blake’s ascension to the leadership of our denomination and demonstrates
why he has been instrumental in the steady and sure course of the Church of God
in Christ in these days and time. And while the world changes and people need
Jesus even the more, the role of COGIC is more pronounced and Bishop Blake is
the right man for the job.
Holiness and
Sanctification
The notion of sanctification beyond cliché’ is quite serious
for me. The deeper my walk goes, the more I see how and why I must live a
sanctified life. That is to be “set apart” from the norm. It is important to me
because my denomination requires it. Now, as for me, this is an interesting
walk. My career is built upon being a broadcaster. I am a mass communicator
with a mission to preserve and promote African American pop culture and
history. In my field you hear and see inappropriate music, films and discussion.
I have frequently asked my subordinates to manage an event or promotion for me
because it is completely contrary to my sanctification requirements. I am going
deeper in the Lord and this notion of sanctification is becoming even more
important.
The customs and
traditions of COGIC
On the surface, I love the “pageantry” of the Church of God
in Christ. At Holy Convocation both State and National, I get goosebumps when I
see the procession of the Bishops, Elders and Adjutants. I love the promotion
of excellence in the worship of our Lord Jesus Christ. The essence of our music
is certainly the foundation of not only church culture, but all of African
American Culture. You will find and hear similarities of black gospel in all of
R&B. Most singers will have to remember they got their start in the black
church. And the core of that soulful black music sound can be traced to the
rhythms of the Church of God in Christ. The preaching of the Word is delivered in a way that touches me deeply. Even as
I define my preaching style, I find myself looking at videos from not only
today’s top COGIC preachers, I am going back. I see Bishop LH Ford. I hear
Bishop J. Delano Ellis. I see Bishop JO Patterson, Bishop G.E. Patterson,
Bishop Charles E. Blake and so many many more. The preached Word from the
pulpit of the Church of God in Christ is clear, true and resonates with me on a
level that is almost indescribable. And while hooping and yelling the Word
across the pulpit is not necessary to extend salvation to the lost, I still
love the tradition of the sing song style backed by a crisp, rich Hammond B3
organ. (note: Bishop GE Patterson once said "Preaching the
Gospel of Jesus Christ and evangelizing the Word of God is not about hooping
and hollering and yelling your message across the room while the man or the
woman plays the organ or the piano behind you, but it is about letting the
Spirit of God take course as you do what God has called you to do for spreading
His unadulterated Gospel.")
This is the Church of
God in Christ
I am saved, sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost. I am
called to minister God’s Word to today’s people. I am called as a minister of
the gospel to promote social justice in our community. I like the discipline
demanded for in the Church of God in Christ. I like the mothers praying. I love
the tambourines, the drums. Sometimes I just close my eyes and take in the
sounds of the saints praising and praying, the mothers beating and playing
their tambourines all against a backdrop of the gospel musicians. Within this menagerie
of loud and “peculiar” expression of reverence to God is my direct connect to
our Heavenly Father through his Son Jesus Christ. This is the Church of God in
Christ.
