The History of Church of God in Christ International
As you look through the church of today holiness is very rarely mentioned. There once was a man who believed in preaching holiness to the body of Christ. This man was Charles Harrison (C.H.) Mason. He along with Elder C.P. Jones, Elder J.A. Geter, and a few other men began a movement called the Church of God. During the 1800’s there were many false doctrines being taught to the body of Christ but Elder Mason sought after God for a movement name that would still keep in line with the word of God but also set him apart from the false doctrines that was circulating. While in Little Rock Arkansas the Holy Spirit gave Elder Mason the name Church of God in Christ. There were many that needed scripture to support this movement that was in the developmental stages the scripture that was given in support of this movement was 1 Thessalonians 2:14.
In 1906 Elder Mason was in a revival held in Los Angeles where he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Elder Mason went on preaching this New Testament doctrine which many did not believe in. Months later in that same year Elder Mason called a meeting in Memphis Tennessee for all ministers that believed in his doctrine which was receiving the Holy Ghost baptism according to the scripture Acts 2:4. The ministers that answered the call were Elder E.R Drivers, J Bowed, R.R Booker, W.M. Roberts, R.E. Hart, D.W. Welch, A.A. Blackwell, E.M. Page, R.H.I Clark, D.J. Young, James Brewer, Daniel Spearman and J.H. Boone. All of these men made up the first General assembly of the Church of God in Christ. They believed that their faith was founded upon the doctrine of the Apostle as received on the day of Pentecost. The Lord laid it on Elder Mason’s heart to become the Chief Apostle and everyone agreed.
After years gone by it become clear that the Chief Apostle needed to set up state assemblies which he would appoint overseers. As God continued to move through this Apostle it was laid on his heart to consecrate five of the overseers to the office of the Bishopric in the church. In 1933 by the laying on of hands Apostle Mason set apart five overseers for the office of Bishop in the Church of God in Christ. These men were the first five Bishops in the Church of God in Christ apart from Bishop Mason. He then received the office of Senior Bishop. Those consecrated included Bishop I.S. Staffors of Detroit, Michigan; Bishop E.M. Page of Dallas, Texas; Bishop W.M. Robert of Chicago, Illinois; Bishop O.T. Jones of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Bishop R.F. Williams of Cleveland, Ohio.
In 1961 the founder and Senior Bishop Charles Harrison Mason went home to glory. A year went by before choosing a successor. In 1962 at the Holy Convocation the only Bishop that was still living from the original five was Bishops was Bishop Ozro Thurston (O.T.) Jones Sr. He was then elected to the office of Senior Bishop of the Church of God in Christ.
Born out of the leadership of Bishop O.T. Jones, the Church of God in Christ International transitioned through decades of great spiritual pioneers. One of which was Chief Apostle Carl E. Williams Sr. occurring in 1951. He was appointed presiding Bishop of Church of God in Christ International in 1976 until 2001 when he chose Bishop J.C. White. Bishop C.E. Williams went home to be with the Lord in October of 2007. After being chosen and appointed by our late Chief Apostle Bishop C.E. Williams Sr., our presiding prelate Archbishop J.C. White has been serving in excellence over the last twenty years.
