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The Church of God (Jerusalem Acres)

The Church of God of All Nations is a holiness Pentecostal body that descends from the Christian Union movement of Richard Spurling, A. J. Tomlinson and others. Though they are still widely known as The Church of God of All Nations, "of All Nations" was dropped from the title in 1962. They consider themselves officially The Church of God, but also designate themselves as The Church of God (1957 Reformation) and The Church of God (Jerusalem Acres), which is the name of their headquarters.

Table of contents
1 Background
2 Faith and Practice
3 Status
4 External links
5 References

Background

The Church of God at Jerusalem Acres shares its early history with the Church of God of Prophecy. After A. J. Tomlinson formed the Church of Prophecy Markers Association in 1941, he appointed Grady R. Kent head over it in 1943. After Tomlinson's death, his son Milton was appointed General Overseer, but Kent remained a forceful preacher and influential leader. In 1948, the Church of God of Prophecy adopted a resolution making the General Assembly the highest authority in the church. This helped set the stage for division. Some members within the church accepted the practice of "theocratic government", with the Bishop or General Overseer ruling the church. Also some within the membership began to promote the belief that Kent was one of the two witnesses of Revelation. The 1956 Assembly resolved that they did "not endorse attempts by its ministers to identify themselves or other ministers as the Two Witnesses mentioned in Revelation 11."

In 1957 Grady R. Kent went out of the Church of God of Prophecy and formed The Church of God of All Nations, which adopted its name in 1958. The church was "reorganized" in Cherokee, North Carolina on February 17, 1957. On August 1, 1958, a seven-acre tract of land was purchased in Cleveland, Tennessee, and the church undertook a project similar to the Fields of the Wood, which belongs to the Tomlinson group. Great authority was placed in "theocratic government" and the "Chief Bishop", who was responsible for ruling the church. After the death of Bishop Kent on March 31, 1964, the authority of the General Assembly gradually increased, later resulting in the establishment of The Church of God for All Nations in 1981.

Faith and Practice

The faith and practice of The Church of God at Jerusalem Acres is similar to the related Church of God bodies, but with more of a "Jewish" flavor, which they call "New Testament Judaism". This body is Trinitarian in theology and teaches that the whole Bible is the inspired word of God; salvation by accepting Jesus Christ as Saviour; the seventh-day Sabbath; the nine gifts of the Spirit and five gifts of ministry; and the post-tribulational premillennial return of Jesus Christ. While accepts prophecy for today, they believe prophets are fallible, and therefore prophecies are not considered equal with the Bible.

The Church of God at Jerusalem Acres rejects the Roman calendar and certain holidays, such as Christmas, Easter, and Halloween. Their church calendar is based on the Jewish calendar. They observe or celebrate a number of days, some of which are peculiar to their denomination. For example:

Status

In 1990, the The Church of God at Jerusalem Acres had 30 churches in the United States and Canada, with an estimated membership of 30,000. In 1987, the church reported 145 congregations worldwide. Headquarters are at Jerusalem Acres in Cleveland, Tennessee.

External links

References