Our Beliefs

The Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) is a global movement of people seeking to fulfill God’s mission in the world. We’re committed to studying the Word of God and faithfully living it out. We’re committed to the mission that Jesus Christ gave every believer: to make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:18–20).

The Church of God movement appeared in the 1880s in the midst of the broader American Holiness Revival. The pioneers of the Church of God hoped to restore a more biblical understanding and practice of what it means to be the church. One of our early church songs says: “The Bible is our rule of faith and Christ alone is Lord.” This lyric still summarizes the core belief of Church of God people. We have not issued any official belief statement, and we have no formal creed. Yet, the following statements reflect the heart of the Church of God:

  • Salvation makes us members of God’s church. We believe that the church is composed of every person who has accepted Jesus Christ as Savior. We enter into the life of the church, not by joining a denomination or a human organization, but by committing our lives to Christ (John 3:1–7).

  • Christians are called to be one. We believe that God calls all followers of Christ to live in unity and peace, regardless of who they are or the church they attend (Gal 3:28). While we may not agree on everything, we can rally around our subject, Jesus.

  • We must be holy. We believe that followers of Christ have been called to live a life of love, purity, and godliness. We are called to live like Christ, taking on a new nature (2 Cor 5:17).

We also embrace these biblical principles:

  • The Lordship of Jesus. There is one Lord, who is God’s Son Jesus Christ, over the church. Christ is the church’s ultimate authority on all matters (Acts 2:36).

  • Making Disciples. Each of us is called to fulfill Matthew 28:18–20, making fully devoted followers of Christ—disciples—who will then teach others to follow Christ.

  • Loving God and Neighbor. We are called to fulfill Matthew 22:37–39, not only loving God with our entire being, but also loving all that he loves.

  • The Work of the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit equips believers with unique gifts that enable us to carry out the mission of Christ in the world. At the same time, the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in every believer (Galatians 5:22–23), which demonstrate the Spirit’s presence within us.

  • Stewardship. Since God is the source of life, all of life is to be used for the honor, glory, and service of God (Psalm 24:1).

  • Women in Ministry. The distributions of gifts by the Holy Spirit for the edification of the body of Christ is not determined by gender. God has poured out his Spirit on all people, and both sons and daughters will prophesy—and teach, and shepherd the flock. In Christ, in the kingdom of God, that which once divided us—Jew, Gentile; slave, free; male, female—no longer separate. From the earliest days of the Church of God movement, we’ve celebrated the ministry leadership of outstanding women clergy and continue to do so (Acts 2:17; Gal 3:28).

You will find a great diversity of convictions and practices within the Church of God. Though we have differences, we share a common story of faith, growing together into the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13). We worship and serve as citizens of God’s kingdom. We celebrate our life in Christ and accept our call to be the body of Christ in our world—all to the glory of God.

The following free downloads (PDF) are available to provide more detail on the beliefs of the Church of God: We Believe (Anderson University School of Theology, 2 MB), What We Teach (Barry Callen, 129 KB), and the following booklets by Arlo Newell: Salvation (121 KB), Holy Living (106 KB), Membership (114 KB), Ordinances (112 KB), Divine Healing (89.2 KB), and Return of Christ (111 KB).

Want to learn more about the beliefs, practices, and history of the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana)? Check out the following resources available from Warner Press.

History of the Church of God

The Church of God, with U.S. offices in Anderson, Indiana, began in 1881 as a movement emphasizing unity and holiness. Early leaders such as Daniel S. Warner and Mary Cole sought to forsake denominational hierarchies and formal creeds, trusting solely in the Holy Spirit as their overseer, and in the Bible as their statement of belief. These individuals saw themselves at the forefront of a movement to restore unity and holiness to God’s church. Their aim was not to establish another denomination but to promote primary allegiance to Jesus Christ and transcend denominational loyalties. Since 1891, when the movement’s first missionary was sent to Mexico, the Church of God has continued to grow into a multinational community of faith. Average weekend attendance in the congregations of the United States and Canada totals approximately 250,000. There are approximately 2,300 congregations in the United States and Canada. Globally, the movement has work in eighty-nine countries and territories representing more than 7,300 churches and 875,000 believers. In 1996 and 1997, the General Assembly initiated a restructuring of the work of the national ministries of the Church of God in North America. The result was the formation of Church of God Ministries, Inc. Priorities for the work of this organization are identified by representatives selected from the grassroots church. As the Church of God begins each new chapter in its history, Jesus remains the subject, and the dynamic story of the Church of God continues to unfold.