Affiliation
Church of God Distinctives
Although we count ourselves as part of the worldwide Church of Jesus Christ, each group has things that give them a unique "personality" in the broader family of the Church. Here are some of ours:
Church of God History Lesson
A Brief History of the Church of God
A Movement, Not a Denomination
One of the things that sets us apart is our status as a movement, as
opposed to a denomination. Practically, this means more autonomy for
the local congregations, with our state and national bodies configured
more as federations than top-down organizations.
Membership
The Church of God does not have "membership" as defined by many of our
sister denominations. We welcome anyone in our midst who confesses
Christ as Lord. Belonging to our community is usually typified by involvement rather than a document.
Organization
The Church of God has multiple levels of organization. The first level
is the state level. Our state offices are in Lansing, MI, where our
conglomeration of churches employs a state pastor along with several
other staff members which serve the churches in our movement throughout
the state. In addition, regional pastors oversee and mentor churches on
a more direct level. This is an important structure for both
accountability and support. The next level is the national level. The Church of God in North America
is based in Anderson, IN, with additional staff for accountability,
resourcing, and support. Internationally, we connect with the Church of
God in countries around the world.