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CHURCH AFFILIATION

ELMWOOD CHURCH OF GOD is a Church of God congregation affiliated with the Church of God Headquartered in Cleveland, TN.

Since its beginning, the Church of God has been a movement ” a moving church with a mission of ministry to the world”. In this new millennium, God is leading the Church of God as a global movement prepared to meet the demands and challenges of ministry in the 21st century.

The Church of God consists of people just like you. Every person who attends a Church of God function, event or local congregation is recognized as a valuable member of the church body.

Church of God is…

The Church of God was founded in 1886 upon the principles of Christ as they are revealed in the Bible, the Word of God. It has its foundation of faith and practice in the Scriptures and the vital experience of its constituents is scripturally oriented.

CHRISTIAN

First and foremost, the Church of God is a determinedly Christian church. It is built upon the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The doctrines and practices of the church are based upon His teachings.

PROTESTANT

The Church of God is founded upon the principles of Protestantism, although it is not a traditional follower of any specific leader of the Protestant Reformation. The denomination stands firmly for justification by faith, the priesthood of believers, the authority of the Bible, religious freedom, and the separation of church and state. It stands against abuses and extravagance of ecclesiastical ritualism and dogmatism.

FOUNDATIONAL

The Church of God subscribes to the following five foundational Christian doctrines:

-The inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible.
-The virgin birth and complete deity of Christ.
-The atoning sacrifice of Christ’s death for the sins of the world.
-The literal resurrection of the body.
-Christ’s second coming in bodily form to earth.

EVANGELICAL

Evangelical is the term used to describe those who affirm the primary doctrines revealed in the Scriptures. These doctrines include the inspiration and authority of the Word of God; the Trinity; the deity and virgin birth of Jesus Christ; salvation by faith in the atoning death of Christ; His bodily resurrection and ascension to the right hand of the Father; the ministry of the Holy Spirit; the second coming of Christ; and the spiritual unity of believers in Jesus Christ.

The Church of God has aligned itself with the basic statement of faith of NAE (National Association of Evangelicals) the largest association of Evangelicals in the USA. Members of NAE subscribe to a common statement of faith. The Church of God can be described as positioned in the mainstream of Evangelical Protestantism.

PENTECOSTAL

In 1896, many members of the Church of God experienced a spiritual outpouring they identified as the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Because it was so similar to the experience of the early Christians on the day of Pentecost, it came to be called a Pentecostal experience, an enrichment of the Christian life through the power of the Holy Spirit that empowered believers to be effective witnesses of Christ. The principle distinctive of the Church of God as a Pentecostal organization is its belief in speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives the utterance and that this is the initial evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

CHARISMATIC

The charismata (Gk.) or gifts of the Spirit appeared early in the life and ministry of the Church of God. The gifts can be divided into three categories: the gifts of revelation, the gifts of power and the gifts of utterance or inspiration. The gifts of revelation are the gifts of the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge and the discerning of spirits. The gifts of power are faith, miracles, and gifts of healing. The gifts of utterance and inspiration are prophecy, tongues and interpretation. The Holy Spirit bestows these gifts and those who accept the validity of these gifts are called charismatic.

EVANGELISTIC

From its inception the Church of God has been a revival movement. Evangelism has been in the forefront of all its activities. The church has maintained an aggressive effort to take the message of Christ throughout the world by all means and methods. Every program of the church reflects an evangelistic attitude: revivalism, conferences, worship services, teaching, preaching and its missionary efforts.

 

 

Vision Statement

To BE The Church!  

 

Vision

To be a diverse (multi-cultural/multi-ethnic/multi-generational)  community of believers united in heart, joyfully serving the purposes of God.  

 

Purpose

To Know Jesus Christ and to Make Him Known (Matt. 6:33; Philippians 3:10)

This church exists because of Jesus Christ and for His glory. (Matt. 16:18; Acts 20:28)