Bishop C.H. Mason

The Church Of God In Christ celebrates the birth of our founder, Bishop Charles Harrison Mason on Wednesday, September 8, 2010. Bishop Mason’s unfeigned loyalty to God and unwavering leadership to the church infused and imparted a Pentecostal sagacity that has empowered millions. His quintessential labor and epical legacy enveloped a global prototype for religious leaders and the entire COGIC populace.  His mantle is too enormous for one denomination or community of believers. Bishop Mason’s exaltation in worship, prayerful idioms, and numinous disposition ascended the COGIC worship experience and embodied the worship style recognized by world religions and all mainstream American denominations.

Bishop Mason’s homily encircled a holiness code of behavior embracing sanctification and Pentecostalism. He adamantly directed any personal adulation to God our Father, Christ our Redeemer, and the Holy Ghost our Comforter. His epitaphic inscription of “Yes, Lord” continues to surface in congregations everywhere and echoes through the corridors of our spirit in word and song.

Although, he was born during the emancipation era with humble beginnings, his heritage was rich with benevolence, witness, tangible anointing and ministry impact which engendered spiritual liberation and religious excellence that would stand as the hallmark of not only this great man of God, but of the reformation that he would found. The Church Of God In Christ honors all of our patriarchs and matriarchs, and esteems the global proportion of our founder’s labor. With double honor, we salute and respect the sainted work of Bishop Charles Harrison Mason.

The COGIC Call to Catechism, Celebration and Stewardship

Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake has inspired the COGIC community to embrace urban initiatives through an insightful and strategic plan.  These multi-faceted initiatives envelopes five core areas which include; education, economic development, crime, family, and financial literacy that address contemporary issues in our community. The Church Of God In Christ is recognized as the 4^th largest religious reformation in America. Our tradition and polity encircles transparency, developmental stability, and historic preservation. The church’s biblical foundational tenets provide a plethora of ministry opportunities and an array of institutional deliverables. COGIC presence has positively impacted every major U. S. urban population with a diversity of ministries and community enhancing outreach provided by over 12,000 active congregations. 

 Our divinely inspired global mandate to provide vision casting, ministry development, technical support, and best practice dialogue, has propelled our denomination to convene frequent, powerful, confabulations and leadership development opportunities that have enhanced communities through out this nation. These sessions analyze our denominational modus operandi, ensure organizational compliance, and identify obtainable resources for ministries. Church leaders are entrusted to vanguard our heritage and promote biblical conformity through empowering ministry opportunities. COGIC leadership symposiums are convened to enlighten our presbytery and inculcate cutting edge methods and best practices to accomplish our Presiding Bishop’s desired ministry outcomes.

Bishop C. H. Mason Founder’s and Loyalty Day

Schedule of Events

Founder’s Day Celebration and Laity Reporting

Wednesday, September 8, 2010 

 Leadership Empowerment Symposium

(COGIC Credential Holders Only)

12:00 PM – 3:00PM

The Memphis Downtown Marriott Hotel- Heritage Halls I-IV

250 N. Main, Memphis, TN 38103

COGIC International Administrative Headquarters John Lee Building Dedication

(Open to the General Public)

5:00 PM

Mason Temple Campus

930 Mason Street, Memphis, TN 38136

Bishop C.H. Mason Founder’s Day Denominational Celebration

(Open to the General Public)

7:00 PM

Mason Temple

930 Mason Street, Memphis, TN 38136

The COGIC Leadership Empowerment Symposium and Luncheon

Adjutant General Bishop Matthew Williams and Bishop Dwight Haygood

Moderators: Bishop L. F.  Thuston – Bishop Cody Marshall-Bishop Felton Smith

The Call to Celebrate                                                           Bishop P. A. Brooks

The Devotional                                                                     Evangelism and Music Departments

The Historic Involvement of Women in Ministry             Mother Willie Mae Rivers

                                                                                                 (Voice of Mother Lizzie Robinson)

The Founder’s Collaborative and Inclusive Mission     Bishop DeWitt Burton

Our Faith Focus                                                                    COGIC Impact

Bishop Samuel Iglehart                                                       Bishop Edward Robinson

                                                                                                  Bishop Chandler Owens

Our Cultural Heritage                                                         COGIC Presence

Bishop Jewel Whithers, Jr.                                                  Bishop Martin Luther Johnson

                                                                                                 Bishop Nathaniel Wells

Our Pursuit for excellence through Biblical Principals COGIC Potential

                                                                                                 Supt. Matthew Brown

                                                                                                 Bishop Donald Alford

                                                                                                 Bishop Jerry Macklin

The Episcopal Charge                                                        Presiding Bishop C. E. Blake, Sr.

Expeditor                                                                                Bishop Jerry Maynard

The Commission                                                                 Bishop Roy Winbush

The Prayer for the Nations                                                  Bishop George McKinney

Church Of God In Christ

International Administrative Headquarters John Lee Building

Episcopal Designation and Building Dedication

The Inspirational Melodies     

The Invocation                                                              Bishop Frank White

The Reading of the Gospel                                       Supervisor Mary Tucker

The Historic overview of John Lee                           Mrs. Mary Patterson and Descendants of Mr. John Lee

The Occasion                                                               Bishop Albert Galbreaith

The Reflections                                                            Bishop John Sheard

The Act of Dedication                                                  Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr.

The Acknowledgements                                            Bishop Hollis Musgrove

The Benediction                                                           Pastor Ron Owens

Denominational Worship Honoring the birth of Bishop Charles Harrison Mason

7:00 PM

Moderators: Bishop J. Neaul Haynes, Bishop Brandon Porter and Supt. Milton Hawkins

The Call to Worship                                                    Voice of Bishop Charles H. Mason

The Invocation                                                              Bishop James Scott

The Reading of the Psalms                                      Assistant Supervisor Sylvia Law

The Old Time Gospel Hour

Tri-State Music Departments, Regional Intercessors, Mother Daisy Jones, Mother Romanetha Stallsworth, Bishop AT Moore Heritage Singers and Pastor Carl Pierce

The Pentecostal Message                                         Bishop Albert Galbraith

The Recognitions                                                        Bishop Sedgwick Daniels

                                                                                        Temple COGIC, Dr. David Hall

Greater Harvest COGIC/South Fort Pickering, Elder Lee Ward

The Mason Family Acknowledgement                     Bishop Wilbur Hamilton

The Familial Salute                                                      Mother Ruth Mason-Lewis and Bishop J. O Patterson, Jr.

The Musical Selection                                                 C. H. Mason Memorial Choir

The Ministry of Giving                                                   Bishop Jerry Maynard and Bishop Samuel Lowe

The Presiding Bishop Speaks                                   Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr.

The Musical Selection                                                 C. H. Mason Memorial Choir

The Celebration Homily                                              Bishop Frank Anderson

The Reporting                                                               Supt. Frank A. White

The Benediction                                                           Bishop Samuel Green

CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST

2010 Founder’s Day Celebration

Honoring the Life and Legacy

Of

Bishop Charles Harrison Mason

John Lee Administrative Headquarters Dedication

And

COGIC Laity Recognition

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Downtown Memphis Marriott Hotel and Mason Campus

Memphis, TN

Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr. Presiding Bishop

“For ye brethren became followers of the Churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus: for ye have suffered like things of your own countrymen even as they have of the Jews.” I Thessalonians 2:14

West Angeles COGIC continues to strive to make access to a quality education a reality for the community where they serve.

In reading the article in the Idaho Statesman, please note the following:

West Angeles identified a need–Many young members of the church were not finishing high school and going on to college.  Math was identified as one of the obstacles.

West Angeles took steps to address the need–including setting up a math afterschool program, establishing a summer enrichment program to help students with algebra, geometry and chemistry, partnering with the Princeton Review to offer low-cost SAT prep courses and establishing a program to facilitate campus visits by the students.  One of the schools on the campus visit list was Boise State University.

West Angeles determined a unique out-of–state educational opportunity–Many teens from the church qualified for merit-based tuition assistance for non-residents through the Western Undergraduate Exchange Program (WUE).  The WUE program allows students in 14 Western states to attend out-of-state colleges at much-reduced cost – in2009-10, Boise State’s out-of-state tuition was      $ 13,868; in-state tuition was $ 4,864.  Under the WUE program students paid $ 7,296.  Scholarships are based on high school GPA and ACT/SAT scores.  In addition, students from West Angeles added to the cultural diversity of the student body at Boise State.  Last year, less than 2 percent of the student body at Boise State was African-American.

Edwin C. Bass, President

IDENTIFYING NEEDS & FINDING AND IMPLEMENTING SOLUTIONS WILL MAKE YOUR CHURCH GROW AND BLESS YOUR PEOPLE.

Taken from the Idaho Statesman on 8/25/10:

 Los Angeles church has helped put BSU on the map for its college-bound teens

Ryan Crutchfield, Charles Sims and Daejon Moore graduated from three different high schools in Los Angeles. The teens have different career objectives and their lists of prospective colleges contained few of the same names.

But all three ended up at the same university: Boise State.

“At first it was like, Boise – what’s out there in Boise?” said Crutchfield, a self-described technology geek who plans to study computer engineering.

A deacon at the teens’ church in L.A. suggested they give Boise State a look, and the church subsidized or covered all costs for their visit to campus. West Angeles Church of God in Christ provides extensive educational support for its youth, many of whom are economically disadvantaged.

Boise State was the first college Crutchfield visited.

“It just blew me away,” said the 17-year-old, who gushed about the greenery, river rafting and the “Smurf Turf” during a free moment at new student orientation Friday.

Crutchfield’s college-bound peers at the predominantly black West Angeles Church have been equally impressed with Boise State – even after visiting public and private colleges in California, Washington and other parts of the country.

Five came to Boise State last year, and nine more are enrolled this fall.

“I knew I wanted to get out of California. I’ve been there my whole life,” said Sims, a 17-year-old graduate of Santa Monica Catholic High School.

What did Sims like best about Boise?

“The air quality,” he said emphatically. “The trees, the community, the surroundings and the campus.”

Many of the teens from West Angeles Church qualified for merit-based tuition assistance for non-residents through the Western Undergraduate Exchange program.

WUE scholarships allow students in 14 Western states to attend out-of-state colleges at much-reduced cost – in 2009-10, Boise State’s out-of-state tuition was $13,868; in-state tuition was $4,864; and the school’s approximately 190 WUE students paid $7,296. Scholarships are awarded based on high school GPA and ACT/SAT scores.

“We’re getting some high-quality students,” said Everardo Torrez, a Boise State enrollment counselor.

Torrez said the students from West Angeles add to the cultural diversity of the student body. Last year, less than 2 percent of the student body was African-American.

SEEING A NEED – AND FILLING IT

In early 2008, Deacon John Wilson III of West Angeles Church had an overwhelmingly positive first impression of the Boise campus – but he had some doubts.

“Are black inner-city kids going to come here?” he asked himself. “I was sitting Downtown at PF Chang’s, and I was thinking to myself, ‘How do I get kids to come here? They’re going to think I’m nuts.’ ”

About four months later, 11 students from West Angeles, juniors and seniors, visited Boise State.

“I brought the pickiest kids – the most critical and intellectual – to see their reaction,” Wilson said. “When I took them on that tour, and they were liking it, they said, oh, wow, I was right.”

But they weren’t sold until Torrez made a presentation in L.A.

“The key was Everardo,” said Wilson, a former aerospace engineer. “His admissions presentation was the greatest I’ve ever seen. … His love of the school comes through.”

Everardo Torrez, who grew up in eastern Idaho and earned his master’s in communication at Boise State, makes his pitch to students primarily at high schools.

“The work we’ve been doing with West Angeles is pretty unique,” Torrez said.

But the idea is not new for West Angeles Church, which boasts 15,000 core members, including celebrities such as Denzel Washington and Stevie Wonder.

Wilson, who is director of education and enrichment ministry programs, said that church members noticed as far back as the early 1990s that many young members weren’t finishing high school and going on to college. Math was identified as one of the obstacles.

“I was an engineer, so the first thing I set up was math after school,” Wilson said.

In 2000, the church established a summer enrichment program to help students with algebra, geometry and chemistry. It later partnered with Princeton Review to offer low-cost SAT prep courses.

Wilson began tracking the progress of students headed to college – and made sure they took the next step: a campus visit.

“No matter what a youth says or where a family says they want to send their kid, if they have not visited the school, they won’t go there,” Wilson said.

For those families who couldn’t afford to send their kids to visit college campuses, the church began subsidizing travel.

But they didn’t go everywhere, and they focused primarily on small private schools.

Wilson is a D.C. native who went to George Washington University, so the church first looked at schools in the D.C. area, including George Mason, Howard, Catholic, American and Georgetown universities.

“We didn’t know much, but we knew our best students could do it … if I could convince (their parents) of their safety and security,” Wilson said.

The success of the first students in D.C. and Atlanta (Clark Atlanta, Morehouse, Spelman) led them to look for other parts of the country, including the Northwest. They built a relationship with Seattle Pacific University.

“It took us two years to get a student to want to go to Seattle,” said Wilson, explaining that the city’s reputation for rain didn’t help. “I let the school sell itself. … It’s a very affordable private school.”

BOISE STATE QUICKLY SOLD ITSELF

Affordability is one of the reasons that many from West Angeles attend University of California schools – and it’s part of why Wilson decided to scout out Boise State. He says he saw BSU on a list of top colleges in a national magazine in 2007.

“The next week, one of my students said he was interested in Boise State, even though with his grades he probably couldn’t get there,” Wilson said. “He heard some things from a friend.”

A year later, Wilson decided to visit the campus. He showed up unannounced at the admissions office to see if anyone would talk to him.

“I went in there, and they treated me like a king. In fact, they treated me so good, I felt awkward,” he said.

The youngest of Wilson’s three children – Andrea – was among the West Angeles students who visited BSU last year.

“I was actually opposed to Boise State when my dad brought it to my attention,” she said. “Once I got there, I saw Boise is actually a nice college town, and it’s not completely boring.

“I never swam in a river before or went tubing down a river before,” she added. “You don’t get that in Los Angeles.”

She said she liked that life seemed slower here, and she could focus on her studies.

“The first day, I was really nervous because it was a culture shock. It was a lot of white people,” she said, noting that she became somewhat accustomed to that feeling at Beverly Hills High.

Still, her freshman year was challenging. She said one of the best things she did was join the track team as a walk-on.

“I encourage anybody who applies to any college to get out and get involved in campus,” said the 19-year-old, an aspiring dietitian.

The students from West Angeles support each other, but they aren’t allowed to room together.

“I want them to get to know other students,” Deacon Wilson said.

Daejon Moore, 17, will be a freshman at BSU this fall. He plans to study psychology.

Moore said it was the green – not the blue – that drew him to Boise, though he plans to cheer on the Bronco football team this fall.

“You don’t see that much green in certain parts of L.A.,” he said. “The people are so friendly, and there’s not much traffic.”

Written by Niketa Woodley   

A Civic and Ecumenical Tribute Brunch celebrating Bishop P.A. Brook’s thirty-five years as a Jurisdictional Bishop, apostolic leader, and visionary will be held in the Stafford Hall of the Cathedral Conference Center on July 31, 2010 from 11a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

It was 1975 when the late Presiding Bishop, J.O. Patterson, consecrated Bishop P.A. Brooks as Jurisdictional Bishop over what is now called Michigan’s Historic First Jurisdiction, “Northeast.” Since that time, Bishop P.A. Brooks has become known as a trusted and respected ecclesiastical voice of influence around the world.

When he was consecrated as Jurisdictional Bishop thirty-five years ago, Bishop Brooks was the founder and pastor of New St. Paul Tabernacle, Church of God in Christ. As the pastor of New St. Paul Tabernacle, he has led with integrity and gentleness, making himself available and approachable to all of his members. Fulfilling the great commission of Christ and equipping the people of God to aim higher in their faith is and has always been his main goal. His induction to the office of Bishop intensified his apostolic mission allowing him to connect to thousands of souls in the ministry.

His faithfulness to God and the ministry was hard not to notice. In 1984, just nine years after his ascension to bishop, he was elected a member of the General Board, the governing board of the Churches of God in Christ, Internationally. He is the second longest serving member to date.

In 2008, Bishop Brooks was chosen by Presiding Bishop, Charles E. Blake, to serve as First Assistant Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ International. This esteemed honor made Bishop Brooks the Vice President to the Presiding Bishop. “Of the decisions that I made as presiding bishop, one of the wisest and best decisions was the decision to appoint Bishop Brooks… he is a source of so much counsel, so much wisdom, so much maturity,” said the Presiding Bishop during a visit in 2008 to Detroit for the Northeast Michigan State Holy Convocation. 

As a visionary, Bishop Brooks organized a coalition of Episcopal leaders called the Michigan Canadian Council of Bishops to support the office of the Presiding bishop. Throughout his tenure, he has established churches, appointed and trained many great leaders including other bishops. He is entrusted to handle some of the most sensitive matters and travels to some of the most significant places throughout the Churches of God in Christ and worldwide. Of the 102 years of the institution of the Church of God in Christ, Bishop P.A. Brooks has faithfully served fifty-five of those years.

A tribute book marking Bishop Brook’s beginnings from a young superintendent eager to serve in ministry to the First Assistant Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, International will be available to the guests who attend the brunch.

Visit www.nspt.com for further information regarding this celebration

Photo by The Commercial Appeal

WASHINGTON, DC

– Tuesday, June 2, 2010,  Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr. and senior women’s leader Mother Willie Mae Rivers of the Church of God in Christ accepted the National Organization for Marriage’s (NOM) 2010 Marriage Protector Award.

Bishop Blake is the worldwide leader of the Church Of God In Christ (COGIC), and Mother Rivers is the senior women’s leader. COGIC is one of the largest African-American denominations in the United States, and has a worldwide membership of 5 million people in 60 countries.

The award was given to acknowledge “the steadfast witness of the Church of God in Christ in defending marriage as the union of husband and wife.”

NOM Chairman Maggie Gallagher presented the award at the 60th Annual Womens International Convention/Crusade of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) at the Los Angeles Convention Center. “We are blessed by your courage, your clarity, and your conviction,” Gallagher conveyed to COGIC.

“I am here to present an award, but the honor is really ours–to acknowledge with gratitude the contributions of COGIC in standing for the truth that to make a marriage you need a husband and wife. At a time when so many powerful voices argue that this idea is rooted only in hatred and bigotry, we are blessed by your witness to the truth, which is really God’s truth, about marriage,” Maggie Gallagher told the assembled 20,000 African-American women and COGIC bishops, and other church leaders.

St. Louis has so many extraordinary things to see and do.  Nonetheless, if you are planning on attending this event; don’t forget to stop by five popular sites St. Louis has to offer.  To start off your trip the right way attend the world class St. Louis Zoo.  Admission is free.

Another great attraction is Crown Candy Kitchen, which is one of the nation’s oldest surviving soda fountains.  Crown Candy Kitchen is one of St. Louis’ favorite destinations for lunch or dessert.   Crown Candy’s homemade malts, sundaes and chocolate candy have been legendary in St. Louis for decades. So don’t forget, to top off your trip in St. Louis; by ordering the famous BLT, with its doctor defying amount of bacon. And most of all, Crown Candy Kitchen has remained unfazed by health food trends or the urge to cut corners and costs. 

Marking on down the list of things to do in St. Louis, you can always visit the Muny in Forest Park.  This astounding landmark is the nation’s oldest and largest outdoor theater.  It has been a tradition in St. Louis since 1918. 

The fourth best site to tour while in St. Louis is The Griot Museum of Black History and Culture, which is life size likenesses of famous African-American Missourians including;  George Washington Carver, Dred and Harriett Scott and Josephine Baker.  Come out to this historic site and get in touch with black history. You will be glad you did. 

The fifth suggested site to visit is Six Flags St. Louis.  Whether you’re taking the entire family or going by yourself, Six Flags St. Louis is the perfect destination for relaxation and fun during the Holy Convocation.  From hamburgers and fries to chicken or Papa John’s pizza, there are eateries for every taste conveniently located throughout the park.  And in addition to the most thrilling rides on the planet, you’ll find a wide variety of top shelf entertainment including one-of-a-kind parades, great concerts and wonderful performances.

So if you plan to attend the 103rd Convocation this year, make sure to visit these hot spots for entertaining recreation.  Let’s make this year 103rd Convocation a great one.  Hope to see you there.

We also need to continue to support our academic institutions and our future leaders.  All Saints Bible College, our seminaries and seminaries are currently supporting thousands of students both onsite and online.  Through your generous gifts, we can provide the resources they need to continue their studies.

Who can help?  Loyalty Day needs participation of all members, pastors and bishops of the Church.  If you are a part of Church Of God In Christ, you can help. 

How can you help?  With only a gift of $20, you can make a difference in the lives of so many.  On our founder Bishop Mason’s birthday, in Memphis, TN, we will tally your gifts and give a full report of the donations received. Be a part of this wonderful event, make your contribution today!

Find out more here.

Speakers will include:  Monday, the Bishop Carlis Moody, International President of the Missions Department of the Church Of God In Christ, Inc.; Tuesday, Pastor Patrick Wooden, Pastor of Upper Room Church Of God In Christ, Durham, NC, and Wednesday, the Bishop Liston Page, Brooklyn, NY.  Chairman Sheard will speak on Thursday, and the Honorable Bishop Charles Edward Blake, Presiding Prelate of the Church Of God In Christ, Inc. will address the convention on Friday evening.

Speakers for the day sessions include the department leaders in addition to both men and women in ministry from various tiers of leadership of the church.

To learn more click here.