A Brief History of the Church of God Abrahamic Faith Movement

Becoming a Berean: Benjamin Wilson & the Kingdom of God

The Church of God Abrahamic Faith movement originated in the early 1800s from the independent Bible study of scattered believers who followed the pattern of the people of Berea in ancient Greece. These “Bereans” are described in Acts 17:11 (RSV), which says that “they received the message with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” 

Early Church of God Abrahamic Faith leaders were Scripture searchers who did not blindly accept what someone told them, but rather studied the Scriptures daily to determine if what they were taught was true.

One such Berean was Benjamin Wilson, who lived in Halifax, England, in the 1840s. He and others began to question the things they were taught in church and determined to search the Scriptures on their own. They resolved to start in Genesis 1 and continue through the Bible, investigating the message for themselves. They quickly recognized the covenant promises made to Abraham and later reaffirmed to Isaac and Jacob. 

As they continued to study, they saw that these promises permeated both the Old and New Testaments and were the basis for the gospel of the Kingdom of God. They discovered Luke 4:43 (NIV) where Jesus said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” They read the Kingdom parables in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and found that after Jesus’ resurrection, he spent 40 days teaching his apostles about the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). 

They continued to see the Kingdom message through the book of Acts, as in Acts 8:12 (NIV), “when they believed Philip, who was proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” They found this message through the New Testament letters to Revelation. In Revelation 11:15 (ESV), it paints a picture of what will happen in the future when Jesus returns to this earth: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.” 

Others Who Reexamined Scripture

Some prominent individuals were also Bible students who carefully searched the Scriptures and came to many of the same understandings of Scripture as early Church of God Abrahamic Faith students. Joseph Priestley (late 1700s), the scientist credited with discovering oxygen, was a theologian who promoted the biblical truth regarding the oneness of God. Sir Isaac Newton (1642–1727), who discovered the laws of gravity and motion, rejected the teaching of the Trinity. President Thomas Jefferson said, “I never had sense enough to comprehend the Trinity” (Sanford, 1987, p. 88).

Joseph Marsh, an editor and publisher, came to realize that the Bible speaks of the return of Christ to establish the millennial kingdom of God on earth during a 1,000-year time period. This is a time for the restitution of all things as mentioned in Acts 3:20-21 (ESV): “So that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.”

Some who discovered these neglected or rejected biblical truths published magazines and periodicals. Some of the titles include: 

• The Christian Palladium (Joseph Marsh, 1839) — Read Volume VIII (1839-1840)
• The Gospel Banner and Millennial Advocate (Benjamin Wilson, 1853) — Read Volume IV (1858)
• The Prophetic Watchman and Herald of the Kingdom (J. M. Stephenson and H. V. Reed) — Read Vol 1 – No 21,33-35 (1867)
• The Restitution (Thomas Wilson, 1870)  — Read Volume 66 (1914)

These periodicals, as well as many other publications, can be found on the Church of God General Conference Archives.

From Tent Meetings to Conference Beginnings: The Church of God General Conference was Formed

As these biblical teachings spread, Bible study groups formed, eventually developing into organized congregations. The movement became known as the Church of God Abrahamic Faith movement in 1861. As time passed, these church groups considered the possibility of organizing state conferences where churches could collaborate in hiring evangelists to hold meetings, sometimes in tents, to teach biblical truth. 

Among the earliest conferences to be organized were Ohio in 1857 and Michigan in 1858. Later, conferences were formed in Minnesota (1874), Nebraska (1885), Indiana (1886), Iowa (1888), and Illinois (1898). Other states organized conferences later.

Many also felt there would be value in having a national conference to coordinate the ministry across the country. The first attempt was made in 1858, followed by efforts in 1869, 1888, and 1910. No organizational structures were put in place to perpetuate a national conference.

In 1920, pastors and evangelists met in Chicago, IL and Oregon, IL. At the Oregon, IL, meeting, 10 workers were appointed as a committee to seek ways to acquaint the membership at large with the purpose of organizing a conference.

As a result of this committee of 10, a general assembly of the Churches of God General Conference was held at the Waterloo, Iowa Church of God campground, August 28–September 3, 1921. Representatives from many churches and conferences elected officers, adopted a constitution that included a statement of faith, employed an executive secretary, and selected Oregon, IL, as the location of the headquarters for the conference. 

Oregon, IL was selected primarily because The Restitution Herald, a weekly publication edited by S. J. Lindsay started in 1911, offered to share its building as the headquarters for this new national conference.

The 1921 effort to form a national conference, the COGGC, was successful, as evidenced by the fact that it is still in existence today.

Early projects of the conference helped to solidify its work. In 1922, property was purchased in Oregon for a home for senior citizens, called the Golden Rule Home. Later, a greenhouse and small farm were purchased to help provide food for the residents of the Golden Rule Home. 

In 1923, a Bible training class was created to train those who wanted to be pastors and Christian leaders. The Bible training work eventually developed into Oregon Bible College (founded in 1939). The Golden Rule Home became the first campus of Oregon Bible College, now known as Atlanta Bible College. 

Beginning in the early years of the conference, annual meetings were held each August in Oregon, Illinois, for worship, Bible teaching, fellowship, and conference business. Today, General Conference continues as an annual gathering of churches from across the fellowship.

The Legacy of Biblical Truth: Over 100 Years of Ministry and Service

Over the years, the Church of God General Conference has developed ministries and departments that support the shared work of our churches in publishing, Christian education, youth ministry, missions, outreach, church development, and church planting. Many of these ministries continue to serve the fellowship today.

Ministers’ Training and Support

Since its formation, the COGGC has equipped ministers for leadership and service. Today, that support includes:

• Atlanta Bible College continues to train both ministers and lay leaders through the COGGC for ministry through online courses and at their campus in McDonough, GA. 
• The Ministerial Recognition Board approves and issues licenses to ministers.
• Church of God General Conference ministers, who had organized ten years prior to the founding of the COGGC, gather at the COGGC Minister’s Conference each year.
• The Priscillas, founded in 1942 by the ministers’ wives, meet annually during the summer national conference. 
• The Ministers’ Voluntary Retirement Association provides retirement benefits to ministers and conference employees. 
• The Atlanta Bible College Alumni Association, created by those who attended the Bible college, supports the college in its pursuits.

Church Ministry Support

The COGGC supports local churches through ongoing ministries, including:

• The Church Builders League helps churches purchase, expand, and renovate facilities through the generous support of churches and individuals.
• The Ministry Outreach League provides assistance to churches for outreach equipment and ministry resources. 

National and International Missions

The Lord’s Harvest International is the international missions branch of the COGGC. There are hundreds of Church of God General Conference congregations primarily in Malawi, Mozambique, Kenya, and Uganda. 

Atlanta Bible College later expanded its ministry through the ABC Korean Extension, which continues to train pastors for ministry in South Korea. 

North American Missions is the national missions and church-planting branch of the COGGC and supports small churches and home fellowships around the country. 

Writing & Publication

Over the years, the COGGC has published resources that communicate its biblical convictions. The COGGC has published several hymnals that reflect its biblical convictions. In 1960, it published the book Systematic Theology by Dr. Alva Huffer, which clearly presents the major teachings of the Church of God General Conference. A 29-lesson Bible study course is available that goes along with the book.

Today, the COGGC continues to publish the Restitution Herald and The Progress Journal, along with the Truth Seekers Curriculum, a small-group Bible Study curriculum. 

Through podcasts, websites, livestreams from our local churches, and online courses from Atlanta Bible College, the ministry and message of the Church of God General Conference are available around the world. The COGGC continues to explore new ways to reach others. One example is The Disciple Collective, which provides online courses for believers seeking to grow in their faith.

Archives & Research

The Church of God General Conference Archives was established to preserve books, photos, and magazines associated with our history. Today, many of these resources have been digitized, including hundreds of books and complete runs of The Restitution Herald and other periodicals, making them accessible to researchers around the world.

The Movement Continues

Over the past century, this movement has strongly advanced a Biblical Unitarian message, along with the teaching of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God. Throughout its history, the Church of God General Conference has sought to proclaim Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God while remaining committed to biblical truth.  

In recent years, a growing number of Christians have embraced the biblical teachings of the Oneness of God and the coming Kingdom. As the Church of God General Conference looks to the future, it remains committed to faithfully proclaiming these biblical convictions for generations to come.

Sources: 

Sanford, C. B. (1987). The religious life of Thomas Jefferson. University Press of Virginia.