Church of God in Christ Inc.

COGIC Quadrennial Election Postponed

Staff and Wire ReportMarch 3, 2021

The Church of God in Christ, Inc., has postponed the Quadrennial Election of the Presiding Bishop and General Board until later in March. In a statement dated March 1, Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr., and Bishop L.F. Thuston, General Assembly Chair announced that a “high integrity third party vendor” will be selected by March 5 to “administer the Quadrennial Election under the supervision of the Election Commission.” The joint statement pointed to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for the postponement, citing the “enormous organizational and logistical challenges” caused by the health calamity as well as

Religion

Women’s History Spotlight: Barbara McCoo Lewis Lifts Others By Modeling Love of Christ

March 4, 2020

March is Women’s History Month – A Salute to Champions of Faith In recognition of Women’s History Month, the L.A. Sentinel Religion section will highlight some of the female “Champions of Faith” in the Los Angeles area. This week, we feature Dr. Barbara McCoo Lewis, the International General Supervisor of the Department of Women of the Church of God in Christ, Inc. A native of Los Angeles, she has served the denomination in several capacities on the local, jurisdictional, national and international

Religion

COGIC Bishop Wilburn Wyatt Hamilton Passes

Staff and Wire ReportSeptember 25, 2019

Bishop Wilburn Wyatt Hamilton, an enduring spiritual and community activist in the San Francisco area, passed away on Sept. 16, at the age of 88. Hamilton served in the Church of God in Christ denomination as general board member emeritus and prelate emeritus of the California Northwest Jurisdiction under the leadership of Bishop Nathaniel Antonio Bullock. He also served 33 years as the pastor of Greater Victory Temple Church of God in Christ in Seaside, CA, where his life celebration was held on Sept. 25. “The impact that he had on younger preachers and pastors, that he poured into their lives,

Religion

This Week in Black Faith History – Bishop Charles Harrison Mason

Reprinted from COGIC.orgFebruary 20, 2019

Bishop Charles Harrison Mason was the founder and first senior bishop of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), the largest African-American Pentecostal church in the United States. Born to former slaves Jerry and Eliza Mason in Shelby County, Tenn., on Sept. 8, 1864, Mason worked with his family as a sharecropper and did not receive a formal education as a child. But at an early age, he was influenced by his parents’ religion. Mason joined the African American Missionary Baptist Church when he was an adolescent and later received his license to preach from the Mount Gale Missionary Baptist

Religion

SoCal 1st Business and Professional Women Celebrate 50th Anniversary

Sentinel News ServiceMay 16, 2018

The Church of God in Christ Southern California First Jurisdiction’s Business and Professional Women (BPW) will celebrate the 50th anniversary of BPW’s 1968 elevation to a COGIC national auxiliary. BPW will also salute the appointment of its first president and chairwoman, the late Bessie Christian of Southern California First, and the late Gladys Yizar, as secretary. The celebration will be held during the Annual Personal Development Conference on Saturday, May 19, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel and Resort, 6161 Centinela Ave., in Culver City. The ticket donation is $40. Dr. Wanda Barnett Street, M.D., MPH and BPW

Religion

COGIC Launches ‘I AM 2018 Movement’ for Racial and Economic Justice

Cora Jackson-Fossett, Religion EditorApril 5, 2018

Presiding Bishop Charles Blake unveils campaign in Memphis during 50th anniversary of MLK assassination Faith leaders, community activists, labor heads and prominent entertainers united with Church of God in Christ (COGIC) Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr., to launch the I AM 2018 Movement on April 2-4, in Memphis, Tennessee. Blake, who is also pastor of West Angeles COGIC in Los Angeles, joined with the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) to organize the national effort to commemorate the 1968 “Mountaintop” speech by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., acknowledge the 50th anniversary of King’s assassination,

Religion

Bankhead Grisham Touches Others Through Her Gifts and Ministries

Cora Jackson-Fossett, Religion EditorMarch 21, 2018

This month, the L.A. Sentinel Religion section debuts “Champions of Faith,” a column about highlighting ordinary people inspired by their faith to make a difference in the community. In recognition of Women’s History Month, L.A. women will be featured during the month of March. What is your name and what is your ministry? I am Sheila Bankhead Grisham. Professionally, I am an attorney, however, I serve in several capacities with the Church of God in Christ, Inc. I am the Business and Professional Women’s co-chair under the Southern California First Jurisdiction’s Department of Women, the international vice president of

Religion

Barbara McCoo Lewis Appointed COGIC General Supervisor

Sentinel News ServiceApril 26, 2017

The Church of God In Christ, Inc. announced Mother Barbara McCoo Lewis as General Supervisor of the International Department of Women. Lewis was appointed and installed during the April Call Annual Business Meeting in Memphis, Tennessee by Presiding Bishop and Chief Apostle, Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr., in conjunction with the approval of the 12 General Board Members. In this role, she will oversee the Department of Women of the 6.5 million-member church. She succeeds Mother Willie Mae Rivers of Goose Creek, South Carolina. Since 2013, Mother Lewis has served as the Assistant General Supervisor of the International Department of

Religion

Bishop Blake’s Attacker Goes to Jail

Sentinel News ServiceMarch 15, 2017

Bishop Charles E. Blake, pastor of West Angeles Church of God in Christ (COGIC), one of the largest congregations in America, was awarded yet another victory in his fight against the defamatory acts of Minister Earl Carter, a former preacher within the COGIC denomination. At a March 8 hearing in Orlando, Florida, Carter was held in Contempt of Court, remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal and sent to jail. The case began on December 11, 2015, when Blake filed a defamation lawsuit alleging that Carter created Youtube videos with the intent to, among other things, damage his