church of god history | new-life-cog

A Brief History Of The Church Of God

It was 1886, in a crude meeting house on the Tennessee-North Carolina border, where the Church of God traces its roots. There, a group of eight sincere Christians had a deep desire for a closer relationship and life with Christ. Realizing the futility of reforming their own churches, they established a new church whose objective would be to restore sound scriptural doctrines of the Bible, encourage deeper consecration and promote evangelism and Christian service. Twenty-one years after the formation of the Christian Union that evening at the Barney Creek Meeting House, the growing movement would establish themselves permanently as the Church of God.

From this seemingly insignificant origin has grown one of the most influential worldwide Pentecostal denominations. For nearly 120 years the Church of God has been a distinctive movement focused upon communicating the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit. Presently, the Church of God has a world-wide membership of over 6 million with a presence in nearly 150 countries. Leaders of the Church of God are recognized as some of the most respected Pentecostal leaders of today.

The call of the Church of God today beckons back to those early days at Barney Creek. Church of God congregations around the globe are experiencing the fire of the Holy Spirit today more than ever. Reports of revivals where hundreds are saved and filled with the Holy Spirit are frequent and on-going. The call of the Church of God is for world evangelization. It is a call to discipleship and prayer. It is a call of commitment. It is a call for the Church of God to be a channel for Pentecostal revival well into the new millennium.

New Life Church of God History

In August 1998, a small group of Christians decided to plant a new church in Gallipolis, Ohio. The founding pastor was Rick Towe, and the name was to be New Life Church of God of Gallipolis, Ohio. The group rented a small building behind the Car Quest Auto Parts warehouse on Airport Road. As the church grew, walls were taken down to make a larger worship area and classrooms.

In September 2008, God provided an opportunity for the church to purchase a larger building near the intersection of Route 7 and Route 35 in the Kanauga area of Gallipolis on land contract. After 18 months of remodeling and repair, New Life Church of God relocated to its current location at 576 State Route 7 North, Gallipolis, Ohio, the first Sunday in January 2010. God provided blessings above and beyond what we could ever ask or think during these months, and we want to give Him all the glory.

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