The two largest Pentecostal denominations in the United States–the Assemblies of God and the Church of God in Christ–have had little interaction throughout their histories, yet both emerged in part from the interracial Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles (1906-1909).
Despite this common origin, the two churches developed along largely separate trajectories. They have similar beliefs and have both witnessed strong growth since their inceptions, but their interaction has been limited until recent decades, separated apparently by race.
Assemblies of God members in the United States, until recently, had been overwhelmingly white, while the Church of God in Christ is mostly African-American.
This week, the widow of the late Church of God in Christ Bishop J. O. Patterson, Sr. and the Assemblies of God joined hands in an effort to bridge the denominational and racial divides.
The Assemblies of God hosted the Bishop J.O. Patterson Sr. Symposium on Sept. 17-18 in Springfield, Mo. During the two-day event, the bishop’s life and ministry were heralded and his widow, “Mother” Mary Patterson, was honored for donating her husband’s personal papers to the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center (FPHC), which is located in the Assemblies of God national offices.
Bishop J.O. Patterson Sr., who was the presiding bishop (similar to the AG general superintendent) for the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) from 1968-1989, was one of the most influential men in COGIC history. His papers are considered a treasure by the FPHC director Darrin Rodgers.
“The Bishop J.O. Patterson, Sr. Collection is a valuable addition to the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center and opens a door to the rich history of the Church of God in Christ for students, researchers and historians,” Rodgers explains. Rodgers says the donation is significant because materials documenting the Church of God in Christ have not been easily accessible to historians.
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article courtesy of Charismanews.com
