An investigation into the phenomena and practices of spiritual ...

American, was the presiding Bishop of the church at 312 Azusa street where the downpouring of the Holy Spirit took place. Although he was a senior minister where themajority of the congregation was African- Americans he did not receive the baptism of theHoly Spirit until three days into the revival at Azusa Street in 1906. Although the revivalwas both egalitarian and welcomed all-comers, the white Americans who received the giftof tongues were rarely willing to embrace racial integration during its most influentialyears of 1906-1911 (Beckford 2006, Anderson 2004).The early COGIC acted as a fellowship within the broad framework of the Assemblies ofGod. As the Pentecostal movement penetrated the Old South, the territories of the oldConfederacy, it felt it had to compromise with the realities of racial segregation. In 1916all Black leaders were ejected or resigned from the Assemblies of God , although Masonhimself preached at the meeting that took this decision, and wished the new all-whiteAssemblies of God well on their new path. COGIC became an independent movementwith its own episcopal form of government. Mason (cited in Harvey, 2005) commented“God has so wonderfully wrought his power amongst White and Black, sanctifying,baptising and healing”. Although it retained a number of white pastors and members intothe 1930s, it gradually became seen as not just a Black majority church but a Black church,and the fifth largest Christian denomination in the USA (Anderson 2004). Its „top-down‟Episcopal form of government differentiates it from other Pentecostal movements whichoperate a more congregational or synodical form of church governance.Thomas–Juggan (2000) outlines the distinctive doctrines of the Church of God in Christ inEngland under the headings of Soteriology, (the doctrine of Salvation), Hamartiology, (thedoctrine of sin), Anthropology, (the doctrine of man) and Pneumatology, (the doctrine of109