Church of God International (USA)
Encyclopedia
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- For other organizations with the same name, see Church of God InternationalChurch of God InternationalChurch of God International may refer to the following:*Members Church of God International, also known as The Old Path is a Christian religion in the Philippines....
- For other organizations with the same name, see Church of God International
The Church of God, International (CGI) is a seventh-day Sabbatarian Christian church currently headquartered in Tyler, Texas, USA, which was founded by former members of the Worldwide Church of God
Worldwide Church of God
Grace Communion International , formerly the Worldwide Church of God , is an evangelical Christian denomination based in Glendora, California, United States. Since April 3, 2009, it has used the new name Grace Communion International in the US...
.
Incorporated in 1978, the organization was led until 1998 by Garner Ted Armstrong
Garner Ted Armstrong
Garner Ted Armstrong was an American evangelist and the son of Herbert W. Armstrong, founder of the Worldwide Church of God, at the time a Sabbatarian organization that taught strict observance of seventh-day Sabbath, holy days typically associated with the Jewish faith, and other observances...
(1930-2003), the son of the founder of the Worldwide Church of God, Herbert W. Armstrong
Herbert W. Armstrong
Herbert W. Armstrong founded the Worldwide Church of God in the late 1930s, as well as Ambassador College in 1946, and was an early pioneer of radio and tele-evangelism, originally taking to the airwaves in the 1930s from Eugene, Oregon...
. In 1998, amid accusations of sexual impropriety, Garner Ted Armstrong was removed from office by the church's board of directors. A significant ministerial reorganization followed which resulted in the present sharing of administration and leadership among church pastors.
Many CGI doctrines are similar to other Sabbatarian Churches of God which developed from the pre-1996 Worldwide Church of God
Worldwide Church of God
Grace Communion International , formerly the Worldwide Church of God , is an evangelical Christian denomination based in Glendora, California, United States. Since April 3, 2009, it has used the new name Grace Communion International in the US...
. However, CGI members and clergy work in partnership to positively challenge each other in refining the organization's scriptural understanding and teaching. CGI attempts to base all church doctrine as plainly as possible on a simple and direct reading (though not always literal) of the Bible, usually examining subjects from the entirety of scripture.
CGI produces a television program titled Armor of God
Armor of God
The phrase "Armor of God" is directly derived from Ephesians : "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." As a Biblical reference, the metaphor may refer literally to physical armor worn by God in metaphorical battles, or it may refer to vigilant...
which covers topics of challenge to today's Christians, applying lessons and insight from the Judeo-Christian Holy Bible.
CGI has congregations in the United States, Canada, Jamaica, Ireland, Australia and the Philippines.