Churches of Jesus Christ International
Encyclopedia
The Churches of Jesus Christ International is an association of loosely-affiliated Oneness Pentecostal
churches with headquarters in Cleveland
, Tennessee
, United States
.
(PAW) over baptism
al formula. In 1923, Bishop Mark K. Lawson heard the preaching of Hawthorne about baptism only in the name of Jesus Christ. Lawson reported seeing a vision in the sky with the words "in the name of Jesus Christ", after which he traveled to Inglis
, Florida
where Hawthorne baptized him. They became the two founding officials of the unincorporated Church of Jesus Christ. In 1927, Lawson obtained a Tennessee religious charter under the name "The Church of Jesus Christ". Hawthorne remained in Florida where he converted Clarence Hand of Gulf Hammock
. Hawthorne is buried in the Church of Jesus Christ graveyard in Inglis.
Bishop Lawson expanded the group by chartering the organization in many other states.Several ministers and pastors have since then joined this group. The group nearly died out in the late 1970s and 1980s due to doctrinal conflicts between the various bishops. In the late 1990s the group was revived by Bishop Boyd Lawson (son of Mark Lawson), who reestablished a governing board and purchased the old headquarters on Benton Pike in Cleveland. The name was changed to "The Churches of Jesus Christ" because other bishops holding the old charters refused to surrender them and accept Lawson's leadership.Bishop Boyd Lawson has proven to be a man of burden as well as character. He purchased the old headquarters so the group would have a place to meet for conferences and special events.
The group continues to grow and many of the lost affiliates have come back. This revival spread outside of the United States and played a part in the name change in its present form.Each year during the week of Pentecost Sunday they host an Annual Convention. This convention is well attended by Ministers from the U.S.A, Canada and several different Nations including Pastors from as far away as India.
Today, there are more than 25 churches involved in the organization, and each bears the name "The Church of Jesus Christ". The cumulative membership of the organization is approximately 100,000. The largest of the churches is the original church in Cleveland, Tennessee, which had a membership of approximately 37,500 in 1990.
instructs that baptism should be performed "in the name of Jesus Christ." Hawthorne and Lawson believed the name "Jesus Christ" should be posted on the outside of the church in order to identify it as a church that baptizes only in the name of Jesus Christ.
Oneness Pentecostal
Oneness Pentecostalism refers to a grouping of denominations and believers within Pentecostal Christianity, all of whom subscribe to the nontrinitarian theological doctrine of Oneness...
churches with headquarters in Cleveland
Cleveland, Tennessee
Cleveland is a city in Bradley County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 41,285 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Bradley County...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
History
The original Church of Jesus Christ was founded by Bishop Ben Hawthorne in 1922 as a split from the Pentecostal Assemblies of the WorldPentecostal Assemblies of the World
The Pentecostal Assemblies of the World is a Pentecostal Christian denomination. Founded in 1914, it is one of the oldest Oneness Pentecostal organizations in existence. Headquarters are in Indianapolis, Indiana, and The Christian Outlook is the church's official publication...
(PAW) over baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
al formula. In 1923, Bishop Mark K. Lawson heard the preaching of Hawthorne about baptism only in the name of Jesus Christ. Lawson reported seeing a vision in the sky with the words "in the name of Jesus Christ", after which he traveled to Inglis
Inglis, Florida
Inglis is a town located in Levy County, Florida, United States. It is located on U.S. Highway 19 near the Cross Florida Greenway. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 1,491. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
where Hawthorne baptized him. They became the two founding officials of the unincorporated Church of Jesus Christ. In 1927, Lawson obtained a Tennessee religious charter under the name "The Church of Jesus Christ". Hawthorne remained in Florida where he converted Clarence Hand of Gulf Hammock
Inglis, Florida
Inglis is a town located in Levy County, Florida, United States. It is located on U.S. Highway 19 near the Cross Florida Greenway. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 1,491. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S...
. Hawthorne is buried in the Church of Jesus Christ graveyard in Inglis.
Bishop Lawson expanded the group by chartering the organization in many other states.Several ministers and pastors have since then joined this group. The group nearly died out in the late 1970s and 1980s due to doctrinal conflicts between the various bishops. In the late 1990s the group was revived by Bishop Boyd Lawson (son of Mark Lawson), who reestablished a governing board and purchased the old headquarters on Benton Pike in Cleveland. The name was changed to "The Churches of Jesus Christ" because other bishops holding the old charters refused to surrender them and accept Lawson's leadership.Bishop Boyd Lawson has proven to be a man of burden as well as character. He purchased the old headquarters so the group would have a place to meet for conferences and special events.
The group continues to grow and many of the lost affiliates have come back. This revival spread outside of the United States and played a part in the name change in its present form.Each year during the week of Pentecost Sunday they host an Annual Convention. This convention is well attended by Ministers from the U.S.A, Canada and several different Nations including Pastors from as far away as India.
Today, there are more than 25 churches involved in the organization, and each bears the name "The Church of Jesus Christ". The cumulative membership of the organization is approximately 100,000. The largest of the churches is the original church in Cleveland, Tennessee, which had a membership of approximately 37,500 in 1990.
Doctrine
The Churches of Jesus Christ International baptize "in the name of Jesus Christ" only, rather than the more usual Trinitarian "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit". The Churches of Jesus Christ justify their rejection the triune name baptism by citing Acts 2:38, where it is reported that PeterSaint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
instructs that baptism should be performed "in the name of Jesus Christ." Hawthorne and Lawson believed the name "Jesus Christ" should be posted on the outside of the church in order to identify it as a church that baptizes only in the name of Jesus Christ.
External links
- The Churches of Jesus Christ International : official website