Church of the Living God (Christian Workers for Fellowship) (1889 - Present) - Religious Group
Religious Family: PentecostalReligious Tradition: Black Protestant
Description: The Church of the Living God (Christian Workers for Fellowship) is a predominantly black Holiness Pentecostal church founded in 1889 by the Rev. William Christian (1856-1928). Rev. Christian split from the Baptist church to form this association and increase instruction about the important place of black people in the story of the Bible. The church self-identifies as non-denominational and non-sectarian, holds Trinitarian doctrine with Pentecostal influences, and administers water and unleavened bread as the Lord's Supper.
Official Site: http://www.ctlgcwff.com/
Connections: Church of the Living God (Christian Workers for Fellowship)
| Group (Active) | Group (Defunct) | Other |
Church of the Living God (Christian Workers for Fellowship): Congregations (2020)1
Top 5 Church of the Living God (Christian Workers for Fellowship) States (2020)1 [View all States]
| Rank | State | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 25 | -- | -- |
| 2 | Oklahoma | 20 | -- | -- |
| 3 | California | 11 | -- | -- |
| 4 | Arkansas | 9 | -- | -- |
| 5 | Illinois | 7 | -- | -- |
Top 5 Church of the Living God (Christian Workers for Fellowship) Counties (2020)1 [View all Counties]
| Rank | County | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma County, OK | 7 | -- | -- |
| 2 | Dallas County, TX | 7 | -- | -- |
| 3 | Harris County, TX | 4 | -- | -- |
| 4 | Cook County, IL | 3 | -- | -- |
| 5 | Wayne County, MI | 3 | -- | -- |
Top 5 Church of the Living God (Christian Workers for Fellowship) Metro Areas (2020)1 [View all Metro Areas]
| Rank | Metro | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma City, OK Metro Area | 10 | -- | -- |
| 2 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metro Area | 7 | -- | -- |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA Metro Area | 4 | -- | -- |
| 4 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX Metro Area | 4 | -- | -- |
| 5 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Metro Area | 4 | -- | -- |
Church of the Living God (Christian Workers for Fellowship), Members (1935 - 2006)2
Church of the Living God (Christian Workers for Fellowship), Ministers & Churches (1935 - 2006)2
Church of the Living God (Christian Workers for Fellowship), Trends (1935 - 2006)2
| YEAR | MEMBERS | MINISTERS | CHURCHES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | 3,960 | 176 | 146 |
| 1937 | 620 | 30 | |
| 1942 | 110 | 8 | |
| 1944 | 120 | 6 | |
| 1951 | 50 | 7 | 5 |
| 1952 | 65 | 10 | 5 |
| 1957 | 11,594 | 235 | 223 |
| 1958 | 25,000 | 247 | 236 |
| 1959 | 27,562 | 262 | 244 |
| 1960 | 32,575 | 317 | 256 |
| 1961 | 37,425 | 375 | 268 |
| 1962 | 43,572 | 362 | 272 |
| 1964 | 45,320 | 376 | 276 |
| 1985 | 42,000 | 170 | 170 |
| 2002 | 20,000 | 214 | 120 |
| 2006 | 42,000 | 214 | 170 |
Sources
1 The 2020 data were collected by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB) and include data for 372 religious bodies or groups. Of these, the ASARB was able to gather data on congregations and adherents for 217 and on congregations only for 155. [More information on the data sources]
2 All data on clergy, members, and churches are taken from the National Council of Churches’ Historic Archive CD and recent print editions of the Council’s Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches. The CD archives all 68 editions of the Yearbook (formerly called Yearbook of the Churches and Yearbook of American Churches) from 1916 to 2000. Read more information on the Historic Archive CD and the Yearbook.
Membership figures are "inclusive." According to the Yearbook, this includes "those who are full communicant or confirmed members plus other members baptized, non-confirmed or non-communicant." Each denomination has its own criteria for membership.
When a denomination listed on the Historic Archive CD was difficult to identify, particularly in early editions of the Yearbook, the ARDA staff consulted numerous sources, including Melton’s Encyclopedia of American Religions and the Handbook of Denominations in the United States. In some cases, ARDA staff consulted the denomination’s website or contacted its offices by phone. When a denomination could not be positively identified, its data were omitted.
