(Original) Church of God (1917 - Present) - Religious Group
Religious Family: PentecostalReligious Tradition: Evangelical Protestant
Description: The (Original) Church of God is a Holiness Pentecostal church founded in 1917 by Reverend Joseph L. Scott, who led a split with the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee). The association prizes the autonomy of local congregations; they historically allowed divorced people to enter membership.
Official Site: http://www.theocogfellowship.org/
Connections: (Original) Church of God
| Group (Active) | Group (Defunct) | Other |
(Original) Church of God: Congregations (2020)1
Top 5 (Original) Church of God States (2020)1 [View all States]
| Rank | State | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas | 5 | -- | -- |
| 2 | Tennessee | 4 | -- | -- |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 2 | -- | -- |
| 4 | Virginia | 2 | -- | -- |
| 5 | Alabama | 1 | -- | -- |
Top 5 (Original) Church of God Counties (2020)1 [View all Counties]
| Rank | County | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hamilton County, TN | 3 | -- | -- |
| 2 | Suffolk County, MA | 2 | -- | -- |
| 3 | Lee County, AR | 1 | -- | -- |
| 4 | Fayette County, AL | 1 | -- | -- |
| 5 | Prairie County, AR | 1 | -- | -- |
Top 5 (Original) Church of God Metro Areas (2020)1 [View all Metro Areas]
| Rank | Metro | Congregations | Adherents | Adherence Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chattanooga, TN-GA Metro Area | 3 | -- | -- |
| 2 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area | 2 | -- | -- |
| 3 | Beckley, WV Metro Area | 1 | -- | -- |
| 4 | Blacksburg-Christiansburg, VA Metro Area | 1 | -- | -- |
| 5 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR Metro Area | 1 | -- | -- |
(Original) Church of God, Members (1935 - 1971)2
(Original) Church of God, Ministers & Churches (1935 - 1971)2
(Original) Church of God, Trends (1935 - 1971)2
| YEAR | MEMBERS | MINISTERS | CHURCHES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | 2,597 | 125 | 85 |
| 1936 | 2,269 | 58 | |
| 1937 | 2,597 | ||
| 1944 | 5,000 | 58 | |
| 1952 | 6,000 | 155 | 75 |
| 1956 | 6,000 | 100 | 75 |
| 1959 | 7,000 | 200 | 50 |
| 1961 | 6,000 | 82 | 35 |
| 1965 | 18,000 | 60 | 75 |
| 1971 | 20,000 | 124 | 70 |
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.
