Pentecostal - American Family Tree [Return to List of Trees]
Pentecostal churches emerged as a movement in early 20th century America, stressing enthusiastic worship and the restoration of practices evident in New Testament Christianity, such as speaking in tongues and healing. It is sometimes divided into "classical Pentecostalism," indicating the movement's historical bodies, and "neo-Pentecostalism," the modern movement emphasizing charismatic renewal. Pentecostal bodies include Assemblies of God and Church of God in Christ.
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Note: Groups that are colored blue are currently active. Groups that are colored gray are defunct.Included in this tree
| Religious Group | Founded | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Apostolic Faith (Kansas) | 1898 | The Apostolic Faith (Kansas) movement began in 1898 when Rev. Charles Fox Parham, previously a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, started a home for divine healing in Topeka, Kansas. After establishing a periodical called Apostolic Faith and, two years later, opening Bethel Bible College, Parham spread the message of Pentecostalism in Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Texas. However, an ensuing split with Pentecostal leadership led him to resign from his role in the Apostolic Faith movement in 1907. Followers remaining in his ministry consolidated into a fellowship in Baxter Springs, Kansas, which is also the site of the group's Bible college. Theologically, the group is similar to the Assemblies of God. |
| Assemblies of God, General Council of the | 1914 | The General Council of the Assemblies of God was established in 1914 at a gathering of Pentecostal ministers in Hot Springs, Arkansas. |
| Church of God in Christ | 1894 | The Church of God in Christ, the largest of the several predominantly black Pentecostal churches, was founded in 1894 by Charles H. Mason. In 1907, Mason took most of the body into Pentecostalism. Those who remained were organized by Elder Charles Prince Jones as the Church of Christ (Holiness) U.S.A. |
| Church of Christ (Holiness) U.S.A | 1907 | In 1894, C. P. Jones and Charles H. Mason formed the Church of God in Christ as a Holiness body, following their exclusion from fellowship with black Baptists in Arkansas. Mason took most of the body into Pentecostalism in 1907. Those who remained were organized by Jones as the Church of Christ (Holiness) U.S.A. |
| Apostolic Faith Mission of Portland, Oregon | 1907 | The Apostolic Faith Mission of Portland, Oregon, is a Holiness Pentecostal church founded in 1907 by Florence L. Crawford. |
| Fire-Baptized Holiness Assocation | 1895 | The first fire-baptized congregation in the United States was organized at Olmitz, Iowa, in 1895, which prompted several more congregations to form across nine U.S. states in the following years (with two congregations also in Canada). Formal organization of the Fire-Baptized Holiness Association came in 1898 in Anderson, South Carolina. In 1911, this group would merge with the Pentecostal Holiness Church, retaining the name of the latter group. |
| Pentecostal Holiness Church | 1899 | The Pentecostal Holiness Church was formed in 1899 in Goldsboro, North Carolina, after Abner Blackmon Crumpler, a Methodist preacher, withdrew from the church and started a new denomination with his followers. In 1911, this group would merge with the Fire-Baptized Holiness Association but would retain its name. |
| Free Church of God in Christ | 1915 | The Free Church of God in Christ is a predominantly black Pentecostal Church founded in 1915 by J. H. Morris and former members of the Church of God in Christ. |
| General Assemblies of Apostolic Assemblies | 1917 | The General Assemblies of Apostolic Assemblies was formed in January of 1917 after a number of Oneness ministers were forced out of the Assemblies of God. These ministers included D. C. O. Opperman and Howard A. Goss, who were two early leaders in the Apostolic movement. The group immediately hit organizational difficulties due to the onset of World War I. Specifically, because they were such a new organization, their ministers were not exempt from military service and could not receive clergy rates on railroads, which were the main method of clergy travel at the time. As a result, this group merged into the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World in 1918. |
| Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) | 1886 | The Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) was founded in 1886 as a Holiness church, the Christian Union. It assumed its present name in 1907 after members accepted a new Pentecostal perspective. |
| (Original) Church of God | 1917 | 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. |
| International Pentecostal Holiness Church | 1975 | The Pentecostal Holiness Church and Fire-Baptized Holiness Church merged in 1911 and retained the name Pentecostal Holiness Church. It took the current name in 1975. |
| Pentecostal Fire-Baptized Holiness Church | 1918 | The Pentecostal Fire-Baptized Holiness Church was formed in 1918 by those in the Pentecostal Holiness Church, now the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, who wanted stricter standards concerning dress, amusements, tobacco, and association between the sexes. In 1921, the North Carolina Conference of the Pentecostal Free Will Baptist Church joined the association. The association is defunct. |
| Pentecostal Assemblies of the World | 1906 | The Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, the first of the Oneness Pentecostal churches, was founded in 1906 by J. J. Frazee. The church has attempted to remain a functionally integrated church through the years. |
| Church of the Living God, the Pillar and Ground of the Truth, Inc. [Lewis Dominion] | 1903 | The Church of the Living God, the Pillar and Ground of the Truth is a predominantly black Pentecostal church founded in 1908 after the evangelistic work begun in 1903 by Mother Mary L. Tate, a pioneer female Pentecostal evangelist in the South, gained a large following. The church prizes holiness. The House of God Which is the Church of the Living God, the Pillar and Ground of Truth, as well as the House of God Which is the Church of the Living God, the Pillar and Ground of the Truth Without Controversy (Keith Dominion), and the Church of the Living God, the Pillar, and Ground of Truth Which He Purchased with His Own Blood, Inc. all branched off from this association. |
| House of God Which is the Church of the Living God, the Pillar and Ground of the Truth, Inc. [White Dominion] | 1919 | The House of God Which is the Church of the Living God, The Pillar and Ground of Truth, a predominantly black Pentecostal church, was founded in 1919 when the Philadelphia congregation of the Church of the Living God, The Pillar and Ground of Truth (founded by Mary L. Tate) became independent. Subsequently, a new denomination arose. It is not to be confused with the church of the same name that derives from the Church of the Living God (Christian Workers for Fellowship). |
| Bible Standard Conference | 1919 | The Bible Standard Conference was formed in Eugene, Oregon, by Fred Hornshuh in 1919. It merged with the Open Bible Evangelistic Association in 1935 to form the Open Bible Standard Churches (called Open Bible Churches since 1996). |
| Church of our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Inc. | 1919 | The Church of our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Inc. was founded in 1919 by Robert Clarence Lawson, formerly a minister with the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World. Doctrinally similar to the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, The Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith relied heavily on the leadership of Robert Clarence Lawson to form its distinct identity in New York City. After his death, the leadership of this church has fallen to the Board of Apostles. |
| Congregational Holiness Church | 1921 | The Congregational Holiness Church is a Holiness Pentecostal church founded in 1921 by the Rev. Watson Sorrow and Hugh Bowling. |
| United Holy Church of America | 1916 | The United Holy Church of America is a predominantly black Pentecostal church founded in response to a revival led by Reverend Isaac Cheshier in North Carolina in 1886, after which many participants struggled to work with pre-existing denominations. It was first named the Holy Church of North Carolina, then the Holy Church of North Carolina and Virginia. The Church assumed the unincorporated form of its present name in 1916, which it incorporated in 1918 in Durham, North Carolina. The Church gradually became international and suffered internal division from 1977 to 1998, at which point the church reunified. |
| Mount Sinai Holy Church of America, Inc. | 1924 | The Mount Sinai Holy Church of America is a predominantly black Pentecostal church founded in 1924 by Bishop Ida Robinson, formerly of the United Holy Church of America. Bishop Robinson founded the church in response to a self-proclaimed divine vision to build a Church that promoted women to positions of power. The Church has an episcopal polity and conservative dress policy. |
| Pentecostal Ministerial Alliance | 1924 | The Pentecostal Ministerial Alliance began in 1924 when seceding members of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World made plans to form a new organization, officially chartered in 1925 as the Pentecostal Ministerial Alliance. It functioned under that name until 1932, when it became Pentecostal Church, Inc. |
| Apostolic Churches of Jesus Christ | 1925 | The Apostolic Churches of Jesus Christ was a Oneness church formed in 1925 in Missouri. In 1928, this group merged with a similar group that had formed around the same time - Emmanuel's Church in Jesus Christ - and became the Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ. |
| Emmanuel's Church in Jesus Christ | 1925 | The Emmanuel's Church in Jesus Christ was a Oneness church formed in 1925 in Texas. The group had originally desired the name "Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ," but that name was already chartered by another group in Missouri. In 1928, however, these two groups merged and became the Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ. |
| Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ | 1928 | The Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ was formed in 1928 in Port Arthur, Texas, as two similar Oneness bodies, the Emmanuel's Church in Jesus Christ and the Apostolic Churches of Jesus Christ, merged. |
| Way of the Cross Church of Christ | 1928 | The Way of the Cross Church of Christ was founded in 1928 by Henry C. Brooks. Brooks was an independent black minister who founded a church in Washington, D.C., that became part of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith. However, when the latter group's founder, Robert Clarence Lawson, wanted Brooks's congregation to join another, Brooks decided to leave Lawson's jurisdiction and start a new organization. |
| Mount Calvary Holy Church in America | 1929 | The Mount Calvary Holy Church in America was founded in 1929 by Bishop Brumfield Johnson in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Previously, Johnson was a pastor of the United Holy Church of America in Summit, New Jersey. After establishing the new church in North Carolina, Johnson continued to grow the church in other states, including New York, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Today, the church has a presence in 17 states and 12 countries. |
| Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ Inc. | 1931 | The Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ is an independent association of Pentecostal churches. It was founded in 1931 as a merger between the Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ and the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World. After another merger (followed by a withdrawal) and a period of seven years in which the church was defunct, the group was revived in 1955. |
| Church of the Living God, the Pillar and Ground of Truth Which He Purchased With His Own Blood, Inc. [McLeod/Jewell Dominion] | 1931 | The Church of the Living God, the Pillar and Ground of the Truth Which He Purchased With His Own Blood, Inc. (Jewel Dominion) is a predominantly black Pentecostal church that was part of the 1931 redistribution of the Church of the Living God, the Pillar and Ground of Truth founded by Mother Mary Magdalena Lewis Tate. The association was first led by Bishop B.L. McLeod, but after his death in 1936, his widow, Bp. Mattie Lou McLeod, took his place. After her remarriage into the Jewel family, the dominion took her new name as well. |
| House of God Which is the Church of the Living God, the Pillar and Ground of the Truth Without Controversy (Keith Dominion) | 1931 | The House of God Which is the Church of the Living God, The Pillar and Ground of Truth Without Controversy (Keith Dominion), a predominantly black Pentecostal church, emerged in the 1930s. Following founder Mary L. Tate's death in 1931, the Church of the Living God, The Pillar and Ground of Truth, which she founded, was divided into three districts. One district was headed by Tate's daughter-in-law, M. F. L. Keith. It gradually became independent of the other districts and took its present name. |
| Pentecostal Church, Inc. | 1932 | The Pentecostal Church, Inc., began in 1924 when seceding members of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World made plans to form a new organization, officially chartered in 1925 as the Pentecostal Ministerial Alliance. It functioned under that name until 1932, when it became Pentecostal Church, Inc. In 1945, this church merged with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ to form the United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI). |
| Church of God in Christ, Congregational | 1932 | The Church of God in Christ, Congregational was formed in 1932 by Bp. J. Bowe of Hot Springs, Arkansas. Bowe was previously a member of the Church of God in Christ, but was forced out over his assertion that church polity should be congregational rather than episcopal. Nevertheless, the group still remains theologically similar to the Church of God in Christ. |
| International Church of the Foursquare Gospel | 1927 | The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel is a Pentecostal church founded in 1927 by evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson. |
| Open Bible Evangelistic Association | 1932 | The Open Bible Evangelistic Association was founded in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1932 under the leadership of John R. Richey. In 1935, it merged with the Bible Standard Conference to form the Open Bible Standard Churches (called Open Bible Churches since 1996). |
| Church of the Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith (Philadelphia) | 1933 | The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith is a nontrinitarian Pentecostal church founded in 1933 by Bishop Sherrod C. Johnson. Bishop Johnson was formerly with the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith but left due to his conviction that women should dress more modestly and not adorn themselves with fashionable accessories. Going as far as to oppose celebrating Lent, Easter, and Christmas, Sherrod Johnson established a lastingly conservative church with an episcopal structure that relies heavily upon lay participation. |
| Open Bible Churches | 1935 | The Open Bible Churches (known as Open Bible Standard Churches until 1996) is a Pentecostal fellowship founded in 1935 when the Open Bible Evangelistic Association and Bible Standard Conference merged. |
| Church of God Apostolic, Inc. | 1897 | The Church of God Apostolic is a predominantly black Oneness Pentecostal church founded in 1897 as the Christian Faith Band by Thomas J. Cox. The association was incorporated as the Church of God Apostolic, Inc. in 1919. |
| Apostolic Church of Christ in God | 1941 | The Apostolic Church of Christ in God was formed in 1941 when five elders within the Church of God (Apostolic) decided to split from the church over concerns with the acting presiding bishop, Eli N. Neal. Three churches left with the elders, who established headquarters in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. |
| United Pentecostal Church International | 1945 | The United Pentecostal Church International, a Oneness Pentecostal church, was founded in 1945 as a merger of the Pentecostal Church, Inc., and the Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ. It is the largest of the predominantly white Oneness Pentecostal churches. |
| Alpha and Omega Pentecostal Church of God of America, Inc. | 1945 | The Alpha and Omega Pentecostal Church of God of America, Inc., was founded my Reverend Magdalene Mabe Philips, a former member of the United Holy Church of America, in 1945. |
| Church of God in Christ Jesus, Apostolic, Inc. | 1946 | The Church of God in Christ Jesus, Apostolic, Inc. was founded in January of 1946 in Baltimore, Maryland, by Randolph A. Carr and Monroe R. Saunders, two former ministers in the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World. The church was organized at a two-day conference for the purpose of establishing greater unity in the fellowship of churches. Theologically, the group maintained similar beliefs to its parent body, though had stricter standards regarding divorce and remarriage. This would eventually lead to internal division that would prompt Carr to break with the church and form the United Church of Jesus Christ (Apostolic). |
| United Church of the Living God, the Pillar and Ground of Truth | 1946 | The United Church of the Living God, the Pillar and Ground of Truth was founded in 1946 by Bishop Clifton Okley in Los Angeles, California. Although raised a Baptist, Okley was a minister in the Church of the Living God, the Pillar and Group of Truth (Jewell Dominion) before a disagreement with the church prompted him to leave and start a new denomination with his followers. |
| Sought Out Church of God in Christ | 1947 | The Sought Out Church of God in Christ was founded in 1947 after Mother Mozella Cook, previously a member of the Church of God in Christ, felt a divine calling to found a church. The church was established in Brunswick, Georgia. |
| Evangelistic Church of God | 1949 | The Evangelistic Church of God is a Pentecostal church founded in 1949 by Norman L. Chase and former members of the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee). |
| National David Spiritual Temple of Christ Church Union (Inc.) U.S.A. | 1932 | The National David Spiritual Temple of Christ Church Union (Inc.) U.S.A. was founded in 1932 by Dr. David William Short. Dr. Short split with Baptists to place special emphasis on the temple being the first church. This association was part of the merger that formed the Universal Christian Spiritual Faith and Churches for All Nations in 1952, which was also led by Dr. Short. |
| Universal Christian Spiritual Faith and Churches for All Nations | 1952 | The Universal Christian Spiritual Faith and Churches for All Nations came together in 1952 as the National David Spiritual Temple of Christ Church Union (Inc.) U.S.A., St. Paul's Spiritual Church Convocation, and King David's Spiritual Temple of Truth Association merged. Dr. David William Short, former leader of the National David Spiritual Temple of Christ Church Union, controlled the new association from the beginning alongside a national executive board. They do not affirm that speaking in tongues is the only indication that one has been granted the Holy Spirit. |
| Church of the Living God (Christian Workers for Fellowship) | 1889 | 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. |
| Church of God (Which He Purchased With His Own Blood) | 1953 | The Church of God (Which He Purchased with His Own Blood) is a predominantly black Pentecostal church founded in 1953 by William Jordan Fizer, formerly a minister with the Church of the Living God (Christian Workers for Fellowship). He was excommunicated for his conviction that the Lord's Supper should be served with grape juice or wine, not water as the Church of the Living God (Christian Workers for Fellowship) believed. |
| Emmanuel Holiness Church | 1953 | The Emmanuel Holiness Church is a Pentecostal church founded in 1953 by former members of the Pentecostal Fire-Baptized Holiness Church. |
| Bible Way Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ World Wide, Inc. | 1957 | The Bible Way Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ World Wide, Inc. is a predominantly black Oneness Pentecostal church founded in 1957 by Smallwood E. Williams and former members of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith. Frustrated with Robert Clarence Lawson's leadership of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, the founders of BWCWW sought to establish form of governance less dependent on a personality. In 1997, a conflict over leadership led to the creation of the International Bible Way Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which took the majority of BWCWW's congregations. |
| Church of God of Prophecy | 1903 | The Church of God of Prophecy is a Holiness Pentecostal church organized by Ambrose J. Tomlinson in 1903. Although it was understood that this group was operating as the Church of God, the General Assembly of 1907 officially adopted the name Church of God. In 1952, “of Prophecy” was added to the name to distinguish this organization from other organizations with similar names. |
| Church of God (Jerusalem Acres) | 1957 | The Church of God (Jerusalem Acres) began in 1957 when Grady R. Kent, and 300 of his supporters within the Church of God of Prophesy, established a new Church of God based on theocratic government. In worship and service, the group practices "New Testament Judaism," which includes observing the Biblical (Old Testament) calendar along with its holy days. The organizational polity is defined by an appointed leader, 12 apostles, 72 prophets, and 7 men of wisdom. |
| Pentecostal Churches of the Apostolic Faith International, Inc. | 1957 | The Pentecostal Churches of the Apostolic Faith International was founded in 1957 by Bishop Samuel N. Hancock. Hancock was originally a bishop within the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, but growing theological differences between him and the church eventually led to his departure and subsequent formation of a new denomination. |
| Calvary Chapel | 1965 | Calvary Chapel is a non-denominational church founded in Costa Mesa, California. In 1965, Pastor Chuck Smith left his expanding church in Corona, CA, to lead the 25-person congregation in Costa Mesa. His ministry attracted hippies and surfers, grew rapidly, and eventually expanded to an international network of churches that emphasizes a non-denominational identity bound by expository preaching. |
| Church of God in Christ, International | 1969 | The Church of God in Christ, International was founded in 1969 by Bishop William David Charles, Sr. and other former members of the Church of God in Christ. |
| Church of God in Christ United | 1973 | The Church of God in Christ United was organized in 1973 as a break from the Church of God in Christ. This movement was led by Bishop James Feltus, Jr., who was previously serving as a Special Representative of the Church of God in Christ in Louisiana East. As conflicts developed in the church, Bishop Feltus began to organize a separate denomination in 1972 around five key principles, which prioritized the Bible, the local church, and Christian fellowship. In 1973, Bishop Felton, Bishop R. A. Campbell, and Bishop Marshall met and formally agreed to unite under the new church name, with Supervisor Hazel L. Feltus as International Supervisor of the Department of Women. |
| International Pentecostal Assemblies | 1936 | The International Pentecostal Assemblies was formed in 1936 by the merger of the Association of Pentecostal Assemblies (APA) and the National and International Pentecostal Missionary Union. In 1976, it merged with the Pentecostal Church of Christ (PCC) to form the International Pentecostal Church of Christ (IPCC). |
| International Pentecostal Church of Christ | 1976 | The International Pentecostal Church of Christ was founded in 1976 when the International Pentecostal Assemblies and the Pentecostal Church of Christ merged. |
| Pentecostal Church of Christ | 1917 | In 1908, a traveling evangelist, John Stroup, organized churches in southeastern Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia. In 1917, in Kentucky, a group of ministers met and organized the Pentecostal Church of Christ, appointing Stroup as bishop. The church was officially incorporated in 1927. In 1976, this group merged with the International Pentecostal Assemblies to form the International Pentecostal Church of Christ. |
| Rhema | 1978 | "Rhema" is the name of a set of ministries developed by Kenneth E. Hagin Sr., a former pastor with the Assemblies of God. Hagin left his post as pastor to become a traveling evangelist, starting his ministries in the 1960s, which would eventually evolve into Rhema Bible Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1978. The group's beliefs are very similar to those of the Assemblies of God. |
| United Church of God in Christ | 1980 | The United Church of God in Christ was founded in 1980 by Marshall Carter III, his wife, and other former members of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC). The movement to form a new organization began several years earlier when Carter began to disagree with the national church on various matters, but especially the matter of successorship. These disagreements prompted Carter's Lynwood Park congregation to withdraw from COGIC, and they were soon joined by other churches, which united together to form this group in 1980. The church still maintains many of the beliefs and practices of its parent body. |
| Association of Vineyard Churches | 1986 | The Association of Vineyard Churches is a conservative evangelical fellowship founded in 1986 by evangelical teacher John Wimber (d. 1997), formerly associated with Calvary Chapel. |
| World Evangelism Fellowship | 1988 | World Evangelism Fellowship is a reorganization of ministries following the break between Pentecostal pastor Jimmy Swaggart and the Assemblies of God. The break followed a scandal in which the Assemblies of God instituted a suspension on Swaggart, but Swaggart did not accept the penalty. Instead, he reorganized his ministries in 1988. |
| United Pentecostal Churches of Christ | 1992 | The United Pentecostal Churches of Christ was formed in 1992 in Cleveland, Ohio, under the leadership of Bishop J. Delano Ellis. Under the leadership of Ellis's successor, Bishop Larry Trotter, the church grew in numerous ways, eventually prompting a name change in 2008 to United Covenant Churches of Christ. |
| United Covenant Churches of Christ | 2008 | The United Covenant Churches of Christ began as the Pentecostal Churches of Christ, which was formed in 1992 in Cleveland, Ohio, under the leadership of Bishop J. Delano Ellis. Under the leadership of Ellis's successor, Bishop Larry Trotter, the church grew in numerous ways, eventually prompting a name change in 2008 to United Covenant Churches of Christ. |
| Reformed Churches of God in Christ International | 2010 | No description available. |
