THE NEW SCHAFI'^-IIJORZOG
relations with his charge and with the Reformed Churcli in 1S25, but continucxl his ministry in and around Harrisburg, extensive revivals of religion following. His theological views gradually changed as the result of his study of the Bible. Congregations were formed at a number of points, and several ministers were ordained. In Oct., 1830, six of these ministers met in Harrisburg and agreed to form a body to be called the General Eldership of the Church of God, the term " general eldership " being used to distinguish this body from the eldership of the local church.
In doctrine the Church is prevailingly Arminian and orthodox. It is largely premillenarian, and practises three ordinances: baptism, by immersion; the Lord's Supper, observed in the evening; and washing of feet. The local church polity is presbyterial, each church having its own board of elders and deacons. The churches within a given district are associated together for cooperation in general work. The pastors and other ordained ministers within a district, together with an equal number of lay elders, constitute an annual eldership which appoints the ministers to the various charges. These annual elderships elect an equal number of ministerial and lay delegates, who constitute the general eldership, changed in 1905 from a triennial to a quadrennial body, the highest judicatory of the denomination.
The Church now reports two annual elderships in Pennsylvania, two in West Virginia, two in Oklahoma, and one each in Maryland, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, and Oregon. A general eldership, composed of delegates from the annual elderships, was organized in 1845, and the General Eldership of the Church of God organized in 1830 became the East Pennsylvania eldership. In 1866 the title of the general eldership, as also those of the annual elderships, was changed to the form. The General Eldership of the Churches of God. The total membership is estimated to be about 40,000, with 500 ministers. The general eldership controls the institutions of learning, of which there are three (Findlay CoUege, Findlay, O.; Fort Scott Collegiate Institute, Fort Scott, Kan.; and Barkeyville Academy, Barkeyville, Pa.), and the publishing house and book store at Harrisburg, Pa. Each annual eldership is engaged in missionary work in its own territory, and frontier mission work is carried on by the general eldership in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Oregon, and Washington. There is a Woman's General Missionary Society, which, through the Board of Missions of the general eldership, supports four American missionaries, ten or twelve native workers, and a number of Bible readers in Ulubaria and Bogra Districts, Bengal Province, India.
C. H. Forney.
Bibliography: J. Winebrenner, Brief Views of the Church of God, Harrisburg, 1840; idem, A Treatise on Regeneration, ib. 1844; idem, Practical and Doctrinal Sermoyis, ib. 1860. The church paper is the Church Advocate, Harrisburg, Pa.
2. The Church of God and Saints of Christ (tlie "Black Jews") are chiefly negroes who claim to be the descendants and representatives of the true
Jews; it is held that the latter were originally a black people and that the descendants of the lost tribes have changed color through mixture with the Gentiles. The Church was founded at Topeka, Kail., in 1897 by William S. Crowdy, who claimed to be called " to be a prophet of God sent to the whole world." The Saints respect both Jewish and Christian law and ritual, and interpret the Scriptures literally. Their system of doctrine is presented in Crowdy's manual. The Bible Story Revealed (Philadelphia, 1902). Among the principal points of belief are: repentance the first step to the kingdom; the seventh day the Sabbath; abstinence from wine and strong drink; foot-washing; prayer in the words of Jesus ; the holy kiss; religion the exercise of love, charity, and hospitality; the law of Moses completed, supplemented, or abolished by the law of God in Christ. The ministry consists of the Prophet Crowdy, two bishops (one in Africa), evangelists (whose functions are those of visitation), and elders or pastors of churches. The polity is presbyterial, with an annual " Board Meeting," and a quadrennial General Assembly. There is also an annual celebration of the Passover with mingled Hebrew and Christian rites. The organization reports about one hundred churches (seven in Africa) and 8,000 to 9,000 members. The largest church and the denominational headquarters are in Philadelphia. Business enterprises are conducted in connection with many of the churches, a farm colony is located at Belleville, Va., and the establishment of a widows' and orphans' home and a training-school there is contemplated. W. H. Lareabee.
Bibliography: The organ of the denomination is the Weekly Prophet, Philadelphia.
3. The Adventist Church of God, a branch of the Seventh-day Adventists. See Adventists, 5.
4. The Churches of God in Christ Jesus, popularly known as the Age-to-come Adventists. See Adventists, 6.
5. The Mennonite Church of God in Christ. See Mennonites.