| Church of God | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Church_of_God_(Anderson)_logo.jpg){kind=logo} Church of God (Anderson, IN) logo | |
| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | Holiness movement Restorationist |
| Polity | Congregational |
| Associations | Christian Churches Together Christian Holiness Partnership Wesleyan Holiness Consortium Global Wesleyan Alliance National Association of Evangelicals |
| Region | 89 countries in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia |
| Founder | Daniel Sidney Warner and several others |
| Origin | 1881 |
| Branched from | General Eldership of the Church of God |
| Separations | Church of God (Guthrie, Oklahoma) Church of God (Restoration) |
| Congregations | 7,800 (2020) |
| Members | 887,000 (2020) |
| Official website | jesusisthesubject |
The Church of God (Anderson, Indiana), also called the Church of God Ministries, is an international holiness Christian denomination with roots in Wesleyan-Arminianism and also in the restorationist traditions.[1] The organization grew out of the evangelistic efforts of several Holiness evangelists in Indiana and Michigan in the early 1880s, most notably Daniel Sidney Warner.
One of its more distinctive features is that there is no formal membership, since the movement believes that true salvation through Jesus Christ, the son of God, makes one a member. Similarly, there is no formal creed other than the Bible. Accordingly, there is much official room for diversity and theological dialogue, even though the movement's culture is strongly rooted in Wesleyan holiness theology.
The Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) is related to its conservative holiness Church of God (Guthrie, Oklahoma) offshoot, though it is not historically related to other Church of God bodies such as the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) or the Church of God (Charleston, Tennessee) as the Church of God (Anderson) does not share the Pentecostal practices of the latter two denominations. Although not part of the organization's formal name, "Anderson, Indiana" is usually appended to its name to distinguish it from these other groups.