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Bro Bob

Q)Who drafted the CoG Declaration of Faith? A) in update

Bro Bob · Golf Cart Mafia Underboss Posts: 3945 **12/3/19 9:33 pm**

Does anyone here know ...

1) WHEN the CoG Declaration of Faith was adopted?
2) WHO was on the committee that drafted it?

BB

UncleJD

Golf Cart Mafia Consigliere Posts: 3138 **12/5/19 9:16 am**

I think it was the Baptists, not sure when or who edited it with the addition of the baptism of the Holy Ghost and the slight change with sanctification but suspect it was Tomlinson era.

Cojak

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24275 **12/5/19 3:25 pm**

For some reason I thought the Declaration of Faith was fairly new, after the 1940-50 era. I do not remember them being in a place of prominence. . I only remember a strong adherence to the list of teachings. I could see many people in the 50's feeling that the Declaration of Faith was not a STRONG enough statement to the world and feel it was more 'catholic' leaning.
Just my weak memory showing up. . Shocked

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UncleJD

Golf Cart Mafia Consigliere Posts: 3138 **12/6/19 9:38 am**

Bro Bob

Question answered.

Golf Cart Mafia Underboss Posts: 3945 **12/6/19 10:57 am**

First let me say I am surprised at the number of views this post has received yet without anything close to the answer.

Before telling that answer and where I found it, I want to say that the little that my dad and my former pastor, Bro TV Burroughs recalled was accurate, though limited.

Dad thought that Bro James L Slay was on the committee, and possibly the chair, which was correct. He also thought Bro James Cross was on the committee, and that also was correct. He didn't have a guess as to when it was adopted, but Bro Burroughs this past Sunday told me that for some reason he thought he recalled it being adopted in 1948. That too was correct.

I just got off the phone with a fellow, last name Mills, at Dixon Pentecostal Research.

He confirmed the above and gave me the full list ofmembers of the committee:
James L Slay, chairman
Earl Paulk
Glenn Petijohn
J L Gowins
James Cross
Paul H Walker
R P Johnson
E M Ellis
R C Muncy

In our discussion I noted that much earlier the church had taken the firm position that the Church of God would have "no creed", but allow scripture, rightly divided, to settle all these questions about 'what do you folks believe'?

He told me that the Declaration of Faith was constructed in order for the CoG to become aligned with the National Association of Evangelicals. It was their requirement that any member denomination affirm certain specifics about what it meant to be Christian.

I didn't think to ask him if we were the only ones who also passed a resolution requiring the DoF be displayed in every sanctuary, nor did I think to ask when that requirement went away.

******************

A little rabbit trail from that is in the following personal experience.

A friend at work once asked me what denomination I was. I told him Church of God. (He was southern Baptist) And he responded, "So y'all think you are the only ones going to Heaven, right?"

I told him, "Shoot, we don't even think most of us are going."

Then I told him he was confusing us with Church of Christ.

I only recently learned that Baptists dis-fellowshipped R G Spurling for his rejection of "Landmarkism", an ecclesiology which held that only churches descending from churches with Baptist doctrine were true Church and that they should not associate with Christians of other traditions.

I have always found it interesting that one thing "eternal security" would not cover, is if the believer received the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues.

When several of the women in the women's prayer group at Mt Pisgah Baptist church (including my maternal grandmother) received, they too were dis-fellowshipped.

BB

UncleJD

Golf Cart Mafia Consigliere Posts: 3138 **12/6/19 11:18 am**

Thanks, that's interesting, so it was a fellowship requirement. Interesting since, as you said, the COG always claimed to be "non-creedal" (yet the DOF seems to be a creed as much as the actual Apostles' Creed, which, btw, if you don't agree with you aren't even a Christian)

Cojak

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24275 **12/6/19 12:38 pm**

Thanks a bunch BB. I was in an area where folks would get up set about something associated with a 'creed'. Shucks some did not allow the church bulletin. We would be treading on dangerous ground like 'em nominal churches.

It is nice to remember back when the average church member would have at least heard one on that committee preach, probably hugged his neck. Four on that list stayed in our home one or several days.

My sister later joked about serving the general Overseer cornbread and pintos.
At least two of the churches dad pastored did not display the DOF.

I do appreciate the history lesson. Cool

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Some facts but mostly just my opinion!
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http://shipslog-jack.blogspot.com/

Dave Dorsey

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 13654 **12/6/19 3:09 pm**

The non-creedal thing is really interesting. That feels like a reflexive action for a new denomination that wanted to separate itself from the non-Pentecostal denominations that surrounded it.

The DOF may not be a creed per se, but it is a confession (which in many cases is just another word for creed). Confessions are designed to settle questions about "what you folks believe" and are often used as a requirement of fellowship. For example, you would not be able to join many PCA churches as a member unless you agreed with the Westminster Confession of Faith or could explain your differences of view to the member committee's satisfaction. They would still regard you as a believer based on your profession of faith, but sharing doctrinal views would be a requirement of membership.

Seems the DOF is the same way. I am sure most (cough cough) church of God folks recognize people who don't affirm every element of the DOF as Christian, even if they might not accept them as pastors, leaders, etc.

Dave Dorsey

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 13654 **12/6/19 3:18 pm**

It reminds me of the old story of a minister who asked another, "What creeds do you affirm?" The second minister replied, "No creed but Christ!"

The first one asked, "...is that a creed?"

Aaron Scott

The creed thing was well-founded....

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 6032 **12/7/19 5:52 pm**

You might recall that the Spurlings had witnessed the whole Landmarkism debate in which the Baptists claimed that only Baptists (i.e., those who embraced their creeds/beliefs) were going to heaven.

Also, there is the fact that the Baptists kicked R.G. Spurling out of the church for him having dealings with the whole Christian Union thing (before it was called that, I think).

Even Richard Spurling was supposedly pushed out of his church for a while, but they eventually allowed him back in (not sure of the details).

Further, R.G. Spurling believed that the Council of Nicea had wrongly split the Church over the issue of the Trinity. He, of course, believed in the Trinity, but he felt that what should have happened is that the law of love should have prevailed, allowing the church to remain together and continue discussing the matter until greater light was found.

So, yeah, they didn't like creeds....

BUT...BUT...BUT....

After the Shearer Schoolhouse Revival, a good number of folks had been touched, but error crept in, eventually taking away almost every single gain, I understand. It became clear that there needed to be some standard of belief, otherwise error would doom every step forward.

Although Spurling remained strongly opposed to denominations and creeds, he apparently yielded on this matter to some degree, since F.W. Bryant and Tomlinson apparently saw the value in having at least the most basic of truths in our doctrine.

Of course, Spurling saw creeds as man-made. While it might be that the early Church of God did not see their beliefs as "man-made," but as clear from the scripture. So there's that.

Carolyn Smith

Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 5909 **12/8/19 11:49 pm**

Interesting thread...Thanks for the info, Bro. Bob.

From what I can recall, Spurling wanted an organization that was not bound by a lot of man-made rules. That was one of his main points in starting the Christian Union. Interesting how that went totally by the wayside!

James L. Slay also wrote a book called, "This We Believe" which I am pretty sure is about the DOF and details at length what we believe and the scriptures that support them. I studied it over 40 years ago at NC Summer Bible School. I have slept since then, so please don't ask me any specific questions about that! Laughing

Bro. Bob, if you have further questions, you can contact David Roebuck via FB. He is pretty much a walking history of the COG and if he doesn't know, he can find out.

Your rabbit trail made me think of an old joke told in COG circles. You can change it to fit most any denomination, as we are all allowed to poke a little fun at ourselves.

The joke goes...I dreamed I went to heaven, and as I walked around, I noticed a group of people all standing over to the side by themselves and ignoring everyone else.

Curious, I asked, "Who are they?"

My guide said, "Oh, they're Church of God. They think they're the only ones here!"
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