Church Of God, Cleveland, Tennessee

During most of its first century of existence, the Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee, has concentrated on a free and enthusiastic personal response to the Lord in worship. Other concerns, such as education, social ministry, pastoral care, and gender inclusiveness, have not been related to the worship service as such. In recent decades, however, this pattern has begun to change.

Worship from the heart, evidenced by enthusiastic and often emotional response, is the heritage of the Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee. Such worship results from an emphasis on two dimensions. First, God is worthy of the congregation's praise. The Bible declares God's glory and holiness, and further, directs the children of God to worship God. Therefore, as obedient and loving children of God, believers offer heartfelt, extroverted worship as their normal action when they gather in the sanctuary. Second, worship is a vital means by which we as believers commune with God and express our adoration, praise, and thanksgiving. Worship and Social Ministry During most of its founding century, the Church of God (Cleveland) has given little consideration to the extended results of worship that should accompany the believer upon leaving the sanctuary. This neglect has been due to a strong emphasis on the divine direction and impact facilitated through the preached Word. How we as believers should live and how we should approach a wide variety of issues were considered the concern of the pulpit, rather than the outcome of the Holy Spirit's impression on us through worship. In summary, the church felt that we speak to God through worship, while God speaks to us through the preached Word and the gifts of the Spirit. This division caused many in the church to view worship as separate from preaching. Scripture reading, prayer, and singing tended to become preliminaries to the more important preaching aspect of the service. Like other evangelical and Pentecostal denominations, the Church of God (Cleveland) has held to the Matthean commission of Christ for its direction (Matt. 28:19–20). "?Winning the lost?" and missions outreach have received the greatest emphasis. Social action has been largely absent from the worship and practice of local congregations. One exception has been the care of orphans. In 1920, the Church of God opened a small orphanage in Cleveland, Tennessee. This project has developed into the very modern cottage-style Home for Children located in Sevierville, Tennessee. Within the denomination there are several other homes for children, as well as facilities for troubled youth and unwed mothers. Mother's Day became the Sunday designated for every congregation to receive an offering for the support of the Home for Children. Within the past decade, a growing social consciousness has emerged within local congregations. Food pantries and benevolence funds for the needy both within and outside the church have been developed. The international denominational leadership also directs funds and needed items to disaster areas. Despite all this, a social consciousness does not seem to find regular expression in worship. This will require both time and education. Worship and Education An interesting contradiction on the issue of education, relating to Sunday school and formal education, has been, and at times still is, evident within the worship experience of the denomination. On one hand, from its earliest years, the Church of God (Cleveland) has recognized the role of the Sunday school. Not only does the Sunday school ground children and adults in the Word of God, but it also is used as a tool for church planting. Individuals are encouraged to start a Sunday school in a community as the first step in beginning a new church. In established congregations, Sunday school classes used to be featured in the opening minutes of the worship service by having a class recite their Scripture memory verses and sing their songs. More recently, this practice has been replaced in most congregations with children's choirs and children's church. Thus, children are not as much a part of the worship services as in previous decades. On the other hand, formal education in areas other than the Bible, music, or basic communication skills was not only frowned upon, but openly preached against. It was viewed as a sure means of destroying spirituality. As a result, the denomination's schools were Bible schools that also included some junior college classes. In turn, the ministers produced by these schools tended to share a limited view of the role of education in the worship of the church. However, the 1960s saw a dramatic change of attitude on this question. Subsequently, all schools related to the Church of God (Cleveland) experienced major advances in enrollment, curriculum, and accreditation. Women in Worship The role of women in worship has been much more advanced in the Church of God (Cleveland) than in many other denominations, especially early in the twentieth century. As early as 1909, women became licensed ministries (the second rank of ministry). However, their license did not allow them to officiate at marriage ceremonies or the celebration of Communion, as it did for their male counterparts. Women were on the cutting edge of evangelism and church planting during both the founding and growing decades of the church. Lay women have regularly served as worship leaders or exercised their spiritual gifts from the pew. Furthermore, women may serve as pastors of local congregations, but cannot be ordained. At the 1992 International General Assembly, women were granted the right to vote on the assembly floor. This action will definitely spur greater discussion on the issue of ordination of women. Worship and Pastoral Care The ministry of pastoral care through worship is a relatively new area of consideration within the Church of God (Cleveland). Here too, the emphasis on direction and care through the ministry of the Word and the "?seasons of prayer?" at the altar has overshadowed the broad impact of worship. The possibility of experiencing the benefits of pastoral care through worship is a dimension only now being explored as part of the increased study of worship that has recently arisen in the denomination. The issue is being discussed in college and seminary classes in pastoral theology and worship. Cell groups, covenant groups, and other special groups (such as Young Mothers, DADS) exist increasingly in the denomination, more often in larger churches than in smaller ones. A few leaders have experimented with sermon discussion groups, but they have been short-lived due to lack of enthusiasm for this format on the part of both people and pastors. For a century the hallmark of the Church of God (Cleveland) and its fellow Pentecostal groups has been a vibrant, free style of worship. Allowing individuals to express their inner emotions and expressions through a wide variety of verbal means, gestures, and postures has been the goal of worship services. The challenge is to retain this fresh breath of the Spirit, which so many Christian groups are attempting to regain, while expanding the content of worship to include other areas of concern.