EV. John Winebrenner, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is the founder of this body. He was for ten years the pastor of the German Reformed church in the city just named, and was successful in turning many sinners to Christ. But he thought he saw reason to fear that not a few of the older members of his charge were opposed to unusual efforts for the conversion of sinners, because they had never themselves felt the power of renewing grace. Success, under these circumstances, only increased his difficulties, and in 1830 he called together his friends who in various localities had begun to sympathise with his views and feelings, that they might form a new organization under the name of the Church of God.

      In this convention there were ministers and representatives from many different churches, who now organized themselves into one association, and devised vigorous measures for the extension of their views of truth and duty. Their confession of faith is of the Arminian character; their views of Baptism correspond with those of the Baptist body; their church government is generally that of the Presbyterians, except that, like the Methodists, they frequently remove their pastors to other localities; and they entirely approve of the methods usually adopted to extend the gospel of Christ at home and abroad. We may add here, that the members of this body expect a personal reign of Christ on earth, and believe that two resurrections will take place; the bodies of Christians being raised from their graves, before the commencement of the Millennium, and those of the wicked at its end.--They practice what they consider a New Testament ordinance--washing the feet of Christians, and are very strongly as a body opposed to intemperance, war, and slavery.

      A weekly paper is issued by Mr. Winebrenner, from Harrisburg, bearing the title of "The Church Advocate," and other publications for the use of the church are issued by a Board appointed for that purpose. The societies connected with this church are chiefly to be found in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. [785]

DECLARATION OF VIEWS OF THE CHURCH GOD.

      1. She believes the Bible, or the canonical books of the Old and New Testament, to be the Word of God, a revelation from God to man, and the only authoritative rule of faith and practice.
      2. She believes in one Supreme God, consisting of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that these three are co-equal and co-eternal.
      3. She believes in the fall and depravity of man; that is to say, that man by nature is destitute of the favor and image of God.
      4. She believes in the redemption of man through the atonement, or vicarious sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
      5. She believes in the gifts and office-work of the Holy Spirit; that is, in the enlightening, regenerating, and sanctifying influence and power of the Spirit.
      6. She believes in the free moral agency of man; that he has moral ability, because commanded to repent and believe, in order to be saved; and that the doctrine of unconditional election and reprobation has no foundation in the oracles of God.
      7. She believes that man is justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of law, or by works of his own righteousness.
      8. She believes in the necessity of regeneration, or the new birth; or, in the change of man's moral nature, after the image of God, by the influence and power of the word and Spirit of God, through faith in Christ Jesus.
      9. She believes in three positive ordinances of perpetual standing in the church, viz. Baptism, Feet Washing, and the Lord's Supper.
      10. She believes two things essential to the validity of baptism, viz.: faith and immersion--that faith should always precede immersion; and that where either is wanting, there can be no Scriptural baptism.
      11. She believes that the ordinance of feet washing, that is, the literal washing of the saint s feet, according to the words and example of Christ, is obligatory upon all Christians, and ought to be observed by all the churches of God.
      12. She believes that the Lord's Supper should be often administered, and, to be consistent, to Christians only, in a sitting posture, and always in the evening.
      13. She believes in the institution of the Lord's day, or Christian Sabbath, as a day of rest and religious worship.
      14. She believes that the reading and preaching of God's word, the singing of psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs, and the offering [786] up of prayers, are ordained of God, and ought to be regularly and devoutly observed by all the people and churches of God.
      15. She believes in the propriety and utility of holding fast days, experience meetings, anxious meetings, camp meetings, and other special meetings of united and protracted efforts for the edification of the church and the conversion of sinners.
      16. She believes that the Gospel ministry, Sabbath schools, education, the religious press, the Bible, missionary, temperance, and all other benevolent causes, ought to be heartily supported.
      17. She believes that the church ought to relieve and take care of her own poor saints, superannuated ministers, widows, and orphans.
      18. She believes that the manufacture, traffic, and use of ardent spirits, as a beverage or common drink, is injurious and immoral, and ought to be abandoned.
      19. She believes the system or institution of involuntary slavery to be impolitic or unchristian.
      20. She believes that all civil wars are unholy and sinful, and in which the saints of the Most High ought never to participate.
      21. She believes that civil governments are ordained of God for the general good; that Christians ought to be subject to the same in all things, except what is manifestly unscriptural; and that appeals to the law, out of the church, for justice, and the adjustments of civil rights, are not inconsistent with the principles and duties of the Christian religion.
      22. She believes in the necessity of a virtuous and holy life, and that Christ will save those only who obey him.
      23. She believes in the visibility, unity, sanctity, universality, and perpetuity of the church of God.
      24. She believes in the personal coming and reign of Jesus Christ.
      25. She believes in the resurrection of the dead, "both of the just and the unjust;" that the resurrection of the just will precede the resurrection of the unjust; that the first will take place at the beginning, and the second at the end of the millennium.
      26. She believes in the creation of new heavens and a new earth.
      27. She believes in the immortality of the soul; in a universal and eternal judgment; and in future and everlasting rewards and punishments.

      This denomination is regarded as orthodox on the main points of Christian doctrine; they receiving the doctrine of the Trinity, man's [787] total depravity, and his inability to obtain salvation by means of his own righteousness; the vicarious of Christ, justification by faith, the necessity of regeneration, and the future eternal punishment of the finally impenitent.

      They have three sacraments, the Lord's Supper, Baptism, and Feet Washing, as already observed. They have two orders among their ministers: elders or bishops, and deacons. Their synods, or assemblies of preachers, they call elderships. The collection of all their synods they call the general eldership.

      The founder of this sect, Rev. John Winebrenner, after a life of toil and privation, and considerable persecution, died at Harrisburg, in 1860, at an advanced age. The statistics of this denomination at present, are as follows: two hundred and seventy-five churches, one hundred and forty ordained ministers fifteen thousand members. [786]

      Joseph Belcher's "Church of God, or, Winebrennerians" was published om The Religious Denominations in the United States: Their History, Doctrine, Government and Statistics, with a Preliminary Sketch of Judaism, Paganism and Mohammedanism (Philadelphia, PA: John E. Potter, 1861), pp. 785-788. The electronic text has been produced from a copy of the book held by St. Vincent College Library.

      Pagination of the printed text has been represented by enclosing the page numbers within square brackets. Emendations are as follows:

 Page       Printed Text [ Electronic Text
 --------------------------------------------------------------------
 p. 785:    from Harrisburgh, [ from Harrisburg,
 p. 786:    gift sand office-work [ gifts and office-work
 

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 12 April 1997.
Updated 9 July 2003.