Church of God (Anderson)

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The Church of God (Anderson) is a non-denominational, Holiness movement believing group of Christians with roots in Wesleyan pietism and also in the anabaptist tradition. Perhaps its most distinctive feature is that there is no formal membership, since the movement believes that belief in Christ makes one a member. Similarly, there is no formal creed other than the Bible. Accordingly, there is much official room for disagreement, even though the movement's culture is strongly rooted in Wesleyan holiness theology. Currently the General Director of this movement is Ronald Duncan.

It was started in 1880 ¹ by Daniel Sidney Warner and several others. Warner had been a member of the General Eldership of the Church of God. He differed with the Winebrennerians on the doctrine of sanctification, which he held to be a second definite work of grace, and on the nature of the church. The desire of Warner and the others was to forsake denominationalism and creeds. To this end, they determined to trust in the Holy Spirit as their guide and the Bible as their creed. This church movement is not historically related to other Church of God bodies such as the Church of God (Cleveland) or Church of God (Charleston, Tennessee). Though these bodies are also holiness in outlook, the Church of God (Anderson) does not share their Pentecostal emphasis. This movement currently has its central offices in Anderson, Indiana.

The church's doctrinal beliefs include:²

The divine inspiration of Scripture
Forgiveness of sin through the atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of the believer
The experience of holiness
That the kingdom of God has been established here and now
The resurrection of the dead, culmulating with a final judgment (or the second judgment) in which there will be reward for the righteous and punishment for the wicked

The church observes baptism by total immersion, the Lord's supper (commonly known as communion), and feet washing as symbolic acts, recognizing them as the ordinances of God. According to the church's official web site, "None of these practices, termed ordinances, are considered mandatory conditions of Christian experience or fellowship."³ Church government structure is local and autonomous, and follows a congregational form of worship.

There are about 2,240 congregations in the United States and Canada which are affiliated with the Church of God (Anderson), with an average attendance of 248,630 (2005 Yearbook of the Church of God). Worldwide "membership" is more than 750,000 in about 7,340 congregations. The church does not have traditional formal membership. Personal conversion and Christian conduct, coupled with attendance, are sufficient for participation in a local Church of God congregation.

The church's seminary is Anderson School of Theology in Anderson, Indiana. It is also affiliated with several colleges across North America.