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CHMBC History...
The core concern of the founding father of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), the late Bishop Charles Harrison Mason, was that those who were drawn to the confession of Faith he espoused would become fully instructed in that Faith and go on to lead lives as productive and creative Christians. This basic concern was deeply rooted in the teachings of Jesus who taught that those whose lives had been touched, converted and transformed by his life would go on to change others' lives and the world of humankind. Mason's theology was basically Biblical theology which was developed out of years of personally searching the Holy Bible and seeking the will of God for his life. History verifies that his long search ended in Los Angeles, California in 1907. It was that year that he received the Third Work of Grace, the infilling of the Holy Ghost with the signs and seal of speaking in tongues "...as the Spirit gave utterance".
The founding father of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) was not only a student of the Holy Bible; he was also a student of secular education. Mason's academic pursuits lead him to Arkansas Baptist College, from which he later departed and pioneered a new educational venture at Lexington, Mississippi: Saints Industrial Academy, Saints Junior College, and today, Saints Academy.
In 1970, another giant step was taken to further enhance the education of adherents, the Charles Harrison Mason Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia, and later the Charles Harrison Mason Systems of Bible Colleges came into being. Dr. A. J. Hines, who traveled from state to state establishing C. H. Mason Bible Colleges, became its pioneering director. Through this system a number of academically interested students further enhanced their theological and spiritual development by matriculating and graduating. In 1995, the newly elected Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), Bishop Chandler D. Owens, was moved by God and the existential needs of each member to revive the concept of biblical and theological education. The goal was to provide an opportunity for each member of the denomination to receive adequate training and exposure for a more effective ministry. |
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