CHIESA DI DIO. — Under this name (Church of God) several Protestant sects are known.
1) C. d. D. (reform movement), founded by S. Warner in 1880 in the State of Indiana (United States). This sect rejects both the Catholic hierarchy and what it calls Protestant ecclesiasticism, because, it says, they oppose the idea of the primitive Church, filled with the Holy Spirit and directed by Him. It does not wish to be a separate sect, but a reform movement within the other Churches. It supports many missions in various parts of the world.
2) C. d. D. (Adventist), founded in 1865 by certain Adventists who were dissenters from the interpretation of the prophecies given by the others.
3) C. d. D. and of the saints of Christ, founded in 1896 by a Black employee of the Santa Fé railway (United States), W. C. Crowdy. It is an eccentric sect.
4) C. d. D. as organized by Christ. It is a small sect included by authors, together with many others, under the name of “Evangelical Associations.”
5) C. d. D. (General Assembly), which arose in Tennessee (United States) among a group of people belonging to various sects. Seeing that their sects did not interpret Sacred Scripture as they believed it ought to be interpreted, they came together and formed the “Christian Union” in 1886; they organized themselves in 1902 under the name “Holiness Church” (Church of Holiness), and finally in 1902 adopted the name “General Assembly of the C. d. D.”
6) C. d. D. (New Dunkers), organized in the State of Indiana (United States) in 1848 by Giorgio Patton and several companions, who separated from the German Baptist Brothers. In addition to Baptism, they regarded foot-washing, the kiss of greeting, the anointing of the sick, etc., as essential.
7) C. d. D. in Christ (Mennonites), one of the 16 divisions of the Mennonites.