CHURCH OF GOD. - Under this name (Church of God) several Protestant sects are known.
1) C. of G. (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 are opposed to the idea of the primitive Church, full of 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. of G. (Adventist), founded in 1865 by some Adventists, who were dissenters from the interpretation of the prophecies given by the others.
3) C. of G. and of the saints of Christ, founded in 1896 by a black employee of the Santa Fe railroad (United States), W. C. Crowdy. It is an extravagant sect.
4) C. of G. as it was organized by Christ. It is a small sect included by authors along with many others under the name of "Evangelical Associations."
5) C. of G. (General Assembly), arisen in Tennessee (United States), among a group of people from various sects. These, seeing that their sects did not interpret Holy Scripture as they believed it should be interpreted, gathered together and formed in 1886 the "Christian Union"; they organized themselves in 1902 under the name of "Holiness Church," and finally in 1902 they adopted the name of "General Assembly of the C. of G."
6) C. of G. (New Dunkers) organized in the State of Indiana (United States), in 1848, by George Patton and some companions, who separated from the German Baptist Brothers. Besides Baptism they considered essential the washing of feet, the kiss of greeting, the anointing of the sick, etc.
7) C. of G. in Christ (Mennonite), one of the 16 divisions of the Mennonites.
Bibliography
Camillo Crivelli