World Missions Timeline
1886
- The Church of God, then called Christian Union, is organized in Monroe County, Tennessee, with eight members.
1909
- Edmund S. Barr and his wife, native Bahamians, receive the Holy Spirit in Florida and return to their homeland to preach the gospel.
1910
- R.M. Evans becomes the first Church of God missionary when he and his wife, accompanied by Carl M. Padgett, arrive in Nassau, Bahama Islands on Jaunuary 4.
- Lillian Trasher founds an orphanage in the city of Assiout in Egypt.
- The first missions offering from a local church is received in the Arcadia, Florida church in April. The amount is $7.00.
1911
- The first general missions offering is received at the General Assembly of 1911. The amount is $21.05.
1913
- A Missions Committee is formed to serve at each General Assembly to make recommendations concerning home and foreign missions. This is done at each General Assembly up to 1926.
1922
- Adopting the doctrines found in the Evangel and the Lighted Pathway, Pastor George Bradin begins the Church of God in Romania in September with eight members.
1926
- A standing board for World Missions is appointed at the General Assembly of 1926 to look after World Missions interest between General Assemblies.
1927
- World Missions is put on a more substantial financial footing when the General Assembly institutes a plan for each local church to raise offerings equal to five percent of the tithes. Half of this offering is to be sent to the state headquarters for home missions and half to general headquarters for World Missions.
1931
- Maria Atkinson begins her missionary ministry in Mexico.
1936
- J.H. Ingram travels 44,000 miles and visits thirty-one countries and colonies on his "Golden Jubilee Tour" around the world.
- Herman Lauster returns to Germany to preach the gospel to the people in his homeland.
- The office of Foreign Missions Field Representative is instituted and J.H. Ingram is appointed to the new position.
- Robert F. Cook and his mission in India unite with the Church of God.
1937
- Paul C. Pitt, missionary in China, joins the Church of God and brings his mission into its fellowship.
1938
- Edmond and Pearl Stark carry the Church of God to Africa with their mission to Angola.
1939
- Edmond C. Stark dies in Angola becoming the first Church of God missionary to die while on assignment. His death gives a renewed impetus to Church of God missionary activity.
1942
- M.P. Cross is appointed the first full-time Executive Secretary of the World Missions Department.
1945
- The position of Area Superintendent is started. Carl J. Hughes is appointed Superintendent of Bermuda and the West Indies and Vessie D. Hargrave is appointed Superintendent of Latin America, the first to occupy these positions.
- A Spanish edition of the Evangel (called El Evangelio de la Iglesia de Dios) is begun.
- Church of God World Missions becomes a founding member of the Evangelical Foreign Missions Association, now called The Mission Exchange.
1947
- The International Preparatory Institute, a training school for Hispanic students, is started in San Antonio, Texas.
1949
- The first memorial church is constructed in Haiti by the Lenoir City, Tennessee, Church of God.
1951
- The Church of God effects an amalgamation with the Full Gospel Church of South Africa giving it a strong presence in Southern Africa.
1953
- A Missions Representative is appointed to travel in the United States in behalf of foreign missions. Johnnie M. Owens becomes the first person to hold this position.
1957
- The Youth and Christian Education Department, in cooperation with the World Missions Department, initiates the Youth World Evangelism Appeal, designed to educate children and young people in missions and to give them an opportunity to contribute to missions projects.
1960
- The Golden Anniversary of Church of God World Missions is celebrated with special services in Nassau, Bahamas, attended by hundreds of visitors from the United States and other countries.
1961
- The Youth World Evangelism Appeal changes direction and begins concentrating on one major financial project each year rather than many smaller projects. The construction of a special church in the city of Brasilia, Brazil is the first major project.
1962
- Save Our World, a missions quarterly, is begun as the official magazine of World Missions.
1964
- World Missions receipts exceed one million dollars in one year for the first time.
1966
- Church membership in missions areas exceeds membership in the United States and Canada for the first time.
1967
- The Church of God amalgamates with the Bethel Full Gospel Church in Indonesia.
1968
- The Church of God enters Yugoslavia through an amalgamation with the Evangelical Church of Christ.
1971
- Bill George created the idea for Local Missions Representatives for local churches.
1973
- Almost ten thousand delegates from twenty-five countries attend the International Evangelism Congress in Mexico City, the first event of such magnitude conducted outside the United States.
1980
- The World Missions Department is restructured by the General Assembly. The appointed Executive Secretary becomes the elected Director of World Missions, and Jim O. McClain, St. is elected to fill the position. J. Herbert Walker, Jr. is elected to fill the newly created position of Assistant Director.
- After years of uncertainty, ties are re-established with the Apostolic Church of God of Romania and it is found that their membership has grown to approximately 200,000.
1981
- Youth World Evangelism Action (YWEA) receipts exceed one million dollars in one year for the first time.
1984
- The office of Cross-cultural Ministries is incorporated into the World Missions Department.
- Unprecedented growth of the Church of God continues in Central America with the establishing of 350 new churches in the previous two years.
1988
- Missionaries are given the opportunity to raise their support which is equal to the salary of a 50 member church in North America.
2000
- People for Care and Learning is established to offer vocational training and humanitarian service in countries where missionaries cannot enter.
2004
- The General Assembly passed a resolution emphasizing outreach to Unreached People Groups.
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