Secretary of the National Judiciary Board Attorney Peter Davis. B. McEwen, Bishop J. S. Bailey, and Bishop O. M. Kelly as his assistants. Secretary of the Board of Bishops Bishop William Watson, III. On June 5, 1951, he selected Bishop A. Built in the 1940s during World War II, the nearly 4000-seat building was the largest church auditorium of any African-American religious group in the United States. Divorce is considered inconsistent with biblical teachings and is highly discouraged as well, but exceptions are made for special circumstances. [15], In 1951, when Bishop Mason was approaching 85 years of age, he set up a "special commission" to help with the administration and oversight of the church. The Department of Evangelism was officially organized on a national level by Overseer L.C. These events include physical death, the intermediate state, bodily resurrection, the Second Coming of Christ, the Great Tribulation, the Battle of Armageddon, the Millennial Reign, the Final Judgment, the future of the wicked in hell, and life for the redeemed in heaven.[48]. [29] She is also the Jurisdictional Supervisor of Women for the South Carolina Jurisdiction. Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr. is the fifth Presiding Bishop and the seventh leader in succession, appointed in November 2007 by the General Assembly of the Church of God in Christ. Rev. She was the Jurisdictional Supervisor of Women for California Northern First Jurisdiction. Bishop Malcolm W. Coby Board member (2021present). During the tenure of Bishop L. H. Ford as Presiding Bishop in the 1990s, he helped gain COGIC membership into the Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America, a more diverse, international caucus of different Pentecostal church denominations and organizations that sought to heal the racial divides in the North American Pentecostal movement.[57]. Bishop Sheard is married to Evangelist Karen Clark Sheard. COGIC teaches that according to the Word of God, there will be final events and conditions that address the end of this present age of the world. Welcome to the Official Church Of God In Christ, Inc Online Store Dismiss. COGIC teaches that because God uses conception through and after sexual reproduction and intercourse to create human life, that willfully aborting a human fetus is contrary to God's Word and Christian ethics, and it is considered to be a sin against God and the Bible within the denomination. Throughout the 1970s and 80s, as COGIC continued to grow to millions of members nationwide, COGIC ministers all over the country continued to advance civil rights in their communities. Religious Figure, former Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), the fourth largest Protestant denominaton in the world. Elder L. C. Patrick was added to the National Sunday School. In addition to the general board, there is a board of bishops that is composed of all jurisdictional and auxiliary bishops, a national trustee board that is composed of 15 members who are elected for a term of four years, the General Council of Pastors and Elders, which is open to any officially recognized pastor and current credentialed ordained elder in the church. The judicial board serves as the judicial branch and is the supreme body that interprets polity and practice. From 1985 to 2009, he maintained the position of Prelate for the First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of California, where he was responsible for overseeing over 250 . Music Dept. [12] On November 15, 2016, Bishop Blake was reelected as the Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ during the 2016 COGIC Election held by the COGIC General Assembly to a third four-year term. Over time, the ministers and churches under Leonard P. Adams also separated from COGIC; they assimilated into other white Pentecostal groups or organizations. He testified to receiving entire sanctification after reading her autobiography in 1893. The seminary is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) and is part of a consortium of the Interdenominational Theological Center. However, in 1996, the umbrella format was revised under the administration of Bishop C.D. [47] COGIC regards homosexuality, infidelity, and any other forms of sexual immorality that does not agree with Biblical scripture as sinful. We believe that the redemptive work of Christ on the Cross provides healing for the human body in answer to believing prayer. She revolutionized and reorganized the music ministry to become a leading department in the church. Bishop Blake was the pastor of the West Angeles Church of God in Christ,[7] one of the largest African-American churches in the Western United States, with a membership of over 24,000, from 1969 until his retirement in 2022. On April 24, 2022, while addressing his local congregation at the West Angeles COGIC for their sunday morning service, he announced that he has been dealing with and coping with Parkinson's disease, "for the past ten years", and that as of April 2022, he was going to be retiring as the senior pastor of West Angeles COGIC, and that his two sons who are also COGIC elders and ministers, Reverends Charles, Jr. and Lawrence Blake, would be taking over as the de facto pastor and assistant pastor of the West Angeles congregation, respectively. [29], Bishop Louis Henry Ford of Chicago, Illinois, was elected after the death of J.O. ", Elder Carter said that such public rebuke and condemnation were unwarranted, as he was not given a chance to say why he had made such statements. Well-known gospel musicians with COGIC roots include; Andrae Crouch and Sandra Crouch, Walter Hawkins and Edwin Hawkins, Tramaine Hawkins, Rubenstein McClure, Yvette Flunder, Sara Jordan Powell, Daryl Coley, BeBe and CeCe Winans, The Winans, "Detroit" Gary Wiggins, John P. Kee, The O'Neal Twins, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Rance Allen, Rev. Chairman of AIM Bishop Linwood Dillard. Throughout the dispute, Elder Carter made allegations against Bishop Blake for impropriety, sexual misconduct, and abuse of power as presiding bishop. We believe in the Blessed Hope, which is the rapture of the Church of God, which is in Christ, at His return. Together he and his wife, Karen, founded Karew Records, a faith-based record label focusing on various forms of Gospel, Christian and Inspirational music. B. McEwen, Bishop J. S. Bailey, and Bishop O. M. Kelly as his assistants. [20], The first national tabernacle was built and completed in 1925. Sin was transmitted to humanity when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, as a result all men have original sin. Jones Sr. was elected Senior Bishop by the General Assembly. During the 1990s, President Bill Clinton was invited by then COGIC Presiding Bishop, Louis Henry Ford to attend the International Holy Convocation. These offices are found in every local, district, and jurisdiction to support development and growth of the Sunday School. They are fallen angels who joined Satan in his failed attempt to usurp power in Heaven. In 1981, Bishop J.O. She also established a musical program. Other accolades include the Distinguished Leadership Award from the African Presidential Archives and. The first meeting was held in Memphis, Tennessee around 1937. These jurisdictions are then separated into districts, which consist of 5 to 7 churches and are governed by superintendents (ordained elder or pastor). Each state in the US consists of at least one jurisdiction, and several states have more than one jurisdiction. Bishop Mason was opposed to the ordination of women to formal ministry, but in 1911 created an autonomous department to promote the ministry of women in the church. At the start of the new millennium, then COGIC presiding Bishop Gilbert Earl Patterson, continued to support the advancement of civil rights. As the International Holy Convocation grew to thousands, COGIC leaders had to negotiate with city officials to provide hotel accommodations for the saints. In 1969, he was asked by his father and by Southern California COGIC bishop, Bishop Samuel M. Crouch, to take over as the pastor of the West Angeles Church of God in Christ. Assistant General Treasurer Bishop Kendall Anderson. Their pastor was then elder Gilbert Earl Patterson, who also became a COGIC Presiding Bishop, at Holy Temple COGIC in Memphis, Tennessee. Superintendent, International Sunday School Department Superintendent Mark Ellis. Bishop Mason taught COGIC members against going to war, but more so he was against African-American men being called to fight a war overseas for freedom and then coming home and being treated as second-class citizens and being lynched, even in their uniforms, because of racism. From the very beginning of gospel music, COGIC members have influenced its rise. Porter pointed out that he is based in Memphis. During 19101913, two white ministers, Elder H. A. Goss and Elder Leonard P. Adams, were clergy under the authority of C. H. Mason. Co Directors of the Men's Department Bishop Michael B. Driver, who was the overseer of California and pastor of the Saints Home COGIC led an interracial congregation made up of many Blacks, Whites, and Latinos, for many years. Patterson appointed Dr. Edward Lee Battles President of the Department of Evangelism. Furthermore, the new constitution created the office of the presiding bishop and a general board of twelve bishops and defined their responsibilities. It has nine members, elected by the general assembly, including three bishops, three elders, and three lay members. The general assembly meets biannually each year in April and November while the presidium acts as the executive branch of the church, overseeing the day-to-day operation when the general assembly is not in session. On May 19, 1952, he added Bishop J. O. Patterson Sr. Also in 1952, Mason revised the constitution to determine the leadership and succession of the church after his death. Many Holiness Christian groups and fellowships forming at the time wanted biblical names for their local churches and fellowships, such as "Church of God, Church of Christ, or Church of the Living God". Under her leadership, the Women's International Convention added the term "and Crusade" to highlight and promote the evangelistic approach of the convention. She was the wife and companion of Bishop John Seth Bailey, a trusted adviser of Bishop Mason, and later the first assistant presiding bishop of the church. Drew Sheard was born on January 1, 1959, in Detroit, Michigan, to Bishop and Mrs. John Henry Sheard. [citation needed] Bishop Ford is credited with inviting President Bill Clinton, a personal friend, to speak to the Eighty-Sixth International Holy Convocation on November 13, 1993. He has one older brother, J. He believed that the name, taken from 1 Thessalonians 2:14, was divinely revealed and biblically inspired. Clean White, Jurisdictional Bishop, Bermuda Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, National Evangelist, Recording Artist, Songwriter, Atlanta, Georgia, This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 15:15. As a result, the general board exercises great authority over the church. African-American parents sent their children to this school from across the United States, especially those who had grown up in Mississippi and knew its reputation. As the church continued to grow, she created women auxiliaries including the Purity Class and the Sunshine Band. [27], Bishop James Oglethorpe Patterson Sr. was elected in November 1968 as the first presiding bishop of the church by the General Assembly at the Sixty-First Holy Convocation of the church. In 1964 however, disagreement between the authority of the Senior Bishop and the executive board, led by Bishop A. [50], In July 2016 during their annual Auxiliaries in Ministries convention, COGIC announced their Urban Initiative Outreach ministries and Missions and Charity departments would be partnering up with The Human Coalition, an anti-abortion advocacy group, from 2016 to 2019 for a three-year initiative to encourage COGIC pastors and ministers to encourage anti-abortion advocacy in their local churches. Church Of God In Christ, Inc. 2015-23. COGIC clergy do not officially sanction or recognize same-sex relationships to be united in marriage and the denomination at-large discourages same-sex relationships as unbiblical and immoral. On October 23, 2020, Bishop Blake announced that he will not seek a re-election as Presiding Bishop nor as a member of the General Board and that he would retire from the Office of Presiding Bishop and from the General Board in 2021.[34]. In 1988, he was installed as Pastor of Greater Emmanuel Church. During World War I, the FBI opened a file on Bishop Mason and conducted surveillance on him because of his pacifism during the war. As previously stated, COGIC although predominately black, had a significant white membership during its first decade of existence, with a number of white ministers holding leadership positions in the church. President Moody also added these ministries to the Missions Department:[62]. This list may not reflect recent changes . Malcolm X's Funeral was held in Harlem, New York City at Faith Temple Church Of God in Christ. He was recognized in Washington, D. C. by President Barack Obama in 2009 and invited to serve on the White House Advisory, Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Patterson, as Presiding Bishop of the Church in the 2000s, he helped bridge denominational barriers and encouraged non-COGIC ministries and denominations to work collaboratively with the COGIC denomination to help support charity efforts for poor and disadvantaged African Americans and people affected by poverty and disasters in foreign countries through the COGIC Charities Department and the COGIC Missions and Evangelism Department. Bishop John Drew Sheard is Presiding Bishop and Chief Apostle of the Church of God in Christ, Inc., one of the largest African American Pentecostal denominations in the United States with 12,000 churches in over 112 countries. However, the Church believes that in some extreme or rare cases, medical and operational abortion may be the safest way to help the mother if the pregnancy is jeopardizing the mother's life and health. Bishop Blake has several academic and honorary degrees, including a Doctor of Divinity from California Graduate School of Theology, a Doctor of Law degree from Oral Roberts University and an honorary doctorate from California State University, Los Angeles. Vice Chairman of the Board of Bishops Bishop Roger L. Jones. The designated church mother along with other "older and seasoned" women of the church provided the practical teaching of holiness in daily life and practice. The international headquarters is in Memphis, Tennessee. However, the General Assembly vested authority in the executive board composed of the seven bishops selected by Bishop Mason before his death. Bishop Elijah Hankerson III - Board member (2021present), Bishop Charles E. Blake Presiding Bishop Emeritus. Evangelist Goldia Haynes, Elder Utah Smith, Madame Earnestine Washington, and Marion Williams continued COGIC's influence throughout the fifties and sixties. COGIC became a major force in the collective Black Church and worldwide Pentecostal movement. Military chaplains have also been instrumental in spreading COGIC through military installations. Mamie Till-Mobley was a member of St. Paul COGIC led by then Elder Louis Henry Ford (who would later become the presiding bishop of the denomination) officiated the service. Dr. Mattie Moss Clark#, second and longest-serving president of Int'l. They unanimously chose C.H. [5] He officially retired on March 19, 2021, and was succeeded by Bishop J. It includes not only those who are members of COGIC, but all believers who have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. [63] The current president of the Department of Evangelism is Bishop Elijah Hankerson III of St. Louis, Missouri. Presiding Bishop J. Born in Birmingham, Alabama on October 2, 1931, Bishop Owens started preaching as a young child. He is also known for his aggressive initiative, "Save Africa's Children" which supports hundreds of African children who have been affected by HIV/AIDS in orphanages in several countries in Africa. In 2014, at the COGIC International Holy Convocation held in St. Louis, Missouri, COGIC minister Elder Earl Carter was selected by the General Board to be the keynote speaker for Saturday night. She organized the sewing circle and after meeting Elder Searcy, she encouraged the women to support mission work through the Home and Foreign Mission bands. The early pioneers of this newly formed Holiness-Pentecostal body in 1907 were E. R. Driver, J. Bowe, R. R. Booker, R. E. Hart, W. Welsh, A. Bishop Jerry W. Macklin First Assistant Presiding Bishop (2021present) and board member (2004present). During the current administration of Presiding Bishop Charles Blake, COGIC unveiled its Urban Initiatives Program to provide 60,000 programs nationwide through its more than 12,000 congregations to continue to promote the work of civil rights, and to reduce poverty, crime and violence, etc. These women have been listed for their significant contributions and impact to the church. J. O. Patterson Sr. was the Presiding Bishop at that time. He continued to build on the department through expansion of the Regional Administration into 10 geographical locations across the country. Chandler David Owens Sr. (October 2, 1931 - March 6, 2011) was an American minister and Holiness Pentecostal denomination leader of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), for which he served as the Presiding Bishop from 1995 to 2000, after the death of Bishop Louis Henry Ford. The denomination teaches that God gives life to human beings, biologically and spiritually, through the moment of conception in the womb of the mother, using Jeremiah 1:5, Genesis 1:2627, and Psalms 139:1316 as their scriptural basis for this belief. Welcome to the Official Church Of God In Christ, Inc Online Store Dismiss. In 1968, COGIC established the C.H. [55], A 2014 statistical study from the Pew Research Center Forum on Religion & Public Life, reported that most members of COGIC usually got married between the ages of 25 and 30, and that over 42% of COGIC members between the ages of 25 and 65+ were married, at least 19% were divorced or separated, 32% were never married, and at least 5% were widowed. He was elected as the denomination's leader on March 27, 2021. [2][4] The church teaches three separate and distinct works of grace that God performs in the life of believers: salvation, entire sanctification, and the baptism or infilling of the Holy Ghost. [23][24] After Mason's death, in accordance with the 1952 church constitution, the control of the church reverted to the COGIC Board of Bishops. They were given the authority through a "gentlemen's agreement" to license ministers and establish churches under the COGIC name. Together they traveled across the country proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. At the 1907 COGIC Convocation held in Jackson, a separation occurred among Jones and other leaders in the church because of such disagreements. The church believes that women are gifted and called to ministry; it does not, however, officially ordain women to the office of elder, pastor, or bishop. The court ordered the church to convene a constitutional convention in February 1968. He protested during the 1950s and 1960s against lodging segregation in Memphis, while participating in COGIC Holy Convocations there during the Civil Rights era before federal laws prohibiting such segregation. He consecrated and appointed more than 100 bishops during his twenty-one years of leadership. C. P. Jones and those Holiness leaders who did not embrace the Azusa Revival experience continued as Holiness churches. It was also around this time, that he married his wife, Mae Lawrence Blake, a native of Michigan and daughter of another COGIC bishop and pastor, and they had three children together, Charles Blake, Jr., Lawrence "Larry" Blake, and Kimberly Blake. Bishop Prince E. W. Bryant Sr. Board member (2021present). B. McEwen, came to a head and was addressed at the 57th Holy Convocation. In 2009 he was appointed as a member of Barack Obama's Inaugural Advisory Council of the Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships where he served for one year on the council. This convention brings thousands of COGIC members representing all the major departments including Sunday School, Missions, Evangelism, Music, and Youth together in July and meets in cities around the U.S. The beliefs of the Church of God in Christ are briefly written in its Statement of Faith, which is reproduced below:[41] It is often recited in various congregations as part of the order of worship and all national and international convocations. According to the Articles of Religion, "We believe that we are not baptized with the Holy Ghost in order to be saved, but that we are baptized with the Holy Ghost because we are saved". In 1917, the YPWW was officially organized under the leadership of Elder Ozro Thurston Jones Sr., who in 1928 established the first Youth Congress bringing together youth leaders and workers on a national level. The general assembly elects a 12-person general board (presidium) every four years from the college of bishops, who serve functionally as apostles of the church. The then"Minister & Sister Carter" established and . Mother Rivers also began the "49 and Under" to enlist and focus the younger women of COGIC to remain committed to the doctrine and teachings of the church. For many years, West Angeles has been one of the fastest growing churches in the United States and remains the largest COGIC local congregation with a membership of 25,000. Drew Sheard, Sr. as Presiding Bishop on March 20, 2021. Pages in category "Presiding Bishops of the Church of God in Christ". Mother Jennie Bell Dancy Jones of Arkansas became the first National Field Representative under Bishop Patrick. Patterson Sr., the five major departments of COGIC were united under an umbrella convention known as UNAC-5 (United National Auxiliary Convention). COGIC believes, though, that even then in the case of saving the life of the mother, that abortion should still only be considered as a last resort, if all other options to help the mother and the unborn fetus have been thoroughly exhausted. Founder 1907-1961* Senior Bishop & Chief Apostle Charles Harrison Mason: . [32], Bishop Chandler David Owens Sr. was elected Presiding Bishop after the death of Bishop Ford in 1995. They have two children, Kierra Kelly and John Drew Sheard, II, one son-in-love, Jordan Kelly, and two grandchildren. Vice President of COGIC World Missions-Bishop Glenn Plummer. He established COGIC Charities which has provided thousands of dollars in college scholarships and disaster relief efforts such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. When she died in 1945, she had laid an impressive foundation for the women's ministry in COGIC. Macklin was selected as the first chairman. There seemed no prospect of an integrated Pentecostal movement under the leadership of an African-American such as C. H. [6], In June 1896, Jones held a Holiness convention at Mt. From 1985 to 2009, he maintained the position of Prelate for the First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of California, where he was responsible for overseeing over 250 churches. He also established the COGIC national headquarters there. [36], In 2022, it was present in 112 countries in 2022. Nurses Aid Ministry nurses taking their skills to the mission field. The pair modeled the pastor and wife ministry team in COGIC. As a Pentecostal church, COGIC teaches that when one is baptized in the Holy Spirit, the believer will experience an initial evidence of speaking in tongues (glossolalia) by the will of God. We believe in the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling a Christian is enabled to live a holy and separated life in the present world. Jesse Jackson was invited to speak during the COGIC International Holy Convocation when he was running for the presidency. Owens and became known as AIM (Auxiliaries in Ministry). These elders became the first Pentecostal General Assembly of the Church of God in Christ. Many mainline denominations and countless nondenominational churches that once rejected these beliefs and practices have adopted these distinctions in their worship liturgy and lifestyle practices. Mallory retired in 1976 after fifty years of service; and she had a national reputation. Blake, Sr. and the late Evangelist Lula M. Blake. Succession of Church of God in Christ Leaders. Bishop Sheard is a former mathematics teacher and . MEMPHIS, Tenn Funeral arrangements are set for COGIC Evangelist Louise Patterson, the widow of the late Bishop G.E. Organized in the South and having a predominately African-American membership, COGIC has had a long history in advancing civil rights. [15], COGIC originated among African Americans in the Southern states of Mississippi, Arkansas, and Tennessee. At the time, because many churches disagreed with what they considered its eccentric worship styles and expressions of Pentecostalism, such as the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues and the laying on of hands, many churches distanced themselves from the COGIC for many years. Gilbert. The son-in-law of Bishop Mason, J. O. Patterson Sr., had served the church previously as a member of the executive board and as executive secretary. [18], The H. A. Goss faction left COGIC to join the Assemblies of God USA. [10] After testifying to being sanctified, members of the church referred to themselves as "Saints", believing that they were set apart to live a daily life of Christian Holiness in words and deeds.[11]. [44], COGIC teaches that salvation is the work of redemption to the sinner and his restoration to divine favor and communion with God. A new constitution and official manual of the church were completed in 1973. The presiding bishop and all twelve members of the general board are to be elected every four years and preside over the church when the General Assembly is not in session. Drew Sheard, Sr. as Presiding Bishop on March 20, 2021. [93] Leaders within the COGIC, other denominations and Bishop Blake's own family came to his defense. As a visionary who is both inspiring and influential, the awards and recognitions that Bishop Blake has received are extensive. They exist primarily in the spiritual realm and are organized according to duty and function. Here are the other 11 members elected to COGIC's general board, its highest executive board: Bishop Prince Bryant Sr., pastor of The Island of Hope Church of God in Christ and Buck Street Memorial . A. Ford was pastor of the St. Paul COGIC in Chicago and was Presiding Prelate of the Historic Illinois First Jurisdiction. Bishop Sedgwick Daniels Board member (2008present). Drew Sheard was appointed Superintendent of the Emmanuel District, by Bishop Herbert J. Williams, Sr., Prelate of the North Central Michigan Jurisdiction. Her predecessor was Evangelist Dr. Rita Womack of Los Angeles, California. The general secretary, general treasurer, and financial secretary terms run concurrent with the current presidential administration that is elected every four years.[20]. James Moore, Thomas Whitfield (singer), Deniece Williams, Hubert Powell, Donnie McClurkin, LaShun Pace, The Anointed Pace Sisters, Dr. Bettye Ransom Nelson, Bishop Richard "Mr. Clean" White, Bishop Paul S. Morton, The Clark Sisters: (Jacky Clark-Chisholm, Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark, Dorinda Clark-Cole and Karen Clark-Sheard). In the 1920s, Arizona Dranes, a blind Evangelist Missionary became one of the first gospel artists to bring the musical styles of COGIC to the public in her records for Okeh and performances. Salvation is an operation of the Holy Spirit upon sinners brought about by repentance toward God, which brings about conversion, faith, justification, and regeneration. Today however, many church mothers have been reserved to titular positions as many pastor's wives have assumed the role of leader of women's ministries in local congregations. Mason was given authority to lead the new denomination. Originally, this gathering of the 'Saints' lasted for twenty days, from November 25 to December 14. However, after a meeting in Hot Springs, Arkansas that led to the founding of the Assemblies of God, the white constituency of COGIC continued to decline, until it was almost nonexistent by the 1930s. National Baptist Convention of America, Inc. National Missionary Baptist Convention of America, Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, Church of Universal Triumph, Dominion of God, Fire Baptized Holiness Church of God of the Americas, Triumph the Church and Kingdom of God in Christ, United Pentecostal Council of the Assemblies of God, Incorporated, Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America, Imani Temple African-American Catholic Congregation, Israelite School of Universal Practical Knowledge, Original Church of God or Sanctified Church, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charles_Edward_Blake_Sr.&oldid=1138808010, People from Los Angeles County, California, Presiding Bishops of the Church of God in Christ, African-American television personalities, Interdenominational Theological Center alumni, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, April, 2007, November 2008, November 2012, November 2016, This page was last edited on 11 February 2023, at 19:00. [20], In 1926, Mason authorized the church's constitution, outlining the bylaws, rules, and regulations of the church. Bishop Blake also won a defamation lawsuit in 2016 against Earl Carter, who was ordered to remove all defamatory videos and to cease and desist from further conduct disparaging Bishop Blake.