A History of Christian Doctrine #3 - Online Christian Library

A History of Christian Doctrine
tongues. This wing of the movement retained the earlier
Holiness movement’s doctrine of sanctification as a second
work of grace.
In recent years, however, the emphasis on sanctification
as a second work of grace has diminished significantly.
So concluded James Bowers, a Church of God
minister in Scottsboro, Alabama, from a study of sermons,
articles, textbooks, and other publications: 152
Sanctification is conspicuously absent from the
preaching and teaching of Church of God pastors. . . .
Whatever teaching Church of God members receive
on sanctification and holiness is likely to come from
some source other than their local church. . . .
Sanctification has been largely neglected in denominationally
sponsored training opportunity for laity and
ministers. . . . Nor did Church of God members receive
definitive instruction on sanctification from their
prominent authors [in recent years]. With few exceptions,
sanctification was left unaddressed or presented
in ambiguous language. . . . Many Church of God
authors were either non-Wesleyan, ambiguous, or altogether
silent where sanctification was concerned.
Most Second Work Trinitarian Pentecostals were part
of existing Holiness denominations that joined the
Pentecostal movement. (See chapter 2.) The predominantly
white groups have grown steadily, although not as
fast as the AG and UPCI, the major representatives of the
other two wings of Pentecostalism. The major black
group has grown rapidly.
The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) (6,500,000)
126