Beliefs, Vision, Values and History

Our Beliefs

We believe in the Bible as God’s only inspired, inerrant and authoritative revelation of Himself to man in written form (2 Timothy 3:16,17).

We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit (1 John 5:7).

We believe in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ
(John 1:1), His virgin birth (Matt 1:18), His sinless life (2 Corinthians 5:21), His miracles (Acts 10:38), His vicarious death as the only sacrifice for the sin of the world (1 John 2:2), His bodily resurrection from the dead (Luke 24:39), His ascension to the right hand of God as our intercessor (Hebrews 4:14), and His future return in glory, first to rapture His church (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18) and second, to establish the kingdom of God upon the earth (Revelation 20:6).

We believe in the finality of Christ’s mediatorial work for the redemption of humanity and the present freedom of access to the Father (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 7:25).

We believe in the new birth as the only means of receiving eternal life. The new birth involves a cleansing and deliverance from the penalty and power of sin. It is effectuated through faith in Jesus Christ and repentance from sin (John 3:3,5,7; Ephesians 2:8,9; 1 Peter 1:18-20).

We believe in divine healing for the total man, spirit, mind and body and that this healing is accomplished in the redemptive work of Christ on the cross and appropriated in the believer’s life through prayer (Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:17; 1 Peter 2:24; James 5:13-15).

We believe in the baptism in the Holy Spirit as an enduement of power for all believers (Acts 2:4,38-39; 10:44-46; 19:1-6; Ephesians 5:18). This baptism results in a deeper expression of spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22,23), a greater growth in Christ-likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18), a genuine manifestation of spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:1-11), and a more effective prayer life (Romans 8:26, 27).

We believe in the process of spiritual development (sanctification) wrought in the believer’s life by the Holy Spirit. The growth involves daily dying to sin and living unto righteousness (Romans 6:1-23), finds expression in a holy life (Hebrews 12:24) and will be culminated at the return of Christ (1 John 3:2).

We believe in the resurrection from the dead. First, the righteous unto eternal life and second, the ungodly unto eternal damnation (Daniel 12:2; John 5:28,29; Revelation 20:4-6, 11-15).

We believe in the sacraments of the church established by Jesus Christ our Lord; the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:26-30; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26) and baptism by immersion as a symbol and witness of the new birth (Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 3:20-22).

These “Basic Beliefs" are simply a summary of fundamental Christian beliefs for teaching purposes and is not intended to be an official ecclesiastical statement as found in the Church of God statement of faith to which we hold as an official statement.

Our Vision and Values

We are a Spirit-filled, evangelical congregation giving the world hope in Christ through biblical teaching, Christ-centered worship and people-oriented ministry. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace, as you trust in him, and may you overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom 15:13).

The mission of the church is to: “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20). Our ministry vision is guided by five biblical core values based on the ministry of Jesus:

1. Evangelism: To lead persons into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10).
   
   
2. Edification: To help persons grow in their relationship with Christ. Then He said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
   
   
3. Equipping: To train believers in biblical leadership as they minister in the church and in the marketplace. “These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: ‘Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give’” (Matt 10:8).
   
   
4. Encouragement: To provide an environment where the power of God brings wholeness to the total person – spirit, mind and body. “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18, 19).
   
   
5. Excellence: To bring glory to God by developing and maintaining the highest standards of ministry in all we do. Jesus prayed, “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4).

Our History

Winston Churchill said, “The further back you look, the further forward you are likely to see.” We celebrate our rich history as a testimony to the advancement of the kingdom of God. Our past is a platform to continue launching us into the future.

1907 Charles Holt and T.J. Middlebrooks began sharing with others their experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

1914 These believers began conducting worship services in rented facilities.

1918 A church was officially formed and called “The Church of God.” It was the first organized Pentecostal church in the Atlanta area. The church began meeting in a tent.

1921 After several moves to accommodate the growing numbers, property was purchased on Sixth Street near Royal. It took the name “Sixth Street Church of God.” The facility held about 300 people and had a grand total of two Sunday school rooms.

1940 In the fall the congregation built and relocated to a new facility on Hemphill Avenue near the Georgia Tech campus and was renamed the “Hemphill Avenue Church of God.” This was done under leadership of Rev. H.L. Whittington.

1960 Dr. Paul Walker assumed the pastorate with his wife, Carmelita.

1967 The church moved to its present location at Mount Paran Road where growth has been a testimony to God’s power and providence. The congregation has grown from 700 to 9,500 members at this location.

1985 The church purchased an older church facility with 65 acres of property in Cobb County. The church renovated the property and built additional buildings to build Mount Paran North.

1991 Dr. David Cooper became the Associate Pastor of the Central congregation, along with his wife Barbie. The Safe House Urban inner city outreach also began this same year.

1996 Dr. David Cooper was appointed as Senior Pastor. Satellite congregations became autonomous as well. Dr. Paul Walker became General Overseer of the Church of God International.

2001 The Let Us Rise Up and Build development campaign was launched involving three phases of construction over a five-year period. The entire campus facilities would be replaced except for the Student Life Center and
the McCarty Building. The congregation modeled great faith and commitment to undertake the challenge and to continue to grow the church during the process.

2003 Phase I of the Let Us Rise Up and Build development campaign was completed and dedicated on November 23, 2003, including the Center for Biblical Studies and a five-level Parking Deck.

2005 Construction of Phase II of the new Sanctuary was completed and dedicated on September 18. Construction of Phase III of the Children’s Ministry Center, Church Offices, the Great Hall and Media Center began in September after the dedication.

2007 The Let Us Rise Up and Build construction campaign was completed and dedicated to the Lord on May 20, marking 12 years of planning and development with five years of construction. This year also marks the centennial of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit experienced by Charles Holt and T.J. Middlebrooks.