  the church of god in christ (cogic) is a pentecostal christian denomination with a predominantly african-american membership. the denomination reports having over five million members in the united states. the national council of churches ranks it as the largest pentecostal denomination and the fifth largest christian denomination in the u.s. internationally, cogic can be found in more than 60 nations. its worldwide membership is estimated to be between six and eight million membersmelton, j. gordon, religions of the world second edition: a comprehensive encyclopedia of beliefs and practices, 2010. p. 681 and more than 15,000 congregations throughout the world. == history == === holiness origins ===  the church of god in christ was formed in 1897 by a group of disfellowshiped baptists, most notably charles price jones (1865â1949) and charles harrison mason (1866â1961). in the 1890s, c.p. jones and c.h. mason were licensed baptist ministers in mississippi who had begun teaching the wesleyan doctrine of christian perfection or entire sanctification as a second work of grace to their baptist congregations. c.h. mason was heavily influenced by the testimony of the african-american methodist evangelist amanda berry smith, one of the most widely respe
Christian_denominations_established_in_the_20th_century Christian_terminology Church_of_God_in_Christ Historically_African-American_Christian_denominations Pentecostal_denominations Pentecostalism_in_the_United_States Religious_organizations_established_in_1907