BRIEF HISTORY


            The Churches of God, General Conference began in 1825 as a result of the labors, revivals, and ideas of John Winebrenner, a German Reformed pastor who ministered in and around Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

            During the late 1820's, Winebrenner came to new theological conclusions about the nature and government of the Church, the importance of the regenerating experience of the new birth, and the ordinances (Believer's Baptis m by immersion, Lord's Supper, and Feet Washing). He reaffirmed the belief that the Bible was the "only authoritative rule of faith and practice."

            In 1830 he joined five other "teaching elders", or ministers, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and formed an "eldership" for the purpose of adopting a system of cooperation, which later became the East Pennsylvania Eldership. Many Church of God people from Eastern Pennsylvania and Maryland were moving West to the new lands that were opening up for settlement. These families often sent requests back East for ministers to come and serve among them. In 1833 Elder Joseph Adams was appointed as a missionary to "the circuit of Ohio." The following year Elders Thomas Hickernell, Jacob Keller and others were also sent. As a result an Ohio Eldership was formed in 1836.

            Ministry in West Pennsylvania naturally become a concern of members in both of the two elderships as they received requests from Church of God families who settled there. In 1837 Elder Thomas Hickernell, of Ohio, was appointed to the Pittsburgh Mission, which at that time included Allegheny and several adjacent counties. The following year his brother, Elder John Hickernell, of East PA and Elder Jacob Kelly, of Ohio, were also appointed as missionaries to Western Pennsylvania.

            These early missionaries used three main methods of evangelism: itinerant preaching, extended revival meetings and camp meetings. When a sufficient number of believers at a given location showed interest in forming a church, a congregation would be organized. In 1939 churches were organized at Barkeyville, Venango County; Slippery Rock, Beaver County; at or near Old Harmony, Butler County; and at Old Bethany, Westmoreland County.

            As a result a committee was appointed by the Ohio Eldership, in 1843, to consider forming another Eldership. The committee made a favorable report, and thus originated the West Pennsylvania Eldership of the Church of God, an outgrowth of the East Pennsylvania and Ohio Elderships. The first meeting of the West PA Eldership was held in Pittsburgh, PA beginning Monday morning, March 4, 1844 and continued for 3 days.

        At the 1865 West PA Eldership Session Elders Jacob M. Domer and Peter Loucks were appointed to make the preparations necessary to have the Eldership incorporated. As a result of their work the Eldership was incorporated April 11, 1866.

       While all of this was occurring, the Churches of God were growing in our southern area of West Virginia. The West Virginia Eldership was formed on October 10, 1884 consisting of churches in West Virginia, Greene County Pennsylvania and Ohio. Eight ministers and eight churches from West Pennsylvania joined. In 1894 the West Virginia  Eldership was divided into North and South sections. West Virginia Eldership North reunited with the West Pennsylvania Eldership in 1933, and the West VA Eldership South became the West VA Eldership. As time progressed this eldership became the West Virginia Conference of the Churches of God General Conference.

        There have been several name changes of the conference in Western PA. At first it was the "West PA Eldership of the Church of God."  At the first General Eldership Session in 1845 the denominational name was changed from "Church of God" to "Church of God in North America". Thus the name of the local body was changed to "West PA Eldership of the Church of God in North America." In 1896 the General Eldership made the name plural and the West PA Eldership followed suit by changing the name to "West PA Eldership of the Churches of God in North America." At the 1965 West PA Eldership Session a new constitution was adopted and the name was changed to "West PA Conference of the Churches of God in North America" in recognition that the delegates were no longer limited to Elders. Then at the 1974 General Eldership Sessions the denominational name was changed to "Churches of God, General Conference". From this the correct became the "West PA Conference of the Churches of God, General Conference." 

            At the 1998 General Conference Sessions action was taken giving the Administrative Council permission to move in the direction of Regionalization, including any necessary boundary changes during the next three years. Thus the 16 Conferences would work toward becoming five Regions by General Conference Sessions in 2001. In early drafts of regionalization, the West Pennsylvania Conference, the West Virginia Conference and a number of churches from the former East Penn Conference would merge to become the Allegheny Region Conference. In response to opposition by the East Penn leadership, those churches which would have compromised our central district were prevented from joining the Allegheny Region. 

        In January 2001, we officially became the the "Allegheny Region Conference, Churches of God General conference." In 2003, the West Virginia Conference voted to begin a 2 year transitional period in process to being in the Allegheny Region. During the time a very close relationship continued exist between the Allegheny Region and the West Virginia. In August 2005, delegates from West Virginia voted unanimously to complete the regionalization by pledging their commitment to Churches of God, General Conference and the Allegheny Region.



Back to Home Page