New Life Church of God in Christ

What echoes through the halls of New Life Church of God in Christ? It’s not just hymns and sermons, but whispers of a rich history woven into the fabric of Pentecostalism. Here, in Woodbridge, Virginia, stands this testament to faith, a place with a story that stretches back to the very origins of the Church of God in Christ. New Life Church of God in Christ, though geographically separate from the denomination’s birthplace in Memphis, carries within it the same spirit of fervent belief and dynamic worship. Let’s journey back to 1897, when a group of Baptist ministers, including Charles Price Jones and Charles Harrison Mason, found themselves expelled for their fervent embrace of holiness teachings. Undeterred, they formed a new assembly, simply called the “Church of God.” Later that year, Mason declared he’d received a divine revelation: the assembly would be known as the “Church of God in Christ,” a name inspired by 1 Thessalonians 2:14. New Life Church of God in Christ shares this legacy, a legacy forged in the fires of conviction. The early Church of God in Christ was a holiness church, but its trajectory changed dramatically in 1906. Mason, upon visiting the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles, experienced the baptism of the Holy Ghost, speaking in tongues as described in Acts 2:4. This Pentecostal experience led to a split in the church, but Mason, with a dedicated group of followers, reorganized the Church of God in Christ as a Holiness-Pentecostal body. The echoes of this revival resonate in the vibrant worship of New Life Church of God in Christ today. As the Church of God in Christ spread, so did its influence on gospel music. From the pioneering sounds of Arizona Dranes and Sister Rosetta Tharpe to the legendary Clark Sisters, COGIC members have shaped the landscape of gospel music. Though the location of New Life Church of God in Christ in Woodbridge may seem worlds away from the gospel music scene of Memphis or Detroit, the same spirit of passionate musical expression thrives within its walls. The Church of God in Christ has always been a champion for civil rights. During the tumultuous years of the Civil Rights Movement, COGIC churches hosted key events, from Emmett Till’s funeral to Martin Luther King Jr.’s final, electrifying sermon at Mason Temple. New Life Church of God in Christ stands as a continuation of this commitment to social justice, a place where faith and action intersect.