“What started as two separate streams converged to create the vibrant Bible Standard Church of God”. Before us stands the Bible Standard Church of God a testament to faith. Its history is deeply intertwined with the evolution of Pentecostalism in the United States.
Open Bible Churches, the association to which this church belongs has a fascinating origin. It began with the merging of two smaller Pentecostal groups. These groups could be traced back to the Azusa Street Revival.
In 1919 the Bible Standard Conference was founded in Eugene Oregon. Later in 1932 the Open Bible Evangelistic Association was established in Des Moines Iowa. The Bible Standard Conference emerged after Fred Hornshuh and other ministers left the Apostolic Faith Mission. Hornshuh disagreed with the mission’s isolationist views and authoritarian leadership. He also disagreed with its strict stance on divorce and remarriage.
The Open Bible Evangelistic Association formed when ministers left the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. These ministers were hesitant to give local church property to the Foursquare Church’s leadership. They were also concerned about the remarriage of the church’s divorced leader Aimee Semple McPherson.
These two groups shared a resistance to authoritarian leadership. They both believed in local church autonomy. Recognizing their similarities, the two groups joined forces in 1935. This merger formed what was then known as Open Bible Standard Churches.
The Bible Standard Church of God shares the core beliefs of Open Bible Churches. Members believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Speaking in tongues is considered evidence of these gifts. Each congregation within the association owns its property and calls its own pastor.
Open Bible Churches is affiliated with the National Association of Evangelicals. It is also connected to the Pentecostal Charismatic Churches of North America. Several educational institutions are affiliated with Open Bible Churches. These include New Hope Christian College INSTE Bible College Harvest Bible College and Toledo School of Ministry.
The organization publishes the Message of the Open Bible which has more than 150000 members worldwide. Once known as Open Bible Standard Churches since 1996 the organization’s public name has been simply Open Bible Churches. Today the Bible Standard Church of God stands as a beacon of faith. It is part of a global community. It continues to uphold the values of its founders.