COGIC founder Charles Harrison Mason died on this day in history.
Fifty-four years ago, news broke that Bishop Charles Harrison Mason died at the age of 99.
Mason founded the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) in 1897, reorganizing and incorporating the organization in Memphis in 1907. Within 10 years, COGIC congregations were established around the country in cities like Chicago, Detroit, and St. Louis.
But Mason’s vision wasn’t easily realized.
Mason was born a slave on a plantation in Shelby County and overcame poor health when he was ordained as a minister. He enrolled at Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock, but according to historians, Mason dropped out after just a few years, saying the “way the schools were conducted grieved his soul.”
Mason is credited with bringing the Pentecostal faith back to the South. After being expelled from the Baptist Convention, Mason founded COGIC in Memphis. He served as Senior Bishop and Chief Apostle of the church until he died on November 17, 1961.
COGIC now has congregations established in more than 72 countries, consisting of more than 6.5 million members.
