St. Stephen's Cathedral Church of God in Christ
AI summary — doctrinal positions on this page are inferred by AI from this church's own public statements and may be inaccurate.
Inherited from denomination
What Church of God in Christ teaches
Positions bound by the denomination's confessional standards. This is what the tradition teaches; whether this specific congregation publicly holds each is a separate question — see Statements below.
Affirms
- Believer's BaptismSTRONGBaptist confessions; Pentecostal fundamentals; Anabaptist tradition
- Marriage as one man and one womanSTRONGGenesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4–6; historic universal Christian teaching.
- Permissibility of divorce and remarriagestandardMatthew 19:9 (adultery ground); 1 Corinthians 7:15 (abandonment ground). Practice varies.
Denies
- Apostolic SuccessionstandardCongregational and presbyterian polity reject the necessity of tactile episcopal succession.
- Assumption of MarystandardUniversal Protestant rejection — not attested in Scripture; not received as dogma.
- Homosexual practice and biblical sexual ethicsSTRONGRomans 1:26–27; 1 Corinthians 6:9–10; historic universal Christian teaching.
- Immaculate ConceptionSTRONGUniversal Protestant + Orthodox rejection. Orthodox reject on the grounds that they hold prepurification at the Annunciation, not conception.
- Infant BaptismSTRONGBaptist confessions (New Hampshire; BFM 2000 VII); Anabaptist / Schleitheim; Pentecostal fundamentals
- Perpetual Virginity of MarystandardNatural reading of Matthew 13:55–56 (brothers of Jesus); typical modern Baptist / evangelical position.
- Real PresencestandardMemorialist / Zwinglian view; typical Baptist and Free Church position
- TransubstantiationSTRONGOrthodox reject the Aristotelian metaphysics; Lutherans use 'sacramental union'; 39 Articles Art. XXVIII rejects explicitly; Reformed/Baptist reject substance-change.
Wrestles with
- Pacifism vs. just-warweakDefault just-war framework — usually unwritten. Inheriting at weak confidence.
- Women in pastoral / ordained officeweakACNA no unified position (some dioceses ordain women, others not). GMC restricts by role. COGIC restricts bishop role but ordains women to other ministries.
In their own words
Statements
about_us
<!DOCTYPE html> About Us | St Stephens Home Leadership About Us Our Founders Give Select Page About Us St. Stephen’s Church of God in Christ was organized in September of 1962 by Senior Pastor Bishop George Dallas McKinney and his dear wife, Sister Jean Carleen Brown McKinney. During the early 1960’s racial tension was high, and this community was in the throes of much social upheaval. We believe that God planted St. Stephen’s to bring a message of hope, forgiveness, reconciliation, and healing to a troubled community. With a loan of $75 from Beneficial Finance, the basement oSource ↗
about
About Us | St Stephens Home Leadership About Us Our Founders Give Select Page About Us St. Stephen’s Church of God in Christ was organized in September of 1962 by Senior Pastor Bishop George Dallas McKinney and his dear wife, Sister Jean Carleen Brown McKinney. During the early 1960’s racial tension was high, and this community was in the throes of much social upheaval. We believe that God planted St. Stephen’s to bring a message of hope, forgiveness, reconciliation, and healing to a troubled community. With a loan of $75 from Beneficial Finance, the basement of a pizza parlor was rented as thSource ↗
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