Doctrine and Polity Committee Releases Paper on the Church and Government
Members of the Church of God Doctrine and Polity Committee have released the latest paper in the series. The topic is “Church and Civil Government.”
The paper is part of more than a dozen papers submitted in the Doctrine and Polity series, and is published by guest writer Dr. Daniel Tomberlin, a professor at the Pentecostal Theological Seminary. In the paper, Tomberlin addresses The Rise of Christendom, The Rise of Secularism, and Christians Living in the World Today. He cites that the Church of God has a presence in 185 countries and territories of the world with almost 40,000 local congregations and 7.5 million members.
“Therefore,” Tomberlin asserts, “consideration of the interactions between the Christian church and the nation-states of the world must be global, and allow for regional contextualization. The relationship of Christian communities in intolerant nations will be profoundly different than the relationship of Christian communities in nations which tolerate religious freedom. Faithful Christians must always give priority of allegiance to the mission of the Kingdom of God in all political contexts.” Tomberlin summarizes his treatise by saying, “The purpose of government is to establish a civil order that reflects the righteousness and justice of God; and promotes the peace and flourishing of humanity. The Christian church includes, transcends, and transforms all human cultural, racial, and ethnic paradigms. Christian believers live in monarchies, democracies, and totalitarian regimes with capitalist, socialist, and communist economic systems. National patriotism and allegiance to political parties should always be tempered by the Christian’s faithfulness to God’s kingdom.”
The paper can be accessed in its entirety by visiting churchofgod.org and clicking on the Beliefs tab/Doctrine and Polity. A direct link to the English version is provided by clicking here: The paper is also available in Spanish by clicking here:
Past Doctrine and Polity paper topics have included such issues as defense of the denomination’s stance on total abstinence from strong drink, speaking in tongues, observance of the Sabbath Day, spiritual gifts, human cremation, Spirit-filled worship, same-sex marriage, and the Hyper-Grace movement. All are available in English and Spanish.
The Doctrine and Polity Committee exists to routinely examine the belief statements, doctrines, and polity in place within the structure of the denomination. The group considers amendments reflective of modern culture and offers recommendations for modifications employing extensive biblical research.
The Doctrine and Polity Committee is a group of ministers, scholars and academicians. They include professors at the Pentecostal Theological Seminary Dr. French Arrington, Dr. David Han, Dr. Lee Roy Martin, and Dr. Miriam Figueroa, and Lee Professors Dr. Jerald Daffe and Dr. Terry Cross. Second Assistant General Overseer Dr. J. David Stephens serves as executive liaison.
