Our Church History
The Church of the Living God was founded in April 1889 under a brush arbor near Wrightsville, Arkansas by Rev. William Christian. Originally a Baptist minister, Rev. Christian began preaching the pure doctrine of Jesus Christ as laid out in the Bible. After a theological disagreement with another minister, he left the Baptist denomination and, through divine revelation and scripture study, established what became the Church of the Living God.
The first members included Elder K.C. Adams (the first National Secretary), Rev. Josh Adams, Rev. Russell Stowe, Wm. Pierce, and Tim Jones, a local landowner. The church was officially incorporated in Arkansas with the help of Mr. Shackelford, a lawyer from Little Rock.
In 1895, a split led to two branches, one identified by the motto C.W.F.F.—which is how temples are recognized as part of the original Brotherhood founded by Rev. Christian.
The Church of the Living God is non-denominational and non-sectarian, rooted in the practices of believer’s baptism by immersion, the Lord’s Supper with unleavened bread and water, and the washing of saints’ feet. Local congregations are called Temples and fall under the authority of the General Assembly, led by a Chief Bishop and a structured ministry that includes bishops, overseers, evangelists, pastors, and missionaries.
Despite divisions over the years, the Brotherhood organized by Rev. Christian remains the parent body of the Church of the Living God.
