THE PHILADELPHIA CHURCH OF GOD

The Philadelphia Church of God is a Christian church composed of several thousand members scattered all over the world. Church members live in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Ireland, Scotland, England, Germany, France, the Netherlands, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, India, Australia, New Zealand and dozens of other nations. The majority of the church’s congregations are small; some congregations, families or individuals are the only church members in their state, province, or country. In some countries, church members travel for hours to meet together each week for church services. There, they typically share Christian fellowship followed by a two-hour service consisting of hymns, announcements, special music and two messages from the Bible. Afterward, members often fellowship together for hours, conversing over snacks, later over dinner, and still later at each others’ homes or at social get-togethers. Ordained ministers are also scattered and travel longer distances to speak to, counsel with and fellowship among their fellow members and those interested in becoming members.

The Philadelphia Church of God is a non-denominational Christian church. The church bases its teachings on the New Testament teachings of Jesus Christ, including the weekly Sabbath and holy days established in the Old Testament. The church also believes that God will save the vast majority of mankind from its sins and the penalty for sin. The church teaches that Satan is the current ruler of this world, rather than God. It believes that those who lived before Christ, those who died never hearing of His teachings, devout atheists and warring religions—humanity as a whole—will have a chance to accept what Christ taught when He returns, after mankind has proven it does not know the way to peace and embroiled itself in catastrophic war.

The church categorizes its activities into two commissions. The first is to proclaim to the world the good news of the coming Kingdom of God, and to warn about the disasters Jesus Christ said will precede His return. The second is to care for the members of the church itself. In support of its message to the world and its members, the church trains and provides ministers and publishes literature based on the Bible. It produces a Bible correspondence course, a newsmagazine and three other periodicals, and over 70 books and booklets. The church translates its materials into nine languages, produces a television program and supports an archeological excavation in Jerusalem’s City of David.

Most of this work is done on the PCG’s headquarters campus in Edmond, Okla. The campus is also the home of Herbert W. Armstrong College, Philadelphia Youth Camp, Imperial Academy, and the offices the Armstrong International Cultural Foundation, which produces a concert series that will soon debut in a new venue: Armstrong Auditorium. Online, the church’s activities can be found on pcog.org, theTrumpet.com, KeyofDavid.com, HWAcollege.org, TrueEducation.org, and ArmstrongConcerts.org.
The Philadelphia Church of God was founded in 1989 by Gerald Flurry, who serves as its pastor general. Mr. Flurry has been an ordained minister for over 35 years and formally served as a pastor in the Worldwide Church of God under Herbert W. Armstrong