Global United Fellowship

Last updated
Global United Fellowship
Seal of the Global United Fellowship.png
Seal
AbbreviationGUF
Classification Protestant
Polity Episcopal
Governance Executive Council
Presiding BishopJoel Peebles, Sr.
Founder Neil Ellis
Origin2013
Separated from Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship
Congregations1,400+
Official website globalunitedfellowship.org

The Global United Fellowship (GUF) is an interdenominational and predominantly African-American denomination founded in 2013 by Bishop Neil Ellis. Established after resigning from the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, the GUF claims to embrace individual churches, ministries, fellowships, and pastors in its organization. [1]

Contents

History

In August 2013, Bishop Neil Ellis resigned from the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship after stating he wanted "to avoid a possible division within the fellowship." [2] Ellis was running a campaign to succeed Paul S. Morton as Full Gospel's presiding bishop. Upon resignation, Ellis and the Mount Tabor Church collectively left the Full Gospel Baptists; [3] all Full Gospel-affiliated churches in the Bahamas also left the fellowship, including some leaders from the United States and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

After a two-day meeting, the Global United Fellowship was formed. [4] Bahamian PM Perry Christie attended the launch of the GUF in 2013. [5] [6]

In July 2016, Marvin Sapp—a Gospel artist—was consecrated as a bishop within the fellowship. During his episcopal consecration, the GUF's founder served as chief celebrant with Bishop J. Delano Ellis of the Pentecostal Churches of Christ as a co-consecrator. [7] Sapp was appointed over the Central Province of the Global United Fellowship. [8] [9]

In July 2019, the GUF had grown from 41 churches at its foundation to more than 1,400 churches in 42 countries. As late as 2019, Pastor Jamal Harrison Bryant of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church was a member. [10]

In October 2023, Ellis retired as presiding bishop for the GUF. He was succeeded in office by Bishop Joel Peebles. [11]

Doctrine

The GUF believes in ecumenism, and the nuclear family. [12] It also embraces Pentecostal and Charismatic tenets, [1] [13] and the Seven Mountain Mandate. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of God in Christ</span> Holiness-Pentecostal Christian denomination

The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) is an international Holiness–Pentecostal Christian denomination, and a large Pentecostal denomination in the United States. Although an international and multi-ethnic religious organization, it has a predominantly African-American membership based within the United States. The international headquarters is in Memphis, Tennessee. The current Presiding Bishop is Bishop John Drew Sheard Sr., who is the Senior Pastor of the Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ of Detroit, Michigan. He was elected as the denomination's leader on March 27, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Edward Blake Sr.</span> Presiding Bishop Emeritus of the Church of God in Christ

Charles Edward Blake Sr. is an American minister and retired pastor who served as the Presiding Bishop and leader of the Church of God in Christ, a 6 million-member Holiness Pentecostal denomination, that has now grown to become one of the largest predominantly African American Pentecostal denominations in the United States, from 2007 to 2021. On March 21, 2007, he became the Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, Inc., as a result of Presiding Bishop Gilbert E. Patterson's death. In a November 2007 special election, he was elected to complete the unexpired term of his predecessor as Presiding Bishop. In November 2008, Bishop Blake was re-elected to serve a four-year term as Presiding Bishop. In November 2012, Bishop Blake was re-elected again to serve a four-year term as the Presiding Bishop. He was reelected to a third term as Presiding Bishop on November 15, 2016. On October 23, 2020, Bishop Blake announced that he would not seek a re-election as Presiding Bishop nor as a member of the General Board and that he would retire from the Office of Presiding Bishop and from the General Board in 2021. He officially retired on March 19, 2021, and was succeeded by Bishop J. Drew Sheard, Sr. as Presiding Bishop on March 20, 2021.

The term Full Gospel or Fourfold Gospel is an evangelical doctrine that summarizes the Gospel in four aspects, namely the salvation, sanctification, faith healing and Second Coming of Christ. It has been used in various Christian traditions, including Keswickian, Pentecostal, Anabaptist, and Baptist denominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship</span>

The Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship (FGBCF) or Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International (FGBCFI) is a predominantly African-American, Charismatic Baptist denomination established by Bishop Paul Sylvester Morton—a Gospel singer and former National Baptist pastor. Founded as a response to traditional black Baptists upholding cessationism, Full Gospel Baptists advocate for the operation of Charismatic Christian spiritual gifts, while also holding to some traditional Baptist doctrine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assemblies of God</span> Group of over 144 autonomous self-governing national groupings of churches

The World Assemblies of God (AG), officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship (WAGF) is a global cooperative body of over 140 Pentecostal denominations. The WAGF (originally called World Pentecostal Assemblies of God Fellowship) was established on August 15, 1989, at the International Decade of Harvest Conference. Founding delegates represented various national Pentecostal churches that were historically and theologically connected to the AG and in fraternal relationship with each other. WAGF was created to provide structure so that member denominations, which previously related to each other informally, could more easily cooperate on a global basis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marvin Sapp</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1967)

Bishop Marvin Louis Sapp is an American Gospel music singer-songwriter who recorded with the group Commissioned during the 1990s before beginning a record-breaking solo career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. Delano Ellis</span> American pastor (1944–2020)

Jesse Delano Ellis, II, commonly known as J. Delano Ellis, was an American Protestant religious leader and progenitor of unity among African American Pentecostals with Trinitarian and nontrinitarian affinities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul S. Morton</span> American Baptist pastor (born 1950)

Paul Sylvester Morton is an American Baptist pastor, Gospel singer and author. He is also a founder of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ordination of women in Christianity</span> Taking place in Protestant churches

In Christianity, the ordination of women has been taking place in an increasing number of Protestant and Old Catholic churches, starting in the 20th century. Since ancient times, certain churches of the Orthodox tradition, such as the Coptic Orthodox Church, have raised women to the office of deaconess. While ordination of women has been approved in many denominations, it is still a very controversial and divisive topic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">O. T. Jones Sr.</span>

Ozro Thurston Jones Sr. was a Holiness Pentecostal denomination leader and minister, who was the second Senior Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, Inc. (1962–1968), succeeding Bishop Charles Harrison Mason, who was the founder. The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) is the fourth largest denomination in the United States, being in the Holiness Pentecostal tradition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Birth Missionary Baptist Church</span> Church in Woodrow Road at Bishop Eddie L. Long Parkway Stonecrest, United States

New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is a charismatic Christian Baptist megachurch in Stonecrest, DeKalb County, Georgia. Its senior pastor is Jamal Bryant since 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.</span> American Christian denomination

The National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., more commonly known as the National Baptist Convention, is an association of Baptist Christian churches headquartered at the Baptist World Center in Nashville, Tennessee and affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance. It is also the largest predominantly and traditionally African American church in the United States and the second largest Baptist denomination in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian laying on of hands</span> Christian method of invoking the Holy Spirit

In Christianity, the laying on of hands is both a symbolic and formal method of invoking the Holy Spirit primarily during baptisms and confirmations, healing services, blessings, and ordination of priests, ministers, elders, deacons, and other church officers, along with a variety of other church sacraments and holy ceremonies.

Chandler David Owens Sr. was an American minister and Holiness Pentecostal denomination leader of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), for which he served as the Presiding Bishop from 1995 to 2000, after the death of Bishop Louis Henry Ford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pentecostal Churches of Christ</span> Protestant Christian denomination

The Pentecostal Churches of Christ (PCC) is a Protestant Christian denomination in the Oneness Pentecostal tradition. The Pentecostal Churches of Christ self-identify as "Anglican-Apostolic". The Pentecostal Churches of Christ was founded and initially led by Bishop J. Delano Ellis, and its national cathedral is in Cleveland, Ohio, United States while the seat of its primate is currently Memphis, Tennessee.

Donald Hilliard Jr. is an American preacher, author, painter, professor, producer, and the senior pastor of Cathedral International. The church has three locations and 50 ministries serving three New Jersey areas: Perth Amboy, Asbury Park and Plainfield. Hilliard is the presiding bishop and founder of the Covenant Ecumenical Fellowship and Cathedral Assemblies Inc., serving as spiritual adviser and mentor for several pastors and churches in the United States and West Africa."

Hezekiah Xzavier Walker Jr. is an American gospel music artist and the pastor of Love Fellowship Tabernacle in Brooklyn, New York. Walker has released several albums on Benson Records and Verity Records as Hezekiah Walker & The Love Fellowship Crusade Choir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Drew Sheard Sr.</span> Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ

John Drew Sheard Jr. is an American pastor and minister from Detroit, Michigan, who is the current presiding bishop of the Church of God in Christ, a 6 million-member predominantly African-American Holiness Pentecostal denomination that has now grown to become one of the largest African-American Pentecostal denominations in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil Ellis (bishop)</span>

Neil Ellis is a Bahamian Baptist pastor and founder of the Global United Fellowship.

References

  1. 1 2 "Global Mission Statement". Global United Fellowship. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  2. ↑ Jones, Mike (August 21, 2013). "Bishop Neil C. Ellis Resigns from Bishop Morton and the Full Gospel Fellowship". uGospel. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  3. ↑ Beatty, Robert. "Bishop Neil C. Ellis resigns". South Florida Times. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  4. ↑ "Ellis speaks on new church fellowship". Tribune 242. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  5. ↑ "PM at launch of new church fellowship". Tribune 242. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  6. ↑ "Global United Fellowship of Churches launched in Bahamas". The Bahamas Weekly. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  7. ↑ "Marvin Sapp consecrated as Bishop in the Global United Fellowship". The Michigan Chronicle. 2015-07-19. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  8. ↑ Thomasos, Christine (2015-07-13). "Gospel Singer Marvin Sapp Becomes Bishop of Central Province of Global United Fellowship (Interview)". The Christian Post. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  9. ↑ "Sapp Appointed GUF Metropolitan Bishop". The Los Angeles Sentinel. July 28, 2016. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  10. ↑ Blair, Leonardo (2019-07-07). "Declining church attendance causing depression in some pastors, Global United Fellowship is pushing back". The Christian Post. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  11. ↑ Ugospel (2023-10-03). "Bishop Joel Robert Peebles, Sr. To Succeed Bishop Neil C. Ellis as the Next Presiding Bishop of Global United Fellowship". Philly's Favor 100.7 FM & 99.5 HD3. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  12. ↑ "What We Believe". Global United Fellowship. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  13. ↑ "Our Commitment". Global United Fellowship. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  14. ↑ "Statement of Purpose". Global United Fellowship. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.