WHO IS CLGI?
The Church of the Living God was founded in 1903 by Mother Mary Magdalena Lewis Tate. The ministry given her was one of holiness with emphasis on repentance, sanctification, and baptism in the Holy Spirit; this would result in clean living with one working toward perfection. Mother Tate was a bold preacher who took her message in and through the states of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Illinois with the message touch people of all races and ethnic backgrounds.
In 1908, Mother Tate formally organized and incorporated the House of God which is the Church of the Living God, Pillar and Ground of the Truth in Greenville, Alabama. The first General Assembly was held June 25-July 5 of the same year. Some walked as many as thirty miles to get there and witness Mother Tate made the Overseer and Chief Leader of the church, preachers ordained, and pastors appointed.
The Church of the Living God continued to grow and spread throughout many states eventually reaching as far north as Ohio. On October 29, 1923, The House of God, which is the Church of the Living God, the Pillar and Ground of Truth Without Controversy, was incorporated in Columbus, Ohio under Bishop George F. Giles, Pastor and State Bishop. He retained these positions until his death on April 1, 1958. Following his death, the assistant pastor Elder H. I. Bosart was appointed pastor.
In 1962, under the direction of then Assistant Pastor, Rev. Beulah M. White, the church obtained a “white” house at 593 Fairwood Avenue, the corner of Fairwood Avenue and Fulton Street. On January 26, 1966, the church mortgage was paid off, making it the first building purchased and owned by our organization in Columbus, Ohio. All previous buildings had been rented. That same year, Elder Bosart turned the responsibility of pastor over to Elder Beulah M. White. Her son Rev. Joseph White was appointed assistant pastor. A few years later, Elder Beulah M. White slept away to be with the Lord. Elder Joseph White was appointed pastor during the State Assembly in 1969.
Bishop Johnson
Dr. Joseph White is the Founder and Presiding Bishop for the Church of the Living God International, Incorporated (CLGI). Dr. White is the senior pastor of the Pool of Bethesda, the headquarters of CLGI located in Columbus, OH. He founded this international ministry in 1994 which has churches on five continents to include North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Dr. White was born on August 13, 1936 in Marietta, GA to Deacon Leonard and Reverend Beulah White. He was raised in a household that believed in the power of God and the move of the Holy Spirit. Experiencing the baptism of the Holy Spirit at eight years old, he was anointed by the Lord for what would become a life-long work. As an anointed singer and organist, he was called upon by many great evangelists to include Evangelist A. A. Allen to play and sing during the great tent revival movements of the 50’s and 60’s.
Called to preach in 1965, Reverend Joseph White was appointed pastor a few years later in 1969 when his pastor and mother, Elder Beulah M. White, slept away to be with the Lord. Under the leadership of Elder Joseph White, the church was renamed “The Pool of Bethesda” Church of the Living God.
In 1979, Pastor Joseph White, under the direction of the Lord and with a strong desire to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, began an expansion program into other cities and neighboring states. A number of churches were started in Columbus, Warren, Urbana, Cleveland and Springfield, Ohio as ministers under his leadership and teaching grew out of the Pool of Bethesda Church of the Living God.
In 1980, Pastor White was appointed to State Bishop over what was eventually called the “Great Lakes Diocese.” Additional churches were fellowshipped into the organization. The Holy Spirit led Bishop Joseph White to travel abroad which led to fellowshipping in churches in Germany and starting additional churches in Holland, The United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea and Suriname, South America and Africa.
In 1998, CLGI established a Board of Bishops with Dr. Joseph White, D. Min. presiding.
Mission Statement. The mission of the Church of the Living God International, Inc. is to fulfill the great Commission of Jesus Christ by establishing churches in every community.
Vision Statement. The vision of The Church of the Living God International, Inc. is to establish churches in every city, state, and country; to build a community of churches in every city that is committed to dynamic true worship and that will cause the power of God to reach the unchurched. We believe that to make an impact on an area with the message of faith and power, it is essential that we strategically place churches in various locations throughout that area.
To effectively achieve this goal, we envision a church membership of a minimum of 75 members to a maximum of 500. When church membership reaches 300 members, steps should be taken to establish a new cell. Within three years, each new cell should become a fully functional thriving church of its own.