Never Forget : The Dark Years Of Cogic History

In Never Forget! Dr. Owens examines a period of transition in the history of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC). This period includes the years 1961-1968, from the death of the founder, Bishop C. H. Mason, to the installation of the first Presiding Bishop. This is the first scholarly reconstruction of the events of this period. The author uses the resulting case study as the basis for an analysis of the leadership styles and organizational types, which precipitated, endured, and resolved this period of transformation in one of America’s greatest religious organizations. “Dr. Robert R. Owens, has penned a provocative, illuminating book concerning the tremulous years, 1962-1968, of the leadership struggles of the Church of God in Christ, Inc., denomination headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. His scholarly research has contributed significantly to the knowledge available about a neglected historical period in the life one of America’s largest and oldest Pentecostal churches.” G. Wesley Hardy, D.Min., Administrative Assistant, VA 3rd Jurisdiction Pastor – Cathedral of Faith Church of God in Christ Chesapeake, Virginia “A well-balanced, neutral presentation that covers an era of our church’s history that has been and would continue to be misunderstood and misrepresented.” Rev. Joseph T. Williams Superintendent and Pastor Refuge Church of God in Christ Chesapeake, Virginia “In this book, Robert Owens has written an engrossing account of the difficult years in the Church of God in Christ following the death of the founding father, Charles Harrison Mason. With impeccable research, including many interviews with living participants, Owens has carefully traced this period in the development of America’s largest Pentecostal Church. I consider Never Forget! to be must reading for those interested in the Pentecostal tradition.” Dr. Vinson Synan, Dean of the School of Divinity, Regent University