Our History
In the state of Wisconsin, the history of the Church of God in Christ began with the arrival of Elder R. Anderson to the City of Milwaukee in 1919. Upon arriving from his home in Detroit, Michigan, Elder Anderson and his family took shelter in a park, having only a few of their belongings. With no resources, they slept for a few days on park benches. They believed God had ordained this mission. Thus began the Church of God in Christ in Wisconsin.
Elder Anderson began to hold street meetings at a location called the Hay Market on North 6th Street. People were drawn from all over the city by the beautiful spiritual songs and the message of peace and holiness (Hebrews 12:14).
Since that time there have been many changes in the Wisconsin Church of God in Christ, including the establishment of Jurisdictions and Jurisdictional Leaders. As the migration of African Americans from the South gained momentum, it created a need for places of worship in the tradition of their experiences back home. The Church of God in Christ is believed to be the oldest in the State of Wisconsin according to records at the Wisconsin Historical Society. In 1923 the congregation worshiped as the Church of God in Christ of Milwaukee on West Vliet Street; a circa-1930 photograph shows the church at 1361 North 8th Street. That congregation is now known as Christ Temple Church of God in Christ, 2778 North 10th Street.
In 1948-1949, after Overseer W. L. Morris was appointed to the Office of Bishop, it became necessary to divide the work, and in 1951 the National Church established the Northwest Wisconsin and Southeast Wisconsin Jurisdictions.
Our Bishops
The late Bishop J. B. Davis
The late Bishop Oscar Freeman
The late Bishop Peter James Henderson
The late Bishop Adolphus Allen
Bishop Charles H. McClelland, Jurisdictional Prelate since 2008, who has ushered the jurisdiction into a new level of spiritual and numerical growth.
