A must read:
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| Bishop Chandler D. Owens 10/1/1931 ~ 3/6/2011 |
Supt. Harvey Burnett, the New Bethel/ Bethel Epiphany COGIC, The T.T. Rose Memorial District Of Illinois 3rd Jurisdiction and the Dunamis Word, stop to honor the memory of the late Bishop Chandler D. Owens who passed from this world on Sunday March 6th 2011.
Bishop Owens served as a former Presiding Bishop Of The Church Of God In Christ (1995-2000) was the pastor of the Greater Community Church Of God In Christ in Marietta, Georgia, the Bishop of Central Georgia Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and a General Board Member of the church Of God In Christ for over 35 years. He is said to have been a preacher of the gospel for over 70 years.
On another occasion, in Chicago, Illinois, Bishop Owens raised his concern openly and vocally that the Church Of God In Christ had seemingly become open to the homosexual agenda but reminded the church that COGIC was not "homosexual central" or a place where those in the sin of homosexuality should feel comfortable. He affirmed that the church should not be open to or affirm homosexuality in any manner.
With the passing of Bishop Owens the church is faced with some tremendous leadership replacement decisions and issues. Will the church arise to support one who is more traditional in their values and views on holiness, or will it facilitate individuals with more liberal, political and postmodern biblical views?
We will see, but for now, we join in prayer for his surviving spouse, Mrs. Shirley Owens, their children and family, the Saints of the church and jurisdiction and the Church Of God In Christ in general.
Additional Information can be found at COGIC.org.
Blessed!
Updated: 3/7/2011:
Order of services have been determined to be as follows:
The Local and Jurisdictional Service
Updated: 3/7/2011:
Order of services have been determined to be as follows:
Thursday, March 10, 2011, 7:00 p.m.
New Life Tabernacle
Church Of God In Christ
715 Cleveland Avenue, S.E.
Atlanta, GA 30354
The National Celebration of Life
Friday, March 11, 2011, 11:00 a.m.
Turner Chapel Cathedral AME Church
492 N. Marietta Parkway, N.E.
Marietta, GA 30060
The Service of Commital
Saturday, March 12, 2011, 11:00 a. m.
Wells Cathedral Church Of God In Christ
672 Martin Luther King Blvd.
Newark, NJ 07102
Expressions of kindness to the Owens Family (cards, resolutions, etc.,) can be sent to:
Mother Shirley Owens
c/o Greater Community Church Of God In Christ
406 Roswell Street, Marietta, GA 30060
Office: 770-590-8590 Fax: 770-590-7354
Expressions of kindness to the Owens Family (cards, resolutions, etc.,) can be sent to:
Mother Shirley Owens
c/o Greater Community Church Of God In Christ
406 Roswell Street, Marietta, GA 30060
Office: 770-590-8590 Fax: 770-590-7354
Lord bless his memory. Is not amazing that Bishop Earl J. Wright will automatically become a General Board Memeber again. According the the voting totals, he is next in line. Bishop Owen's shoes a too large to fill.
ReplyDeleteThank you for that information.
ReplyDeleteWe will certainly miss Bishop Owens and the many things he did and continued to do without a public display or open credit.
Yes, it will certainly take someone to fill his shoes.
COGIC Former Presiding Bishop Chandler David Owens will be sorely missed. He was a great man. I pray that the Church of God in Christ will remain faithful to our doctrines and principles as taught by our founder, Bishop Charles Harrison Mason.
ReplyDeleteI didnt know he was offered $ 1 million dollars and turned it down. That definitely should earn anyone's respect. Alot of these money hungry preachers wouldn't have been able to accept the money fast enough!!
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know what went on between him and Bishop Blake?
FM,
ReplyDeleteWell, I don't know how many people knew about that event because the meeting was one that he (Bishop Owens) didn't consent to quite like it happened. A particular Elder had been courted by the Moonies and Bishop was basically deceived into being at a dinner at the same time with them. Once the door was open, the representative took the time to lay out Moon's plan. Thing is, at that time the church was in need of finances, but it is said that bishop was so upset that he not only cut the dinner short, but reprimanded the particular Elder who had arranged it and left.
Like you said, many if not most would have said, "cut some for the church and some for 'my ministry' and preach against it and them." Just take the money and go.
Now, some say he only helped those he knew...well, who can help those they don't know? I mean come on. In light of what happened to Derrick Hutchins, it makes me wonder what Bishop really saw in Hutchins regarding that whole ordeal. Did he know something that we didn't and felt it was worth taking him to court and drawing that out? It makes one wonder, and we may have some that know for sure, they are certainly welcome to comment because it seems that Derrick has scrubbed everything on the internet regarding him and his indiscretions.
So far as Presiding Bishop Blake and He; I don't know, I can only speculate. I do know they didn't have an ungodly relationship toward each other but politics within the church damages relationships. On the other hand, I do know that I didn't appreciate some things that Bishop Blake did when Bishop G.E. was Presiding Bishop, but, as I stated, I'm an outsider and there may have been details of which I am unaware.
What is the service of committal is that a seperate funeral service or is that just when they intern the body at the cemetery?
ReplyDeleteAnd also, it speaks to Bishop Owens character that he turned away such a large sum of money...meanwhile, in the same city of Atlanta I could bet my left arm that Eddie Long or Creflo Dollar would've took that million and laughed all the way to the bank.
Of course we would be treated to the standard excuses such as..."The wealth of the wicked is laid up for the righteous" "God's house needs money to operate" ad nauseum ad infinitum.
FM,
ReplyDeleteUsually, for what we call a national official in the presberty there are 3 funerals.
The first for the local congregation's and community commemoration. The second for the jurisdictional commemoration and the third for the national ceremonial and commemorative rite. It's at the third one where the body is finally laid to rest.
Bishop Owens is being buried with his paternal family in New Jersey from what I understand.
So far as the money, ooh yea. You know that would have happened. Money would have been gone in a minute and in somebody's pocket. Bishop Patterson was in the same vein of leadership. He maintained integrity also. If Patterson had a fault though, it was that he gave some of the wrong people too many chances, but that was his nature, he loved folk. Chandler too, and he was a generous man.
Elder Foster pointed out what Bishop Owens said in the Memphis Commercial Appeal, regarding the condition of the church as far back as 1996:
ReplyDeleteIn 1996, he called on COGIC to “rebuild the walls” of orthodoxy to prevent the world’s unclean spirits from invading the church.
“I believe this is a time of spiritual repair,” Bishop Owens told COGIC members in Memphis. “The walls of the Church of God in Christ, in my judgment, are in bad repair. In many places those walls have fallen. We have allowed the church to be open and we have been invaded by all kinds of people. The church used to be a sanctuary. Now it’s a zoo. Everything from everywhere has crept into the Church of God in Christ.”
He said the church had strayed too far from fundamentals.
“We are against same-sex marriages,” he said. “I don’t care what another church does. In the Church of God in Christ, a man, a real man, a ‘sho-nuf’ man knows the difference between the smell of Old Spice and Chanel No.5 … COGIC won’t ordain sissies.”
Now, he served from 1995-2000 as Presiding Bishop after after Presiding Bishop L.H. Ford passed away. Bishop G.E. Patterson overcame him in the next election, but was never able to overcome Bishop G.E. Patterson on vote count. I'm wondering if it was statements like this (and a rather popular TV broadcast done by Bishop G.E.,) that caused Bishop Owens to loose the next election?
I always wondered why Bishop Owens was voted out of office?
ReplyDeleteAnd do you think that Bishop Owens felt betrayed by Bishop GE Patterson? He seemed to take it well in public?
FM,
ReplyDeleteI don't know the inner workings of that but I do know he campaigned hard but Patterson had strong appeal because of his ministry and relationship to Bishop Mason's family etc...You see Bishop Patterson was the nephew to Bishop Mason's sister Deborah, who was married to his uncle Bishop J.O. Patterson Sr.
So there was an appeal to that sort of thing as well as the fact that I believe it was Bishop Patteron's time. He was a great man. Bishop Owens was the first Bishop to be voted out and stay and keep peace in the church.
Some years ago when Bishop O.T. Jones Sr. was voted out, the church almost significantly split. In fact if it had not been for a cassette tape of Bishop mason's own words that was played in Chicago, Illinois at a Elder's Council meeting, the whole church would have went with an organization called The Church Of God In Christ International That was the closes it came to simply splitting up all together and until that cassette was played and heard by teh ELders, they were on their way.
From what I'm told, O.T. Jones didn't believe in the cardinal doctrine of "speaking in tongues" and was a problem to Bishop Mason during his lifetime. O.T. Jones Jr. was the first one to sue the church also and neither did he believe in "speaking in tongues" according to the doctrine of the church.
So that's your question and then some...LOL!!!
Blessings to you Supt. Burnett. I appreciate your blog and the insight that the Lord has given you on many topics. I do have a question for you on this particular post. I'm the grand-son of O.T. Jones, Sr. & the nephew of O.T. Jr. Where did you get your information about his position w/respect to tongues and his relationship with Bishop Mason. It sounds to me as though you've confused O.T. Jones with CP Jones, founder of Church of Christ Holiness. My grand-father was the first Bishop consecrated by Bishop Mason and their relationship was solid throughout Bishop Masons lifetime. His teaching was totaly in keeping with COGIC beliefs as he was the founder and editor of the WPWW Topics. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteBro. V. Jones, Jr
Jones Family,
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting. Yes I received specific information regarding the Late Bishop OT Jones Sr. & Jr.
From what a person who has amassed a historical record in the church reaccounts is that Bishop OT Jones Sr, did not believe that tongues was the initial evidence of Holy Ghost baptism as the church had traditionally taught. He believed more similarly to what the Charismatics believe today, that tongues is AN evidence of the Holy Ghost.
Now, I haven't heard it for myself, but from what I'm told Bishop OT Jones Jr. taught the same thing. So in essence tongue speaking was not an essential element of the doctrine as taught by him.
If either of these assertions are incorrect, please reference material to which I can point the individuals who delivered such information to me.
I appreciate it and thanks for the opportunity to expound.