Our Symbol
The Symbol of the Church of God in Christ is an outgrowth of the Presiding Bishop’s Coat of Arms which has become quite familiar to the Church. The design of the Official Seal of the Church was created in 1973 and adopted in the General Assembly in 1981 (April Session).
The obvious GARNERED WHEAT in the center of the seal represents all of the people of the Church Of God In Christ, Inc. The ROPE of wheat which holds the shaft together represents the Founding Father of the Church, Bishop Charles Harrison Mason, who, at the call of the Lord, banded us together as a Brotherhood of Churches in the First Pentecostal General Assembly of the Church, in 1907.
The date in the seal has a two-fold purpose; Firstly, to tell us that Bishop Mason received the baptism of the Holy Ghost in March 1907; and, Secondly, to tell us that it was because of this outpouring that Bishop Mason was compelled to call us together in November of 1907, to organize the Church Of God In Christ.
The RAIN in the background represents the Latter Rain or the End-time Revivals which brought about the emergence of our Church along with other Pentecostal Holiness Bodies in the same era. The rain also serves as a challenge to the Church to keep Christ in the center of our worship and service, so that He may continue to use the Church Of God In Christ as one of the vehicles of Pentecostal Revival before the return of the Lord.
This information was reprinted from the book “So you want to KNOW YOUR CHURCH” by Alfred Z. Hall, Jr.