A Snap-Shot Of The River Of God Fellowship
and The Church of God International
River Of God Fellowship: River of God Fellowship was a Mennonite congregation for a little over 50 years when they decided to join and partner with the Church of God in 2007.
Church of God (Cleveland, TN): It was 1886, in a crude meeting house on the
the Tennessee-North Carolina border, where the Church of God traces its roots.
There, a group of eight sincere Christians had a deep desire for a closer relationship with Christ. Realizing the futility of reforming their own churches, they established a new church whose objective would be to restore sound scriptural doctrines of the Bible, encourage deeper consecration and promote evangelism and Christian service. Twenty-one years after the formation of the Christian Union that evening at the Barney Creek Meeting House, the growing movement would establish themselves permanently as the Church of God.
From this seemingly insignificant origin has grown one of the most influential worldwide Pentecostal denominations. For nearly 120 years the Church of God has been a distinctive movement focused upon communicating the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit. Presently, the Church of God has a world-wide membership of over 6 million with a presence in nearly 150 countries. Leaders of the the Church of God are recognized as some of the most respected Pentecostal leaders of today.
Church of God Distinctives:
- First and foremost, we are a Christian church, built upon the person of Jesus Christ.
- Second, we are a protestant church. We stand firmly upon justification by faith, the priesthood of the believers, the authority of the Bible, religious freedom, and the separation of church and state.
- Third, we have five foundational Christian doctrines:
1) The inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible
2) The virgin birth and complete deity of Christ
3) The atoning sacrifice of Christ's death for the sins of the world
4) The literal resurrection of the body
5) Christ's second coming in bodily form to earth
- Fourth, we are an evangelical church. An evangelical church is used to identify
a church that embraces the following truths: The inspiration and authority of the
Word of God; The Trinity; The deity and virgin birth of Jesus Christ; Salvation by
faith in the atoning death of Christ; His bodily resurrection and ascension to the
right hand of the Father; The ministry of the Holy Spirit; The second coming of
Christ; and the spiritual unity of believers in Jesus Christ.
- Fifth, we are a pentecostal church. We believe in the Person and work of the
Holy Spirit. We believe in the Fruit of the Spirit as the expression of Christ's
character in our lives. We believe in the Gifts of the Spirit as the expression
of Christ's power and ministry in our lives.
- Sixth, we are an evangelistic church. We believe in maintaining an aggressive
effort in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ at home and abroad. We are
constantly desiring to see men and women come to the saving knowledge of
Jesus Christ.
- Seventh, we are an organized church. The Church of God is a centralized
government. General Headquarters are in Cleveland, TN. and our State
Headquarters is in Carlisle, Pa.
Pastor Scott T. Reiman: Pastor Scott & Paula Reiman are Pennsylvania natives.
They were married in 1981 and have two grown children, Amanda & Jared. Pastor Scott holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical Studies from Trinity College & Seminary. He is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God and has been in full-time ministry since 1984. Pastor Scott & Paula spent 7 years in youth ministry and the past 22 years in the pastorate
Pastor Kimberly Lara: Pastor Kim is a Licensed minister with the Church of God. She serves as the Hispanic Ministries Pastor (El Rio De Dios), as well as, our Worship Leader. Pastor Kim holds her Bachelor's degree from Nyack College with a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies major in Psychology and Pastoral Ministry.
Church Council: River of God Fellowship is also guided by the wise and capable
council of four elected men from within our faith community. They are --
Victor Camporine, Greg Collins, Chris Piell, Shawn Snyder