Our History

The year 1906 is remembered by many as the year of the Great Quake and Fire in San Francisco. But in the Kingdom of God, 1906 was the year the Holy Ghost spread like wildfire and shook Los Angeles with a far greater quake! The epicenter of this spiritual earthquake was an unassuming little house at 216 N. Bonnie Brae Street. From this humble location burst forth a jolt from the dynamite of the Holy Ghost one that turned the world upside down.

Though some see it only as history, the effects of that outpouring still reverberate across the globe today. A primary instrument in this great move of God was Pastor William J. Seymour. Following the vision God had given him, Pastor Seymour was led to acquire property on what became known worldwide as Azusa Street. The mighty pull of the Spirit also touched the life of a man whose footsteps would leave an indelible mark on history, Bishop Charles Harrison Mason, founder of the Church of God in Christ.

While the Holy Ghost blazed on the West Coast, Bishop Mason returned to Memphis, Tennessee, forever changed by his encounter with the Spirit in Los Angeles. Knowing firsthand the life-changing power of the Holy Ghost, Bishop Mason was determined to anchor the infant Church of God in Christ on both coasts. In 1914, he sent one of his trusted lieutenants, Elder E. R. Driver, to California to serve as Overseer of the Jurisdiction.

In 1925 just before the hardships of the Great Depression, Bishop Mason appointed a second Overseer, Elder Emmanuel M. Wilson, to preside over the Jurisdiction. In addition to his dedication to the work of the Jurisdiction, Elder Wilson was ordained by God to ignite a legacy, the Emmanuel Church of God in Christ, one that would plant the seeds for a church destined to impact generations.

From the embers of Azusa to the steady leadership of Bishop Mason's appointees, God was weaving a story that would one day be called Emmanuel Church of God in Christ. The faith, sacrifice, and vision of these early pioneers laid the foundation for a ministry that would stand for a century, carrying the same Holy Ghost fire that first shook Los Angeles in 1906.

By God’s grace, Emmanuel Church of God in Christ’s legacy, is not a monument of the past but a light that shines now and will continue through the lives we touch today and the seeds we plant for the future.

To learn more about Emmanuel’s history and leadership, acquire our 100 year history book. Click here for details