The Church of God started in the United States of America in the year 1884 on the Unicoi Mountains, which rise along the Tennessee, North Carolina border. Around that time, Richard G. Spurling, a Licensed Minister in the Baptist Church, was concerned about the condition of his Church and along with his companion, spent approximately two years praying and calling for reforms and spiritual awakening. In spite of his efforts, however, the existing conditions persisted, much to the frustration of Spurling and his associates. On Thursday 19th August 1886, Spurling and his friends held a Conference and organized a new Church call the “Chrisitian Union,” which twenty-one years later became “The Church of God.”

The Christian General Assembly

Our beginnings in Trinidad & Tobago, dates back to 1956, when, the Church of God with International Headquarters in Cleveland, Tennessee, USA, amalgamated with a local church group, which was founded by the late Reverend Edward Dickson Hasmatali and his wife, Vera.

By the late 1940’s, the Hasmatalis were conducting weekly church services at Plaisance, Point-a-Pierre and at Union Village, Marabella. The soon extended their activities to other parts of the island. In early 1950, they named their organization the “Christian General Assembly.”

The Amalgamation

Early 1954, the Hasmatalis were satisfied that it would be in the best interest of their church to amalgamate with an international organization that held similar beliefs. Later that year, Reverend Hasmastali became acquainted with the Church of God, which was also operating in Barbados. In that year, he sought affiliation with this body. In the following months, several officials of the Church of God World Missions Department in Cleveland, Tennessee, along with Bishop Luke R. Summers, who was serving as a Missionary in Barbados, visited the work in Trinidad with the view of effecting a merger between the two bodies. After careful discussions and sincere prayers, the Christian General Assembly merged with The Church of God in July 1956. This marked the beginning of “The New Testament Church of God” in Trinidad and Tobago, with eight churches, eight missions, fifteen ministers and 350 members. Among the early ministers with the Haswmatalis were: W.S. Ramai, S. Mathura, J.D. Ramkissoon, J. Jadoobirsingh, P.H. Hosein, B.A. Hamid, S. Mohammed, O.G. Shepherd, S. Arnold, J. Bailey and T. Caine.

The missionsairies to Trinidad & Tobago from the USA over the past 50 years include Bishop & Mrs. A.W. Brummett, Bishop & Mrs. T.R. Morse, Bishop & Mrs. Luke R. Summers, Bishop & Mrs. Carl Hart, Bishop & Mrs. F.A. Beason, Reverend & Mrs. Claude W. Smith, Reverend & Mrs. Alonzo E. Justice, Reverend & Mrs. C.E. Allred, Reverend & Mrs. Elwood Kern, Reverend & Mrs. Ralph Morris Jr., Reverend & Mrs. Marvin Johnson, Reverend & Mrs. Bryan S. Webber, Reverend & Mrs. Robert W. Clagg and Reverend & Mrs. David Morgan.

In the year 1985, Reverend Stephen Mohammed was appointed as the first National Overseer. He served the full term of twelve (12) years and was succeeded by Reverend Edward Daniel Walkins, who served for five (5) years. Mohammed was again elected in 2002 by the Body of Ministers.

From a small beginning in 1956, the Church has now expanded into several parts of Trinidad and Tobago. We now have eleven-thousand five-hundred (11,500) members, one hundred and ten (110) ministers, sixty-seven (67) organized churches, ten (10) missions and sixteen (16) branch Sunday schools.

To God Be The Glory, Great Things He Has Done!

“We thank God and take courage”
(Acts 28:15, KJV Para.)