BISHOP LOUIS HENRY FORD

(1914 – 1995)

BISHOP LOUIS HENRY FORD was the fourth leader of the Church Of God In Christ and the second elected Presiding Bishop of the Church who succeeded Bishop J. O. Patterson, Sr. Ford pastored the St. Paul COGIC in Chicago and was the presiding prelate of the Historic Illinois First Jurisdiction.

Bishop Louis Henry Ford was born in 1914 in Mississippi. From the very start, with being raised in the COGIC, Bishop Ford wanted to be a preacher for the Church Of God In Christ and wanted to "use the Church as a platform to spread the unadulterated Gospel of Jesus Christ", as he said in the Holy Convocation in Memphis, Tennessee in 1992. With being raised in the COGIC, Ford met with Bishop Mason on several occasions, even during his childhood. Because Bishop Mason was one of his biggest inspirations, Bishop Mason decided to become his personal mentor in the Gospel. In the early 1940's, Louis Henry Ford married a young woman who lived in Chicago named Margaret and had two children (Charles Ford and Janet Ford Hill) with her, and another child Patricia C Baker. Bishop Charles Ford and Janet Hill are ministers today.

Throughout the 30's and 40's, then Elder Ford gained popularity throughout all of Illinois with his Gospel preaching and his ministry outreach. Elder Ford was also a powerful advocate for social justice during the Civil Rights Movement. In 1955, when Emmett Till was murdered, Ford preached the eulogy for Till's funeral. Because of his both solemn and charismatic preaching at Till's funeral, Ford gained popularity throughout the entire country and throughout the entire COGIC denomination.

Elder Ford was consecrated a Bishop in the Church in the 1950's. After Bishop Mason's death in 1961 and after Bishop O. T. Jones left the office of Senior Bishop in 1968, the COGIC became more of an ecclesiastical denomination instead of a congregational denomination when the Church formed the General Board. Bishop Ford was one of the first twelve chosen to lead the Church on the General Board, and after Bishop J.O. Patterson, Sr. was elected Presiding Bishop, Bishop Ford became the first First Assistant Presiding Bishop, with Bishop Chandler D. Owens being elected as the first Second Assistant Presiding Bishop. Bishop Ford immediately began working with the other General Board members to institutionalize the Church so that the Church could be more effective in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ across the nation and across the world. At the same time, though, Bishop Ford constantly urged the Church to keep the doctrine of true holiness according to the Holy Bible. Although many people thought he did not have a heavy impact on the COGIC leadership while he was the assistant Presiding Bishop because he seemed to remain in the shadow of Bishop Patterson, Bishop Ford had much influence on Bishop Patterson's decisions regarding the religious affairs of the Church. It was Bishop Ford who convinced Bishop Patterson to have "Holy Ghost tarrying services" (to allow people who didn't have the Holy Spirit to tarry for it and receive His spiritual gifts) in the annual International Women's Conventions, AIM Conventions, and Holy Convocations. Bishop Ford was not only Bishop Patterson's assistant in the ministry of the Church, but he and his family were very good friends with Bishop Patterson and his family. When Bishop Patterson was diagnosed with cancer in 1988, he immediately declared Bishop Ford to be his successor. After Bishop Patterson died in 1989 and Bishop Ford preached the eulogy for his funeral in January 1990, Bishop Ford ascended to the office of Presiding Bishop near April of 1990.

After being elected to the office of Presiding Bishop, Bishop Ford began spreading missions to help the poor and the needy throughout the United States and built homeless shelters throughout Tennessee and the rest of the United States. Even with this, that was not the only thing that made his tenure as Presiding Bishop what the members of the COGIC remember it to be today. What made his tenure as Presiding Bishop very memorable was his stand and his views on the Biblical doctrine of holiness. Bishop Ford was a strong and powerful advocate for Biblical holiness and he encouraged all the members of the Church to adhere to the teachings of holiness in the Old Testament and in the New Testament of the Holy Bible. Bishop Ford also taught that after you get saved and start living holy, you must have the Holy Ghost. Bishop Ford was reelected to the office of Presiding Bishop in 1994, but died in 1995. He is currently buried in Chicago, Illinois. He was succeeded by Bishop Chandler D. Owens.

https://thechurchofgodinchrist.wikia.org/wiki/Louis_Henry_Ford