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Our History
The History of 15 th Street Church of God
In August 1982, the late Shirley Belk Wilson and her husband, Richard “Flip” Wilson, met with Church of God Bishop Curtis Grey. The focus of the meeting was to explore the possibility of the Jesus Is Lord Evangelistic Church joining the Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee denomination. This union would later evolve into the 15th Street Church of God.
In April 1975, Reverend Dennis Johnson, Shirley Wilson, and a small group of young believers founded the Jesus Is Lord Church. They started by meeting in the home of Reverend Dennis and Jane Johnson as a weekly Bible study group. As attendance increased, they eventually relocated to a larger venue in an old warehouse at 1616 Clifford Place.
The church emphasized its call to be evangelistic. With most of its members under 30, this youthful congregation strived to distinguish itself from the traditional churches they had attended. Their goal was to extend their outreach beyond the church building to find those who were broken and in need. Countless days were dedicated to preaching and witnessing in the playgrounds and street corners of the westside of Charlotte. Their enthusiasm and passion for the Lord’s work was contagious, saving many souls through the love of Jesus.
As always, the enemy seeks to destroy what he perceives as a threat to this domain. The church faced a discouraging blow with the resignation of founder and former pastor Dennis Johnson, followed by acting pastor Lewis Earls. Desiring to stay together, the young congregation prayerfully explored their options. Should we remain independent or align ourselves with a strong religious denomination? Not wanting to see her beloved church family scattered, Sister Wilson led the church in daily prayers and weekly fasting for divine guidance.
The Jesus Is Lord congregation visited various church denominations as they pursued the journey set before them. In the spring of 1982, the congregation visited the Central Church of God at Kilborne. They returned several times, drawn to that church's unique spirit of worship and love. The idea of joining them became a viable option.​
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The Jesus Is Lord congregation continued in prayer and fasting before the divine meeting of Sister Wilson with Bishop Curtis Grey. Reverend Grey and his wife, Mary, were Church of God missionaries from Liberia, Africa, on furlough. A political uprising in their mission country had brought them to America. In the interim, the Church of God appointed Bishop Grey to plant minority churches in North Carolina. As divine fate would have it, Bishop Grey was introduced to Sister Wilson by Rev. Sammie Oxendine. Rev. Oxendine was an instructor at East Coast Bible College (COG), where Sister Wilson graduated the previous year.
Informed about the plight of Jesus Is Lord, Bishop Grey came to Jesus Is Lord to minister and answer any questions regarding the Church of God denomination. Bishop Grey would later convince the Jesus Is Lord Evangelistic Ministries congregation that he shared many of the same dreams and aspirations regarding God’s work. With his zeal and years of spiritual maturity, the young congregation sought the Lord about partnering with Bishop Grey. As is common during any transition, some do not capture the vision. Many left the Jesus Is Lord Evangelistic Ministries during this change, but many chose to remain and follow the direction and leadership of Bishop Grey and the Church of God denomination.
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On October 17, 1982, the Jesus Is Lord Evangelistic Church became Cliffwood Church of God, with Bishop Curtis Grey presiding as pastor. Under Pastor Grey’s vision and leadership, we visited the North Charlotte community and renovated a former Church of God building on 15th Street, the first Church of God in Charlotte.
The building urgently needed repair, having gone through many different stages of existence. However, when Bishop Grey and the congregation inquired, they found that it was an abandoned building. Pastor Grey encouraged the congregation to embrace the vision and recognize God's possibilities and opportunities for His people.
Many hours of hard labor, perseverance, and discouraging setbacks came before the dream and vision of a church finally came to fruition. Even though the enemy fought a good fight, the birth of this church would not be aborted because God was with the church. On May 29, 1984, the 15th Street Church of God congregation held its first service in their new church home. Many of the founding members have gone their separate ways. However, some remain in the congregation today: Earl “Papa” Hester (deceased 2009), Linda Jones White, Pervis Graham, Ray Morgan, Mary McKinney (deceased 2024), and Herbert and Carolyn Powers. The beloved Sister Shirley Wilson went home to be with the Lord in 1986.
God remains steadfast in His dedication to His people and the mission of 15th Street, guiding them toward their intended purpose. He continually pours out His Spirit, granting His anointing for our journey as we persist in witnessing, bringing to the church those who hunger and thirst for God and who will be rescued.