United Holy Church of America
United Holy Church of America
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| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | Holiness-Pentecostal |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Region | United States, Caribbean, Africa |
| Headquarters | Greensboro, North Carolina, USA |
| Founder | Bishop L.M. Mason |
| Congregations | est. 516 |
| Members | 50,000+ |
| Official website | http://uhca.org |
The United Holy Church of America, Inc. is a predominantly black Pentecostal Holiness Christian denomination, and the oldest African-American Holiness-Pentecostal body in the world. The International Headquarters is located in Greensboro, North Carolina. The UHCA consists of 516 churches, 17 districts, and 8 territories. The largest and the oldest district of the connectional body is the Southern District Convocation (Goldsboro, NC).
This church was organized as the outgrowth of what was called a "holiness revival", sparked by the meetings held by Isaac Cheshier at Method, North Carolina (a suburb of Raleigh), in 1886. It began as a regional body. In 1900 this body called itself Holy Church of North Carolina, and later, as it grew, the Holy Church of North Carolina and Virginia. In the early 1900s, the church added a Pentecostal understanding. In 1916 the name United Holy Church of America was adopted, and the church was incorporated on September 15, 1918. The United Holy Church of America is the oldest African American Holiness-Pentecostal body in the world. Many independent churches were established.
The church was born in Method, NC, in nkhjMay 1886. On October 13, 1894, in the city of Durham, North Carolina, the first convocation was organized. Those present were G.A. Mials, H.C. Snipes and S.S. Freeman, all of Raleigh, North Carolina; present also was G.W. Roberts of Durham, North Carolina, and L.M. Mason of Method, North Carolina. On October 15, 1900, a convention was called by the Rev. C.C. Craig to meet at Durham, North Carolina, to prepare a discipline for the government of the churches. Those present were H.C. Pettiford, H.C. Snipes, L.M. Mason, G.W. Roberts, Mrs. Emma E. Craig, and Mrs. L.J. Roberts.
The church was first known as the "Holy Church of North Carolina", and later as the "Holy Church of North Carolina and Virginia". In September 1916, in a Convocation assembled at Oxford, North Carolina, the name was changed to the United Holy Church of America. On September 25, 1918, the Church was incorporated in the state of North Carolina under the name of the United Holy Church of America Incorporated. The Southern District of the United Holy Church of America came into being in the year 1894 in the city of Durham, North Carolina. This was the first and the largest of all the districts in the connection. It was organized by Elders C.C. Craig, L.M. Mason, George W. Roberts, H.C. Snipes, and H.C. Pettiford, along with Mother E.E. Craig, and Mrs. L.J. Roberts. Elder L.M. Mason was chosen as its first president.
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