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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBack-Up DocumentsBiography of Bishop Jacob Cohen Elder Jacob Cohen was born in Miami, FL on January 4, 1932 to Bishop Amaziah & Josie Cohen. He received his early education from the Public School System in Dade County, graduating from Booker T. Washington High School. After graduation he served in the U.S. Army for three years, as a Paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division. After leaving the Army, Elder Cohen continued his education at the Florida Agriculture & Mechanical University, and completed his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the Fayetteville State University, graduating in 1958. A few months later, Elder Cohen returned to Miami to assist his father in ministry. He also became a school teacher, teaching school at Frederick Douglas Elementary School. After the passing of his father, he was appointed to serve as the Pastor of the Miami Temple. In 1960, Elder Cohen found himself renovating the church and carrying the people of God forward. In 1967, the church was renamed A.M. Cohen Temple in memory of his father and founder, Elder Amaziah Melvin Cohen. It was not long before Elder Cohen was elevated. Elder Cohen served as Superintendent of the South Miami District and Secretary to the Presiding Bishop F. D. Johnson who preceded him as the Jurisdictional Bishop of Eastern Florida. After eleven years of outstanding service to his congregation, on November 30, 1971, he was elevated and consecrated to the distinguished office of Jurisdictional Bishop of the Eastern Florida Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, at the age of 39. As the Jurisdictional Prelate, Bishop Cohen was responsible for governing and overseeing the physical, numerical, spiritual, temporal and financial endeavors of the church. He was also responsible for appointing Pastors, Superintendents, Jurisdictional officials, and establishing churches. In 1972, he retired from the school system and devoted himself to fulfilling God's purpose for his life. In November, 1972, Bishop Cohen ran a successful campaign, winning a seat on the 12 member General Board, which is comprised of Jurisdictional Bishops, including the Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, who are elected by certified delegates of the general church every four years. His responsibilities were to follow the orders of the General Assembly, handle the specific needs of the general church, and to assist the Presiding Bishop with the financial and constitutional ramifications of the church. While serving as a General Board Member, he was appointed as Secretary of the Board in 1985. Being cognizant of the need of structure and discipline in the church, Bishop Cohen wrote and adopted into law the Constitution and By -Laws for the Church of God in Christ which are still in existence today. He also established the financial program for credential holders, and the Identification Card System for them as well. Since his initial election to the Board, Bishop Cohen was blessed to succeed himself in office several times, granting him tenure of more than 13 years. In 1996 Bishop Jacob Cohen celebrated his 25th year of service as Jurisdictional Prelate of the Eastern Florida Jurisdiction. In April of 2009, we celebrated 50 years of Bishop Cohen pastoring the A. M. Cohen Temple Church of God in Christ. Under Bishop Cohen's leadership, the Eastern Florida Jurisdiction grew stronger to 15 Districts and over 113 churches. It geographically extended as far North as St Augustine, as far South as Key West, diagonally across to St. Petersburg, and south along the western coast of the state. Bishop Cohen was an asset to the Jurisdiction and national church. He received many awards, degrees, plaques certificates, letters of commendation and resolutions for his many accomplishments throughout his years as a Pastor, Jurisdictional Bishop and National Officer of the Church of God in Christ. Bishop Cohen also served in the historic Overtown Community. He served with the Boy Scouts of America, Overtown Development, Faith in the City, NAACP, SCLC, and the OIC. We are appreciative to God for the leadership that he has blessed us with and the favor that he has shown toward us. Bishop Cohen passed away January, 2020. He will forever live in our hearts as our former beloved Pastor, teacher, visionary; a humble servant, hospitable, who loved and showed concern for everyone. Today, A.M. Cohen Temple serves the community in many capacities providing food and clothing to the needy and prayer and spiritual guidance to the downtrodden through its Church Without Walls Ministry, Home Mission, Youth Ministry, Christian Women Council, and Young Women Council. Its educational ministries, Sunday School, and Bible Study, continue to flourish as new members join the ministry. Its music ministry previously included several choirs: Temple Choir, Vesper Choir, Women's Choir and Youth Choir. The success of this ministry is a result of God's favor upon its pioneers, its lay members and the anointing that rested upon the pastor, a visionary, The Right Reverend Bishop Dr. Jacob Cohen. There were many elders and ministers that assisted in the ministry: Elder Charlie Roundtree, Elder James W. Cash, Elder Lloyd Carter, Elder Lionel Cook, Elder Kenneth Washington, Elder Michael Johnson, Elder Roosevelt Williams, Elder Tracy Hughes, and Evangelist Brenal Campbell. There were Church Mothers to guide and strengthen the Pastor and congregation; Mother Julia Brownlee (the first church mother), Mother Nancy Miles, and Mother LaVerne M. Roundtree, our present church mother. Some of the foundational families included, Mother Lillie Edwards, Deacon and Mother Storr, Deacon and Mother Burns, Brother and Sister Fluellen, Mother Annie Greene, The Dennis family, Mother Straighter, Deacon and Mother Anderson, Deacon and Mother Lowery, Deacon Payne, Deacon Comer, Deacon Redding, Deacon Burns, and Deacon Charlie Miles. The A M Cohen Temple Church of God in Christ is still standing strong! We remain, "The church in the heart of the city, with the people of the city in its heart". A.M. COHEN TEMPLE C.O.G.I.C. HISTORY The word of the Lord was being preached with great power in the early nineteen hundredths. Because of this move of the Spirit, a revival began in Larkins, Florida which is now South Miami, in 1918 in a prayer meeting at the home of Elder and Mother Gamble, and his sister, Lottie James. The first persons to be saved were Mother Rebecca Wells and Elder A. Wells. Later a group of believers came together and started a small congregation near N.W 14th Street and Miami Avenue. They converted a house into their first place of worship. This was called Miami Overtown. The leader of this group was Elder Amaziah Cohen. The Lord blessed and many souls were added to the flock of God. When the Saints saw the growth of the groups, they realized they needed a leader. At this time, Elder A.M. Cohen was called to oversee the groups. The Pentecostal movement began in 1906 in Los Angeles, California under the leadership of Elder W.J. Seymour and Elder C.H. Mason, and moved slowly eastward where news of their growth and power soon reached Elder A. M. Cohen. In August 1918, being impressed by the news about the fast-growing Pentecostal movement, Elder Amaziah Cohen and a small delegation travelled to Valdosta, Georgia to meet with Elder Mason and his organization. The Miami delegation returned acknowledging their affiliation with the Church of God in Christ. The Miami group relocated again and moved to a store front on 20th Street and named the church The Miami Temple COGIC. Elder Cohen being a man of ability and foresight, purchased some property on NW 3rd Avenue. They eventually built a house of worship, which was fondly called "the Board Church". The church and its membership grew with the city, and drew members from as far away as Cat Island in the Bahamas. In 1925, a great hurricane came bringing with it much damage to the City of Miami, including the Church. Moving by faith, Elder Cohen and the members began building around the existing structure. Eventually the church was completed and ready for occupancy and the Saints of God rejoiced in the glory of the Lord. The Miami COGIC was again met with challenges as the shifting sands and torrential rains of Florida caused the foundation to weaken and the walls begin to crack, eventually necessitating the demolition of the major portion of the main auditorium. The members simply moved to the basement and once again started to build the Lord a house. The church was finally completed in 1932. These devoted saints held street services, tent revivals, and went from house to house and sponsored one of the most popular broadcast programs in South Florida. This broadcast opened with the selection, "Every time I feel the Spirit moving in my heart, I will pray." This enticed worshipers to come and enjoy the worship experience. The church also became known for its warmth and generosity; giving support to the National Church and Missions both foreign and domestic. In April of 1959, Bishop Amaziah Cohen transitioned to be with the Lord. To preserve his legacy the Miami Temple was later renamed in his honor. Upon the demise of Bishop A.M. Cohen in 1959, Elder Jacob Cohen was appointed as pastor to continue the Cohen legacy.