Benjamin Wilson spent his early life in
Halifax, England. Along with his brothers—Joseph, John, and James—he questioned the teachings of their local
Baptist church and became convinced that the biblical promises to
Abraham were central to
salvation. In 1844, Benjamin and James Wilson emigrated with their families to
Geneva, Illinois; John and Joseph followed around 1849. Together, the brothers established a church in Geneva. During the
American Civil War, the group's opposition to military service required the adoption of an official denominational name for purposes of
conscientious objection. At Benjamin's suggestion, the name Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith was adopted. Through the efforts of the Wilson family, congregations were established across the
United States, from
Ohio to
California, where Benjamin later relocated. These congregations functioned without a centralized organizational structure. Benjamin maintained correspondence from 1846 to 1856 with
John Thomas, the founder of the Christadelphians, whom he later met in person. From 1856 to 1862, the two men and their associated congregations were in fellowship. In 1863, however, a theological disagreement concerning the
Judgment Seat of Christ and the scope of resurrection and accountability led to a division between the groups. This separation was formalized in 1865, when the respective groups registered under different names for conscientious objection during the Civil War. The CBH originated as a local congregation in
Cleveland, Ohio, and was formally organized on October 4, 1863. The church was founded by fourteen individuals under the leadership of Mark Allen, a missionary associated with the Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith movement from
Woburn, Massachusetts. Additional congregations were soon established in
Salem and
Unionville, Ohio, and in 1888 these congregations incorporated collectively as the CBH. All three congregations continue to exist, although the Cleveland congregation later relocated to
Chesterland, Ohio. From 1922 to 1927, the Cleveland congregation was led by a minister affiliated with the Christadelphians. Although the CBH and the Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith differed in name, they were part of the same broader movement. By the early twentieth century, the movement comprised more than 200 congregations across approximately twelve
U.S. states, operating as a loose fellowship. Limited organizational cohesion was maintained through state
conferences and the publication of a shared periodical,
The Restitution. Following Benjamin's retirement in 1869, his publication
The Gospel Banner was merged with
Herald of the Coming Kingdom and Bible Instructor, edited by his nephew Thomas Wilson. The merged publication was renamed
The Restitution in 1871 and was published in
Chicago by Thomas and W. D. St. Clair. In 1911, disagreement arose within the movement's five-member
ministerial association over the appointment of A. R. Underwood of
Plymouth, Indiana, as editor of
The Restitution. This dispute resulted in a severing of fellowship among the churches. The majority faction, led by L. E. Connor, adopted two additional doctrinal positions to their
statement of faith:
universal resurrection and
open communion. Additionally, they later affirmed the literal and personal existence of
Satan. In 1921, this majority reorganized as the
Church of God (General Conference) (CoGGC) and began publishing a new
periodical,
The Restitution Herald, in
Oregon, Illinois. Three congregations in Ohio and one from both
Kentucky and
Indiana rejected these doctrinal additions and retained the earlier Geneva Statement of Faith. These churches continued publishing
The Restitution from Cleveland. The minority congregations maintained informal ties, and in 1966 four of the six congregations adopted a uniform doctrinal statement. Beginning in 1976, these churches—informally known as the Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith—began holding annual gatherings, which continue to be held each August at various
colleges in Ohio. ==Faith and practice==