Citing health reasons, prominent church leader Ronald L. Dart had previously left CGI to found his own religious service organization, Christian Educational Ministries, in 1995.
[10] The CGI follows and believes in many of the basic doctrinal principles shared by other Christian churches such as the inspiration of the scriptures, Christ's bodily resurrection, and the three ordinances of baptism.
The church agrees with Protestant theology regarding the tenets of sola scriptura, the priesthood of all believers, and that Justification is a gift given freely by God.
Like many Christian churches, it also expresses a belief in the resurrection of the dead, millennialism, baptism by immersion, Gap creationism, and continuationism.
[11] However, some of its teachings differ significantly from Catholic and Protestant doctrine in a number of key areas: Like many churches in the Restorationist movement, CGI believes that a number of today's traditional Christian teachings stem from doctrinal corruption under the influence of Greco-Roman philosophy, Gnosticism, anti-Semitism and mistranslation which occurred early in the history of the church, and believes that the major Christian churches, under the weight of tradition, now teach various pagan ideas and practices that have been synchronized or "syncretised" with Christianity.
[12] Much of CGI doctrine that is distinct from mainstream Christianity is the outgrowth of an effort to separate these influences and traditions from what is believed to be the beliefs and practices of the original Apostolic church.
For example, CGI teaches that the ancient pagan origins of Christmas, Halloween, and Easter render them inappropriate for Christians because they are offensive to God.
This includes the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath (from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset),[25][26][27] abstaining from unclean meats,[28] and observing Holy Day festivals, including removing leavening and eating unleavened bread during the Days of Unleavened Bread, and living in "temporary dwellings" during the Feast of Tabernacles.
Christ's sacrifice is viewed as being able to cover any inevitable failed attempts at obedience, except the Unpardonable Sin, i.e., willful impenitence.
[36] CGI teaches that the Ten Commandments were in force long before Moses, and predated the Flood by centuries, and that this is proven circumstantially in the Old Testament,[37] (though not in precisely the same form as those given at Sinai)[38] thus nullifying arguments that God intended them for Israel only.
CGI believes that the idea of an ever-burning Hell stems from the influence of paganism and Hellenistic philosophy on rabbinic thought and on Christian doctrine early in the history of the church, and that the scriptures actually teach that the final destination of the unrepentant wicked is literal death, i.e. annihilation or permanent destruction, as opposed to an "eternal life of torture in hell.
"[39] CGI holds that people who do not know or understand the truth of the Bible during their lifetime will be given time to learn these teachings after the "Second Resurrection" to a new physical life.
This belief is not used to assert racial or ethnic superiority, but solely to interpret End Time prophecies which are believed to be directed at the United States and Europe.
[2][46][47] With congregations in the United States, Canada, Jamaica, Ireland, Australia and the Philippines,[48] CGI produces a television program titled Armor of God[49] and Prevail Magazine, which cover topics related to Christian living.