The International Pentecostal Church of Christ (or IPCC) is a Pentecostal denomination formed in 1976 by the merger of two Pentecostal organizations.
John Stroup, a member of the Methodist Protestant Church, professed receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost in 1908. Stroup was one of the first individuals to take the Pentecostal message into southern Ohio and parts of Kentucky. He organized the Pentecostal Church of Christ in Flatwoods, Kentucky in 1917. The body originally headquartered in Ashland, Kentucky, and later in London, Ohio.
Doctrines are detailed in an 19 article Statement of Faith ranging from the inspiration of the Scriptures to tithes and offerings. The IPCC is one of the only Pentecostal and Evangelical denominations to elevate the issue of racism to their statement of faith. The church holds two ordinances - water baptism by immersion, and holy communion. The denomination has two practices that are encouraged within the local church - foot washing, and child dedication. The body is Trinitarian, and, like many related bodies, holds that speaking in tongues is the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
In 2003, the denomination had 4,961 members in 67 churches. Nearly half of its congregations are located in Ohio. The rest are concentrated primarily in Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina.
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