International Executive Council Completes Fall Session
Cleveland, TN–General Overseer Mark L. Williams moderated the fall meeting of the Church of God International Executive Council, which met last week at the International Offices Leadership and Communicati0ons Center.
First Assistant General Overseer David M. Griffis opened the session by sharing scripture from Ecclesiastes 12, followed by a presentation from Williams reviewing the mission and vision of the Church of God in the context of open doors.
“Sometimes in the Kingdom I feel we just move from one traffic jam to another,” Williams stated in his opening address. “We all try to crowd through and manipulate our way through the same door. But the God who makes no two seascapes the same, who makes no two mountain scapes the same, who makes no two thumb prints the same says, I have a door just for you. Quit comparing your door to other people’s door. Don’t be distracted by door busters, and fake doors. There will always be Corinth’s that are burning. Stay with the door I have opened for you.”
At the start of two days of packed sessions, the Executive Council heard from Dr. Fred Garmon for a time of leadership development, followed by reports and summaries from various leaders. Dennis W. Watkins, Church of God legal counsel, discussed the recent Supreme Court ruling regarding same-sex marriage and the implications for ministers and churches. Other matters included loan underwriting, the “Double Honor Initiative” for honoring retired ministers and pastors, and clarification regarding the resolution process at the General Assembly. Other items were taken under consideration and referred to committees for further review, while eighteen items recommended for consideration to the General Council agenda next July be tabled for further clarification until the January 2016 meeting of the Council.
An important vote was taken and carried to approve the following recommendation from the 2015 International Council, which met the two days prior to the International Executive Council:
“That a Committee/Study Group be formed prior to the 2016 International General Assembly in collaboration with Church of God World Missions, including representation from each of the five field areas, to identify and recommend those changes in policies and procedures which would facilitate mature national expressions of the Church of God to graduate from under the umbrella of World Missions and to report directly to the International Offices. This same Committee/Study Group should identify which of these changes could be made without changing the Minutes, and which would need action on the part of the International General Assembly. “
“Furthermore, that the aforesaid Committee/Study Group should also identify objective criteria which the Church of God in any given nation should meet in order to graduate from being a ‘mission field’ under World Missions to become an integral part of the International Church reporting to the International Offices.”
“That if the findings of the committee warrant, that consideration be given to the Church of God entering into an intentional process of genuine internationalization, so that the Church of God in other nations should have the opportunity to participate in the life, and financial structure, of the International Church on the same basis as the Church of God in North America. Further, that progress reports be given to the January and April 2016 meetings of the International Executive Council.”
Instructions were given the committee to review the Missions 2.0 Report to the International General Council of the 74th International General Assembly.
At the close of the session, General Overseer Williams announced two important dates for future initiatives: February 14, 2016 – One Covenant, an emphasis for the renewal of marriage and family and faith covenants and May 20, 2016 – One Day, a designated one-day opportunity for Church of God members around the world to share their story about their relationship with Christ with one person.
Attending the Council session were Executive Committee members Williams, Griffis,
J. David Stephens, Wallace J. Sibley, and M. Thomas Propes; and elected members Kevin E. Wallace, Raymond F. Culpepper, David E. Ramirez, T. Bryan Cutshall, Thomas A. Madden, Oliver L. McMahan, William E. Isaacs, Dwight Everett Allen, Nick Park, Chris Moody, Tony D. Stewart, David Charles Cooper, Kip Anthony Box, Mark Laverne Walker, George Dennis McGuire, and Jimmy Dale Smith.
More than a dozen videos of interviews with various members of the International Executive Council are posted on the home page of the Church of Gos website, www.churchofgod.org.
The next meeting of the International Executive Council takes place January 26-29, 2016.
