The Heritage and Prayer Tour, which marks the 125th Anniversary of the establishment of the Christian Union and out of that, the Church of God, is this Friday, August 19 near Murphy, NC. There is no charge for the tour. A lunch will be provided at the Assembly House, where hosts and hostesses will dress in vintage costumes and the music will echo the songs of the era.
Bishop Wade Patterson, the Heritage Director of the Church of God of Prophecy will join Dr. David Roebuck, of the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center, along with Dr. James Beaty and tell the story of the early outpourings of the Spirit, the passion for the discovery of the apostolic roots of Christianity, and the desire for spiritual renewal in the context of Christian unity, thus the early name for the Church – the Christian Union.
Church of God First Assistant General Overseer Tim Hill will participate in the event, along with Administrative Bishop Al Bristow of Western North Carolina. Dr. Ron Martin, Administrative Bishop of Delmarva-D.C., and a member of the National Prayer Advisory Team, will lead the event at the Assembly House.
The event is planned as informal in nature. The dress is casual. Doug Small, director of Prayer Ministries says, “We’ll have sun umbrellas, plenty of water, and a complimentary heritage fan for all the participants. We’ll caravan to the different sites, hear the history, engage in declarative praying and then ask God to do it all again.”
Special exhibits will be available for viewing at the Assembly House. The first prayer site will be on Barney Creek (Off TN 68 North, Barney Creek Road) at 9:00 A.M. The second site will be the Shearer Schoolhouse Site and the location of the first log church (Off NC 294 on River Hill Road, just west of Fields of the Wood) at 10:30 AM. The next site will the First Assembly House (On River Hill Road) at noon. The last site will be the home place of W. F. Bryant on the campus of Fields of the Wood (On NC 294, West of Murphy).
Church of God General Overseer Raymond Culpepper noted, “The journey of the Church of God has been characterized by prevailing prayer.” He added prayerfully, “As thanksgiving prayer is offered at the major sites of our early beginnings, may a spirit of intercession, doctrinal purity, and evangelistic passion be felt in all of our churches around the world.” A special presentation from Dr. Culpepper to our sister organization, the Church of God of Prophecy, will take place in the final movement of the day.
For more information on the Heritage and Prayer Tour, please contact Doug Small at 704-996-5091.