Ministerial Internship Program Commissioning This Weekend
Cleveland, Tennessee–The Church of God Division of Education will host the Ministerial Internship Program (MIP) Commissioning Celebration this Thursday through Saturday, May 17-19. The Celebration recognizes the MIP candidates, supervising pastors, and state MIP coordinators who have completed the MIP for the 2011-2012 term. Hundreds of family and friends will make the journey to Cleveland, Tennessee with the graduates.
The Celebration begins Thursday evening with a dinner to honor state MIP coordinators. Mitchell E. Corder, administrative bishop of Virginia, will speak at the banquet.
During an MIP Leadership Seminar on Friday, the state ministerial training leaders and Division of Education staff will study and discuss ministerial training that the apostle Paul gave Timothy recorded in the book of 1 Timothy. The seminar will be in the Leadership and Communications Conference Center.
The finalization of registration for the MIP Commissioning Celebration will be in the chapel of the World Evangelization Center from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on
Friday. Tours of the International Offices campus will be available to the delegates and other guests.
Rev. Loran Livingston, senior pastor of the Charlotte Central Church of God, will speak and lead the congregation in Communion during the celebration service on Friday evening. The service will celebrate the accomplishments of the MIP term, including presentation of the Distinguished Service Award.
Church of God General Overseer Raymond Culpepper will deliver the Saturday morning Commissioning service keynote address. After the message and prayer of commissioning, the MIP candidates, supervising pastors, and their spouses will be recognized individually. Then, each MIP candidate and MIP candidate spouse will be prayed for by the general overseer and their supervising pastor. Finally, Assistant General Overseer Mark Williams will present each graduate with a copy of the book, The Great Commission Connection.
The Friday evening Celebration service begins at 7:00 p.m., and the Saturday morning Commissioning service begins at 10:00 a.m. Both services will be held at the Lee University Church Street Annex, formerly, the First Baptist Church of Cleveland.
