Cleveland, TN–The Church of God International Council (IC), meeting this week at the International Offices, represents the worldwide influence of the Church of God, which includes both triumphs and challenges associated with winning the lost around the globe.
Meeting with the International Council were (l-r) Fidencio Burgueno, Tommy Smith, Jacob Nahuway, R.H. Roberts, Anton van Deventer, Victor Pagan, Douglas LeRoy, Ken Bell and David Griffis.
The IC met as a body on September 20 and 21 with the International Executive Committee and were joined by the International Executive Council on Tuesday, September 22.
Members and guests participating in the bi-ennial meeting of the IC brought with them testimonies of God’s deliverance.
Fedlyn Beason, field director for the Church of God in the Caribbean, shared with the joint body about Tony Encarnacion, church leader in the Dominican Republic, who recently traveled to Cuba to visit with pastors. Immediately upon his arrival in Havana Encarnacion was arrested. Accused of being sent as a spy from the United States, he was jailed for five days until Beason was able to intervene, persuading Cuban authorities Ricon was associated with the Church of God Jamaica – not the U.S. Upon his release, Ricon was charged $7 per day for his time in the Cuban prison.
***
Anton van Deventer, superintendent of the Full Gospel Church of God in South Africa, was one of several who gave reports to the IC. He touched on progress in several African countries in their superintendency area including Angola, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique and Namibia. Despite some political unrest the Church of God in these countries is progressing. Van Deventer stated in his report that an orphanage in Madagascar has been relocated. In Mozambique a change in leadership has brought in a new “aggressively evangelistic” thrust and pastors are being trained to win souls for Christ. A Bible school has also recently been opened in the country.
***
Jacob Nahuway, overseer of Indonesia and a member of the IC and IEC, will soon be opening a 10,000-seat church which will be the largest church in Jakarta. With 5,020 satellite churches and over 2 million members, Nahuway’s leadership is a testament to God’s grace in the predominantly Muslim country. Nahuway traces his training back to a Bible school he attended in the country, a school founded from funds raised through the Church of God’s 1968 YWEA (Youth World Evangelism Action) project.
***
In another report, General Director of World Missions Doug LeRoy expressed a need in the African country of Senegal, another predominantly Muslim country which does not allow Christianity. The presence of the Church of God in Senegal consists of four congregations, none of which own property, a requirement for a church to be recognized in the country. One congregation in Dakar has an opportunity to purchase land and a building for $80,000. The acquisition of the property would allow the church – and four others – to remain active and recognized in the country and to plant more churches.
The International Council completed their agenda of items on Monday, and then met with the IEC on Tuesday. The body adjourned their meeting until their next gathering in 2011.
General Overseer Raymond Culpepper (left) addresses members of the International Council, while Mark Williams and Wallace Sibley look on