April 28, 2014–Cleveland, TN–The Church of God International Executive Council (IEC) began their regularly-scheduled April meeting today at the International Offices with a full agenda highlighted by the finalization of the General Council agenda for the upcoming 75th General Assembly.

In 1954, the United States Congress added the words under God to the country’s Pledge of Allegiance. Sixty years later, most Americans would like to keep it that way, despite ongoing legal challenges to the pledge.

Right now there are over 300,000 Protestant churches in America. Just do the division—300,000 divided by 50 states—and that equals 6,000 churches per state. Wow! That’s a lot of churches!

Mark Burnett and Roma Downey (Son of God) have joined Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Paramount Pictures’ Ben-Hur, Gary Barber, MGM’s chairman and CEO at Paramount Pictures, announced Friday.

Church of God Missionaries Rodger and Saundra Wikelund founded Emma’s Kids in Zambia many years ago and have since seen miraculous testimonies of deliverance from the children who come under their care. Saundra shares one recent inspirational story.

Christianity Today and Leadership Journal have announced details for Redeeming Work: Twin Cities, the second of six events on the topics of vocation and calling. The gathering is June 12, 2014 at Art House North in St. Paul, MN, and features author and journalist Andy Crouch, singer/songwriter Sara Groves, and pastor and author Tom Nelson.

“Veil of Tears: Hope Is on the Way” (www.veiloftearsmovie.com/kit), the successful and award-winning film that shows the oppression of millions of women in South Asia, is now available as a free “Movie Night” Kit for churches and small groups.

As fears grow that Russia and Ukraine could ignite WWIII, a large Christian coalition is urgently mobilizing a 40 day prayer campaign for peace to begin Monday, April 28th 2014. The world also faces unprecedented global financial crises, record-breaking natural disasters, and attacks against life, family, and religious freedom. As soon-to-be saint Pope John Paul II said about the power of prayer and fasting, “Jesus himself has shown us by his own example that prayer and fasting are the first and most effective weapons against the forces of evil,” (Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae 1994).

Church of God General Overseer Dr. Mark L. Williams will be the keynote speaker for the upcoming Empowered21 USA Congress to be held June 5-7, 2014, at First Assembly of God, Griffin, Georgia. The purpose of the Congress is to celebrate the Holy Spirit; encourage people to teach/preach about the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday, June 8; and engage the next generation in the Spirit-empowered faith.