PCCNA Communique // December 2022

"ALIGNED FOR MISSION"

PCCNA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

FEBRUARY 22–23, 2023

ALBUQUERQUE, NM

EARLY REGISTRATION ENDS DECEMBER 31!

HOTEL:

Embassy Suites by Hilton

1000 Woodward Place NE

Albuquerque, NM 87102

Phone: 505-245-7100

*Request the PCCNA conference rate if reserving by phone.

ROOM RESERVATIONS:

PCCNA Conference Rate: $139/per room

Room Types: King or Standard Double Queen Beds

Hotel stay includes a hot breakfast buffet!

RESERVE YOUR ROOM TODAY!

REGISTRATION OPTIONS:

Early Registration: $85/Person (before December 31, 2022)

Regular Registration: $95/Person (after December 31, 2022)

Walk-In Registration: $105 (at the door)

Registration includes lunch and dinner on February 22-23.

TAP HERE FOR CONFERENCE REGISTRATION

PCCNA MEMBERSHIP

ANNUAL RENEWAL REMINDER

You are valuable to the ministry of PCCNA as we "demonstrate unity in the power of the Spirit." We believe that together we can create an environment for the Spirit of the Lord to descend upon us for a mighty move of God in North America.

Thank you for your annual member contributions that are making a difference in our ministry efforts. We hope you will plan to attend our annual conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, February 22–23, 2023.

Annual membership renewal reminder letters were sent out by mail on November 8th. If you have not received your reminder letter, please email Barb Gray at [email protected]

For your convenience, you can process your membership online at: pccna.org/donate.aspx or make your check payable to PCCNA and mail it to the following address:

Pentecostal Charismatic Churches of North America

P.O. Box 3986

Cleveland, TN 37320-3986

Should you select the option to process your membership online, please contribute additional funds to help cover online transaction fees.

TAP HERE TO SUBMIT MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, contact:

Contact: Bishop Dr. Shaun McKinley

Church: Church of God of Prophecy

3720 Keith St NW

Cleveland, TN 37320

Phone: (423) 559-5328

E-mail: [email protected]

Web: www.cogop.org

December 14, 2022

Church of God of Prophecy Selects New Presiding Bishop,

New North America General Presbyter

The 101 st International Assembly of the Cleveland, Tennessee-based Church of God of Prophecy (COGOP) convened on July 20-24, 2022, at the Oklahoma City Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This biennial homecoming provides an opportunity for the movement to conduct business and for members to fellowship with delegates from 135 nations of the world. Foremost on this year’s agenda was the selection of a new presiding bishop, formerly titled general overseer. The International Presbytery, comprised of leaders from each continental area, met from July 16 through July 19 to

discuss and pray about the selection, among other business.

Selected as the COGOP international leader was Bishop Tim Coalter, whose most recent leadership position was as the church’s general presbyter of North America, administrating more than 1700 local church congregations in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda. Prior to his selection as general presbyter, he served in the pastorate for approximately twenty-eight years and as state bishop of South Carolina for nearly six years. Coalter is a member of the International Offices Board of Directors for the COGOP and served on the Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America (PCCNA) Executive Committee. Tim and his wife Kelly reside in Cleveland, Tennessee, and have been blessed with three children and eight grandchildren. Bishop Coalter replaced Bishop Sam N. Clements, who had provided sure, steady leadership for the Church of God of Prophecy for the previous eight years.

Upon his approval by the international body, Bishop Coalter told the audience of some 4,000 delegates who had gathered for the opening session, “These are perilous times in which we live. In times like this, the Church of God of Prophecy must not lose its voice, its identity, its message, or its hope. Yes, these are perilous times, but these are also pregnant times…with possibility and purpose. This is primetime for God to show himself strong among us. So, let’s move forward together with great expectation knowing we serve one who is able to do abundantly. God bless you, and let’s look ahead in victory.”

With the selection of Bishop Coalter as presiding bishop, administrative bishops from North America prayerfully sought a replacement for their area leader. Bishop Dr. Brian Sutton, who had most recently served as the state bishop for Alabama, was selected by the International Presbytery and presented to the International Assembly for confirmation as North America’s next general presbyter.

Tap the "READ MORE" button below to continue reading the press release.

AMID CHINA'S RARE PROTESTS, CHRISTIANS WRESTLE WITH THEIR ROLE

by Angela Lu Fulton and Sean Cheng Christianity Today

Protesters hold up blank pieces of paper against censorship and China's strict zero COVID measures in Beijing, China.

During the unexpected protests in China last weekend, a student approached Zhu Jianshe with concerns that a classmate who had posted a protest slogan on campus would be severely punished. Zhu, a professor at a university in Shanghai and a church elder, comforted her and vowed to do his best to protect the student.

“I have been preparing in my mind for the past two days that I may have to sacrifice something to protect the students if the situation calls for it,” said Zhu. (CT has changed all of the names in this article for their security)

As demonstrations in several cities around the country have made international news, Zhu has been thinking through how Christians can engage with the current moment. One area where he knows he can help: using his position to help those unable to speak for themselves.

It’s a question Christians in China are now grappling with as the country experienced the largest protests in 33 years since Tiananmen Square. While typically the Chinese government quashes any nascent movement, a deadly fire in an Urumqi apartment building led to a national outpouring of frustration over China’s “Zero Covid” policy. In major cities like Shanghai, Beijing, and Chengdu, hundreds of people took to the streets. At times, calls expanded to freedom of speech and even an end to Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s rule.

Christians in Chinese house churches have long faced government persecution but historically tended to stay away from politics, focusing on shepherding believers and evangelism. Yet especially among the urban house churches influenced by Reformed theology, this attitude is changing.

Tap the "READ MORE" button below to continue reading.

IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO

by Jordan Bemis

Resettlement Director, World Relief

Servant Leader, Turning Point Open Bible Church, Spokane Washington

If each one of us reflects on our own stories, we can see God clearly leading and moving in our lives. As I reflect on my own story, I see that I started out focused solely on myself. But then I met the Holy Spirit, and God became real to me. I made a firm decision to follow Him with my life. Then during my college years, I went on a mission trip with Global Outreaches Unlimited because I thought it would be fun. Well, it was fun, but it also changed the direction of my life. My heart for other cultures grew. When my graduate degree in Intercultural Studies required me to do an internship and my top choice fell through, I was placed with World Relief.

As the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals, World Relief is an international Christian nonprofit organization with a mission to “empower the local church to serve the most vulnerable.” In the United States we work primarily with refugee resettlement and immigration services. I was amazed that there was an organization that loved two things I loved: the Church and the immigrant. I spent a year learning about World Relief’s ministry to refugees, much of it from refugees themselves. After my internship, I was hired in Spokane, Washington, as a refugee resettlement case manager where I’ve served for the past ten years.

Now that you’ve heard my story, let me tell you a story of one of my refugee friends. Shortly after he was born, his family fled to a neighboring country to escape state-sanctioned infanticide. Though they were told to leave by someone they trusted, they also fled out of fear that their son would be killed. You know this refugee too. His name is Jesus.

When refugees hear Jesus’ story, that He was also persecuted and made to flee to a different country much as they were, they feel known. They realize He understands what they are going through. He has experienced what they are experiencing.

Tap the "READ MORE" button below to continue reading.

RACE RELATIONS COMMISSION

by Aaron Campbell

PCCNA Race Relations

Commission Chair

The Race Relations Commission has been energized this year with the happenings in Memphis. When it comes to Race Relations the saying is "So Goes Memphis So Goes the Rest of the Country."

We have seen this year such a collaboration of networks working together to bring about Racial Reconciliation. We started off the New Year with a "Bang" as the networks in Memphis came together to support the "Race for Reconciliation" a 5k walk-run that brought hundreds of people from all races together at Autozone Park on Martin Luther King day in January. There was such a display of unity that set the foundation for unity across the city of Memphis and the mid-south. Agape Family and Child Services, another one of our collaboratives, hosted various events during the year including a session at the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis that brought the races together to help people understand the history of racism in America, especially during the Civil Rights movement. Memphis Christian Pastors (MCP), another collaborative of PCCNA, sponsored several workshops to improve the economic status of minorities in the city, as well as the 365 days of Prayer that brought all the races together to help solve the problem of crime and other challenges facing Memphis. We have seen crime greatly reduced.

Four Memphians are part of the Race Relations Commission and are encouraged by what is happening in Memphis. We believe it is a catalyst for what is going to happen in America. The Family Reunion Gathering, presented by Church Developers Network another collaborative of PCCNA, drew thousands of people together from all races at a gathering at Shelby Farms Park in the summer.

The Hispanic Collaborative, joined by other networks including PCCNA, came together in November for a prayer Caravan of cars around the city of Memphis. This event drew more than 300 vehicles, the largest Caravan in history. The Caravan included several races working together to show unity. We concluded with the collaboration of networks gathering on December 12 for a PCCNA annual party that included more than 10 networks coming together to solidify our efforts of collaboration throughout the year. This gathering included people from diverse races and cultures.

The Race Relations Commission believes that what we experienced in Memphis this year will be a model to be copied throughout the rest of the country. Our goal is to bring about racial harmony across the nation, and we will use what we have learned in Memphis to hopefully set the pace for the overall PCCNA.

Memphis is only a starting point that will hopefully feed the flame of racial reconciliation across the nation!