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International Council Presents Recommendations |
Old Time Country Preacher |
Cleveland, TN–The International Council of the Church of God concluded their biennial gathering earlier this week and presented five recommendations to the International Executive Council. All five were discussed and referred to committee for further study for either implementation or possible presentation to the General Council of the Church of God next summer.
Proposal #1 recommended that the process of examination for the first two levels of credentialing be changed to reflect the international nature of the Church of God. It was explained that the introductory level of credentialing, especially in pioneer countries for the Church of God, could be expedited without compromising integrity of the process. Further, it is vital that ministers seeking credentials outside the USA have a history and polity section that deepens their sense of identity with the national Church of God movement where they (country) will serve. Testing for the level of ordained bishop would be unchanged as all leaders with access to the General Council and eligible for election and appointment to international leadership positions would need knowledge of USA national church history and the polity of the international offices.
A second recommendation stated that the maturity of Church of God movements outside the USA be affirmed, encouraged and recognized through establishing measurable maturity goals and officially certifying the obtaining of such goals. Currently, the Church of God does not have a means of recognizing and giving greater voice to those strong national movements outside the USA who exhibit clear fidelity to Church of God and have fully developed structures of education, finances, and missions. Recognizing the maturity level of a national Church of God movement in an official “credentialed” form would affirm development, “disincentivize” dependency, and mobilize interdependent participation in Great Commission initiatives.
A third recommendation addressed increased international synergy. Other Pentecostal movements have modeled greater global voice, particularly in regard to initiating common Great Commission initiatives. Ensuring that especially those national movements that are mature and aligned with the Church of God have voice and input will bring a new level of missional synergy as an international movement.
A fourth recommendation to the IEC suggested that a theological study group be appointed to engage in deep biblical inquiry and dialogue on relevant topics, and present its work to the International General Assembly. The early Church of God established a regular gathering for the purpose of examining the scriptures and verifying alignment with “the whole Bible, rightly divided.” The smaller, early General Assembly gatherings were logistically suited to hold these dialogues, but with more than 7 million members worldwide, the fulfillment of the original function and purpose of searching the scriptures at an Assembly is limited, at best. Participation does not include the entire church. Meanwhile, the rise of theological challenges make the need of focused theological inquiry as great as ever. Therefore, it is recommended that a theological study group be appointed to engage in deep biblical inquiry and dialogue on relevant topics, and present its work to the General Assembly.
A final recommendation addressed the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit, stating that in alignment with our doctrine and the Church of God emphasis on Pentecostal doctrinal affirmation, this 2018 General Assembly urges every Church of God congregation around the globe to renew its commitment to preach, teach and practice the baptism of the Holy Spirt and to emphasize the operation of the Pentecostal belief on the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The International Council adjourned on September 26 following the joint session between the two bodies. |
Acts-pert Poster Posts: 15559 9/28/17 7:34 pm
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I like #5 |
brotherjames |
Good for the COG. It's about time we returned to our roots and our Pentecostal distinctives And not be ashamed of them And try to push them out of our churches. Now if the AG would do the same it would make an incredible difference. Amen. |
Acts-celerater Posts: 935 9/28/17 8:46 pm
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From what I have been told |
Ernie Long |
We have many churches needing Pastors, but no one to fill the position due to people who feel called to Pastor, but not being filled with the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. |
Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1050 9/29/17 2:20 am
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And whose fault is that? |
brotherjames |
When you diminish or remove the Holy Spirit in your services and churches as a whole why would you expect anyone to be filled witg the Holy Spirit. So, perhaps you should remove the need to be filled with evidence from your criteria to be a pastor. Then you can be just like the Methodists and the rest of the WCC. No problem.
Or, instruct Lee U to start emphazing the Baptism in the Holy Spirit with evidence and OTCP can stop demonizing Perry Stone and His work with young people as he is producing many Spirit Filled teens and get some of them into your pulpits.[/b] |
Acts-celerater Posts: 935 9/29/17 6:55 am
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bonnie knox |
Interesting. OTCP makes an informative post that is relevant to Acts readership and has nothing to do with honorary doctorates, degree mills, or WOF errors, and within 3 responses someone, who either can't control himself or doesn't care to is bashing Ole Timer about something that doesn't even have anything to do with the topic at hand.
(And the fruit of the Spirit is... ...temperance.) |
[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 9/29/17 8:44 am
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Sigh |
brotherjames |
and I think you missed the point Bonnie. You cannot on the one hand decry the lack of people being baptized in the Spirit with physical evidence and on the other hand demonize those who are promoting it like Stone.
(and the fruit of the Spirit is ....longsuffering) |
Acts-celerater Posts: 935 9/29/17 9:03 am
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Re: Sigh |
bonnie knox |
Actually you are setting up a false dichotomy, here (even if one were to concede that "demonizing" is what Ole Timer does with respect to Perry Stone, and that is yet another tangent).
In other words, you can disagree with some things a person teaches without disagreeing with everything they do or say.
Is your point that OTCP is hindering the move of the Holy Spirit in the Church of God?? Is that what you are trying to say on THIS THREAD?
brotherjames wrote: | and I think you missed the point Bonnie. You cannot on the one hand decry the lack of people being baptized in the Spirit with physical evidence and on the other hand demonize those who are promoting it like Stone.
(and the fruit of the Spirit is ....longsuffering) |
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[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 9/29/17 9:14 am
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brotherjames... |
Christopher Stephenson |
Serious question: What makes you think that LU does not already emphasize this? Thanks! |
Friendly Face Posts: 144 9/29/17 9:43 am
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Serious Answer |
brotherjames |
I don't know that Lee DOESN'T emphasize the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. However, if the COG is having trouble filling their pulpits with Spirit-filled tongue talkers then perhaps your main seminary should consider making that a more important teaching in order to rectify that situation. I CAN say that within the AG, the baptism in the Holy Spirit has been DE-emphasized to such a degree that we have the same problem. IT's changing in some schools but it needs more emphasis. We are afraid of the Holy Spirit, our pastors don't know how to pastor the Holy Spirit manifestations and that teaching is no where to be found in our schools (more the most part).
And to Bonnie's point, I thought OTCP's post made a good point about the need to re-emphasize the Holy Spirit in our churches but if he is supporting that point, when he criticizes Perry Stone who is actually working with young people who feel called to ministry and who pushes the Baptism with evidence, it smacks a bit of hypocrisy - don't you think? |
Acts-celerater Posts: 935 9/29/17 10:07 am
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... |
Aaron Scott |
... |
Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 6027 9/29/17 11:21 am
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Re: ... |
bonnie knox |
Aaron, don't you think these recommendations will help the Church of God have a better identity as a global organization and not just one of the Southeast of the US? |
[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 9/29/17 1:17 pm
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Re: ... |
Cojak |
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Re: From what I have been told |
Ernie Long |
Ernie Long wrote: | We have many churches needing Pastors, but no one to fill the position due to people who feel called to Pastor, but not being filled with the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. |
Just to clarify the above statement, I was told this by two men who are on their state councils in different states. |
Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1050 9/29/17 5:44 pm
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Re: And whose fault is that? |
Old Time Country Preacher |
brotherjames wrote: | When you diminish or remove the Holy Spirit in your services and churches as a whole why would you expect anyone to be filled witg the Holy Spirit. So, perhaps you should remove the need to be filled with evidence from your criteria to be a pastor. Then you can be just like the Methodists and the rest of the WCC. No problem.
Or, instruct Lee U to start emphazing the Baptism in the Holy Spirit with evidence and OTCP can stop demonizing Perry Stone and His work with young people as he is producing many Spirit Filled teens and get some of them into your pulpits.[/b] |
For the record, OTCP HAS NEVER "demonized" Perry Stone. I have called into question his apparent incessant need to sensationalize various subjects/teachings, which, IMHO, is more detrimental than developmental, but I have never demonized him. |
Acts-pert Poster Posts: 15559 9/29/17 11:02 pm
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