Black Ministries Recognizes Leaders During Assembly Gathering
The 2014 Church of God General Assembly Black Ministries Fellowship Luncheon was held on Wednesday, July 30, at the Hilton hotel in Orlando, Florida. Over 300 individuals attended the event, orchestrated and coordinated by Dr. Kenneth Hill, former Black Ministries coordinator for the Church of God, who was appointed director of Multicultural Ministries following the Assembly.
The theme for the event was Lord Make Us One taken from the scripture John 17:20-21 which states, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (KJV).
During the event, Hill greeted the crowd and reemphasized the theme and stated that “we are one faith,
one Lord, and one mission” and that “We are a Church of One.”
Guest speaker for the luncheon was Jacqueline Smith, Church of God National Evangelist. Her message title was, “Keeping the Harmony in Our Church and Keeping the Harmony Among Our People.” She emphasized the importance of harmony, oneness, and unity for leaders. Some important points to remember, she said, are: “Love brings oneness, love brings unity, and love brings harmony. When we are in harmony, we are glorifying God, edifying the Church, and sinners are evangelized.”
As a highlight of the event, Hill recognized several people for their work and dedication toward Black Ministries and were presented with awards. Bishop Carlton and Mrs. Cannon were acknowledged for their work as senior pastors, Bishop and Reverend Philip Bonaparte received the Servant Leader Award, while Dr. and Mrs. Steven Land were presented with a leadership award. Dr. and Mrs. C.C. Pratt received the Lifetime Achievement Award, Dr. G. Dennis and DeRosa McGuire received the Fisherman’s Award, and Dr. and Mrs. Wallace Sibley, third assistant general overseer, were shown appreciation for their hard work and 50 years of ministry. Vaughn and Dianna Akers were also shown appreciation for their hard work. Evangelist Janice Hill was shown appreciation and recognized by Lisa McIntyre as being. “a great mentor and one who always shared about ministry and emphasized the importance of family.”
