Global Ministry Forums Set to Begin Feb. 7
The first of more than two dozen Global Ministry Forums will take place starting next week as delegates gather at the Living Waters Church in Fountain Valley, California on Thursday, February 7.
At the most recent Church of God General Assembly, held last summer in Orlando, Fla., a measure was passed that directed the International Executive Committee to conduct forums around the globe prior to the next session of the General Council in 2020. The meetings are a part of that directive.
According to the measure that was passed, the topics at the forum are to include the following four issues:
• The Importance and Understanding of Ministry Ranks
• Qualifications for Ministers
• Women in Church Leadership Positions, and
• The Meaning and Usage of the Term “Bishop”
From the discussion and comments in the forums, as well as the information received from a survey administered as part of the process, the International Executive Council of the Church of God will formulate motions for consideration at the next General Assembly which takes place in Indianapolis, Indiana on July 21-24, 2020.
Church of God General Overseer Tim Hill will serve as moderator for each of the forums, but the process will be less structured than in normal church business settings. The agenda will be the same for all 15 of the meetings held in the U.S., and will include a time of interaction and dialogue, as well as the administration of the survey. In addition, General Overseer Hill will share his vision for the Church of God headed into the decade of the 2020s. A similar agenda will take place for the international meetings, based upon the type of event. Four of the seven forums outside the U.S. will coincide with national conventions.
“These forums are not intended as a debate of ideas, but simply an opportunity to share thoughts about the direction of our church on some very important and vital issues,” stated Hill. “All ideas and comments are equally welcome, and respect will be shown to each delegate who wishes to share.”
In addition to Hill, at least one member of the Church of God Executive Committee and other International offices representatives will be present.
“This is an opportunity for all voices – ministers and laity alike – to be heard equally and we look forward to hearing from everyone,” Hill concluded.
To learn more about the locations, structure, and schedule of the forums, visit www.globalministryforums.com. In the next article in today’s package of articles, General Overseer Tim Hill gives his personal perspective on what the Forums “are not.”
