International Executive Council Hears from Task Forces
Cleveland, TN—The International Executive Council (IEC) is meeting in regular session at the International Offices of the Church of God. The Council, consisting of the Executive Committee, Council of Eighteen and representatives from Indonesia and South Africa, began their formal session following a joint session with the International Council on Tuesday morning.
The IEC’s agenda is filled with reports from various church departments and ministries, but also includes presentations from the various task forces appointed following the 2018 General Assembly. Reports included Spiritual Acceleration and Core Values, Ministry Activation, and Visional Actualization. On Tuesday evening IEC members heard an update from the Church Planting Network with in-person reports from three church planters from three different states, all who launched their congregations on Sunday, September 15, 2019. The three pastors – Shane Stone, Dustin Wilson, and Mitch Lunceford – reported combined first day figures of 647 in attendance and 24 salvations.
On Wednesday the IEC received a report for the task force on Actualization of the Global Context of Ministry, presented by Director of World Missions David Griffis and Assistant Director M. Thomas Propes. Task Force member Sean O’Neal gave a report on Aging Ministers, while Children’s Ministries Coordinator Tony Lane presented his task force’s findings thus far on a study series for kids and students. President of the Pentecostal Theological Seminary Michael Baker gave a report on a study of bylaw issues and Lee University President Paul Conn and Vice President Mark Walker gave a Special Order of the Day presentation on International Training and Engagement.
Over the course of the two-day session, the IEC discussed action on motions and preliminary formulation of the agenda for next summer’s International General Assembly. The final agenda for the Assembly is due to be delivered to the General Council in April 2020.
Video interviews with various members of the International Executive Council are being posted at www.churchofgod.org and on Facebook @COGHQ.
The next scheduled session of the IEC is set for January 20-22, 2020 and will coincide with a summit and forum for state/regional administrative bishops.
