International Executive Council Completes Hybrid Meeting
Cleveland, TN–The Church of God International Executive Council completed their regularly-scheduled January meeting on Tuesday gathering for the first time in a hybrid format.
Safety protocols were in place as the session was moved downstairs from the Executive Council Chambers to the larger Leadership Conference Center. Separate, socially-distanced desks accommodated the nine members of the Council who attended in person. The remainder were fully-engaged via Zoom Conference and all information was disseminated electronically rather than through traditional spiral notebooks.
The session began at 9:00 a.m., meeting all day with only a lunch break. The session ended late into the evening as the Council voted to extend the afternoon session to finish engagement of the agenda. General Overseer Tim Hill concluded the Council session with an address to the members.
Due to travel restrictions, overseas representatives joined by Zoom, including Caribbean Overseer Ishmael Charles and Overseer of Indonesia Rubin Abraham participating in his first Council session since becoming the representative for Indonesia last fall.
Indonesian representative Rubin Abraham addresses the Executive Council via Zoom (click photo to enlarge)
Participating in the session and giving reports were Dr. David Griffis, director of World Missions, Raymond Hodge, director of Business and Records, Legal Counsel Dennis Watkins, David Blair, director of Youth and Discipleship and President/CEO of the Church of God Benefits Board Art Rhodes. The Council also heard updates from Mitchell Corder on Church Health and Revitalization, Mitchell Maloney with the Office of Church Planting, an update on ministry in Canada from Keith Ivester, and Tommy Smith, updating the ministries in Indonesia for Council member Niko Njotorahardjo.
The Council also heard reports from the General Assembly Task Force and the General Assembly Agenda Committee as they work toward compiling the items to be discussed by the General Council at the 78th International General Assembly next year. Last month the official announcement was made that the Assembly which was postponed due to Covid-19, will take place on July 25-29, 2022 in San Antonio, Texas.
The next session of the International Executive Council is scheduled for April 20-22, 2021.
