2024-2026 Council of Eighteen Elected
Indianapolis, IN–Three new members were added to the Council of Eighteen of the Church of God on Wednesday during elections conducted by the General Council. The group of ordained bishops will serve with the five members of the Executive Committee to comprise the International Executive Council.
By Cameron Fisher
Thousands of delegates are gathered at the Indiana Convention Center for the 79th Church of God International General Assembly.
All 18 of the current members of the Council of Eighteen were elected in 2022 and were eligible for reelection to a second two-year term. The historically diverse Council remained primarily intact apart from the addition of three new members. Therefore, the tenures of fifteen of the eighteen elected this year will be completed in 2026. The new Council convenes for their first meeting this September.
Voting for the Council members began on Wednesday morning. According to the Minutes of the Church of God, the General Council must include specified representation by groups of ministers, specifically at least twelve pastors, three living outside the United States, and three “at-large.”
L-R: Hill, Box, Petersen, Dobbins, Whitter, Melendez, Pelt, Cooper, Walker, Lee, Page, Park, Marcial, Charles, McGlamery, Nelson & Morgan. Not pictured: Njotorahardjo and Madden (click photo to enlarge)
By the end of the afternoon on Tuesday, members of the General Council had chosen the first ten members, starting with the minister receiving the highest number of votes, Kevin McGlamery. By virtue of his election, McGlamery, who pastors Life Church in Huntsville, Alabama, will serve as chairman. Also elected on Tuesday afternoon was Angel Marcial E., Latin American field representative for Church of God World Missions; Robert Scott Sheppard, senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in Athens, Ga.; William Lee, pastor Victorious Life Church in Conyers, Ga.; Anthony Pelt, overseer for the Florida-Cocoa region and pastor of Radiant Living Worship Center; Joe Dobbins, pastor of Twin Rivers Worship Center in St. Louis, Missouri; Kip Box, state overseer of Michigan; Kenneth Hill, regional overseer of Southern New England; R.C. Hugh Nelson, pastor of the Church of God of East Flatbush in Brooklyn, New York; and Rick Whitter, state overseer of Illinois.
In the next round of voting that took place at the start of business on Wednesday morning, the remaining members were elected and included Ishmael Charles, Field Director of the Caribbean; Kelvin Page, senior pastor of Westmore Church of God in Cleveland, Tennessee; David Cooper, senior pastor of the Mount Paran Church of God in Atlanta; Nick Park, overseer of Ireland; Niko Njotorahardjo, pastor of Gereja Bethel Church in Jakarta, Indonesia; Lennox Walker, pastor/overseer in Ontario, Canada; Jerry Madden, senior pastor of Praise Cathedral in Greer, S.C.; and Julio Cesar Melendez, pastor of Iglesia De Dios Central in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.
Satisfying the international requirements of the Council were Marcial, Charles, Park, Njotorahardjo, Walker, and Melendez.
In a turn of events taking place on Wednesday afternoon during the General Council session, the body voted to reinstate the Department of Evangelism (see article this issue). Elected to serve as assistant director of evangelism was Robert Scott Sheppard, necessitating his stepping down from the Council of Eighteen. The body voted to call into play the procedure for filling a vacancy outside of the General Assembly, which was to elevate the minister with the next highest number of votes at the time of election. Qualifying for the final spot on the Council was Toby Morgan, state overseer of Virginia.
