Faith News Network

Prayer Permeates Leadership, Council Meetings

Cleveland, TN—Administrative bishops, youth directors, and evangelism directors from every state and region of the U.S., in addition to the leaders from departments and ministries of the International Offices, completed two days of training and resourcing at the fall Leadership Meeting. The gathering took place September 16 and 17 at the Westmore Church of God.

Led by General Overseer Gary J. Lewis, prayer was a primary focus of the meeting highlighted by a livestream prayer and worship event on Monday evening.

The Leadership gathering is held following the General Assembly as a means to equip and launch the leaders of the Church of God. It precedes fall ministers’ meetings in states and regions to allow administrative bishops to partner with the International Offices leadership in programs, themes, discipleship and other areas. It also provides an impactful period of fellowship, prayer, networking, and exchange of resources.

The four Covenant Ministry Teams (CMTs) gathered for their first meetings since adjournment of the Assembly. CMTs are led by the three assistant general overseers and secretary general and offer a more intimate opportunity for fellowship for administrative bishops and their spouses.

Leadership 2024 included seven sessions all incorporating the title of “We,” a carryover from the Friday night celebration of the Assembly. Sessions included interviews, panel discussions, and offerings of helpful resources for the leaders. Session titles included We Are, We Go, We Disciple, We Pray (Global Prayer Gathering), We Preach, We Care, and We Invest. Tuesday night, September 17, concluded Leadership as Lewis and the Executive Committee led prayer for the attending groups, as well as the Council of Eighteen who also attended preceding their scheduled meeting on Wednesday, September 18.

The Council of Eighteen, which when combined with the Executive Committee comprises the International Executive Council, met at the International Offices for their first gathering since the General Assembly. The one-day meeting included reports from church departments, updates on ministry portfolios, and the capturing of the official 2024-2026 Executive Council photograph. The Council will meet by Zoom in January and return to the International Offices in April for their spring meeting.