At the recent 75th Church of God International General Assembly, General Overseer Mark Williams delivered a powerful “State of the Church” report to members of the General Council. The following is a presentation of the report as printed in the Assembly publication, GAToday on Wednesday, July 30, 2014:

There’s a teaching rule circulating in the book publishing industry: “Search Amazon to see if your proposed title has already been used.” Shane Wall, a pastor in the college town of Orangeburg, SC, did just that. To his surprise and admitted delight, he’d be the first to ever publish a Bible-based book entitled, ‘Understanding.’

Relationships are the most influential part of our lives as human beings. They have the power to bring us life and joy or the power to completely tear us down. As a professional counselor, every day I see the importance of getting relationships right, because so much of who we are stems out of our relationships.

People in Sierra Leone and Liberia filled churches on Sunday to seek deliverance from an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus, defying official warnings to avoid public gatherings to contain an epidemic that has killed nearly 1,000 people in West Africa.

August 8, 2014–Fifty years ago, the Church of God took a stand against the ugly racial assaults on blacks—taking a strong stand with the Civil Rights movement that involved the elimination of racial prejudice in its fellowship and the advancement toward full unity and oneness in the church. In its International General Assembly, which concluded last week in Orlando, Florida, the church took another step that embarks on a multiracial paradigm with significant breakthroughs that involves the merger of the Black Ministries department with Multicultural Ministries.

Christian leaders will hold a prayer vigil and public witness in front of the White House on Saturday, August 9 at 11:00 a.m. in support of Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq and continue to challenge the Obama Administration.

The vigil will be on Pennsylvania Ave. NW in front of the White House across from Lafayette Park.

The groups will be praying and standing in solidarity with their Christian brothers and sisters in Iraq as well as other religious minorities.

Several will also be peacefully risking arrest to stand with those who are being imprisoned and tortured for their faith in Iraq.

The principal organizer, the Rev. Patrick Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition, who has a long history of working with the Iraqi people and has meet and prayed with Prime Minister Maliki in Baghdad, states,

“It is unspeakable what is happening to Christians, Yazidis and religious minorities in Iraq. This genocide has taken the lives of thousands of people with many facing starvation, beheading, torture, murder and sexual assault while the world watches on in silence.

“Today, thousands of families and children have been driven from their homes by ISIS and are hiding in mountains facing starvation and torture for their religious beliefs.

“We are thankful that President Obama has heard the pleas of those who are suffering and responded to our call to personally get involved and mobilize the resources of the United States to help end this global tragedy.

“We are gathering at the White House on Saturday, to first pray and cry out to God for the protection of the persecuted church and other religious minorities in Iraq. Throughout history, prayer has sustained the needy in times of violence and persecution.

“We will be also be calling on the President and his administration to continue to use every resource available to help end this genocide and protect religious freedom in Iraq.

“We cannot be silent or indifferent!”

(Source: Christian Newswire)

Islamic State militants (also known as ISIS) have taken the Christian town of Qaraqosh, as well as many of the surrounding towns and villages on the Nineveh plain. Tens of thousands more Iraqis, including Christians and other religious minorities, have fled their homes over the past 48 hours and are seeking refuge in the surrounding mountains or toward the Kurdish areas of Erbil and Duhok.

With our government in a monumental mess and many prophetic voices suggesting judgment—and many others suggesting a Great Awakening—one lawmaker is taking matters into his hands. Or, rather, hoping lawmakers will put matters into God’s hands.

Orlando, FL—Meeting for its 75th International General Assembly, thousands of Church of God delegates from around the globe gathered at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando last week.