 Nancy Akers of Church Administration registers attendees. |
Senior pastors meet
for conference in California
Nancy Akers of Church Administration registers attendees. |
By
Tom Hanson
RANCHO MIRAGE, California—The Aug. 11 to 14 senior pastors conference was “the most incredible, refreshing and renewing conference I have ever attended with the WCG,” said Rodney Schuler, pastor of the San Antonio, Texas, church.
Pastors and wives from the United States, Canada and some international areas met as a group for the first time since 1979. In previous years, the U.S. church has conducted only regional conferences.
 Joseph Tkach |
International directors continued to meet through Aug. 18.
The conference took place at the Rancho Las Palmas Marriott Resort and Spa near Palm Springs.
The resort gave the church low rates for the conference during the sweltering desert summer heat that saw temperatures drop to 101 degrees on one of the cooler days of the conference.
Conference sessions
The conference was filled with time for fellowship amidst plenary sessions (presentations attended by all attendees), workshops, meals and even a go+lf tournament on Friday morning.
According to Charles Albrecht, operation manager for Church Administration and conference coordinator: “This is the type of training event that author and professor Aubrey Malphurs would call a ‘rallying event.’
“The conference included the traditional educational components, but time was also built into the agenda so pastors and denominational staff could reconnect and interact as we celebrate what God has done in our denomination and what he is doing to shape our future.”
 Elizabeth Hanson (left) and Stephanie Tkach help receive the offering. |
The conference began with workshops Thursday afternoon, Aug. 11.
Randy Bloom, Central district superintendent, spoke on church planting. Bloom introduced the vision for church planting in the United States, our goals and the process we are developing to plant new, multigenerational, multicultural churches.
James Roberts, president of the Center for Church Based Training, gave a workshop on Church-Based Leadership Development.
 Shannon Fertig, pastor of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, church, and his son, Stockton. |
Roberts presented bib-lical principles, processes and resources to help pastors identify, train and release the emerging leaders God has placed in their congregations.
Leonard Sweet, professor and author, conducted a workshop on “Emerging Leaders in the Postmodern World.” Sweet also conducted the first plenary session that evening.
This session reminded pastors that for the Christian Church to be more relevant in the future, it will need to find ways to be more EPIC (experiential, participatory, interactive and connective).
Michael Feazell, WCG communications director, gave an address titled “Comfort Ye My People.” Feazell said that sharing the peace of God’s grace pits us against the modern tide of hurry, flurry and worry.
 James Newby and his daughter Josianna. |
Ministry is not about growing in numbers, Feazell said. It’s about growing in love.
The following workshops took place on Friday.
Steve Alley, professor, and author of Growing a Healthy Children’s Ministry, gave workshops on “Organizing Your Children’s Ministry from the Ground Up” and “Attracting Children to God and Inspiring Them to Spiritual Strength.”
Florence Littauer, who trains speakers and writers through CLASSeminar, presented a workshop titled “Personality Plus and Silver Boxes,” in which she noted that each of us comes into the world with a basic personality that has a positive and negative side. She showed attendees how to function in their strengths, not their weaknesses.
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“The senior pastors conference gave us the opportunity and time to renew old friendships and make new ones,” said David Perry, pastor of New Life Christian Fellowship in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the Terre Haute, Lafayette and Hope, Indiana, churches.
“It was so encouraging and reassuring just being together with everyone. Seeing us all together, with excitement and hope for the present and future, renewed in me the faith that the Worldwide Church of God is alive and well in the grace of our Lord. “The presence of our fellow brothers and sisters from the international areas enforced the fact that we are still a worldwide denomination. “Can’t wait till the next one. This was truly an awesome display of the Holy Sprit’s presence in our denomination.” |
Leonard Sweet presented workshops on “Supporting Pastors in Postmodern Ministry” and “The Emerging Church.”
Late Friday afternoon, Bernard Schnippert, WCG legal counsel, gave a plenary session on “The Mission of the Legal Department of the WCG.” Schnippert said that the Legal Department is here to help congregations, ministers and members move forward with their collective mission of preaching the gospel.
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Jonnie Perry said: “The senior pastors conference was a wonderful, refreshing experience. We were treated so graciously and kindly by those who served us from headquarters and the districts.
“I was rejuvenated from the experiences of the worship and plenary sessions, as well as the peaceful setting of the conference. It was moving to see so many pastors from the United States and international areas gathered together. It reinforced to me the worldwide scope of our denomination. “I would like to say a great big thank you to the headquarters administration and all those who served behind the scenes who made this conference dream a reality. It was the best pastors conference my husband and I have attended. Thank you all so much. God bless you.” |
Joseph Tkach, WCG president, then addressed the subject “Where We Are Not Going,” noting exaggerated truth claims and bad doctrine that bring reproach upon the gospel of Christ.
On Saturday morning, Ron Kelly, recently retired former church controller, talked on the topic “That Was Then, This Is Now.” Kelly discussed the WCG’s financial transition from centralized collection to local collection, which has created new challenges fundamental to our new approach to ministry.
Then Randal Dick, WCG director of missions, presented “It’s Not About Us.” He encouraged pastors and members of congregations whose size may be shrinking that all God needs from us is a large-sized heart and a small-sized ego. God will do the rest.
He called all of the international ministers and wives to the stage. There the mission developers spoke about the churches in their regions and thanked the U.S. church for its support in their formative years.
As dinner concluded, Bone and Kerri Pomarolli, two Chris-tian comedians from Comics4Christ, entertained the group.
Afterward, Greg AIbrecht, WCG board member, spoke on “A Pearl of Great Value” in which he showed that Jesus’ parable of the pearl described the kingdom of heaven, and its meaning motivates us to celebrate God’s grace.
Joseph Tkach then spoke on “What Can Be Done,” in which he outlined denominational projects to be pursued over the next two years, including continuing to plant new congregations, relocating headquarters from Pasadena to Glendora, revising portions of our articles, bylaws and governance and changing our denominational name (see page 2).
On Sunday, Dan Rogers, director of U.S. Church Administration, gave a sermon on “And Miles to Go Before We Sleep” based on Matthew 4:1-11.
Charles Fleming, mission developer for the Caribbean and Latin America, and his wife, Carmen, led a communion service, and the teens in attendance helped receive an offering.
The Higher Ground Praise Team from Altadena, California, which had led worship during the weekend, drew the conference to a close in a wonderful time of praise of worship. The team is made up of Mike Hale, Craig Albright, Nathan and Sue Braden, Al and Kathy Killebrew, Kim Meyerdierks, and Terry and Linda Willhoite.
According to Dan Rogers, we owe a great deal of thanks to Higher Ground and to the audiovisual team. Audiovisual support was provided by Tim and Susie Poe and John and Amy Ridley, who traveled from Kennesaw, Georgia, and do this as part of their ministry in the Southeast.
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 Charles and Carmen Fleming |
 Dan Rogers, U.S. Church Administration |
 Leonard Sweet
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 Tony Murphy and Carn Catherwood, retired district superintendent. |
 Florence Littauer, women’s session |
 Steve and Raul Ramos, Spanish translation.
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Copyright © Grace Communion International, 2005
