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Tuesday, October 25, 2011

COGIC 104th Annual Holy Convocation


 NEW, NEW, NEW ------> COGIC Issues Pt. 1 and COGIC Issues Pt. 2 <------NEW, NEW, NEW 
Dynamic Interview With Elder D.L. Foster Of Gcmwatch.com 

As the saints of God converge upon St. Louis, MO. for the 104th Annual Holy Convocation, we are reminded of the precarious times in which we live. There are ISSUES that must be addressed. ISSUES that will be addressed and spiritual blessings that must be delivered. I don't think that there is a better theme delivered for this holy time of reflection among the Saints of God. 

God's Church, God's People, God's Agenda!
We must remember that God hasn't called this church or any individual believer, to be like anyone or everyone else. He has called us, to holiness, without which "no man shall see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14). The redefinition of holiness within the culture and the church is a challenge of epic proportions. What does it mean to be "Saved, Sanctified, Baptized and Filled With The Holy Ghost" as we once proudly and unashamedly stated? What should the church do about the ever increasing and alarming allegations of Clergy Sexual Abuse and Misconduct (aka: SINS)? -I grow tired of giving ugly and deplorable behaviors good, politically correct and pretty titles-


What should the church do on behalf of the victims who have suffered at the hands of ungodly leaders who have defiled themselves by their ungodly and sinful actions?

Bishop Charles E. Blake
Presiding Bishop COGIC
Then there are fiances...no matter what one says, the recession, joblessness and the global economy has taken a hold of church finances. According to the General Assembly Minutes delivered in April 2011 only 83% of domestic jurisdictions had delivered a financial reporting or an account of funds to the national church while only 38% of foreign jurisdiction had reported. According to the same document, in a highly honorable, and humble move, the church's Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake, gave up his 2010 annual compensation as the leader of the church so that the church would not be further financially distressed. As I have stated in COGIC Issues Pt. 2, this isn't fair. I know of no one that will do what he does for no compensation. He could be happy simply serving the needs of his own church. While I may deliver criticisms of certain moves and actions by the Presiding Bishop on behalf of the church, it should be known that in church with over 6 million members, the leader of it should be paid for his service at all costs. That, to me, is simply a matter of respect.

God's Church

The Church Of God In Christ is a natural outgrowth of an inward spiritual reality. In that I mean that the church has never been a building, it is however a group of them that has been called out, from the death of this world to the life within Christ himself. 

Unfortunately, we are living in a time when men believe that the church belongs to them to handle it as they desire. This is why the 104th Annual Holy Convocation is so important, because it challenges us to remember once again, that the church is not the church because of us, but it it the church because of HIM. If that is the case, and we know that it is, the church and it's resultant actions must be delivered back to God as his possession so that he may care for it, tend to it, fix it, and love it. 

Dating of the Convocation

Although this may appear to be a simple issue, it is not. The dating of the convocation is one that is rooted within the institution of the church and it's subsequent revision both in 1980 and 1985. The issue has been temporarily addressed in the following manner: 

While the 2011 Holy Convocation is being held earlier than normal, the 2012 Holy Convocation has been set back further than any Holy Convocation has been set since 1980 according to adopted church rule. The rule was as follows:
"Resolution authorizing that Tuesday after the first Sunday in November through the following Sunday be declared Holy Week to allow attendance of the Saints at the Holy Convocation in Memphis, TN."  
According to current scheduling the 2012 Holy Convocation will begin Monday Nov. 12th with the General Assembly beginning Monday Nov. 19th 2012. While this years event is a week early, next years event is nearly a week later than it should be under normal circumstances. 

The reason for this is St. Louis's inability to accommodate the Saints for the previously necessary or required dates. The leadership of the church were required to enter into agreements with St. Louis for the event. Since cancellation would have resulted in greater fees to the church and greater financial distress, the Presiding Bishop had no choice but to continue with the plans in St. Louis. Therefore, Bishop J.O. Lawson of Texas introduced another resolution to the General Assembly which was adopted stating the following:
"I move that this resolution of 1980 that I just read, as well as the succeeding resolution of 1985, be suspended for the purpose of having the Holy Convocation in St. Louis, Missouri during the weeks that are consistent with the existing contracts that have been executed for the years 2011 and 2012."
Bishop N. Wells
General Board Member
So there has been a temporary fix to address what can be considered a very important issue for many reasons not to mention trust, and tradition. During the Holy Convocation Of Illinois 3rd Jurisdiction, Bishop Nathaniel Wells, challenged us to consider if the Holy Convocation should be handled like a convention, governed by men, or a Convocation governed by God. St. Louis, MO. has an unyielding NFL schedule during the time that we hold the Holy Convocation. St. Louis isn't the place of this church's birth. Right now we have been reduced to having a convention. Memphis certainly can't hold the crowd. Bishop Brandon Porter affirms that Memphis will not have a convention center that can seat over 20,000. However, should the "seating of the crowd" be our only consideration if this is God's Church? Should that be a consideration at all? (Special Note on Bishop Porter: In a message entitled "12 Laws Of The Harvest" aired 11/12/2011 on the Word Network, Bishop Porter stated that he too wanted the Holy Convocation to come back to Memphis, TN. and suggested that the move back to Memphis would be one of his goals if and when he were elected to the General Board of Bishops. So what is Bishop Porter's position on the issue?) 

God's People

Luke 4:16-21 ~ 16-And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 17-And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
18-The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19-To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20-And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21-And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

One of the greatest things that can be done is to serve the People of God. Jesus work was about serving the people. Preaching to the poor, healing the brokenhearted, deliverance to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, setting free and justifying those that were bruised or beat up by this world. What more great of a work and mission to the hearts of men could there be? Further why would God's church NOT do this?

Clergy Sexual Abuse (SINS) and Victims Advocacy

Unfortunately, the church has not yet set themselves to address the spiritual fallout regarding the victims of clergy sexual sins. To our shame, COGIC has not moved to address the hurts and pains of bonafide cases that involve these ungodly actions.


In our recent radio program "COGIC Issues Pt. 1", Elder D.L. Foster of Gcmwatch.com outlined that the website Reportcogicabuse.com documented over 40 publicly documented allegations of sexual sins by COGIC pastors or church leaders. He also stated that his office has received in excess of 25 additional calls from individuals from various parts of the country who have either suffered sexual abuse or that have a family member who is looking for answers, help and direction because of the abuse they suffered. We all agree that these things shouldn't happen, but there seems to be no agreement on how we should minister to the victims or if they should be ministered to at all. This becomes vitally important because many of the victims who go on to litigate against the church do so because the church was unresponsive to their needs and inquiries for help and assistance. 

Further, as I have documented in my post "Clergy Sexual Sins Pt. 2", in a 2009 address to the General Assembly, Presiding Bishop Blake stated the cost  of dealing with  matters as a result of clergy sexual sins are usually around $800,000. Based on current numbers and a worst case scenario, this could mean a potential monetary loss to the church of over $20 Million at some point in the future. Right now, we can point to at least 2 jurisdictions that have lost their worship centers as a result of either proven or settled sexual allegations. The monetary loss from those cases alone have exceeded $6 Million, not to mention the untold number of souls that have regressed from worship of any kind as a result. What further adds insult to injury is that the leaders of the churches that had to be sold were not the ones who committed the sins. They were simply silent and reluctant to act. 

I WON'T be Silent Any More!

How much longer can this church...God's church, full of God's People, REFUSE to act in light of this serious issue and the potential resultant fallout? Addressing the victim and the victims family through a victims advocacy program, will allow the victims and their families to begin the healing process and will allow the church to also grow as a result. It is not beyond our capacity to take a devastating situation, deliver it to God, and watch God get HIS glory through the healing and salvation of the lost. Could this be the very reason that we exist? To heal the people in the middle of situations that are destroying lives, to destroy the chains and bondage that the enemy imposes upon hearts and minds?  We certainly must consider our place and time in this epoch of time. 

God's Agenda
Bishop C.H. Mason
Founder Of The Church Of God In Christ
The salvation of souls is the purpose of the church. The church was not called to build buildings, sell concert tickets or promote the nearest gospel celebrity, personality or play. We are called however to reach and teach the lost through the power of the gospel and impact them by living a holy life under the power of the Holy Ghost. 

1 Sam. 4:19-22 ~ 19-And his daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her. 20-And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it. 21-And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband. 22-And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.

After years of continued disobedience and waiving the hand at the warning from God through the Prophet Samuel, there cam a day that Israel went to battle seeking to gain the victory, only this time something was amiss. Before, all they had to do was usher the Ark Of the Covenant onto the scene and begin to praise God, and the battle, no matter who was the enemy would turn in their favor.

This time, they brought the ark, but they forgot the word. The word had already been delivered that they would lose out because of their sins and failure to correct themselves and refusal to hear the voice of the Lord. (1 Sam. 3: 11-13)

In other words, the agenda of God was clear...CLEAN UP the house of God and REPENT if we want the favor and grace of the Lord to shine upon us, our family, our communities and our nation. This message of repentance centered on the ungodly actions of a few, but ALL were punished by the refusal of that few to comply, listen to, understand and follow the Lord. 

We are CERTAINLY NOT pronouncing judgement upon the church, because the Lord hasn't instructed us to do so, but we are pointing to the fact that God has given us plenty and ample opportunity to make a turn and deal with issues, whereby others can be saved and blessed. The community needs the glory of the Lord through us, but how can they see it, when we are unconcerned about dealing with ourselves and our issues and getting them right before the Lord?   

Is God's agenda at heart, or is it the agenda of men?

God's Church, God's People and God's Agenda. We are in hopes that the issues of the Grand ole Church Of God In Christ will center around these things for the next 104 years!

Blessed!

I'll update the comments section with happenings from the Convocation. If you attend I invite you to do the same. Let the saints know your experience as well as what's going on.  

27 comments:

  1. If you missed it in the article, you can catch the LIVE STREAM right from the comments section nightly.

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  2. I am in receipt of a 20 plus page letter sent to Bishop Blake and the General Board, from a church Sr. bishop regarding many issues. I will be sharing portions as the meeting goes on through the week, but one thing that he addressed was the word PRESIDIUM which is often used to speak of the General Board bishops.

    That word was used by Communist Russia to denote those who controlled the people and those who decided the fate, life or death, of the people...

    This word is nowhere mentioned in any of our founding documents to call any leader of the church. We think it's proper and fashionable and have no clue to what we are really saying or what we are invoking.

    Hopefully the readers of this blog will know of assurity why we DO NOT call ANY of a group of our bishops a presidium...

    I'll say more later about the title of "Presiding Bishop & 7th Succession Chief Apostle" that we often call our leader Bishop Blake...

    If nothing else it is very thought provoking...

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  3. Regarding the General Board. The COGIC Web site says this of the General Board and the scope of its authority:

    "The General Board of the Church of God in Christ, Inc (COGIC) is responsible for establishing and executing policies for the membership, as well as sustaining and perpetuating spiritual order within the Church. These twelve bishops, chosen from the Board of Bishops, are voted into office by the General Assembly for a term of four years. Executive decisions made by the General Board are final unless revoked or modified by the General Assembly."

    Now is that true? Is that the scope of the General Board Bishop's authority? Many of us don;t think so, or at least not quite like those that dispense current policy would like us to believe.

    Here is a FACTUAL statement regarding the General Board authority:

    "The General Board is not the supreme policy making committee of the Church Of God In Christ, Inc., nor is it a standing committee empowered to act for the General Assembly as a legislature. The Holy Scriptures, as contained in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, are our rule of faith and practice; and the General Assembly is the only doctrine expressing and law making authority of the Church Of God In Christ, Inc."

    Now, this is what we need to address. Because the latter statement has a root in FACT whereas the prior statement which is written on the COGIC web site is not factual. It is not printed, and neither is it church policy that the General Board functions in this manner. There is a difference between PRACTICE and and POLICY...We MUST know the difference.

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  4. And how does Tye Tribbet say that the Saints were heavy and that he felt something in the service???

    WHAAAAAT???

    While he Tye Tribbit) was having an affair his best friend DA TRUTH was having an affair with his wife...With friends like those you need no enemies...Bishop Mason would have sat him all the way DOWN!!!!

    Sad part is that the Saints took the bait and commenced to shout and dance about 10 minutes and it was all good with them...SAD!!!!

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  5. The after prayer cleared 'em out...The Mother called for prayer, choir and everybody left...that's what we can't get these folk healed and delivered...we like to talk and sound good, but these folk are powerless...

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  6. Tuesday AM Bishop Withers of Arkansas 1st preached an absolutely wonderful message...a Holy Ghost message!

    Do we have Good News???

    This was followed by the anointing service.

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  7. I can tell you are about to cut up all week long ;P

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  8. LaPreghiera,

    AND Ya KNOW that!!!-LOL!!!

    OK, there are some positive and not so positive things to say here this evening...

    First, I had a chance to clean up my desk...That's positive!

    After that unusually long (over 45 minute) message, I guess I could do that and have time to spare!

    Now, herein is a problem...noone minds the LORD taking HIS time to move, but we mind when a message is tempered as to not step on the hand that gives opportunity...

    Now we have a man that has received pastorate of a church that whose former leader held the current leadership accountable...questionable background and questions all around...

    We have a message giver that doesn't know the difference between an evangelistic message and a pastoral message at a particular event in which the aim is to encourage people to come to Christ...While I can't be all negative, whatever progress that was made during the message was killed by further delivery of the message itself.

    Then once again, we have an offer to pray for the people but no altar call...but we certainly had an offering that started off calling people "hard headed" because they were leaving...In fact the offering was prefaced with these words:

    "When you receive a life changing word, it's appropriate to give to God an offering" ~ Bishop Darrell Hines

    Is that true? When God delivers a word, you should respond with money??? What of you're broke? Will God get mad?

    We got ISSUES!!!!

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  9. Ooh, I almost forgot, some positive...

    The preacher outlined that the church has an identity crisis, to which I would agree...he stated:

    "We don't own the church, we are managers of the kingdom"

    While I almost agree with that I would say that the preachers (to who he was referring) are not the only "kingdom managers" (if we can say that) All Saints have a part and responsibility within the Kingdom of God...

    He also said,

    "If it's not happening in heaven, then it shouldn't be happening on earth" (or the church) so far as conduct is concerned.

    He spoke that the modern church has become a "social, political organization with spiritual overtones" which is what God did not call the church to be. To which I certainly agree.

    This was after Bishop Blake spent at least 15 minutes preparing the church to have a traveling Convocation/Conference. in other words he took the thought that, "they that worship HIM must worship him not in Jerusalem (Memphis) nor in Samaria (STL.) but in the Spirit and in the Truth, "Where ever we go""

    He stated that over 29 years ago the vote was taken by the General Assembly (on a motion that he made and wrote up) to hold Convocation in STL, but the church never got to it...In fact it was negotiated out in a backroom conference or meeting...

    Talk about some enlightening positioning...Look, we're paying attention to all that is said and we're not falling for the grand ole oke-doke...

    Now, are we going to have a Holy Conference or a Holy Convocation? If this is God's church, and God has given the instruction for a Convocation, then we'd best be about his AGENDA...if we are about God's agenda...

    One more thing, these folk don;t know the difference between what we had when we had a Sr. Bishop and what we have now that we have a Presiding Bishop.

    There have only been 2 Sr. Bishops of this church...Bishop C.H. Mason the founder and Bishop O.T. Jones Sr. the second Sr. Bishop.

    The Sr. Bishop had autonomy to direct the church as the Spirit of the Lord led him...Not so with ANY OTHER Bishop according to documents filed in 1968 and during later years under the reorganization of the church...

    It's time for an educational conference on the structure on this church and a constitutional convention to REVAMP the entire constitutional structure...

    Still...not ONE WORD on behalf of victims of sexual abuse from ANY of the people who grabbed a microphone the whole convocation so far....SAD, SAD, SAD!!!

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  10. OK, I missed it this AM or afternoon, but Bishop Roy L. Windbush preached "An Encounter With God" or something to that effect.

    That was a good thought but I have no idea what was said...

    Bishop Nathaniel Wells, Jr. preaches this evening. Now Bishop Blake took the time to say why the Convocation should be in STL and elsewhere last night, while Bishop Wells has stated that God hasn't called this church to a convention, but to a Convocation and that we must hold to the faith of our fathers...

    I'm not suggesting that the Bishop start a conflict, but I hope he lays out a case as he did in Chicago. The average person has never heard a contrary case on the issue and why we either follow the directions that we have been given or say that we are something different than what we originally were. They have only received what they have been fed by current leadership...this remains to be seen...

    I'll be listening intently...

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  11. Bishop Blake said:

    4 Strategies of Ps. 18

    1- Love the Lord
    2- Trust the Lord
    3- Call upon the Lord
    4- I will be saved from my enemies. With the will I serve the Lord.

    Phil. 1:6 ~Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

    Allright Now!!!!

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  12. Offering:

    Rance Allen said "$10 can get you $10,000"...

    What is that? C'mon Rance (or Bishop-elect Rance) you know better than that!!!!

    Give because it's right, not because of what you can get as a result...

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  13. Dorinda, tore up as usual, but Zebulon led the song..."God has the final say"!!!!

    I know that's right! That blessed my soul...

    Bishop Wells...Joshua 7:11 "Overcoming the Inter-me"

    "Take away the accursed thing from amongst you"...

    What a blessed word...This was a blessing he went there. the "faith of our fathers"...cut it short, didn't start a conflict, but preached HOLINESS...then to deliver a prayer and extend the altar to the people for prayer...FANTASTIC...

    Powerful word from bishop Wells...Went into insights on SANCTIFICATION and what the church held dear...we should know our heritage and what GOd has delivered to US...

    GREAT WORD BISHOP WELLS!!!!

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  14. PLEASE!!!

    Get the politicians out of the pulpit! Obama sent his faith based partnerships ploy to make the Saints feel better. He immediately extolled the virtues of the Obama Presidency.

    Of course, the manager for the comments section of the live stream, scrubbed and eliminated all "negative" or contrary statements...In other words the COGIC web team under the direction of Elder Manual Thomas, censored the freedom of expression of their live stream commentary.

    I can understand not wanting to have combative commentary or arguments over doctrine, but to shade, hide and sculpt a message that you want to hear, is nothing more than censorship and mind control.

    The only comments that were allowed to go through were comments stating how great Obama was and how great the church was and even one that told the Siants to make sure they got out to vote for Obama.

    Can you say MANIPULATION?!?!?!

    How do I know? Because I delivered 3 messaged contrary to Obama's statesman's position and NONE of them made the light of day.

    I stated that what Obama's rep didn't say was that under the Obama Presidency, if Obama had his choice, all the Saints in CALIFORNIA (who were busy censoring the comments) would be honoring homosexual marriages right now as Obama believes in homosexual civil unions and the RIGHT of homosexual marriage.

    POLITICS by the promotion of politicians has no business in the pulpit. We need not a politician nor the representative of a politician, to extol his virtues from the holy podium. The sacred desk is RESERVED to extol the virtues of Jesus ALONE! HIS glory is not to be shared neither is it to be negotiated...

    THAT is God's AGENDA! Because these are God's People and this is God's Church. SUPPOSEDLY!!!

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  15. Bishop McKinney, spoke that the kingdom of God is not a democracy nor a monarchy...it is a theocracy...

    Well, COGIC is suffering from an identity crisis when it comes to this.

    COGIC was reorganized at least 2 times since it's inception.

    In 1897 it was founded by Bishop Mason and 2 others. In 1907 it was reorganized by Bishop Mason with him named as the Sr. Bishop of the church.

    When he died soon after Bishop O.T. Jones was installed as the second Sr. Bishop. There arose a controversy over whether he had the powers of the founder Bishop C.H. Mason. It was decided that he did not have that same power not authority and he was summarily dismissed in about 1968.

    At the same time, there was NEW constitution and modification to the original constitution of the church on file in Memphis, TN. This was the SECOND REORGANIZATION....

    At that time, there were powers given to a General Board of Bishops, who were headed by a Presiding Bishop. The General Assembly was delivered powers of authority along with a Judiciary board for balance and checks.

    What we have NOW is NOT what we had then. What we have NOW is not the same structure as what was founded in 1907...What we had then was a man who said he followed God and a church that followed him as long as he did so.

    What THEY want now is the same thing that they had when Bishop Mason was alive but, ONLY there are LAWS, RULES and REGULATIONS that THEY instituted that stand in the way.

    So don't throw out the rules now, because the process creates an inconvenience...it was YOU who didn't wait on or listen to God to keep you from the mess that you have created.

    As I said, there is no such thing as a Presidium and TRUTH is that Bishop Blake IS NOT a Seventh in Succession Bishop from bishop Mason. In order for that to be, we would have to have the same structure, NOT a totally different 1968 structure that we have now!!!

    Tell the truth, God honor's it!

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  16. The new custom of the church...COLLECT AN OFFERING after the preached word INSTEAD OF a Holy Ghost prayer for the people...

    We've been reduced to patterned or repetitive prayers in place of a Holy Ghost move of God. We are given to an intellectual accent instead of a spiritual unction of the Lord.

    Sad to say that this is what we have become and have become so willingly and without resistance.

    WHY and WHO SAID that there must be an offering raised after the message? WHERE is it in the bible that God said that a monetary offering must be delivered to God after the message???

    We have so many manipulation phrases such as, "nothing comes down until something goes up?" to mean that our money must go up to God before he will send his blessing down...THAT IS MANIPULATION and a total UNTRUTH...Where is that in scripture???

    STOP IT Saints!!! We don't need that sort of manipulation or mess in the church any longer...STOP mixing spiritual with natural concepts and metaphysical concepts...NONE of them are bible and God WILL judge those who but into and promote that evil!

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  17. You see, this is what I'm saying...

    "Calculations by Enzi's staff also list AT&T, Verizon, General Electric, General Motors, Qwest, Caterpillar and other private companies in the top 25, not to mention the two Texas state programs. AT&T received $157 million."

    See Obama's emissary got up and told the virtues of the President's work in Health care reform.

    I already told you some of what he didn't say in another comment. However, did you also know that the health care reform law, GIVES money to corporations to fund post retirement health care? In other words, YOUR tax dollars fund the retirement health care of people you don't know and don't in particularly care about, not out of the corporate profits of the companies that they worked for, but out of YOUR MONEY!!!!

    Read the article for yourself right HERE.

    Get these politicians out of the pulpit of the HOLY convention...I mean convocation...Whatever!!!!

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  18. We're back with the Friday night version of event...unfortunately I could not attend the meeting because I had to attend to some client affairs and because I need to work and make some money-LOL

    We love a concert though...seems the Saints don't care how long the time is spent on singing and formalities as long as the word doesn't last too long...

    Now, Bishop Daniels has a pacemaker, defibrillator and is on bed rest for the most part...

    After about 25 minutes of shouting they decided to have prayer for him...I'm sorry but shouldn't that have been the FIRST thing to do???

    Corporate donation night:

    Then Eli-Lilly was hailed for it's partnership with the church...($25,000 donation previous years, this year...$15,000 this year for urban initiatives and $5,000 to the Women's dept. $10,000 to Bishop Maclin's leadership education, #2,000 youth and more for a total of $40,000 for the 2011 contribution)

    Konica Minolta is giving back 10% of sales (gross or net unknown) to the church. They delivered a $23,000 check and speculate that they will give about $500,000 in 2012 if just 5% of COGIC churches use their services and by their machines over the nest year.

    From Uganda, we're opening up opportunities for individuals to be independent African coffee distributors. sign up at www.goodafrican.com and click the COGIC link. Is Africa really a home to those of us who have never been there? It's a foreign country to me...

    OK, there is a Bishop that may need some medication...will you sponsor his meds for a year of so??? I just wanna know. 888-477-2669, call and ask them that.

    Bishop referenced Hezekiah and how he received gifts from people that weren't the Lord;s servants to complete the Lord's work...that doesn't come without a fee, cost or price. Hezekiah was punished by God for flaunting his wealth to the wrong folk and the enemies were able to take an assessment so that they could get all that he had. After Hezekiah's death, when Babylon got finished, the Lord's house had nothing....

    Don't make this a corporate COGIC...Please!!!!

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  19. The COGIC Publishing board gave $100,000 back to the church...

    There's money in Sunday school and YPWW and Bible Band booklets...etc...

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  20. 10:19 to about 11:05 PM CST Bishop-elect White preached, "Let The Fire Fall"

    His message was an encouragement to pray and to restore fellowship with Christ.

    Where is the fire??? Achievement and comfort has taken place of morals and reverence for God...superficial religious activities.

    We need to come together and ask God to let the fire fall in order to restore the church and the people of God.

    The Holy Ghost only dwells in praying people. He took the church back to it's true love of God through prayer and fellowship...

    "Don't despise the process" that's when character is built...anointing doesn't mean one is ready to be released into ministry...anointing DOES NOT give you character not integrity...the church suffers from a lack of integrity

    He brought the LEADERS to the altar...That was a first that I have seen....

    what we don't seem to understand is that the revival will come no more quickly than we are willing to deliver ourselves to God through prayer and repentance...

    Other than Bishop Wells night, this was by far the most highly anointed night...This was a face falling message!!!!

    WONDERFUL!!!!

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  21. The youth services was filled with fire of praise. A pick up from last nights "Fire"!

    Lot of shouting, dancing and jumping followed by a $20 seed...OK...That seemed to be the only offering during the day and they had to collect it sometime so, kudos...

    The Lord did bless the youth greatly and they seemed to enjoy themselves. We need the youth strong and knowledgeable.

    But how do we expect the youth (or anyone for that matter) to maintain strength without the preached word? The testimonies were excellent and well and good, but where there is no word delivered, no direction given, no manna imparted, how can we expect to see sustainable growth?

    Solution: Make the WORD and the delivery of the gospel message the center of what we do youth and otherwise so that Christ can be glorified. The message is what saves. The message is what sets free. The message is what delivers...

    We need the Gospel message no matter what else we have to do. Cut the singing if we must, but please don;t refrain from delivering the gospel!

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  22. Saturday night, the inspirational message brought by Pastor Hicks of Kansas Southwest Jurisdiction. He spoke about the war that the Saints are in.

    That Jurisdiction is familiar to readers of this blog, because it is led by a Bishop that took control of a church against the will of the membership and sued it for tithes or fees that he felt that he should have made off of it.

    You can find all the sordid details at COGICJustice.

    Would somebody else, besides the Retired Judiciary Board Chair, Bishop Nesbitt, tell Bishop GIlkey to let that church go and show the love of Christ. He doesn't need it and the people don't want it. In addition it's ungodly.

    By the way...we declare WAR against all ungodliness and unrighteousness! Even if it is found within our leadership.

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  23. Pastor Hankerson preached a Holy Ghost message and was highly anointed and healing was in the room...

    Bishop Brandon Porter got up afterwards to do what we do best...collect an after offering...His voice was strained and he has been suffering visibly, but that didn't stop him from raising his voice to get some money...

    WHEN WILL WE EVER LEARN???

    instead of continuing in the anointing to get a healing and ultimate breaktrhrough, the appeal for money was of greater concern than even souls...NO ALTAR CALL, no CALL FOR SALVATION...

    This church needs to REPENT for what we have reduces the spiritual move of God to...I wonder would we do this...HAVE ONE SERVICE IN WHICH WE COLLECT NO OFFERING...Like Jericho...give all totally to the Lord...Let it be first, but in this case, let it be our best, most high service, because we can't get enough people there at the beginning...And of course, the web team censored those comments too...

    Is this God's church? What about is that God's agenda? And do God's people do it like that? I don't think so...

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  24. Sunday night, evangelistic night...BUDGET NIGHT...

    Pastor, soon to be Bishop, Marvin Winans preached a text from...Judges 15:9-19 "DON'T THROW AWAY WHAT GOD HAS ANOINTED"

    There are three things I found within the message that made it a very curious one...

    1.

    Now I understand the first part of the message. It was primarily an encouragement to not quit doing the things that has brought us thus far such as praying, fasting and studying the word. Those things are always in order.

    However, the message took a turn...he eventually used it to assert that a person, when they have been "thrown away", due to their failure, can still yet be used by God because the anointing to do those things that they were called to do is still upon them...

    Now, I understand what he's saying. Repentance is always available to the Saints, however he used a Old testament paradigm to assert a New Testament truth. This is where he messed up.

    Under the OT, the Spirit of God was "upon" an individual for service. In the NT the Spirit of GOd is "within" a person...and God don;t dwell in an unclean vessel!

    The problem is not mistakes and repentance...the problem is unrepented of sin and ministry...GOd may have had a plan for a person that fell into being a pedophile, for instance. However that sin, changes the expectation and path of that person. By all accounts of scripture, one cannot live in 2 realities simultaneously.

    In light of recent failures in ministry this was a point that was left very vague within his message and one that was covered up with a very emotional section of the service...Online, the web team once again screened commentary and mine regarding what was Marvin talking about and questioning this issue never made light of day.

    2.
    During the same emotional time of the service and message, Bishop Winans referenced that the success of COGIC especially in the early days was because Bishop Mason was basically unquestioned in what he requested the Saints to do as the Lord led him to do it...He suggested that we should serve Bishop Blake and follow his instruction in the same or similar manner...

    Once again, Houston, we have a problem!

    Blind allegience is no allegience at all...and Bishop Blake is not similar to a Pontiff of the COGIC. Unlike the creator of a thing, his words are not law of how it is to operate.

    COGIC is an organization with an organizational structure, and although it can supports it;s leadership, the Presiding Bishop is only one part of the leadership structure. The General Assembly is the ONLY policy making and setting part of the church...so asking the church to blindly follow the Presiding Bishop, may sound good, and no one (especially me) wants to fight the Presiding Bishop, but he does not and should not have unfettered authority.

    So assuming that the church will enjoy a special type of blessing when we allow this type of authority is not in line with what the church is and has been reorganized to be since 1968. So this was a very questionable part of the message in light of #3 also...

    see 2

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  25. 2-

    3.

    Marvin stated that he had been speaking and doing some things in "secret" with COGIC leadership, (I would assume the Presiding Bishop's office) that he would not reveal at the moment, but would go into collecting an offering which he started off with $1,000.

    Now, what is done in secret is brought to the light...I don;t know the scope of this "secret" at this moment, but Bishop Winans is getting ordained or consecrated as a Bishop on Monday. What that means, I don't know. We may be, but I didn't know that COGIC was in the business of consecrating bishops for other denominations or reformations...

    By the way, regarding that offering, Bishop Winans also said that if one receives revelation from God, that one should also give God an offering right there...he referenced that Jacob didn't have money but he set up and altar right then and there when he had his vision of the stairway to heaven.

    Now there are plenty of issues with that, but he says everytime God blessed someone within scripture, people responded with a gift...I guess praise replaces money when pockets are empty, but these people want no praise, they want CASH!!!!

    It was a good night, but there were some landmines that needed to be navigated through for sure.

    Lord help us to really make this GOD'S CHURCH!!!!

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  26. This was very displeasing to watch after Bishop Marvin Winans had preached the word he was manipulating the people of God to give money. No altar call to lay hands on people. Then I heard Bishop Brooks sing a song in giving your offering. And last but not least, this is the one that really top it all, me and my wife both heard them say we have two credit card/debit machines at the altar. They said it three times. This was terrible to watch. It really turned me off of what COGIC has become. Bishop Mason would not stand for this at all.

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  27. Minister Mike,

    I am in 100% agreement with you...Y'u-know, one can become so desensitized to garbage until one doesn't even think about it. What you said is one thing I saw, heard and forgot to mention...ATM's in the church ready for use as it pertains to offering withdrawal...

    Now the word is that this is ok because the people are going to get money anyway and instead of them carrying it around they can just get it out of the machine when they need it...in addition the church makes money off of the transactions. So it's a win-win for everyone...NOW, that's the story-LOL-LOL-LOL and that's what they want to believe behind it and they say it's simply keeping up with modern advancements...

    I say poughey to that!

    Like Jesus, get the money changers out of the church! This is a travesty and I also agree that Marvin's appeal was suspect...

    You see, these guys just don't get it for some reason...they just don't seem to understand that people recognize manipulations and being played and they are sick of it. No one minds giving and supporting the ministry, but people don't want to be manipulated into doing it. Just ask and be honest...All this back and forth, mind games, relating ones ability to give to the level of blessing in their life is LUNACY!!! SILLINESS and I'm sorry but I believe that my colleagues need to STOP before God causes them to stop.

    We know the church needs money, but money at any cost IS NOT what God's church needs.

    One more thing, my system was hacked about 10:07 this morning. I think this was slightly after the consecration service was to start...I have been battling all day to fight a malicious code sent that not even my virus protection caught...I though that was very interesting.

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