Special Reverence To General Board Member Sedgwick Daniels

The last announcement of the 115th Annual Holy Convocation of the Church Of God In Christ, was a very heavy one indeed...

With all honor and respect, Supt. Harvey Burnett, The Dunamis Word & the Saints and Friends Of The New Bethel COGIC yield in humble reverence to the transitioning into glory of Church Of God In Christ General Board Member/ Pastor and Christian leader, Bishop Sedgwick Daniels.  

An extraordinary Servant of Christ, we will certainly miss his "COGIC Minute" and we all thank God that we were blessed to share and his his ministry gift. May the Lord forever bless the memory of The Right Reverend Bishop Sedgwick Daniels.

Please Enjoy This Special Video:

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COGIC Elects New Presiding Bishop, Bishop J Drew Sheard

Special CONGRATULATIONS and BLESSINGS are in order for the election of the new Presiding Bishop Of The Church Of God In Christ, Bishop J Drew Sheard.

Supt. H. Burnett & The Dunamis Word Blog extends our highest regards to The Most Right Reverend Bishop J. Drew Sheard and his family and wishes the greatest success in HIS Kingdom work!

Official Press Release From The 'Grand Ole' Church Of God In Christ:

THE CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST ELECTS
BISHOP J. DREW SHEARD AS ITS NEW PRESIDING BISHOP

Memphis, TN (March 20, 2021) Bishop J. Drew Sheard has been elected as the new Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), the largest Pentecostal denomination in the country.

The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) General Assembly, the legislative body of the denomination, has voted Bishop J. Drew Sheard of Detroit, Michigan as the leader of the worldwide organization.

Presiding Bishop Sheard says, “I am humbled and incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve this extraordinary organization, the Church of God in Christ, as its new leader and Presiding Bishop.”

He adds, “To be elected to serve as the Presiding Bishop for the Church in which I was born, raised, and have learned and served all my life, is a dream and desire that can only be fulfilled by God’s loving grace and guidance. The opportunity to serve such an extraordinary organization at our highest recognized level of priesthood is beyond humbling. I am so grateful for the unparalleled support of my loving wife, Karen, who has served diligently alongside me in ministry, and for my children.   I could never adequately honor or appreciate my parents for demonstrating holiness by sheer example. With complete excitement and joy, I look forward to serving the Lord’s people.”

Presiding Bishop J. Drew Sheard was born on January 1, 1959, in Detroit, Michigan, to Bishop and Mrs. John Henry Sheard. After graduating from high school, he matriculated to Wayne State University, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Education, and a Master of Education degree in Mathematics. Bishop Sheard is a former mathematics teacher and has served as senior pastor of the Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ since 1988. He is the prelate of the Michigan North Central Jurisdiction, was a former Auxiliary In Ministries (AIM) Convention chairman, and International Youth Department president for COGIC. Since 2012, he has served as a member of the General Board. Sheard is married to Mrs. Karen Clark-Sheard, a member of the legendary Grammy Award-winning group – The Clark Sisters – and is the father of Kierra and J. Drew II. He has two grandchildren: Jacob and Kallie Drew.

The General Board – the twelve bishops who serve as the Board of Directors of the Church – the following persons have been elected:

• Bishop J. Drew Sheard, Michigan
• Bishop Jerry W. Macklin, California
• Bishop Sedgwick Daniels, Wisconsin
• Bishop Lawrence M. Wooten, Sr., Missouri
• Bishop Brandon B. Porter, Tennessee
• Bishop Darrel L. Hines, Sr. , Wisconsin
• Bishop Michael E. Hill, Sr., Michigan
• Bishop Prince E. Bryant, Sr., Texas
• Bishop David A. Hall, Sr., Tennessee
• Bishop Loran E. Mann, Delaware
• Bishop Malcolm Coby, Oklahoma
• Bishop Charles H. McClelland, Wisconsin

Presiding Bishop Sheard has chosen Bishop Jerry W. Macklin and Bishop Lawrence M. Wooten, Sr. as his first and second assistant Presiding Bishops respectively.

The Installation for the Presiding Bishop, General Board members and General Officers will be held at a later date.

Founded in 1907 by Bishop Charles Harrison Mason and headquartered in Memphis, TN, The Church of God in Christ is one of the oldest Pentecostal denominations in the World and the 4th largest Protestant group in the United States with 10,000 churches in over 112 countries worldwide and millions of adherents.

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ALL Is Not Lost...COGIC General Election Turmoil...Who Has The Authority?

It seems that the secular world is not the only place where there is election turmoil and confusion during COVID times. There seems to be "confusion" and mixed messages over exactly what to do and who is authorized to do it. 

SHORT STORY:

Former Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake chose not to seek reelection. Allegedly, and according to church rules his term as Presiding Bishop expired in November 2020. A date was set to hold a VIRTUAL General Assembly December 28th, 2020. At that time a date of Feb. 23rd 2021 was set to hold the Quadrennial Election for Presiding Bishop and General Board Members of our church. Allegedly 93% of delegates voted to conduct the election during that time as opposed to waiting until April of 2021. Under  normal circumstances the election would have been held in November 2020, so the time was already past for which a decision should have been made by the General Assembly. However, to make matters worse,  there were 4 General Board Members who had passed away and 2 (including Bishop Blake) not seeking reelection. 

That information can be confirmed HERE at about the 12:55 mark into the video. 

This is where the waters get kind of MURKY:

Well, it seems that on the Feb. 23rd date, not only was it unusually cold and half the country was in an unexpected deep freeze, which allegedly knocked many delegates out of the ability to vote at the appropriate time, but according to a letter sent to COGIC Delegates, by Bishop L.F. Thuston, The Chair Of The General Assembly, there were many unnamed "IRREGULATIRIES" in voting that occurred causing the leaders of the General Assembly to shut down the vote. ALLEGEDLY all parties concerned agreed to suspend the General election until such a time as was acceptable, this included the FORMER Presiding Bishop in his now technically nonexistent role...Yea, I know more confusion...

Well, it gets even worse...According to Bishop Thuston, the ACTUAL election is to take place March 20th...and ALL previous votes are to be zeroed out and everyone, including those who voted previously, are to vote again. 

This has led the FORMER Presiding Bishop to make a statement as we can hear for ourselves in this video:

As of this writing, there is an alleged letter being circulated among COGIC Bishops from the Presiding Bishop, or FORMER Presiding Bishop Blake instructing nobody to vote on March 20th, and wait until April to take up the entire matter. However, is that what should be done?

Serious QUESTIONS Have Arisen that must be addressed

Has the General Board Powers Expired because we are beyond November in which their term, all terms have expired?

If an election is had tomorrow, are the votes valid and binding? 

Does Former Presiding Bishop Blake have any authority to call a General Board Session to any degree while General Assembly is in session?

Remember, the General Assembly is the ONLY legislative and rule making authority in the Grand Ole Church. It doesn't matter what a preacher preaches and or believes. Only the General Assembly makes laws of the church. (Believe me, it's a complex relationship and I don't mean to over simplify it, as the General Assembly also includes the Bishops) 

So an additional question does Bishop's Thuston's have power as Chair of General Assembly to wield as he supposes in tandem with or with the authority of the General Assembly? 

The COGIC  JUDICIARY BOARD

"The Judiciary Board is the Supreme Court of the Church Of God In Christ, Inc. (COGIC). As the final authority of questions of ecclesiastical constitutional doctrine, it maintains balance between the Legislative (General Assembly) and Executive Branch (General Board). The Judiciary Board is also the final appellate forum of the COGIC for disputes, except in cases that have been appealed to the Presiding Prelate for executive clemency (i.e. Pastoral and Bishops removals and Church disorganization).

The Judiciary Board is comprised of nine members from Episcopal, Ministerial and General Assembly categories of the church. Three members are Jurisdictional Bishops (Episcopal); three members are elders other than bishops (Ministerial); and three members are from the church at large (General Assembly). Board members are elected and retained in office by the General Assembly.

Each member cannot serve more than two terms; nor can he or she serve more than 14 years in office, unless approved by the delegates of the General Assembly. Each Judiciary Board member is at least 45 years of age and an active member of the Church Of God In Christ in good standing. Because their duties require them to function as “judges,” it is imperative that each possess mature judgment, proven ability, integrity and a thorough knowledge of the Church Of God In Christ constitution and doctrine." ~ COGIC Judiciary Board

There appears to be a "court of appeal" to settle these issues. What is certain is that these questions can be answered and addressed and the situation is, in my opinion, not as desperate as it seems. 

The JUDICIARY is the only organization within COGIC that determines standing and ultimately authority under the church's constitution. It is the JUDICIARY headed by COGIC Chief Justice Bishop Martin Luther Johnson, that should be entrusted to make the final rule as it pertains to the Constitutional or organizational operations on this matter. Until then, all things are comments, observations and suggestions.

We deserve much more than that on all things and should be in a better position to know what is going on AFTER Judiciary has received the arguments and reviewed the cases.

CONCLUSION 

In short, it seems that everyone wants to see COGIC broken up yet again. COGIC is responsible for I would say, nearly 20 to 30% of independent churches that exist today. For one reason or another a COGIC Minister, Elder and in some cases Bishop, left COGIC to start their own church. Many for good cause and being led of the Lord because God is greater than any denomination or organization among men...HOWEVER, COGIC can certainly weather this storm. 

COVID has come to reveal motives and that is exactly what has happened. I have said time and time again, what needs to be asked of any and all future leaders, is what is the agenda for God's people? It needs to be more than just updating computers or buying land. It needs to be centered around SOULS, doing JUSTICE and RIGHTEOUSNESS of God. It must be against pedophiles and abusers of men and women in church. It must take an OPEN stand against sexual promiscuity and homosexual sins and perversions. 

These are things that are right and all I really care about...LET GOD ARISE AND HIS ENEMIES BE SCATTERED!

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Bishop Charles E Blake Announces His Retirement As Presiding Bishop Of COGIC

 

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At The 109th COGIC Holy Convocation... Pray For Our General Board Bishop

Thursday Nov. 10th at the end of a dynamic message from the Lord, the Bishop and General Board Member of the Church Of God In Christ, J. Drew Sheard collapsed. 

We suspect that dehydration may have been the culprit here. The Bishop does have a superhuman schedule. One thing we know, GOD IS a healer and a very present help in time of trouble!

A second thing we KNOW is that Bishop Sheard is a holy man that fears the Lord and DOES live right!!! My message to these internet idiots claiming otherwise...PLEASE SHUT-UP!!!!

May the Lord bless Bishop J. Drew Sheard. We are praying for his quick and full recovery. 

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The New 2012 COGIC General Board

We would like to extend a warm congratulations to the new COGIC General Board Members pictured below. 

In order of their election and vote totals they are as follows:

Bishop Charles E. BLAKE 2970 (retained as Presiding Bishop, ran unopposed)
Bishop Jerry MACKLIN 2655
Bishop J. D. SHEARD 2605
Bishop P. A. BROOKS 2545
Bishop Sedwick DANIELS 2528
Bishop Frank WHITE 2451
Bishop George MCKINNEY 2393
Bishop Roy L. WINBUSH 2275
Bishop Nathaniel WELLS 2038
Bishop  Brandon PORTER 2011
Bishop THOMAS 1447
Bishop Lawrence WOOTEN 1398

In my next post I will ask the question:

"What will you do with this new opportunity?"

Blessed! 

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Image, Assets & Liability Pt. 3...The "COGIC Shuffle"

"We now live in a litigious society. People file lawsuits for every conceivable grievance, whether real or imagined. To protect the name, image, and assets of the Church of God in Christ, we must take positive steps to seriously investigate very case of alleged sexual abuse by the clergy. We must stand behind and support those who are falsely accused of sexual improprieties and found innocent by the courts. We must also insure that the Church act quickly to take firm and positive action against those who violate the sanctity of their positions and are found guilty of sexual abuse and other sexual improprieties.” Bishop Charles Blake, Presiding Bishop Church Of God in Christ Inc. Oct 29, 2007

In PART 1 and PART 2 of this mini-series, I have looked at both secular and church sexual abuse and the fallout associated with it. By now, I hope that we can see that there is a devastating affect upon the complete and entire community when trust is betrayed in this manner. However, what happens when the church looks past sexual abuse and misuse, even when it is discovered years later, only to focus on image, assets and the way we "do things"?

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