White Wing Messenger November 2012

A Global Missions Christmas

Christmas is a wonderful time of year! We delight in selecting gifts and surprising family, friends, and co-workers with what we have so carefully chosen. Celebrations of the season include church services, fellowship, and decorating parties; the aroma of home-baked goods and the thrill of gift giving fill our days as we remember and rejoice in God’s greatest gift to us— His own Son, sent for our salvation.

However, for many of our ministers who live in the deprived nations of the world, this time of year can provide challenges because limited finances prevent participation in gift-giving to their families. This challenge is especially typical in our orphanage ministries in Haiti, the four orphanages in India, the five orphanages in Indonesia, Mali, Myanmar, Rwanda, Uganda, and the two orphanages in Ukraine, as well as the orphanage works we bless in Bulgaria and Sri Lanka.

This reminder invites you to consider the needs of the nations and children to whom you are connected and support annually. It provides an opportunity to participate this Christmas in a gift-giving effort to bless our Harvest Partner nations, ministries that are sponsored through the Helping Hand Ministry, and our children who are a part of our family through the One Child Fund ministries. You may take part in this effort by sending a financial gift, earmarked for Christmas, to Global Missions with the specific ministry noted for disbursement. While you may never have the opportunity to meet or witness the beaming face of a child as they are reminded of your love on Christmas morning, you can be a part of touching those in need by adding this opportunity to your gift-giving list.

Send your love offering to: Global Missions Ministries, Church of God of Prophecy, P. O. Box 2910, Cleveland, TN 37320-2910.

Please specify One Child Fund, Harvest Partners (local churches) or Helping Hand Ministry (individual giving).

Prayerfully complete and return the form below with your gift today. My thanks for your giving to our missions family. —Cathy Payne, Director

A Global Missions Christmas Yes, I want to contribute to the efforts of providing a Christmas financial gift to some of our ministers and/or children in mission work and orphanages around the world. I would like for my gift to support the effort in _________________________ , or you may choose the destination.

(Nation)

Name _________________________________________________ Address _______________________________________________ City, State/Nation _______________________________________ Postal Code __________________________ 2

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Phone (

) _______ _________________

Contents

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November 2012 • Volume 89, Number 5

Bringing honor to the WORD by the printed word, the White Wing Messenger strives to inspire Christian thought and practice as it imparts the “good news” of the Gospel while serving the connectivity needs of our church community.

page 14

Features 8 Paradigm Shift of God

page 10

David Bryan

Equipped for greater service to God

Salvific 10 Pneumatic Leader

Hector Ortiz

12

God’s Word is most Instructive

God’s calling within our church community

Why Develop Leaders?

Mark Menke

16

We teach and learn

Developing 20 Leadership in

A passion for leaders

Kathy Creasy

22

Allow children’s ministers to see effective leadership modeled

The Young Harvest

Trevor & Aileen Reid Leadership for world growth

Mission, Mandate, Ministries 24 Stewardship: Matrix Ministerial Services Carswell Leonard

Leadership is inextricably bound to legacy

page 18

Children’s Ministry

Ecclesial Identity

Adrian Varlack

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to Equip 18 Called Elias Rodriguez

25 Global Missions:

A Personal Testimony

26 Children:

Why I Left the Ministry

Editorials 4

Facing Forward: Questions on Leadership and Relevance Randall E. Howard, General Overseer

31

Messages: Trust the Mystery DeWayne Hamby, Managing Editor

Updates 5

Worldview Culture–Church Life–Ministry

Opportunity–Testimonies–Member News–Countries– Announcement

30

In His Presence New Churches

Visit us online—www.whitewingmessenger.org WWM N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 2

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Calendar of Events Randall E. Howard General Overseer

Questions on Leadership and Relevance Relevance is a growing issue for leaders in the Body of Christ. This is most likely due to concerns that over the last several decades the church has slipped in its standing as a relevant influence in culture and in local communities. Obviously, neither our message nor mission nor mandate has changed so we can look to the world around us to identify changes that have brought this slipping status on the ‘relevance scale’. What we discover is all too familiar to us. The world has changed dramatically in recent decades and those changes have not been kind nor hospitable to the work of the church. We can all recite the ‘culprits’, such as secularism, humanism, materialism, post-modernism, etc.

This changing environment for ministry has not been all bad, as the church has responded with grace and Spirit inspiration to refocus much ministry attention on the community, the needy, serving, and compassion. This trend is ongoing and will continue to increase as the church senses a genuine fellowship with the Spirit of Christ when she touches the broken and desperate in communities all around her. At present, we can say the ‘relevance factor’ of the church has begun to rise and this will gain momentum as these efforts multiply. Again leadership is responding to felt needs and serving far beyond the walls of local sanctuaries where the community is quick to take note.

This is actually a testimony of challenge and response as pastoral leadership has adapted to shifting times and has begun to experience 4

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a rising ‘relevance’. If we could frame the story in terms of questions, the world came to the place where the ‘questions’ the church was asking felt irrelevant. In response the church heard the cry (questions) of the communities around her and responded in ministry. In doing this the church is reaping a higher relevance and respect quotient from the community, for which we thank God. Again, we see God allowing challenges for the church so that she would adjust and minister even more effectively and compassionately.

In review of this process which has brought positive change for the church, leaders might need to ask one more question. “Is relevance the aim of the church ultimately?”

Of course the choir of instant response comes back forcefully, “Jesus was supremely relevant,” and that is true.

But consider the source and motive of his relevance. Rather than seeking to answer the ‘questions’ (cries) of communities, both Jesus and the first century church ministered as led by the Spirit. Then as the community saw the result of such ministry, ie., 3000 transformed at Pentecost or the city celebration as the blind man was healed (John 9), it was the community that came back to ask ‘questions,’ “What is this you have done?” So rather than asking what community ‘questions’ can be answered, the Spirit inspired ministry of the early church generated sincere seeking ‘questions’ from the community itself. As we seek to lead today, let’s continue to evaluate whose ‘questions’ ought to guide the work of the Body of Christ and what ‘questions’ does our ministry excite in our neighbors?

November 1–4 School of Practical and Advanced Studies II Toronto, Ontario, Canada November 8–11 CBL Seminar Venezuela November 8–11 School of Practical & Advanced Studies II Nevis/Anguilla November 9–11, 2012 Regional Ladies Retreat - Lake Barkley Cadiz, Kentucky November 12–16 School of Practical & Advanced Studies III Turks & Caicos November 15–17 CBL Seminar, Chile November 15–18 School of Practical & Advanced Studies III Peru & Equador (tentative) November 16–18 Mid-Atlantic Youth Rally www.operationomega.org November 18–23 School of Practical & Advanced Studies I St. Thomas/US Virgin Islands November 25–30 School of Practical & Advanced Studies I Tortola, Virgin Islands November 30–December 2 Youth Harvest Training, Bolivia January 10–13, 2013 School of Practical & Advanced Studies II Columbia January 10–13, 2013 School of Practical & Advanced Studies I Ecuador Executive Editor/Publisher: R. E. Howard, Managing Editor: DeWayne Hamby, Copy Editor: Marsha Robinson, Editorial Assistant: Pamela Praniuk, Graphic Artist: Perry Horner, International Offices (423)559-5100, Subscriptions (423) 559-5114 Please submit all material to the White Wing Messenger; Managing Editor; P. O. Box 2910; Cleveland, TN 37320-2910; phone (423) 559-5128; e-mail us at Editorial@cogop.org.

White Wing Messenger Editorial Board: Londa Richardson, Chair; H. E. Cardin; Daniel Chatham; Hanny Vidal; Cervin McKinnon; Perry Horner; Tapio Sätilä; Brian Sutton; Shaun McKinley; and Adrian Varlack White Wing Messenger (ISSN 0043-5007) (USPS 683-020) is published monthly as the official publication of the Church of God of Prophecy, 3750 Keith St. NW, Cleveland, TN. Send all materials for publication to Editorial Department; PO Box 2910, Cleveland, TN 37320-2910; e-mail: editorial@cogop.org, fax: (423) 559-5121. For subscription rates, visit wwm.cogop.org; call (423) 559-5114; e-mail: subscriptions@cogop.org. Subscription rate: $18.00 per year, payable to White Wing Messenger by check, draft, or money order. Periodical postage paid at Cleveland, TN 37311 and at additional mail office. Donations for the White Wing Messenger may be sent to the above address. All Scripture references are from the King James Version unless otherwise indicated.

POSTMASTER: Send address change to White Wing Messenger, PO Box 2910, Cleveland, TN 37320-2910.

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CULTURE Christians Arrested for Preaching in New Orleans After Sunset

A pastor and his team of evangelists found themselves in jail after preaching in New Orleans, Louisiana, after sunset, a Christian news website reported. The pastor, Troy Bohn, and his team were taken into custody while preaching on Bourbon Street, located in the French Quarter.

Bohn told the news site that the group had seen many conversions, including one former witch and another woman who gave up her career as a stripper.

“A young lady had come by [one night] who was working at one of the strip clubs,” he said. “Something spoke to her that said, ‘Get out of there,’ and then she saw the cross and gave her heart to Jesus that night. . . . She’s just a totally changed person.”

Using a law against “Aggressive Solicitation” designed to place limits on religious and political speech, policemen first handcuffed members of the group before taking them to jail. The group was eventually released and returned home at 2 am.

The arrest raises concerns about free speech and evangelism in North America. ““I know it won’t end on Bourbon Street,” Bohn said. “It’ll go to your street. It’ll go to my street.”

—Heather Clark, ChristianNews.net

Christian Women Feel Close to God

A recent Barna survey found that most Christian women feel “extremely close” or “pretty close to God.” Based on a survey of 603 Christian women who have attended church in the past six months, most identified themselves as having an intimate relationship with their Creator.

43% - Pretty close 38% - Extremely close 17% - Sometimes close; other times not 1% - Distant

—The State of Christian Women, BarnaResearch, August 2012

COGOP Becomes ECFA Accredited The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) recently announced the accreditation of the Church of God of Prophecy International Offices of Cleveland, Tennessee.

ECFA accreditation is based on the ECFA Seven Standards of Responsible Stewardship™, including financial accountability, transparency, sound board governance, and ethical fundraising.

Church of God of Prophecy International Offices joins a growing number of Christ-centered churches and ministries across America, supported by over 20 million donors, that have earned the right to display the ECFA seal. When an organization is accredited by ECFA, it demonstrates its willingness to follow the model of biblical accountability.

“We are pleased to accredit a church committed to working hand in hand to share God’s love and a message of hope to the brokenhearted,” said Dan Busby, president of ECFA. ECFA, founded in 1979, provides accreditation to leading Christian nonprofit organizations that faithfully demonstrate News continued page 28 compliance with the ECFA standards.

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Sponsored by Church of God of Prophecy Communications

January 24–25, 2013

(Optional) Interactive Intensive January 26, 2013

w w w. c r e a t e c o n . o r g

Cleveland, Tennessee

is an inspirational training event aimed at equipping those who minister through public speaking, writing, worship/music, media, and the arts.

CREATE is custom-made for those individuals in the church, both vocational and volunteer, that communicate. These individuals communicate in many ways, from a pulpit or through graphic design, they may connect via social media or lead a worship service experience.

Regardless of the form of their communication, CREATE has something to inspire and equip church leaders and volunteers.

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Attendees of CREATE can expect to: • Enjoy inspirational keynote speakers and engaging worship experiences • Receive information, ideas, and resources for more effective ministry • Receive practical, hands-on training from proven ministry leaders • Learn in workshops taught by knowledgeable professionals actively serving in both the church and marketplace, in three different tracks: Writing, Arts/Media, and Worship/Music • Connect with other “creatives” or church communicators throughout the ministry network of the Church of God of Prophecy and beyond • Leave CREATE re-energized and better enabled to minister in the local church and community WWW.WHITEWINGMESSENGER.ORG

Marsha Robinson, Copy Editor/Staff Writer, White Wing Messenger

Kirk Rising Media Coordinator

DeWayne Hamby Managing Editor, White Wing Messenger

Todd Bagley World Language Coordinator

Shaun McKinley Director of Communications

Writing Track Topics—Inspirational Writing, Editing and Proofreading, Scriptwriting, Getting Published, Speechwriting, and more Art/Media Track Topics—Graphic Arts, Photography, Event and Studio Production, Open Source Tools, Video Production, and more Music Track Topics—Worship Leading, Songwriting, Publishing, Voice, and more

Registration Fees

January 26 ADD ON Intensive (Additional Fee) Early Registration $25

by November 15, 2012 At the Door $30

January 24 & 25 Conference Early Registration $50

by November 15, 2012 At the Door $75 Special Rates: Bring 10, get 1 Free

Hotel Information available at www.createcon.org

Individual/Group Leader Registration First Name __________________ Last Name _______________________ Address ____________________________________________________ Address Line 2 _______________________________________________ City ________________________________________________________ State/Province _______________________ Zip _____________________ Country _____________________________________________________ Phone _______________________ Email __________________________ Name of Local Church __________________________________________ City _____________________________________ State ______________

Track Options (Select one)

Art/Media

Writing

Music

Additional Group Members and Track Options Name __________________________ Art/Media Name __________________________ Art/Media Name __________________________ Art/Media Name __________________________ Art/Media Name __________________________ Art/Media Name __________________________ Art/Media Name __________________________ Art/Media Name __________________________ Art/Media Name __________________________ Art/Media

Writing Writing Writing Writing Writing Writing Writing Writing Writing

Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music Music

Add-On Intensive (If attending at additional fee) Art/Media Writing Music

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Payment Information

Cardholder’s Name (as it appears on card) ___________________ Address on Card Statement _______________________________ City _____________________ State _______ Zip ______________ Credit Card Type ________________________________________ Credit Card # ___________________________________________ Expiration Date Month ___________________ Expiration Date Year _____________________ CVV ____________ Checks and Money Orders are payable to Church of God of Prophecy (U.S. Funds only). Credit card registrations may be faxed to (423)559-5108 or emailed to smckinley@cogop.org. Register online at www.createcong.org or mail your registration to

Create Conference P. O. Box 2910, Cleveland, TN 37320-2910.

Important Information • • • • • • •

No telephone registrations accepted.

Full and accurate payment MUST accompany all registrations to guarantee current prices.

Upon arrival at conference all registrants must check-in at registration booth.

You are NOT registered until you receive your confirmation letter. $25.00 processing fee for transfer of registration or cancellation made prior to January 15th. (Must be in writing.)

A $25.00 processing fee for transfer of registration after January 15 will be charged. Cancellations are non-refundable.

WWM N O(Must V E Mbe B EinRwriting.)

2012 Declined credit cards, returned checks, and under-paid fees will void existing registration. Rates effective at time of re-submitting will apply.

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Reframing Leadership Development

David H. Bryan Executive Director Leadership Development and Discipleship

The Church of God of Prophecy is a restorationist movement rooted in the Holiness revivals of the late nineteenth century; intimately connected to the Pentecostal outpourings of the early twentieth century and the first Christian century. This unique stream is fed by numerous tributaries of Spiritguided people, spiritual impulses, and deep convictions. The movement has meandered through time for more than one hundred years bounded by the actions of the Holy Spirit through leaders, the communities they led, and the organizational structures they 8

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created. Today, we are stewards of this movement as a gift of God’s grace to be nurtured, preserved, and constantly renewed for the benefit of the entire kingdom of God. The continued existence of this ecclesial fellowship is testimony to a God whose sovereign purposes include this movement.

Since no church or kingdom (whether divine or human) can survive without leadership, the acquisition and development of leaders is essential to an organization’s endurance. In the pages that follow, a number of leaders who are engaged in the development of leaders in this

movement articulate aspects of their leadership development philosophies.

Priority of Leadership Development The contemporary church’s leadership has been gripped by the essentiality of leadership development and has identified it as a core value. The clear alignment of the church’s position with God’s priorities as revealed in the Scriptures is the overarching theme of Carswell Leonard’s article (p. 16).

He argues for the missional nature of leadership development from the words WWW.WHITEWINGMESSENGER.ORG

of Jesus, our Lord, underscoring the need for absolute obedience to this mandate and a commitment to applying it as a key metric for our ministries.

Many (quantity) and varied types (quality) of leaders are needed for the work of the church to prosper as agent of the Kingdom of God on earth. The triune God is the leader of the church, and creator of its leaders. The Holy Spirit is recruiter of all personnel who are deployed in God’s church. It is my conviction that any shortages in quantity or quality of effective leaders cannot be laid at the doorstep of the Holy Spirit.

Thus, the urgencies that we face in this area must result from a lack of prioritization on the part of humans who are partnering with God in his great kingdom expansion plan. So, from a strategic point of view, the development of leaders is paramount and the mobilization of resources for this task must match biblical and strategic priorities.

Adrian Varlack in his reflections underscores the strategic response to the sense of identity loss or confusion as an illustration of a leadership development priority that goes to the heart of our survival as a movement (p. 12).

aim as leaders who can communicate intelligently the way of salvation through the empowering of the Holy Spirit i.e., salvific pneumatic leaders.

Biblical leadership is Christ-focused in its goals. The critical questions that must be posed to the entities and programs that are designed to achieve the development of leaders have to do with the production of the character and competencies of Jesus. The character question is non-negotiable.

Do our leadership development vehicles produce leaders who have the character of Jesus? Do they love?

Are they kind? Do their hearts break for the brokenness in the world? Do they do the right thing when no one is looking? The competency question is also crucial although competencies must be contextualized. Do the leaders we matriculate have the competencies of Jesus? Can they operate with his power?

Can they disciple people (children, youth, men, women, families) who are able to disciple others to live Spirit-led, biblically authentic lives? Kathy Creasy in her contribution (p. 20) speaks to the relevance of spiritual leadership development of those who minister to children.

Purpose of Leadership Development Practices of Leadership Development Leaders are called to be wise master builders who are involved with God in the construction project, which is His church. Contemporary leaders in the church need the kinds of giftings referred to Ephesians 4:11–16 (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers).

The equipping of these key leaders for their equipping roles is one of our most pressing developmental priorities.

In a global movement that is geographically, culturally, racially, economically, and linguistically diverse, the development of contextually relevant leaders is a necessary and complex task. Leaders are not developed in a vacuum; they are developed for the church, God’s kingdom-building vehicle.

They are developed in and through the church. There are a variety of ways to describe the goals of leadership development. In his article (p. 10), Hector Ortiz looks through the lens of systematic theology to stress his

Any leadership development that is comprehensive includes key elements: communicating content, integrating real ministry experiences, allowing dynamic reflection, all done within the context of transparent, Christ-centered relationships.

Leadership development is processoriented rather than event-driven.

A foundational thesis of leadership development is that leaders can be equipped for greater service to God and His purposes. Both Mark Menke (p. 14) and Elias Rodgriguez (p. 18) share their passions for teaching and mentoring arising from the conviction that leaders can be developed through the intentional involvement of other leaders. That equipping is a multifaceted process that ultimately requires the interplay of a number of crucial relationships: relationship with God, through the Holy Spirit; relationships with other people who help to shape character and competencies; relationship with

the context that allows for dynamic interaction shaping perspectives or world view, moral convictions, ministry and leadership philosophies. Content and context-specific experiences that are processed through our mental and spiritual grids are key ingredients in the developmental process.

The tools and means through which development operates are multiple and context-specific. We offer a variety of formal processes that involve the acquisition of degrees (which are the end results of systems of education that require specific types of accountability such as reading books, writing, and retaining certain information or demonstrating the ability to speak about certain concepts). There are other processes that involve short term classroom type experiences that vary in terms of the mix of theoretical and practical skills and knowledge.

The development of leaders in and for the church recognizes the need for a type of dynamic pipeline. Where do leaders for the church come from?

They are called. Calling can occur at all chronological ages from childhood to full maturity. Calling is a work of the Spirit and the church does not recruit in the same way that corporations may recruit for executive positions. The body recognizes or discerns those whom God has called or is calling. Our recruiting of leaders looks more like Eli saying to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Yes, LORD, your servant is listening’” (1 Samuel 3:9 NLT). Leadership development must begin with recognition and affirmation.

But it moves through the process of shaping people spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually so that they are able to be and do what God intended when He called them. Although there are commonalities, this process is unique and specific for every leader. Our development processes must honor the uniqueness of the Spirit’s work in human lives and allow for intentional cooperation with the Spirit’s goals—the formation of leaders with Kingdom character and competencies that are relevant to the unique ministry context, i.e., particular nation, culture, and ecclesial expression.

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Salvific Pneumatic

LEADER

The Bible is the canonical writings of God’s Word in human language. It is God’s revelation of divine intent to humankind. God’s Word is descriptive, prescriptive, synchronic (contemporary) and diachronic (over time). The cosmos was created by its force (Genesis 1:1-3), and it has life of its own (John 6:63). The Bible contains conforming genre and diverse genre to give instruction to humankind in the way of salvation. It contains essentials, non-essentials, negotiables and non-negotiables. The conforming/diverse nature of God’s Word is most instructive to the development of salvific pneumatic leadership.

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A Contrast of Two Bible Corpora

The genre of the second volume of the Lucan corpus, the book of Acts, is the pneumatic history of the early church. The book of Acts reveals the unfolding of pneumatic infusion in guiding the early church leadership as to how to learn from the primary guide, the Holy Spirit.

The historical genre of Acts reveals those conforming principles of the faith, while revealing the diverse genre of Acts 15, which made accommodation for the Gentile world. In Acts, we have incipient soteriology as well as pneumatology and ecclesiology.

In contrast, the pastoral corpus has a genre of a more mature ecclesial body of believers with a more explicit soteriology and ecclesiology. The genre used in the pastoral corpus is “trustworthy sayings” as an epistemology method to reinforce the essentials of the faith and the defending of the faith (1 Timothy 1:15; 4:9, 10; 2 Timothy 2:11–13; Titus 2:1).

It is in the pastorals that we gain a more contextualized understanding of “divine inspiration” (2 Timothy 3:16, 17), ecclesial governance of bishops and deacons (1 Timothy 3:1–13; Titus 1:5), the ecclesial body caring for the ministry and widows (1 Timothy 5:15–18); it is where the mentoring process of passing on the apostolic legacy of trans-generational leadership is emphasized, where the metaphoric nomenclature for the incarnation (1 Timothy 3:16), the church as the “pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15), how soldiers, athletes, and farmers of Christ should conduct themselves (2 Timothy 2:3–7), and how faithful warriors of the journey of Christ should finish well (2 Timothy 4:6–8). The two corpora are what guide the Center for Biblical Leadership’s perspectives.

Conclusion—The Center for Biblical Leadership (CBL) Paradigm

Dr. Hector Ortiz

CBL, in its reconstructed paradigm, strives to be pastor-and-presiding-bishop-sensitive. The format of the School of Practical and Advanced Studies (SOPAS) is to defend the faith, honor the non-negotiable, accommodate the negotiable, reconnect the global ecclesial body of the Church of God of Prophecy with its historical DNA, strengthen the global ethnic bond of the church and build a trans-generational bridge where the aged and young have mutual respect and mutual trust.

CBL is committed to raise the bar of ministerial preparation through its Church of God of Prophecy/Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary Consortium in fulfilling the task to present workers to God as those approved—workmen who do not need to be ashamed of their preparation (2 Timothy 2:15). The Consortium is the accredited arm of CBL assisting pastors, primary leaders, and national/presiding bishops to earn a Master’s degree with emphasis on biblical leadership. A primary objective of CBL is to fulfill 1 Timothy 4:16: “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

It is obvious that what one cannot understand, one cannot explain. What one does not know, one cannot teach. All humankind think in cognitive concepts and view the world through these lenses. When one does not know certain biblical/theological frames of references, even if they exist, for said person they are non-existent, even if in reality they exist.

Enlarge the mind, enlarge the view. Enlarge the view, enlarge the vision. Enlarge the vision, enlarge the transformation!

Heresy has always been a matter of not knowing versus knowing what is right from what may seem to be right but is not right. We take this divine directive serious—“Save both yourself and your hearers.” This blessed admonition of life is from the “Ancient of Days” through an ancient text that speaks to young and old. A beautiful prose reminds one and all: “Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years. People grow old only by deserting their ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up interests wrinkles the soul. Worry, doubt, self-distrust, fear and despair . . . these are the long, long years that bow the head and turn the growing spirit back to dust.

Whatever your years, there is in every heart the love of wonder, the undaunted challenge of events, the unfailing childlike appetite for “What next,” and the joy and the game of life.

You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear; as young as your hope, as old as your despair. In the central place of your heart, there is a recoding chamber; so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer, and courage, so long you are young. When the wires are all down, and your heart is covered with the snow of pessimism and the ice of cynicism, then—and then only—are you grown old.“1 CBL is committed to develop salvific pneumatic leaders.

1 Douglas MacArthur from 1,000 Stories & Quotations of Famous People; Wayne E. Warner; Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1972, p. 220.

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Theme: A valid ecclesial identity for the Church of God of Prophecy, as a legitimate part of the Body of Christ, is relevant to those whom God has called to share in the service, oversight, and development of His people as they fulfill the mission for which this Church was raised up.

Choice of the Title: Ecclesial Identity

Ecclesial Identity was chosen and approved as the title for these lessons due to various comments by persons and church leaders across the church world that the Church of God of Prophecy (COGOP) had lost her identity. These comments arose in the post-1984 Call-to-Repentance period, especially after 1990 as the Church’s new international administration, under the leadership of Bishop Billy D. Murray, took shape. My preaching ministry call has always been “to the church” but my heart had been particularly burdened for her recovery and future since the 1984 Assembly.

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I had been conducting “Intensives” during the Cleveland Leadership Development Institutes which began during the tenure of Bishop Fred S. Fisher, Sr. These classes were titled “Church of God of Prophecy History, Polity and Practice—A Relational Context for Change.” The response to these classes was positively overwhelming.

In adapting much of this material when the School of Practical and Advanced Studies (SOPAS) was launched in April of 2009, we opted for the title, Ecclesial Identity, to create an awareness of the broader dimensions of the church, and to practically engage the doubts being voiced about the loss of identity. This topic, along with other SOPAS class titles, reflected the results of a brief overseer’s survey which the new CBL Director, Dr. Hector Ortiz, had conducted at the 2008 Assembly as he was being appointed and desired to know what would be helpful on the field.

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Philosophy behind the Classes

As a long-term servant in this Church, the events of 1984 (call to repentance), 1990 (change of international administration) and 1994 (Turning to the Harvest launch) affected me deeply, both personally and theologically. Between 1984 and 1991, when I developed a comparative list of terms we had traditionally used and terms that were more reflective of proper biblical exegesis, I struggled to both fully grasp and then express what was happening among us as a people in light of God’s churchwide call for spiritual renewal and mission. Through prayer, internal struggle, and an honest reassessment of our history (the restoration impulse, our organizational methods, and doctrinal developments), I came to approach my work with this underlying philosophy: The Church is the context in which we develop and from which we must minister Christ to the nations; the world is the context to and in which the Church ministers, and to which she must be able to speak effectively through her model (presence) and her leaders. She cannot do so if her leaders are unsure or insecure in the context where God has placed them and if they have little real knowledge of the fast-changing world.

The Church’s self-identity and legitimacy is therefore paramount, especially for its leadership. Addressing this in an institution that once had a very settled opinion about itself and its role as the exclusive Body of Christ, was itself unsettling and a real challenge. Introducing the concept of transition and change, even as the Spirit of God was leading us, proved indeed to be a daunting task. Thank God for His grace!

Approach to the Three Levels of Ecclesial Identity

In Level One (SOPAS I), we first broached the subject of our history and of times of change in the past, to help us get comfortable with the idea that change was not really new. We also sought to establish the legitimacy and worthiness of the COGOP especially since some ideas were floating around that unless exclusivity was maintained, this expression of the Body of Christ had no reason to exist.

So level one focused partly on our legitimacy as a valid part of the Body of Christ, the good work of our forefathers, the need for correction of certain historical ideas and premises despite that good work, and the fact that change, led by the Spirit and by better exegesis of the Word of God, is a legitimate process at all times and in all groups within Christian history.

The second level (SOPAS II) focused on the broader biblical identity of the Church as the ekklesia of God. We approached this through a study of the history of that Greek word and its general and common uses in earlier times and before our Lord chose to say in Matthew 16, “. . . I will build my church (ekklesia).” The special advent of our Lord in history, and God’s appropriation of human names and words to express His presence and work among us, is part of this study.

Of course, the ekklesia of God would be different from all others, distinguishing itself by “. . . showing forth the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous

light” (1 Peter 2:9). We also look at the principles our Lord embedded in His church and at how he trained His first apostles to function as His special ekklesia.

In both the above levels, we conclude with a slide or two on “Where We Are Now” emphasizing the core values of Prayer, Harvest, and Leadership Development.

The third level (SOPAS III) addresses the “catholicity” (lowercase c) of the church in its continuing dimension and seeks to raise our awareness about some of the organizational, cultural, and political accretions which the historic church acquired over time. It addresses, among other things, the subjects of unity, Christ as the center and goal of the church, the incarnational sense of her proclamation (which she must do with integrity), her relationship to the Word of God, and the challenges which she faces because of the presence and directorship of the Holy Ghost—the struggle of the human side of the church to remain submissive and obedient to the Spirit.

Our last section is a general look at the COGOP world-wide operational structures which must always be subservient to the Spirit. The “Conclusion” includes an appeal to leadership to honor and support the functions of the COGOP, asserting, once again, that our Church is a legitimate and worthy expression of the Kingdom of God and of the Body of Christ.

Students are invited to: Commit to God’s calling within our Church community through dependent prayer; uphold the Church’s ordered system of operations through proper leadership formation and worthy leadership practices; strongly support the ongoing cause of Gospel proclamation in word and by the Church as God’s model in His harvest. All this, taken together, will continue to bless God’s people, God’s Kingdom, and God’s world which He so loved (John 3:16).

Application to Leaders

The continuity and baton-passing nature of God’s work in Jesus Christ (the Church is His fullness) throughout history, is the foremost reason for developing or preparing effective servants, “. . . faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2). The subject of the Church’s identity, both specific and general, is relevant to this continued development.

Leaders (young and old) and all God’s people must understand the specific Church context in which they stand and from which they must minister. They should know the ekklesia in its catholic nature beyond their own context in order to appreciate how the church is “. . . the pillar and ground of the truth” (I Timothy 3:14). This will help all of us to better appreciate how and where the COGOP fits in God’s grand scheme of His church’s world-wide development until we all come into the unity of the faith and to the full knowledge of the Son of God (See Ephesians 4:11–13).

Adrian L. Varlack Sr. CBL Instructor/Church Historian

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A passion for the maturing of the church has to begin with a passion for the growth of the leader.

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My driving passion is to help people grow in the Lord. That’s why I’ve served in ministry since 1986, most of that time in pastoral work. Answering the call to serve at the Center for Biblical Leadership (CBL) has brought an opportunity to move from leading the local church to “Developing Leaders Globally.” I count this a great privilege and a blessing. We serve great people in a great expression of the body of Christ.

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11–13 NIV).

Why develop leaders? It’s a great question. In light of Ephesians 4, the answer is that God has first given leaders to His church. Ephesians 4:11 says “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers. . .” Because Christ has called people to diverse forms of leadership in the church, those same leaders need to develop in their respective ministries. As a member of the Center for Biblical Leadership team, I have the opportunity to travel around the world helping to “equip the equippers.”

As we see in Ephesians 4:12, God has a definite purpose for the leaders He calls and gives to the church. “. . . to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. . .” The giving of leaders by Christ to the church and those same leaders equipping the people of the church for works of service all leads to the building up of the church toward the goal of maturity in Christ. “. . .until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (v. 13).

What drives me in ministry is the goal of Ephesians 4:13, the maturing of the church to reach “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”

But a passion for the maturing of the church has to begin with a passion

for the growth of the leader. An old leadership axiom says something like, “You can’t take people where you’ve never been.” If you are going to help people grow in the Lord, you will need to grow as well. That’s why we teach personal spiritual disciplines in our pastoral classes. We have the great need as believers and as leaders to “grow deep in order to grow up.” We need to put our roots down deep in the soil of God’s love.

Along with personal spiritual growth and the many other leadership principles taught in SOPAS Term I, we teach Bible study and interpretation methods in Term II. When Jesus called Peter to “feed my sheep” it was a call to give God’s people a steady diet of God’s Word.

People can’t grow to maturity without taking in the soul food of Scripture.

In SOPAS Term III, we cover discipleship and mentoring in a comprehensive way. Once again, the overarching theme of Christian maturity is at the center of these teachings.

We challenge our leaders to live out 2 Timothy 2:2: “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (NIV). We show signs of maturity when we desire to invest in and serve others.

Paul greatly invested in Timothy, calling him “my true son in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2). Paul now calls Timothy to entrust to other reliable people the teachings and ways of the Christian faith. Maturing believers pour into others what they’ve received from other dedicated believers.

Another challenge of leadership development is to instill in others the need for a team approach to leadership.

Plurality has been a popular topic among us in recent years. We see a lot of evidence for a plural approach to leadership in the New Testament. Jesus chose twelve to be with him throughout his ministry. Paul modeled plurality in his missionary journeys, in his relationship to men like Timothy and Titus, and in the call to ordain elders (plural) in the local churches (Titus 1:5). I’m passionate about developing a leadership team to work with the pastor in the local church.

Scripture points out the value of working in ministry with others:

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble (Ecclesiastes 4:9–11 NLT).

There is another recurring theme that rises as we teach SOPAS around the world—the leader’s need for reliance on the Holy Spirit. Our director, Dr. Hector Ortiz, has popularized a saying: “Holy Spirit, Be Our Guide.” What characterized the success of men like Paul in the expansion of the early church was the guidance he received from the Holy Spirit. It was the anointing rather than a detailed plan and strategy that characterized his ministry. We need that same anointing.

One of my favorite contemporary pastors is Jim Cymbala, senior pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle. In his book, The Church God Blesses, he writes, “The Holy Spirit has not changed one iota in two thousand years. What He did then for Paul, He will do for us as we yield our hearts to Him and learn to listen.”

As we teach on our utter need of the Holy Spirit to empower and direct our ministries, He shows up in our schools to bless and encourage our students. What keeps me going in the teaching ministry is the way God’s Spirit has moved and worked as we’ve taught SOPAS to our people around the globe.

What a privilege to serve in this ministry, pouring into the lives of workers on the front lines of Christian ministry! May the goal of the Apostle Paul be the goal of all people in Christian leadership as we proclaim Jesus Christ: “That we may present everyone fully mature in Christ” (Colossians 1:28 NIV).

Mark Menke, CBL Instructor

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Mission, Mandate, and Metric: Leadership Development in the New Testament

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he identification and inclusion of leadership development as one of the core values of the Church of God of

Prophecy is part and parcel of the continuous efforts to realign our organizational priorities with biblical principles. As we continue to inculcate the importance and integral nature of leadership development to the church’s identity and function, we will see the church being positioned and postured to reap the benefits of divine alignment.

This focus and investment in leadership development is congruent with what we see in the New Testament. Of course, the entire Bible offers instruction and inspiration in our efforts to develop leaders. However, the New Testament, as our “rule of practice,” should be the benchmark for our efforts. The New Testament is foundational to our understanding of the ministry of Jesus as it relates to the church as well as the church’s continuation of that ministry. There are three elements that I see as being instructive and necessary to our understanding of the importance and necessity of the enormous investment that must be made in the task of leadership development.

These three elements are leadership development as mission, mandate, and metric.

Leadership Development as Mission

The church has been commissioned to make disciples in every nation (Matthew 28:19). Intrinsic to the disciple making efforts of the church is the development of leaders. Although the term “leadership development” is not explicitly used in the missional directive of the Great Commission, I believe there is the inherent understanding of the requirement to develop leaders.

The idea of developing leaders being implicit in Jesus’ last words to His followers should not be surprising in the least. Although we tend to focus primarily on the teachings and miracles of Jesus in the gospels, it was actually the development of leaders that consumed him from the beginning of His ministry.

And He appointed twelve so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach, and to have authority to cast out demons. And He appointed the twelve (Mark 3: 13–16).

Carswell Leonard

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Before Jesus preached His first sermon, before He taught His first lesson, before He performed His first miracle, He selected those whom he would develop as the core of His leadership team.

Leadership development was a critical and strategic element of Jesus’ mission to build the church. His focus and intentionality was evident in His selection of potential leaders as well as His somewhat unorthodox method of developing these men into the future leaders of the church. As the earthly ministry of Jesus was drawing to a close, we see an increasing intensity of His focus on ensuring that the twelve men (actually eleven) were prepared to assume leadership of the nascent church.

Before His death, Jesus prayed to the Father regarding this important part of his mission: I have manifested thy name unto the men thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word . . . While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled (John 17: 6, 12).

There is no doubt about the passion and pride that Jesus expressed in this prayer to the Father. The development of these men as leaders who were able to continue the work of the Father was indeed one of His great accomplishments. He covered them in prayer as He knew the tremendous task that lay before them—the task of developing other leaders and pour into them just as Jesus had accomplished in their lives.

The focus on leadership development in relation to the mission of the church is reflected in the post-resurrection activities of the church as well. The selection of Matthias as a successor to Judas is one such example. The Acts of the Apostles is also replete with the concern for developing and deploying new leaders toward the fulfillment of the church’s mission. The following few examples are instructive: Acts 6: 2, 3: The selection of men who were trained and able to relieve the administrative burden of the Apostles.

Acts 9: 27, 28: Barnabas’ efforts to ensure that Paul was connected to the established leadership of the church as a part of his development as a leader in the church.

Acts 16: 1–5: Paul discerned the leadership potential of Timothy and assumed responsibility for his development.

Leadership Development as Mandate

The inextricable link between leadership development and mission fulfillment evident in the ministry of Jesus was in fact a mandate to the church to continue the task of leadership development. The church was given the mandate to develop leaders as the means of accomplishing her mission on earth.

There can be no doubt that the church began to understand and appreciate the efforts to develop leaders, especially as they were forced to decentralize (disperse) due to persecution and the continuous missionary call to foreign lands (see Acts chapter 13: 1–3).

The establishment of vibrant congregations beyond the confines of Jerusalem and Judea necessitated a more strategic method of developing leaders. As Paul witnessed the growth of the church, he realized (even more) the need for leadership development. He admonished church leaders to continually pursue the task of developing leaders. His words to them were more than instructions or encouragement—they were in

fact a reinforcement of the mandate to develop leaders. This admonition is clearly evident in his communication to Timothy and Titus, the young leaders he had trained himself. Notice his words to them: And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also (2 Timothy 2:2).

For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city as I had appointed thee (Titus 1:5).

In the letter to the Ephesians, Paul underscored the connection between the ministry of Jesus, leadership development, and the mission of the church. He wrote: Wherefore when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men . . . And he gave some apostles; and some prophets; and some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 3: 8, 11, 12).

The leadership gifts that were placed in the body were to be continually replicated in the lives of men and women in order to ensure their function, namely: perfecting (maturation), the work of the ministry, and edification of the body.

Leadership Development as Metric

The ultimate measure (metric) of the church’s effectiveness will be its ability to continually produce and develop leaders who are able to continue the work of ministry. Every aspect of the ministry of the church is informed and influenced by leadership and its continuous development.

Each succeeding generation serves as a metric of the success of the previous generation. The contemporary generation of leaders is also a predictive metric of the succeeding generation of leaders, because leadership development is essentially a reproductive function. Therefore, it is imperative that each generation of leaders understand that leadership is inextricably bound to legacy and the only way to measure that legacy is through the success or failure of leaders who have been developed to continue the efforts of each preceding generation.

The leadership development of the disciples of Jesus was a metric of the perpetuation of His ministry. Their success on the Day of Pentecost and the enormous impact they had on the growth of the church was reflective of their development as leaders while they followed Jesus. The leaders that we continue to develop and deploy in the Church of God of Prophecy will reflect the success of our efforts toward accomplishing the Great Commission of Christ, our compliance to the mandate of leadership development, as well as the metric for our own ministry of leadership.

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CALLED TO EQUIP

Elias Rodriguez, M. Div. CBL Instructor

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Teaching is an exciting gift! It is always a wonderful experience to see the lives of people being transformed by the powerful Word of God being taught by anointed teachers who don’t see teaching as a mere profession, but as a spiritual gift from God. For me, teaching is something that runs in my veins. It is part of my life. It is the passion of my heart. I started at a young age being Youth Sunday School teacher. I have had the privilege to teach many youth who are now Bishops and leaders in our church, serving in different capacities. It is always rewarding to me when somebody approaches me saying: “You marked me,” “You were my mentor,” meaning that the training that they received, in some ways, prepared them for the work of ministry that they are doing now.

Paul reminds us of the provenance of the gift of teaching. The apostle declares that “When Jesus ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.” These gifts are enumerated as: “apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and WWW.WHITEWINGMESSENGER.ORG

last, but not least, teachers” (Ephesians 4:8–16 NRSV). We could say, that these gifts to the church are a direct result of the expiatory death of Jesus at the cross of Calvary, and His ascension to Heaven. As such, these are not cheap gifts, but very expensive ones, because they came at the cost of the life of the Son of God. Teaching (along with the other gifts) is: “to equip the saints for the work of ministry.” To equip (katartismos), means to make someone completely adequate or sufficient for something—‘to make adequate, to furnish completely, to cause to be fully qualified, adequacy.’1 This means that the task of the teacher is to get personally involved with the people, training and instructing them in such a way that they will be able to function properly in the body of Christ, fulfilling their calling and being productive in all their capacities.

When we equip the saints, we enable them to “build up the body of Christ.” The word oikodome means: the construction of something, with focus on the event of building up or on the result of such an event—‘to build up, to construct, construction.’2 In other words, we train the saints so that they can become skilled constructors, getting their hands on the work, laboring together, and building up the body of Christ. This building up of the body of Christ is a continuing action “until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ” (v.13).

I think that one of the tasks of the teacher is to be proactive, promoting the unity of the church and the building up of the body of Christ. Today we see so many teachers who are teaching their agendas and building up their own kingdoms. A true teacher, who is ministering as a gift from God, will not divide the body of Christ, who was crucified for

knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love” (4:15, 16). Teaching is a two-way task. We teach and learn. For me, the biggest blessing of teaching is learning from and growing up with my students.

My goal is to grow up along with them, doing my part of joining and knitting together the body of Christ, in order to glorify God.

I thank God for the Center for Biblical Leadership, and for the great privilege of serving alongside a great staff, contributing to the training of our great people. It is our desire to inspire our leaders and members to get the education and training they need for their ministries, taking advantage of the various educational avenues provided in our church. We need to be equipped if we are going to equip others. Education is always possible. As a professor once told my mother: “Neither the classroom, nor the age close the door to a person when he/she wants to study.”

The task of the teacher is to get personally involved in training and instructing so all will be able to function properly in the body of Christ.

1 Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, vol. 1, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains, electronic ed. of the 2nd edition. (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 679.

2 p. 513.

him, but will work for the unity of the believers. I believe that as a result of sound biblical teaching, our people will grow healthy in Christ, and this will be demonstrated in the fact that they “will no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming” (4:15).

Teaching requires to “speak the truth in love” to our students.

We have to recognize that this is not a one-way undertaking where I teach and you learn, I speak and you listen until I finish.

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obert Clinton, in his book, The Making of a Leader, writes, “The central task of leadership is influencing God’s people toward God’s purposes.” Spiritual leadership is critical to aligning God’s people with God’s purposes. Moses’ leadership encouraged the children of Israel to walk out of Egypt after 400 years of slavery. Joshua’s leadership motivated the children of Israel to possess the land that God had promised them.

Nehemiah’s leadership strengthened the people’s resolve to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

Spiritual leadership seeks to know and understand God’s purposes and then influences others to join with God to see these purposes fulfilled.

That’s why I am committed to developing leaders who serve children.

Children carry the seed of godly purpose. The Bible affirms God’s purposes for children. Yet, the body of Christ is slow to recognize and respond to God’s purposes for children. Children are sometimes unwelcome. They are often ignored, even though the Bible clearly states through events and verses all that children can and will accomplish for the kingdom of God. Still, children are seldom strategically and consistently evangelized, discipled, equipped for ministry, and released to serve. Yet, Ephesians 4 makes it very clear that believing children (God’s people) must be prepared for works of service so the body of Christ can be built up. In other words, if we don’t acknowledge God’s purposes for children, the body of Christ cannot attain the whole measure of Christ’s fullness.

And that is where children’s ministry leadership comes in. Leaders in children’s ministry are those who get it. They understand that children are birthed with godly purpose. Not only do they get it, but they are determined to boldly proclaim it to the body of Christ.

They are committed to influencing God’s people so that they recognize, embrace, and act to see God’s purposes accomplished in the lives of children.

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Without leadership in children’s ministry, local churches will not effectively evangelize lost children. Yes, there may be a yearly Vacation Bible School but there will not be a passionate and persistent pursuit of lost children.

Without leadership in children’s ministry, local churches will not strategically disciple children. Perhaps there will be a Sunday school class each week or a mid-week Bible club, but children will not be taught the relevant truths of God’s Word that will enable them to have a biblical worldview, prepare them for Christian service, and equip them to give an answer to every man for the reason of the hope that is in them.

Without leadership in children’s ministry, local churches will not engage children in significant ministry. Yes, they may allow children to take up an offering, greet visitors, or make a WWW.WHITEWINGMESSENGER.ORG

ministry? Prayer is a key strategy. We pray for God to connect us with those He is calling to take the lead in serving children. We pray that He will connect us with leaders of various gifts, skills, and passions so that our ministries to children are creative, pervasive, and multi-faceted. We pray that He will connect us with young leaders who will influence their generation to serve children.

Just as God providentially connected Paul with Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, Titus, and others, I believe that God providentially connects us with those who can work alongside to see God’s purposes accomplished in the lives of children. If we are praying for God to

presentation on Children’s Day, but they will probably not help children learn to recognize and respond to God’s call, develop their spiritual gifts (including the gift of leadership), and they will not release them to do the good works that God lays on their hearts to do NOW. And that’s why children’s ministry at the International Offices is committed to developing leaders who serve children.

It is our desire to see God’s purposes accomplished in the life of every child.

And this happens as individuals respond to God’s call of leadership in children’s ministry and begin influencing others to work with them in seeing God’s purposes in the lives of children accomplished.

What is the CM strategy for leadership development in children’s

connect us with those He is calling to lead, we must be spiritually alert to recognize those He gives us. Jesus knew whom the Father had given Him. In John 17:6, He prays, “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.” As we pray, we are confident that God is influencing others to join us in seeing His purposes fulfilled in the lives of children.

Spiritual alertness enables us to recognize those God has given us and respond appropriately to them. As I have taken the lead in influencing others to recognize and respond to God’s purposes for children, God has brought people alongside. Sometimes

we become connected through a phone call, a brief encounter at a conference, a shared ministry experience. God created the connection but it was up to me to recognize and respond.

Finally, I must develop those God has given me. This is simply wise stewardship.

If God gives me something, I cannot ignore, neglect, or misuse the gift He has given me. I believe God brings people alongside every leader so that he can fully accomplish what God has placed within his heart. But often leaders do not know what to do with those God has given. Jesus invested in those God had given Him. He challenged wrong attitudes and actions (spiritual formation). He equipped them through teaching, modeling, and engaging them in ministry (leadership development).

Children’s ministry seeks to develop those God has given through training, modeling, and mentoring. IMPACT! video training makes training easily accessible.

The Institutes of Children’s Ministry and one-day training intensives provide onsite leadership development and ministry training. We also engage developing leaders in ministry through serving with us at International Institutes and other children’s ministry events. Participation in these events allows children’s ministers to see effective ministry and leadership development modeled.

I personally mentor developing leaders and encourage and equip other leaders to mentor developing leaders who serve alongside them. In the book, Spiritual Leadership, Henry and Richard Blackaby state, “Spiritual leadership is moving people onto God’s agenda.”

I believe one of the top priorities on God’s agenda is that this generation of children will know and serve Him. And I believe He expects the body of Christ to make this a top priority on its agenda.

I am committed to developing leaders who will influence God’s people to move away from their own agendas and focus on God’s.

Kathy Creasy Children’s Ministry Director

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The Young Harve A Strategy for Sustainable

On October 31, 2011, the world population hit the seven billion mark after hitting the six billion mark a mere twelve years ago.

What an amazing phenomenon—a one billion-person increase in only 12 years! This trend, of course, is being closely watched because this kind of growth begs the question: Can the earth sustain this kind of continued growth? Growth is intended to be a positive aspect of life and society because it is closely associated with being healthy— healthy bodies, healthy economies, healthy communities, and healthy lives.

But, with rapid growth comes the question of sustainability. What must be in place in order for healthy growth to be maintained?

Certainly those who are closely watching the growth of the world’s population have reason to ask these critical questions because there are very serious implications to every dimension of life on earth, including the earth’s physical ability to sustain such a large population (overcrowding); issues of poverty and disease, since much of this growth is in developing nations; and the economy, since much of this population is between the ages of 10–24, living in these developing nations, and are moving away from rural areas to urban areas in search of jobs and a better way of life.

Not only is the world asking these questions, but the church must also be asking itself this question: Can the Church sustain this kind of continued growth? Within our movement,

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the growth experienced in the last twenty years is both amazing and perhaps alarming.

Like the world’s population explosion, much of our church’s growth is also taking place in the developing nations. Similarly, those nations that have typically been referred to as first world nations have either grown more slowly or experienced nearly no growth at all.

The key to both sustaining the growth that the Holy Spirit has initiated in our numerically stronger nations and producing renewing growth in other nations under the Holy Spirit’s leadership is our ability to develop Next Gen leadership. The reality is this: In the majority of nations around the world, both wealthy and impoverished, the harvest is ripe, very young, and its rate of WWW.WHITEWINGMESSENGER.ORG

Trevor & Aileen Reid, Co-Directors International Youth Ministries

est:

Church Growth

growth does not appear to be slowing down any time soon. The Church has been called

by God to be His agent for healthy and sustainable growth of His Kingdom. Thus, we have an urgent mandate to prepare young laborers and leaders who will reach, disciple, and release this very ripe harvest that God has created.

From the context of youth ministries, we have been called by God to trumpet the urgency of developing a last days generation of leaders for the world’s largest demographic, the young harvest. Towards this end, we developed Youth Harvest Training.

Youth Harvest Training (YHT)

It has been three years since we launched Youth Harvest Training (YHT). We envisioned YHT to become the primary training vehicle that would bring leadership development to our global church for the

purpose of developing Next Gen leaders, cultivating a congregational spirit in which youth can experience and grow in their faith, and potentially mentor a generation of cultural engagers who could produce and reproduce inspired new ministry models relevant for today’s global societal landscape.

The main objectives (and benefits) of YHT are to:

• • • • •

Train Next Gen leaders to evangelize, disciple and engage students in ministry Develop leadership skills in concert with core competencies of a leader Aid young harvest teams (lead pastors and youth pastors) in developing a local discipleship strategy Train youth leaders in youth ministry oversight and administration Develop ministry conceptualization skills in Next Gen leaders

Over these past three years, we conducted specialized leadership trainings in North America, Europe, South America, and Central America. We have been both excited and encouraged to see young leaders accepting the call to serve God and His Kingdom through our movement as lead pastors, national/state/regional youth directors, camp directors, youth pastors, missionaries, etc. These are signs of healthy growth, and we want to continue, as a Movement, to be used by God to maintain it. Nevertheless, we must acknowledge that growth is still slow on every front.

While the world is experiencing rapid growth among the youth population, the church is still not effectively reaching this crucial demographic. And, in areas where there is strong and consistent growth (i.e. developing nations), leaders are not readily available or properly equipped to sustain growth. We must develop leaders for and from this youth harvest in partnership with the Holy Spirit.

Why Develop Youth Harvest Leaders?

We must develop young leaders because God is raising them up and entrusting them to us. While we are ministers of the grace of God and are called to make disciples of all people groups, we are not referring to merely developing faith or skills in people.

We have a conviction that is rooted in Scripture: It is that God makes leaders.

However, God entrusts the development of leaders to people and the Church under His

direction. In other words, God is working in the heart of men and women, to influence, guide, represent, and embody His Word, works and will in a given generation, and therefore these men and women must be strengthened for the grace and work entrusted to them. David, Daniel, Esther, Deborah, Timothy, Priscilla, Apollos, Peter and countless others in the Scriptures were called by God to lead in their day. Because of that call to lead, God entrusted them to faithful men and women who would develop or sharpen their minds, skill set, and faith to lead His Church forward.

Secondly, we must develop young leaders because the times demand that they lead in their generation. Currently, the majority of our Movement’s leaders belong to the post-World War II generation, or as most sociologists call them, Baby Boomers. This generation of leaders is passing off the scene and a new generation must emerge to receive their baton and replace them.

In less than 10 years, 70 percent of our Movement’s leadership will be over 65 years old. Youth Ministries has the distinct challenge and blessing of being positioned today to develop the leaders who will potentially serve Christ, His Church and His purposes in the world for the next fifty years. We must develop leaders because of the crisis of a leadership vacuum that is coming and is now here. Sustainable growth cannot be maintained where there is an absence of leadership.

Finally, we must develop young leaders because evangelism and discipleship have become stagnant in too many congregations around the world. Sustainable growth requires an intentional plan to consistently and responsibly reproduce healthy disciples and disciple-makers. We must produce leaders who have the cultural familiarity, vision and passion to fulfill Christ’s commission in a way that is relevant to native hearers and hearts.

The Church of God of Prophecy has been called by God to be a disciple-making church. As God continues to increase the harvest upon the Earth, let us do our part in building up the Kingdom at the same rate at which God is increasing the harvest.

When we develop young leaders who lead in the Church and beyond, the Lord will give the increase in our churches and enable sustainable growth across and through generations until Christ returns.

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MINISTRIES

STEWARDSHIP MINISTRIES MINISTERIAL SERVICES

Jan Couch, Director

The Stewardship Ministries/Ministerial Services Director will no longer be an appointed position, nor will Stewardship Ministries be a stand-alone department effective September 1, 2012. However, stewardship will continue at all levels in the Church of God of Prophecy. The General Presbyters will fervently be modeling, promoting, and teaching stewardship. The Caribbean General Presbyter has already made stewardship one of the core values in his area.

The Center for Biblical Leadership team will be teaching stewardship to pastors and leaders in the forty-nine scheduled Schools of Practical and Applied Studies.

Much seed has been sown in stewardship over the last fifteen years. This seed fell on good ground and will produce a many-fold return. The 403(b) Retirement Plan will continue as well. The American Funds are outpacing the market and are proven sound investments for long term perspectives such as retirement funds.

Our Agent of Record is Kelly Miller. She is a properly credentialed financial consultant with years of experience in guiding people through good and bad financial times. Kelly can be reached at 800.477.2344 or 770.319.1700. Her email address is kmiller@resourcehorizons.com.

Kelly has always proven to be very helpful. She has participated in numerous International Assemblies by making her expertise available at the Stewardship Ministries Booth. I encourage you to make use of her skills and knowledge. There is no separate charge for her services.

The 403(b) Retirement Plan is a win, win situation—no income or Social Security tax on the minister’s contribution. Taxes on withdrawals taken after age 59 ½ can be offset as housing allowance. American Funds are out-performing the market. Retirement has its own challenges, but being prepared financially eases the transition. It is a scriptural principle to save during the fat years for the lean years.

Direct your 403(b) operational questions to Chief Accountant Paulette Wilbanks at 423.559.5113. Paulette is knowledgeable on tax issues as well.

Stewardship questions should be directed to the Financial Director, Bishop Paul Holt. This has been a fulfilling, blessed fifteen years for Milton and me. We are very grateful for the opportunity to have moved from the business world to ministry, where our work has eternal significance.

Stewardship Ministries/Ministerial Services

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nspired and directed of the Lord, our general presbyters and international Leaders have initiated a new directive for our missions efforts within the Church of God of Prophecy. Announced at the International Assembly, Global Missions will provide increasing levels of support for strengthening national ministries around the world.

It has been said that the corporate vision and mission of the COGOP are brought into the clearest focus through our core values. Global Missions will continue the effort first directed by the service of the offices of World Missions and Global Mission Ministries to serve most directly the harvest value of this fellowship. Our key goals of world mission engagement will come through ministering the resources of our people in giving and support to sustain our church planting, discipling and leadership development efforts in mission ministries.

As a young girl in my local church in Virginia, I remember life-changing moments as mission workers would visit and share the witness of all that God was doing in the nations. I felt the fire of passion in anticipation of finding a place within that effort in which I could participate. During specific times in which we focused on mission support drives I wanted to connect and find a place of participation in which to bless mission efforts. Developing my culinary skills, I began baking wonderful chocolate brownies and then transitioned to becoming the neighborhood brownie sales and distribution center. In this effort to raise funds and support and to be a part of missions, I found my place for that moment in my life.

Throughout my years in ministry, the Lord has directed many times to help me to find a place of participation in a growing and increasing mission effort. He has enabled me to visit almost 100 of our mission nations and I have seen the witness now with my own eyes. I am often overwhelmed with the presence of God and the life-changing ministries throughout the world including North America. I have been blessed by the work in redeeming and raising orphaned children in the love and knowledge of Jesus Christ. And I have rejoiced as many of these children have left our orphanage works to become pastors, teachers, and leaders in the national churches.

Now it is my privilege to find my place within this new Global Missions entity rising out of the International Offices. As we continue to seek God for His leading and anointing for this great challenge of blessing mission efforts, we will be sharing opportunities for our global fellowship to once again find their place or participation in rising to this challenge. We all have the privilege to find our place in this great effort.

My voice is just one witness of testimony to the work of Global Missions. Please join me in prayer for direction as you seek your place of involvement.

Cathy Payne Global Missions Coordinator

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I know what it’s like when someone “leaves” the ministry. Internal eyebrows rise. We wonder what caused someone who professed a call from God to preach the Gospel and lead a congregation to jump ship and do something else.

Our minds race to the seamier side. Was the pressure too much? Did he have a call at all? We don’t often say it, but we wonder, don’t we?

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Waiting until college, seminary, or first employment is far too late to develop effective, ethical leaders.

After more than 20 years of being a pastor, I left the ministry, technically speaking. But after authoring a dozen books and nearly 200 articles on ministry and spiritual life, plus serving as the executive editor of Rev! magazine, I exited the pastoral field.

The reason was simple. Time was running out and I desperately wanted to change the church—and if possible, society at large.

No matter how much we value egalitarian and democratic processes, history is not made by the masses. Three dominant factors change society: discoveries, disasters, and leaders, but the most significant by far is leaders—whether good or bad. If you want to change history, you must focus on leaders.

But how do you change them?

For more than a decade, thanks to books such as How to Change Your Church, The Five Star Church, Me to We, and Embracing Brokenness, I was able to travel as a pastor, teaching workshops and seminary courses. But after a decade of that, I came to the conclusion that investing in adult leaders yields a low return on investment.

My dad used to say, “Life is like a roll of toilet paper.

The less you have left, the faster it goes.” By age 45, I was convinced that we needed to lower the age of leadership development, identifying and developing influencers while they’re still moldable. Barna’s research coincides with that of Kohlberg and moral psychologists, noting that character is pretty much established by age 14.

Thus, I began prototyping an executive-caliber leadership training program with the upper age set at 14. The goal was to learn how young you could teach serious leadership skills. During our research phase, we discovered that if a child displays leadership aptitude, by ten years of age, he/she is cognitively mature enough to learn sophisticated social skills required in leading. So at the ripe-old age of 49, with two sons in private college, I gave up my paycheck and benefits to launch a non-profit organization called KidLead.

Pastors don’t need to give up on adults, but if we’re good stewards, we need to be putting a lot of eggs in the kid basket. Even better, we need to target our very

young leaders. The most strategic time for developing effective and ethical leaders is a four-year threshold we call the 10–13 window. Unfortunately, very few church staff members are leadership savvy. They confuse it with discipleship and service. And preteen/ middle school ministries always tend to be low on the church totem pole.

Even if you don’t have a personal call to this area of ministry, you can still champion it. We have developed the first of its kind, executive-caliber leadership training curriculum called LeadNow. The faith-based version is beginning to be used in premier Christian schools and some larger churches.

It is sophisticated enough to require certification to use it. You watch a brief video and take a free leadership aptitude assessment on a child by going to the KidLead website (www.kidlead.com). By pushing the “parent” button, you’ll get an automated response to help you understand the type of child you should be reaching for leadership mentoring. There’s also a book that summarizes our findings.

Waiting until college, seminary, or first employment is far too late to develop effective, ethical leaders.

We must start younger, much younger. Churches and Christian schools are the best places to accomplish this task because these are social communities where young leaders can develop their skills in a context of faith.

My challenge to pastors is to respond to the call of identifying and developing young leaders. If there’s one thing your church does well, make it young leader development. If you want to change the world, focus on leaders. But if you want to change leaders, focus on them when they’re young.

I “left the ministry” to make a bigger impact on the church. You don’t have to quit being a pastor, but I pray you’ll join me in this endeavor.

Alan E. Nelson, Ed.D. (www.alanenelson.com) is author of KidLead: Growing Great leaders and founder of KidLead Inc. The Nelsons live near Monterey, California. For more info on KidLead, contact them: www.kidlead.com.

Alan E. Nelson, Ed.D.

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WORLDVIEW (continued)

Continued from page 5

CULTURE

COGOP Joins Hispanic Conference

The Church of God of Prophecy was among four new denominations that recently joined the

National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC).

The NHCLC is the Hispanic Evangelical Association unifying, serving, and representing millions

in the Hispanic, born-again community via 40,118 churches. The association accomplishes this

mission by reconciling the vertical and horizontal of the Christian message through the seven

directives: Life, Family, Great Commission, Stewardship, Justice, Education, and Youth.

“The NHCLC is proud to welcome a wonderful group of sister organizations to this movement

that upholds the Lamb’s agenda,” said Rev. Eliezer Bonilla, senior pastor of Abundant Life Church of

God in San Antonio, Texas, and NHCLC executive board member. “The Church of God of the Prophecy, International Holiness Pentecostal Church, Disciples of Christ-Hispanic Ministry, and the Pentecostal Church of God International Movement have as their mission the defense of righteousness and justice as reflected in their core values. Through their outstanding leadership, they represent a voice of influence and prophetic witness. This broad national and international representation is another evidence of the solidarity of our movement and the impact it’s having on our nation. We know that their presence will add another needed voice and enrich us even more.”

—Source: NHCLC

ALABAMA

Tent Revival in Winfield City

A tent revival was conducted July 8–14 on our new property with various worship leaders and ministers from surrounding churches.

There were four saved, four sanctified, and four filled with the Holy Ghost. Each night was outstanding, with a mighty outpouring of the Spirit. People were healed and we are not talking about just a mild headache. Backs were straightened, knees back in place, kidneys healed. It was great! The preaching each night was heavenly anointed.

Community Outreach at Carbon Hill

The youth have been ministering to a girls’ rehab home for the past year with over 50 girls saved.

Our youth received blessings at camp where some were saved, sanctified, and received the Holy Ghost. We had 24 campers to go. To be a good father, what must one do? Love, nourish, give of oneself, protect, and most of all teach their children how to live a Godly life.

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GEORGIA

Financial Miracles for Local Churches

State Overseer Billy Adams recently related testimonies of financial miracles in the state of Georgia. He wrote in The Georgia News: I have two stories that recently happened to a couple of our churches: Pinetucky & Gainesville. It seems we are small and we do get discouraged at times, but great favor is coming.

At the Gainesville Church, Pastor Billy Wallen received a phone call a few weeks ago asking if he was the pastor of the Gainesville Church of God of Prophecy to which he replied, “Yes”. The man on the phone said he attended there over 20 years ago. The Lord was blessing his business; therefore, he felt led to bless a church. The Lord laid this church upon his heart and he would be sending a check to the church for $10,000.00. He desired that some of it went to minister to the youth. Brother Wallen has honored his desire for his name to be kept anonymous, but the church is rejoicing of this blessing. Who knows what else God has in store for Gainesville?

In Pinetucky, Pastor Harold Thornton received a call from a donor to meet with him. During his meeting with him, somewhere around the second week of July, the gentleman gave him a check for $50,000.00. He said the Lord was blessing him and he wanted to bless the Pinetucky Church. The donor and his wife attend another church, but they were raised at Pinetucky COGOP. In the past few months, he has given another $7,000.00 to the Pinetucky Church.

I’m thankful for his heart to bless Pinetucky and I trust that they will feel our heartfelt appreciation. However, no one gives this kind of gift except the Lord lays it on their heart.

VIRGINIA

Outpouring of “New Wine” at Youth Retreat

Spring Renewal 2012 was an awesome revival. The theme was NEW WINE and we experienced an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. There were 175 campers in attendance and we had approximately 50 staff to serve as volunteers for the retreat. There were 14 saved, four sanctified, and 15 were baptized with the Holy Ghost. Pastor Todd Woolston, senior pastor of the Virginia Beach Real Life COGOP church, ministered to the youth and was REAL and anointed from the very first service, sharing his testimony and heart.

Worship was very evident as the youth would seek the face of God for 30 minutes before service. During one prayer time, the service order was reversed because the youth were ready to receive the Word of God. Several youth groups were able to minister in drama and dance, one drama was used to give an altar call done by Todd Wollston’s daughter. There are so many more things that could be said, but I praise God for a wonderful weekend. Mindy and I praise God and are very thankful for the hard work, volunteers, and service as well as sacrifice given during this retreat by senior pastors, youth leaders, and many more who love and are devoted to the camping ministry. Praise God for the experiences and miracles that God blessed all of us with. Hope to see everyone for summer camps.

—Robbie Boyd

Covington Drive Overcomes Tragedy to Shine Light

Bishop Phipps, Nathalee and Gary Peters with House Speaker David Ralston and Rep. Michele Henson

Over the years, our congregation has experienced some low places in which we had to rely solely on the Lord. However, through those experiences we have learned to trust in God and how to rise above our adversities. One such time was the passing of Marquel Peters on the early morning of January 1, 2010.

On New Year Eve’s 2009, the congregation gathered to worship and praise God for the blessings of the past year and to seek His direction and blessing for the coming year. It was just after midnight, when Marquel Peters, a four year old child, was struck and killed by a bullet believed to have been fired by a New Year’s Eve reveler. The stray bullet came through the roof of our sanctuary and struck Marquel in the top of his head.

While we continue to feel the loss of Marquel, “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Roman 8:28 NIV).

What started as a tragic event led to a move of God in which many souls (including Nathalee Peters, the mother of Marquel) were brought to the knowledge of Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. In June 2010, Bishop Phipps, the Peters’ family, DeKalb county CEO, DeKalb County Public Safety Director and other County officials launched “Marquel’s Pledge.”

Marquel’s Pledge is a community campaign to reduce celebratory gunfire in DeKalb County and throughout Georgia by educating community stakeholders about the dangers of this act. Since the launch of Marquel’s Pledge, the county has seen a 47 percent decline in the number of 911 calls during the New Years Eve and July 4th holidays.

Marquel’s death has also led the Georgia State Legislators in passing two Resolutions—SR 1 and 341, in support of Marquel’s Pledge and raising the awareness of the dangers of shooting guns in the air in celebration.

—Ann Marie Bryce WWM N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 2

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WORLDVIEW

ANNOUNCEMENT Tomlinson College to Hold Cleveland Reunion May 24–26, 2013 All alumni, former faculty, and staff of Tomlinson College and families are invited to attend the 2013 Tomlinson College Reunion in Cleveland, Tennessee, May 24–26, 2013. The weekend’s activities will include a welcome reception, class reunions, a homecoming banquet, worship service, and more.

More details, including registration information and a schedule, will be updated here in the White Wing Messenger as well as the Tomlinson College Facebook page— www.facebook.com/tomlinsoncollege.

If you have questions, feel free to contact the TC Alumni Coordinator at dhamby@cogop.org.

In His Presence

Milwaukie, Oregon; organized on July 8, 2012; Pastor Juan de Dios Martinez Pérez

Quintana Roo, Mexico; organized on May 16, 2010; Pastor Filiberto Uicab Poot

Huntington Station, New York; organized on May 20, 2012; Pastor Noemi Hidalgo

Acatlan de Figueroa, Mexico; organized on December 4, 2010; Pastor Jorge Alberto Torres

Nampa, Idaho; organized on June 3, 2012; Pastor Elvis Muñoz Nampa, Idaho; organized on May 11, 2012; Pastor Santos Espinoza Omaha, Nebraska; organized on May 20, 2012; Pastor David Wooden and Clara Wooden Garland, Texas; organized on June 10, 2012; Pastor Lelis A. Rodriguez

Ministers

International

William E. Turner; West Memphis, Arkansas; August 26, 2012; Licensed minister for 30 years

Coutí, Dominican Republic; organized on July 28, 2012; Pastor Mizael Florentino Araujo

Henry J. Hebert; Cookeville, Tennessee; August 19, 2012; Licensed minister for 25 years Mollie B. Curry; Chattanooga, Tennessee; July 17, 2012; Licensed minister for 54 years

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New Churches

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Tuxtepec, Oax, Mexico; organized on March 27, 2011; Pastor Macario Cruz Perez Oaxaca, Mexico; organized on April 23, 2011; Pastor Victor Jimenez Rosas Yucatan, Mexico; organized on July 9, 2011; Pastor Luis Angel Huchim Quijano Veracruz, Mexico; organized on December 23, 2011; Pastor Arturo Arano Delfin Chihuahua, Mexico; organized on January 22, 2012; Pastor Ismael Ramirez Olivia

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; organized on May 14, 2012; Pastor Inocencio Samboy

San Luis Potosi, Mexico; organized on April 15, 2012; Pastor Julio Monsalvo Garcia

Penonomé, Panamá; organized on June 17, 2012; Pastora Nereyda Rojas

Tabasco, Mexico; organized on April 29, 2012; Pastor Pedro Alonso Castillejos

Accra, Ghana; organized on May 12, 2012; Pastor George Asante-Boateng

Campeche, Mexico; organized on May 24, 2012; Pastor Edson Edgardo Alvarez Lemuz

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MESSAGES

DeWayne Hamby, Managing Editor

I am freed from the burden of having to know everything and being the master of my own destiny.

Trust the Mystery “Get an answer to every question you have,” the commercial for a popular website promises. On the site, visitors can type in even the most mundane questions, such as “Why does a cat have whiskers?” and discover a scientific explanation. Never have answers come so quickly (and cheap). You don’t have to make too much effort to reap the rewards of someone else’s knowledge.

If we miss the end of a movie or lose the book we’re reading, we now have the ability to go online and find out exactly what happened quicker than anyone can say “Cliff’s Notes.” If we have a disagreement, in minutes one of us can be proven right or wrong. When bugs infest our homes or we need to figure out what type of sickness we’re coming down with, we don’t have to guess or make appointments with professionals. We can find out the facts ourselves.

Our brains leave little room for unanswered questions and with every new day, they encounter less and less of them. A few years ago, a television series exposed the tricks of popular illusionists (much to the dismay of said popular illusionists). And the ratings soared, because finally exposing those

little mysteries made us feel a little more comfortable and in control.

Faith, however, is different. With every new scientific discovery and explanation, the idea of trusting an invisible, unanswerable force stands in stark contrast to our brains filling in the answers to all of our other questions. We want to fully comprehend in a proven way so we can hold it in a tidy little box. But it’s not quite as simple as finding a faster way to the clean the kitchen.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

Although we can’t wrap our minds around it or map it out like a blueprint, there is a substance to the mystery of faith in God. We are not asked to understand it. In fact, we are told to “lean not to your own understanding” (Psalm 3:5). But we can trust in things we cannot see or prove. Through His Word, we can know the nature of a trustworthy God even though we have not seen Him face-toface. Jesus even promised that those of us who have not physically encountered Him are “blessed” (John 20:29).

There is a place for asking and answering questions. Jesus verified Himself to a questioning disciple after His resurrection.

The Apostle Paul instructed Peter to “. . . always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15). Christian apologists, such as Lee Strobel and Josh McDowell, have also done tremendous work in meeting every challenge presented to them by skeptics.

Still, there remains a mystery to faith, one that we can let frustrate us or one that we can find comfort in. In 1 Corinthians 13:12, our understanding on this side of eternity is likened to a “poor reflection in a mirror.” Because of or perhaps in spite of it, I choose to believe that God has the answers to the questions and He maps out our lives better than we ever could.

I am freed from the burden of having to know everything and being the master of my own destiny. As long as He’s aware of everything that’s going on, I’m in good hands.

As the old hymn says, “Farther along we’ll know all about it/ father along we’ll understand why.” “. . . Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12 NIV).

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White Wing PUBLISHING HOUSE

Come visit our new Digital Downloads section at www.whitewingbookstore.com

Selected books are now available as ebooks. You can instantly purchase and download these books and read them on any computer or mobile device with a PDF reader.

The Heritage Series volumes 1–5 All four Foundations Course books in English and Spanish The Character Sketches Bible studies (Moses, Hosea, Jonah, and Eve)

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