January 2021 Vol. 8 No. 1 A Place of Hope. A People of Promise.
Published by The International Pentecostal Holiness Church
Encourage Inspiration for IPHC Leaders
Let Us Arise in Hope As We Start
2021 BY DOUG BEACHAM
How to Pass Your Baton to the Next Leader BY CASEY WAYNE MILLS
But What If a Christian Commits Suicide? BY TONY MOON
Don’t Throw Stones When a Leader Falls BY J. LEE GRADY
At Emmanuel College, Students Are Having Encounters With God BY TRÉS WARD
Let Us Arise in Hope as We Start 2021 My heart is filled with expectation as we step into a year of new opportunities. By Doug Beacham
DOUG BEACHAM is the presiding bishop of the IPHC. He has served in various roles in the church including Georgia Conference Superintendent, executive director of Church Education Ministries, and executive director of World Missions Ministries. You can follow Bishop Beacham on Facebook or Twitter @DougBeacham.
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n preparing to write this column, I went back and read my comments from the January 2020 issue of Encourage to see what I was thinking in the “B.C.” era (that stands for “Before Covid”). The focus was on our core value of generosity, and the riches of Christ’s glory. A year ago, we anticipated a contentious political year in our nation. But we could not anticipate the global impact of the coronavirus and the changes it made to our lives. Now, after months of quarantines, mask wearing, Zoom calls, online church meetings and contentious politics, I think most of us are glad 2020 is behind us! Now, I recognize the Holy Spirit’s timely call for the IPHC regarding generosity. You have responded locally and globally by giving far beyond what any of us imagined. I’m grateful that the IPHC family has acted with inspiring generosity to the needs of the world through this pandemic. World Missions Ministries has distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of relief around the globe, and local congregations have stood in the gap for their members and surrounding communities. As we step into 2021, I find my heart filled with great hope. My expectations are not based on the availability and success of a coronavirus vaccine—though we all pray for such an outcome. It’s not based on elections and the promises of politicians—though we pray for our leaders. Rather, my hope and expectation are in Jesus Christ. The IPHC’s identity has been clearly expressed as “a Place of Hope and a People of Promise.” This statement is based on Isaiah 54:2-3. I have rejoiced as I’ve seen
these terms used in numerous IPHC can consistently reach people around local congregations around the world. the globe. The ministries in the Recently I saw it at Northview Harvest IPHC that are doing this now are too Ministries IPHC in Laurinburg, North numerous to name. We have learned Carolina. Notice in the photo on this that “doing church” can occur in new page; they have contextualized this and innovative ways. Bible passage to their mission focus. Because of that, Arise 2033 and its “A Place of Hope and a People of goals are more reachable than any of Promise” is truly our identity. But us first imagined. With technology, as identity without vision is little more well as with a new wave of men and than an effort to feel good about women who will personally go to new ourselves. This is why the Arise locations, the goals of planting IPHC 2033 movement is so important to churches in 150 nations and in 75 us as we seek percent of counties to fulfill Jesus’ in the United commandments States seem more “One of the lessons to “Love the Lord attainable. of your God with I’m also hopeful all your heart, because of our was that through with all your core values: “We soul, and with Prayerfully Value technology, local all your mind,” Scripture,” “We ministries can “You shall love Prayerfully Value your neighbor Pentecost,” “We consistently reach as yourself” and Prayerfully Value people around “Go therefore and Holiness,” “We make disciples of Prayerfully Value the globe. We all the nations” Christ’s Kingdom,” have learned that (Matthew 22:37, “We Prayerfully Value 38; 28:19). All Generations,” ‘doing church’ can The “fields” of “We Prayerfully occur in new and the 21st century Value Justice” and are “white unto “We Prayerfully innovative ways.” harvest,” as Value Generosity.” Jesus referred to The praxis of our a grain field in Samaria (John 4:35). faith—prayer, worship, evangelism, He prefaced that observation by two discipleship, missions, study and imperatives to His disciples: (1) “Lift up giving—finds a place in each of these your eyes” and (2) “behold the fields.” as we bear witness to Jesus around Take a moment to reflect on those the world. imperatives. “Lift up your eyes and So we begin a new calendar behold” that over 56 percent of the year with hope and plans. But I’m 7.8 billion people on this planet reminded that the Christian calendar now live in urban areas. Since Target for 2021 did not begin on January 2000 in the 1980s, the IPHC has been 1. Instead, it began at Advent on attempting to focus on the massive November 29, 2020. cities of the world. That strategy As you read this, we are at or near mission has not changed, but it must Epiphany, the commemoration of be intentionally intensified. Over the the visit of the Magi to the child in coming years we must prayerfully ask Bethlehem (see Matthew 2). In the the Holy Spirit to give us the vision coming weeks, the focus of Epiphany, and courage to engage the urban which means manifest revelation, masses of the earth with the gospel of is about Who Jesus is as the Lord, hope. the Son of God, the Savior of the At the same time we do not neglect world and many other titles found in areas with smaller populations. Scripture. After all, 44 percent of the global I find the testimony of the church population lives in those areas. calendar and its focus on God’s One of the lessons of 2020 was that redeeming work in Jesus and the work through technology, local ministries of the Holy Spirit to be the intellectual
2020
Encourage A place of hope. A people of promise. January 2021
Vol. 8 No. 1
Editor in Chief Dr. A.D. Beacham, Jr. Publisher International Pentecostal Holiness Church Executive Editor J. Lee Grady Communications Director / Associate Editor Jamie Cain Copy Editor Deborah Delk Grady Discipleship Ministries Thomas H. McGhee World Missions Ministries J. Talmadge Gardner Evangelism USA Garry Bryant Clergy Development / World Intercession Network Lou Shirey Encourage is published monthly except in July and December by the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, P.O. Box 12609, Oklahoma City, OK 73157. Digital subscriptions are available free of charge by subscribing at iphc.org/connect. Images courtesy of adobestock.com unless otherwise noted.
and emotional place where my walk with Jesus finds refuge, peace and hope. As important as the dates and events of 2021 will be, they are not greater than the life of Jesus, “Who is and Who was and Who is to come” (Revelation 1:4, 8; 4:8). Therefore, whatever expected or unexpected happens in 2021, we bring to it what we have received and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Our knees bow before Him in recognition of our commitment to serve Him in this world as instruments of righteousness and reconciliation (see Romans 6:13; 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19). May the Lord richly bless you as you embrace this New Year with renewed hope.
Write the vision: The IPHC’s mission statement, as used by Northview Harvest Ministries in Laurinburg, North Carolina. Encourage Magazine 3
How to PASS Your BATON to the Next Leader
You must learn the secret of healthy transition if you want to make maximum impact. By Casey Wayne Mills
CASEY WAYNE MILLS attended the IPHC’s Emmanuel College, where he received his A.A. in business and a B.A. in Religion. He went on to obtain his M.A. in Practical Theology from Regent University. In 1992 he became the youth pastor at Bethel Worship Center, an IPHC congregation in Camden, South Carolina. He was installed as senior pastor in 2010. Casey and his wife, Judi, have three children.
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he writer of Hebrews uses the imagery of a track and field race to bring encouragement to a church that faced great persecution. In Hebrews 12:1 we see our mandate to run with perseverance the race marked out for us. We are encouraged to throw off everything that hinders us and watch out for the sin that can so easily entangle us. And we are reminded that there are those who have already run the race. They are cheering us on. I have always loved watching racing events of all kinds. I love the Olympics, and I love watching my son’s track team run for their school. My favorite running event was always the 4x100 relay. Most track and field events are individual competitions, but this race is a team event. The most exciting moment in the race is when each competitor passes the baton to the next runner to complete his or her portion of the journey. This is not an easy task. If the baton is dropped, the race is over and the team will not be able to cross the finish line in victory. I see an obvious spiritual application here. As church leaders, we are also in a relay race. Our calling is to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives and also to train others who will be able to properly take the baton and continue the race.
I have been blessed to be a part of a pastoral transition that involved a spiritual passing of the baton. In 1992, Pastor Don Goude hired me as Youth Pastor at Bethel Worship Center. My my wife, Judi, and I have been serving at Bethel for the past 28 years. In 2010, I became the Lead Pastor after Pastor Don passed the baton to me. As I look back on that process I realize that this is something unusual in the church. Many pastors don’t train their successors. But what I experienced provides a biblical framework that should be a pattern for other churches. In the Bible we see several examples of leaders who were raised up by mentors who continued the work of ministry. Moses mentored Joshua; Elijah mentored Elisha, who received a double portion of his mentor’s anointing. However, we don’t see in Scripture that Joshua and Elisha continued the legacy of raising up the next leader to carry out the vision. Sometimes the baton is dropped. In the New Testament period we see Paul serving as a mentor and father to many men and women who continued the work of ministry. I love reading the end of Paul’s letters, when he names the people who took the baton to fulfill the goal of the Great Commission. Paul understood how the relay works! Pastoral transition can often be difficult as a church gets to know a new pastor and the pastor tries to learn the rhythms of an established church. As I look back on the transition at Bethel, I see what was described by one our members as a “seamless transition.” As the Lead Pastor, I am not a clone of Pastor Don. He never attempted to make me a carbon copy of himself. He allowed me to grow into what God designed for me. There are things that I do differently, but the core vision of the church continues. Our vision of “Team Bethel” continued as I took the role of Lead Pastor. Our vision for worship, discipleship and outreach continued to guide every leadership decision. For this type of pastoral transition to take place in a church, a culture of teamwork must exist. I served 18 years as a youth pastor and associate pastor. During that time, I heard lots of jokes from others who wondered when I was going to be a “real” pastor. But Pastor Don never made me feel like I was less than a “real” pastor. He
affirmed my spiritual gifts and gave me freedom to lead. When I approached him about taking mission trips, he affirmed my desire. As a result, Bethel has influenced the world through gospel outreaches and through the building of churches and orphanages. When I shared with Pastor Don my vision to start a preschool and an afterschool ministry called Bethel Cares, he allowed me to pursue this. He affirmed this ministry, which has impacted the lives of many children and families in our community. I can imagine that if Pastor Don had shot down these ideas, I might have left to go somewhere else. But he chose to affirm me. He was not threatened as I grew in spiritual maturity. He allowed me to view myself as a “real” pastor. This type of healthy pastoral transition was possible because of my support of Pastor Don as my elder and leader. I always strived to be trustworthy. I honored him and his leadership. If I had questions about things in the ministry that I didn’t understand, I went directly to him for answers. As a leadership team we have gone through many storms together. Sadly, in the global church we’ve seen situations where an associate will attempt to lift himself up by dragging the leader down. This only brings chaos and division. If the associate is hungry for position and power, a seamless transition isn’t possible. However, if we have a servant’s heart that seeks places to serve, then trust can flow. Our transition at Bethel didn’t happen overnight. Pastor Don shared that he had known this change was
coming for several years; then he shared with me two years before the transition took place. During those two years my preaching responsibilities increased, and I began to lead our administrative council meetings. Pastor Don asked me to give our vision message series at the beginning of those two years. All of these steps helped to prepare the church, and me, for the transition. On September 12, 2010, I became Lead Pastor of Bethel, and ten years later I continue to lead with the same staff the Pastor Don and I assembled through our years together. Although he is retired, he continues to attend the church and is a great support to me and my staff. This ministry of “passing the baton” continues at Bethel. As people serve in ministry they are raising up leaders who will one day take their place. Obviously this is not the only way for pastoral transition to take place, but I have seen it lived out. I believe it is a pattern every leader should implement. Pastors, we are running with the baton. We must have a heart to pass the baton to the next leader to continue the vision of the church. Paul gives us the heart of this team mindset of ministry in I Cor. 3:5. He tells us that each member of the team has a task. Sometimes we water; sometimes we sow seed; and sometimes we harvest. But God is the one who makes things grow. My vision is to one day joyfully pass the baton of leadership to a leader who was trained in this ministry. I’m thankful I already have prepared for the time of transition. When that day comes, I will cheer on the person who will take my baton and run to new places of impact for the kingdom of God.
“Pastors, we are running with the baton. We must have a heart to pass the baton to the next leader to continue the vision of the church.”
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But What If a Christian Commits Suicide?
We would never want to encourage anyone to kill themselves. But if a believer does this, I believe God extends mercy. By Dr. Tony G. Moon
DR. TONY G. MOON has served as a pastor, church planter and conference official. For 37 years he taught at the IPHC’s Emmanuel College, where he served as professor of Christian Ministries. He retired in 2019 and spends his time now preaching, teaching and writing. He is the author of the book From Plowboy to Pentecostal Bishop: The Life of J.H. King, which was released in July 2017 by Emeth Press. You can purchase the book from Lifesprings Resources.
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ver the last fourteen months, three Christian acquaintances of mine have chosen to end their lives. They could not handle the emotional burdens they carried. The first was a student at Emmanuel College. The second was a police chief who left behind a wife and two school-age children. The third was an elderly retired banker whose wife had recently passed away. How do we handle the tragic reality that real Christians sometimes commit suicide? It is a heart-wrenching and mentally torturous experience for close survivors, especially those who are believers themselves. The common Christian presumption that suicide is always an unforgivable sin doesn’t help. I have heard believers suggest that anyone who commits suicide automatically goes to hell. This leaves many loved ones desperately grasping for hope about the afterlife of the deceased. But is it true that suicide is an unforgivable sin? This is a tough theological issue, so I will begin by looking at Scripture. There are six suicide accounts in the Bible, five in the Old Testament and one in the New: Abimelek (Judges 9:50-56); Samson (Judges 16:23-31); King Saul and his armorbearer (1 Sam. 31:3-5, 1 Chron. 10:3-5, 13-14); Ahithophel (2 Samuel 17:23); King Zimri (1 Kings 16:18-19); and Judas Iscariot (Matthew 27:1-5; Acts 1:18-20, 24-25). After a careful study of the Old Testament stories, three main points stand out. (1) There is no negative value judgment about these acts of suicide in and of themselves; (2) There is no indication that the souls of these men went to hell because, in Old Testament theology, the souls of all human beings, when they died physically, went to the same gloomy place in the underworld called Sheol in Hebrew; (3) Perhaps significantly, God answered Samson’s prayer for physical strength to bring the pagan temple down on the Philistine revelers and himself (Judges 16:28-30).
The New Testament yields some insight into the eventual afterlife of Samson. In Hebrews 11:32, he is listed among the heroes and heroines of Old Testament faith. (See also verses 33-34 where one or more descriptive phrases probably refer at least in part to him.) It appears that the writer of Hebrews expected to see Samson in heaven. In Matthew 26:24, Mark 14:21, John 17:12 and Acts 1:25, the statements about Judas Iscariot, on the basis of just a casual reading, don’t seem to reflect well on his eternal destiny. But I caution against assuming that they are declarations about Judas going to hell. According to an early Christian, traditional interpretation of other New Testament texts like Ephesians 4:8-10, 1 Peter 3:19-22 and 4:6, they could reflect the situation before the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Christ when all the souls of the dead still went to Sheol (or Hades, in New Testament Greek), although Jesus, like some Jewish rabbis by New Testament times, taught that the unrighteous suffer conscious torment there (see Luke 16:19-31). Or those statements could refer to how Judas’ life ended so tragically: A traitor overwhelmed by feelings of guilt that drove him to a selfinflicted, violent death. Since the early church father Augustine in the fifth century, the conventional view in the Christian community has been that all people who commit suicide transition into an eternity of separation from God. However, by the time of Augustine, there had developed a long tradition in the church of honoring as martyrs, even canonizing as saints, Christian women who killed themselves during times of persecution in order to avoid the shame of sexual assault by pagan soldiers, slave-owners and prison workers. Augustine himself was not consistent. He argued that Samson’s suicide was morally justified because the Spirit of God told him to do it (which is not exactly what Judges 16 says) and that the Lord led those Christian women to kill themselves, too. Augustine was the first Christian writer to interpret “murder” in the Old Testament’s Sixth Commandment as, in part, prohibiting suicide. (“You shall not murder,” Exodus 20:13, Deuteronomy 5:17, NIV). Not one Jewish rabbi or Christian teacher before him had penned such. The Old Testament law itself provides exceptions to the Sixth Commandment in cases of self-defense,
armed conflict, “holy war” (military crusades commanded by God, as in Deuteronomy) and some twenty-two capital crimes. Augustine was reacting to the fact that, since the second century, there had been many believers who actively courted execution by Roman government authorities, seeing martyrdom as the supreme act of Christian discipleship and witness.
“I have heard
believers suggest that anyone who commits suicide automatically goes to hell. …But is it true that suicide is an unforgiveable sin?
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Murder is a serious sin, and suicide is self-murder. But, all by itself, quoting the Sixth Commandment doesn’t necessarily settle the question about where Christians who take their own lives spend eternity. So the question remains: What happens to Christians who commit suicide? On three main biblical grounds, I believe there is afterlife hope for believers who kill themselves. n There is good reason to believe that the soul of Samson, probably the most famous Old Testament suicide, is in the Lord’s presence (Hebrews 11:32-34). n The Bible teaches that God is fair. He knows all about the difficult circumstances, the psychological, mental and emotional struggles— and the spiritual condition—that lead Christians sometimes to commit such a horrible act. We know we can trust the Lord to do what’s right. Deuteronomy 32:4 says: “All his ways are just. … Upright and just is he.” n I choose to lean heavily on the pervasive biblical theme of divine grace. God is revealed in Scripture as profoundly compassionate and empathetic. He is “the compassionate and gracious God”
(Exodus 34:6). “His compassions never fail. They are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23). He is “rich in mercy” and the “riches of his grace” are “incomparable” (Ephesians 2:4,7). Most of us can only try to imagine the despair, emotional pain, loneliness, hopelessness and excruciating physical pain that sometimes incite even Christians to kill themselves. But I believe the Lord understands and forgives. And I believe He receives them into his presence. A pastor with whom I recently discussed this issue put it this way: “I don’t know, but I believe in the mercy of God.” I have gleaned insight on this topic from an excellent 1990 book, The Fierce Goodbye: Hope in the Wake of Suicide by G. Lloyd Carr and Gwendolyn C. Carr (InterVarsity Press). I recommend it to all pastors. The Emmanuel College student I mentioned earlier was a devoted Christ-follower, a prayer warrior and a passionate witness for Jesus. Sadly, she struggled for years with emotional trauma, severe depression and serious medical issues. I knew her well. Obviously, she lost hope as far as this life is concerned. Yet I think there is a sense in which her act of suicide was an act of faith, an act of casting herself upon the “amazing grace” of God. I believe she expected Jesus, whom she loved with all her heart, to receive her. And I believe He did. Of course, pastors and other church leaders must be careful. We don’t want to say anything in our preaching, teaching and counseling ministry that could be misconstrued as an endorsement of suicide. But thankfully, we can offer Bible-based hope to survivors who deal with the awful aftermath.
Suicide is never God’s will. If you have been struggling with severe depression or discouragement, and have thought of ending your life, please call the National Suicide Hotline at 800-2738255. You can also contact a counselor at IPHC Clergy Care by visiting our website, iphc.org/gso/clergy-care.
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Don’t Throw Stones When a Leader Falls How do we respond to a moral failure? God calls us to be merciful— and to learn from the mistakes that were made. By J. Lee Grady
J. LEE GRADY is an author, traveling minister and former editor of Charisma magazine. Author of several books including 10 Lies the Church Tells Women and Set My Heart on Fire, Lee leads The Mordecai Project—a missionary organization that focuses on bringing the healing of Christ to women who are abused and marginalized. Lee has been ordained in the IPHC since 2000, and he and his wife, Deborah, live in LaGrange, Georgia. You can learn more about his ministry at leegrady.com.
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any of us groaned collectively back in November when we learned that Carl Lentz, pastor of Hillsong’s New York City congregation, had been fired because of a moral failure. The 42-year-old preacher, known for his hipster style, admitted in a public statement that he had engaged in an extramarital affair. “This failure is on me and me alone, and I take full responsibility for my actions,” Lentz said in a post on Instagram. Lentz and his wife, Laura, and their three children reportedly relocated to California to seek therapy and healing. Meanwhile the Hillsong network of churches must deal with the fallout along with the larger body of Christ— which has been shaken multiple times recently by high-profile moral failures. A church scandal is not just traumatic for the leader at the center of the storm; it also destabilizes everyone around them. Whole churches or ministries can be shaken to their foundations when a leader makes poor choices. During my years as a journalist I had to cover many stories of moral failure in the church—sexual scandals, financial scams or abuses of power. My trust in the people involved was shattered. In fact, my trust in all leaders was tested. Fortunately, I never walked away from my faith because a leader failed. But many people do. You may have been tempted to pick up a few stones to throw at Lentz. It’s certainly understandable to feel some anger in this situation, because
we know how unbelievers use these scandals to criticize Christians. But this is not about what the world thinks of us. It’s a family matter, and Lentz is a brother in Christ who needs our compassion. Here are a few steps I always recommend in the aftermath of a moral failure in the church:
1. It’s OK to grieve.
Jeremiah wrote an entire book of the Bible—Lamentations—to process his grief over Israel’s unfaithfulness. He cried out: “Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers ... Our fathers sinned and are no more” (Lam. 5:2a, 7a). Jeremiah didn’t minimize the impact of the sins of Israel’s leaders. But he didn’t sit in judgment, either; he cried for them—and for the effect their choices had on others. Sin has huge implications. It’s appropriate to shed tears over it.
2. Extend mercy to the leader who fell. The apostle Paul often had to bring correction to leaders who failed God. He wrote: “Brothers, if a man is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore such a one in the spirit of meekness” (Gal. 6:1a). That means we shouldn’t be harsh or vindictive, even if we must remove the person from leadership. Biblical gentleness is not cheap grace. Being merciful doesn’t mean we overlook sin or minimize its consequences. (In Lentz’s case, Hillsong fired him.) But gentleness does require us to recognize that if it were not for the grace of God, we could have made the same mistakes the offending leader did. Treat the fallen brother or sister as you would want to be treated!
3. Forgive from your heart.
I’ve met Christians who still nurse the same grudges 30 years after a pastor hurt them. They keep their pain alive by reliving the offense over and over. As a result, they are stuck in a time warp, and no one wants to be around them because their sarcasm is so toxic. You must learn to say what Jesus said on the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34a).
4. Learn from the offending leader’s mistakes. The Bible provides us with both good and bad examples of leaders. I have mentors who taught me much about God, leadership and ministry. But I also learned a lot from watching the mistakes leaders made—a few times at my expense. If someone in ministry hurts you, make a mental note: “That is not the way I want to treat people.” You can turn your disappointments into blessings if you learn from them.
5. Keep communication open.
I’ve seen cases in which leaders were asked to step down because of a scandal, and suddenly everyone they knew stopped talking to them. That’s understandable because often we just don’t know what to say. And it can be awkward if the fallen leader is justifying his behavior or trying to convince people of his version of the story. But fallen leaders need friends too. If you were close to the person who fell, try to maintain the friendship— knowing that your words might not be appreciated at first. If you did not know the leader well, a kind letter sent at just the right time can be like water in a desert to a soul who thirsts for encouragement.
servanthood more and charisma less, we might have fewer pulpit casualties. In some cases we deify ministers who have genuine anointing but also lack the humility to realize they have been put on a pedestal. Paul rebuked the people of Lystra when they called him and his companion Barnabas gods. Paul told the people: “We are also men of the same nature as you” (Acts 14:15b, NASB). True ministers of God will not allow their followers to worship them. Paul knew his proper role was to take the lowest seat, as a bondservant of Christ Jesus (see Phil. 1:1). He also knew that ministers must never allow flattery, big offerings, massive crowds or applause to inflate their egos. As ministry platforms grow larger, the potential for bigger egos grows more dangerous. Let’s all take the humility test. We need less swag and more brokenness in the pulpit. Author Henry Blackaby said it this way: “Nothing is more pathetic than having a small character in a big assignment. Many of us don’t want to give attention to our character; we just want the big assignment from God.” Years ago, a pastor who is affiliated with the Hillsong movement asked me: “Lee, you’ve seen so many leaders fail during your career as a journalist. How do you not become cynical about that?” I quickly responded: “Seeing their brokenness only reminds me that we are all flawed vessels, and that I am capable of the same failures.” Please don’t judge Carl Lentz for his sin. He has admitted it; he has repented, and he is now working with his leaders to recover. Instead of throwing stones, consider your own weakness as you pray for his restoration. Meanwhile, let’s work together to create a culture of humility that will make such scandals rare.
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“Biblical gentleness is not cheap grace. Being merciful doesn’t mean we overlook sin or minimize its consequences.”
6. Let’s stop worshipping preachers. Sadly we have created a church culture that is impressed with “cool.” I call this the “swag factor.” Technology and youthful trendiness can breed pride if we’re not careful. And pride is still pride, whether it is clothed in yesterday’s polyester suits or today’s ripped jeans. I don’t judge Carl Lentz for this, necessarily. People seem to enjoy turning certain preachers into rock stars. But if we emphasized
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Photo by: Corey Nolan
At Emmanuel College, Students Are Having Encounters With God As a member of Emmanuel’s faculty I am seeing students become mature disciples. By Trés Ward
TRÉS WARD is the Assistant to the President, Director of Worship and Arts Ministries, and an adjunct faculty member at the IPHC’s Emmanuel College. He also directs the school’s worship ministry teams including the Emmanuel Singers, The Voices of Emmanuel, Conquest and chapel worship. Trés is a fourth-generation minister in the IPHC. He is a worship consultant with IPHC Discipleship Ministries and is the IPHC Representative to the NextGen Cohort of the Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches of North America (PCCNA). He has served on staff with three IPHC congregations and had led overseas missions teams. Trés holds an M.Div. from Liberty University (2020) and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Appalachian State University (2013). He and his wife, Rachael, live in Lavonia, Georgia. Encourage Magazine 12
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e live in an age when all the information in the world is readily available at our fingertips. If we have a question, we no longer need a dictionary or an encyclopedia, a teacher or a parent; a quick online search will uncover an article or a blog to tell us everything we may want to know. Of course, if one wants to go a step further, then a YouTube search will turn up hours of videos that you can watch rather than reading an article. This is the way we access information in 2020. So when it comes to getting a traditional college education, there must be something that goes beyond merely acquiring knowledge. There must be something meaningful enough to inspire a teenager to leave the security of home and to spend several more years in school. In my view, Emmanuel College offers such a place! I say it so often that my students often joke about it, but I believe it’s true: “When you come to Emmanuel College, you get more than just an education—you get an experience.” I say this as someone who was an IPHC student and then attended a state university for my undergraduate education.
instruction for both on-campus and online learning. While these changes have come so unexpectedly and have required a steep learning curve, they have also enabled us to continue doing the important work of educating the next generation. In the midst of these many changes and challenges, God has continued to provide “handfuls of purpose” (Ruth 2:16) as reminders to keep moving forward. One Tuesday morning as I was leaving our chapel service, a first-year student asked if I could talk briefly. It was obvious that she was new to the faith. Yet God was working in her life.
Our students are being discipled seven days a week as we fulfill the Great Commission right here in Franklin Springs, Georgia. We sat down at a nearby table and her first words were, “I just feel like I need to get closer to God.” She began to tell me about her broken past and, with each word, I was more and more convinced that she was right where she needed to be here at Emmanuel. There was no doubt that God brought her to the school to heal her past hurts and to strengthen her walk with God—all while she earns her college degree. This simple story illustrates so much of what matters most to us at
Photo by: Corey Nolan
I can attest to the stark contrast between what a student experiences in a secular institution and what they can experience at Emmanuel College. There is simply no comparison. From academics to athletics, book clubs to Bible studies, concerts to CAP events and our infamous intramural rivalries, Emmanuel is a place that truly embodies the values of faith, living, and learning. Many of you know that Emmanuel is centrally located (as I like to affectionately say) right “in the middle of nowhere”—in Franklin Springs, Georgia. Snugly nestled among the finest chicken farms of the southeastern United States, the Emmanuel campus is like an oasis. During my time here, it has become clear that this is a special place and Emmanuel College is right where it belongs. For the many students, faculty, and staff who come to this place, they too find themselves at home. My wife, Rachael, and I made the move to Emmanuel College in the fall of 2017. At that time we were singing and holding revivals as evangelists in mostly IPHC churches, but we sensed the Holy Spirit prompting us to focus our ministry on students. So we began to ask the Lord to help us clarify what He would have us to do. When the opportunity to come to Emmanuel presented itself, it was the obvious next step the Lord was leading us to take. During the past four years we have witnessed firsthand how the college represents the IPHC so well in the world of academia. It is a place where students from all over the world can find a sense of belonging. During the college’s recent Centennial Celebrations, we reflected on the school’s many years of dynamic ministry. Since January 1919, when G.F. Taylor pioneered that Franklin Springs Institute, Emmanuel has trained hundreds of disciples for the IPHC. A century later, Emmanuel has had a profound global influence. 2020 has been one of the most difficult years in any of our lifetimes. The whole world has had to pivot to accommodate the relentless effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Emmanuel made significant investments and upgrades in technology to blend
Emmanuel College. These kinds of conversations are happening all the time on the campus and throughout our community—in dorms and offices, classrooms and coffee shops. Through academics, athletics, the arts and cocurricular activities, our students are being discipled seven days a week as we fulfill the Great Commission right here in Franklin Springs, Georgia. Our Christian environment provides the perfect place to help young people experience God in meaningful ways. I believe that going to college and earning a degree is an important step for many people, but what is even more important is going to the right place and for the right reasons. In today’s cultural climate, this cannot be emphasized enough. While the world of higher education is swiftly changing, and the stakes are higher than ever before in our lifetimes, Emmanuel has an outstanding faculty and staff who teach and lead from a Christian worldview. Our students do not simply earn degrees; they become disciples. And I cannot imagine anyone who would not want that for the college students in their lives. In a world where you can go anywhere to get a college education, you should be prayerful about this decision. Emmanuel College is a place where you can earn an education and have an experience with God that will prepare you to serve Him wherever He places you. I also pray that you will consider supporting Emmanuel College with your finances. It is through the generosity of people in the IPHC that we are able to fulfill our mission. If you would like to give any amount to the school, or even put the college in your will, go to ec.edu/give-now.
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