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From the General Overseer
Europe/CIS/Middle East Leadership Conference
On the weekend of Feb 27th the Leadership of the Church of God of Prophecy gathered on the island of Cyprus for a conference of vision sharing, fellowship, inspiration, and instruction, under the guidance of General Presbyter, Clayton Endecott. In a parallel meeting at the same hotel a European Ladies Retreat was held under the direction of Cathy Payne and the International Women’s Ministry. For three days the rich grace of heaven flowed among these God called leaders and women.
The Leadership Meeting was a smaller gathering with only overseers attending this year. One of the highlights for all who were present was the call to prayer issued by the Holy Spirit. This call was not one that was programmed into the schedule but one that flowed out so evidently from a work of the Spirit through the days of the conference. One observer noted on the final day of meetings that we had not had a ‘normal’ prayer to that point. Most are familiar with the ‘normal’ prayer to open a session, or to pray for certain needs.
As we looked back through the sessions we realized each prayer took on a life of its own and flowed freely. In one prayer point we prayed for about fifteen minutes, in another about twenty. On Saturday morning we bowed to open the session with ‘normal’ prayer and over an hour later we were still praying all over the room. Some were laying hands on brother overseers, some walking, some raising hands in praise, and some kneeling. In another attempt at ‘normal’ prayer the group prayed over eight keys in the area for about forty minutes, though the original intent was something much less. By the end of the conference it was clear to General Presbyter Clayton Endecott that God had superimposed His calling to prayer over these sessions and had injected us all with a Holy Spirit stirring to prayer together. It was rich and spiritually filling to participate in what was so obviously from God. The imprint was clear that God is calling us to be a people of prayer so that our efforts in the Harvest and Leadership Development will be effective.
On Saturday evening the two conferences held a joint service. It was a wonderful celebration of our unity together and our diversity of languages, cultures, and nationalities. It was clear that the people of Europe appreciated being together as overseers, International Office leaders, women of Europe, and with our host Cypriot brothers as well. The night concluded with a call to prayer for all who wanted to respond in need or calling. Our overseers laid hands on everyone coming forward and nearly all present participated in an intense session of victory and impartation. Many more highlights could be mentioned for both conferences of course, but the sense of unity and the presence of God among us was woven into all we experienced that weekend on the beautiful beach of the island of Cyprus. A note of thanks and appreciation goes to host overseer, Bishop Michael Charalambous, and his wife Soula, who hosted and coordinated our stay on the island.
Europe/CIS/Middle East Leadership Conference
On the weekend of Feb 27th the Leadership of the Church of God of Prophecy gathered on the island of Cyprus for a conference of vision sharing, fellowship, inspiration, and instruction, under the guidance of General Presbyter, Clayton Endecott. In a parallel meeting at the same hotel a European Ladies Retreat was held under the direction of Cathy Payne and the International Women’s Ministry. For three days the rich grace of heaven flowed among these God called leaders and women.The Leadership Meeting was a smaller gathering with only overseers attending this year. One of the highlights for all who were present was the call to prayer issued by the Holy Spirit. This call was not one that was programmed into the schedule but one that flowed out so evidently from a work of the Spirit through the days of the conference. One observer noted on the final day of meetings that we had not had a ‘normal’ prayer to that point. Most are familiar with the ‘normal’ prayer to open a session, or to pray for certain needs.
As we looked back through the sessions we realized each prayer took on a life of its own and flowed freely. In one prayer point we prayed for about fifteen minutes, in another about twenty. On Saturday morning we bowed to open the session with ‘normal’ prayer and over an hour later we were still praying all over the room. Some were laying hands on brother overseers, some walking, some raising hands in praise, and some kneeling. In another attempt at ‘normal’ prayer the group prayed over eight keys in the area for about forty minutes, though the original intent was something much less. By the end of the conference it was clear to General Presbyter Clayton Endecott that God had superimposed His calling to prayer over these sessions and had injected us all with a Holy Spirit stirring to prayer together. It was rich and spiritually filling to participate in what was so obviously from God. The imprint was clear that God is calling us to be a people of prayer so that our efforts in the Harvest and Leadership Development will be effective.On Saturday evening the two conferences held a joint service. It was a wonderful celebration of our unity together and our diversity of languages, cultures, and nationalities. It was clear that the people of Europe appreciated being together as overseers, International Office leaders, women of Europe, and with our host Cypriot brothers as well. The night concluded with a call to prayer for all who wanted to respond in need or calling. Our overseers laid hands on everyone coming forward and nearly all present participated in an intense session of victory and impartation. Many more highlights could be mentioned for both conferences of course, but the sense of unity and the presence of God among us was woven into all we experienced that weekend on the beautiful beach of the island of Cyprus. A note of thanks and appreciation goes to host overseer, Bishop Michael Charalambous, and his wife Soula, who hosted and coordinated our stay on the island.