Voice of Hope

Last Friday found us on the road again on our way to the Knoxville area. On Saturday morning, Debra was the guest speaker for the Women of Grace Ladies Day at the Clinton, Tennessee Church of God of Prophecy. The day was well attended, and the Lord blessed every part of the day, which was concluded with a nice luncheon. Here you will see a group shot of all the ladies in attendance.

Today I met with the Ministerial Review Board in Tennessee for the purpose of reviewing ministerial candidates and policies for licensure. Normally I don't post concerning the deliberations of this board, but I wanted to put a personal note of appreciation for their work and contribution made to the ministry in Tennessee. May God bless each of them.

Recently, Debra and I hosted a dinner for the retired General Appointees (those living in Tennessee) at the Holiday Inn in Cleveland, Tennessee. This was a special celebration to honor those who are now retired, but have given so many years to the work of the Church of God of Prophecy. An amazing thought to me is that some in the room that night have known and worked with all of our General Overseers, namely, A.J. Tomlinson, M.A. Tomlinson, Billy Murry, Fred Fisher and Randall Howard. We were honored to have Bishop Randall Howard, our current General Overseer and his wife Bess and their son Brett. Dwight Richardson favored us with a special selection and each of the former appointees were given a nice gift, great meal and a DVD copy of the video presentation we put together honoring them...in fact, in this DVD, their own pictures appeared when they were younger. Special thanks to Londa Richardson, Dwight Richardson, Debra McKinley, Shaun and Stephanie McKinley for helping make the ni...

As the General Assembly approaches, I would like to invite participation from the folks of our great state to help make this a memorable time for the delegates gathering from around the world. This will be the last time the General Assembly will be in Tennessee for some time, if ever again. The General Assembly of 2010 will be in Greensboro, N.C., and chances are the General Assembly of 2012 will be west of the Mississippi river. There will be a real need for volunteers to help in several areas, and I invite you to help us show some good, old-fashioned Tennessee hospitality. Our delegates from around the world will be arriving on the Friday before the assembly and will be departing Nashville on the following Monday. There will be a need for our folks to greet our National Overseers and missionaries at the airport and then return them to the airport for their departure flight. YOU CAN HELP. If you would be willing to assist, I am asking you to email me at: ecmckinley@mac.com Also, t...

In just a few days (this Saturday) Teen camp will start at Camp Hickory Hills. This will be the last camp of our summer camping season, and we are so grateful for the Lord's Presence among our kids and staff. We are so appreciative of the the staff who has given their time, talent, and sometimes treasure to help make the camps the success it is. Please join me in prayer as we conduct the last camp of the season, and as we look forward to many more years of camping in Tennessee.

After the special service at McMinnville on Sunday, Debra and I traveled to the campground where we spent the night and enjoyed the fellowship of the campers and the staff. This is another great camp, and one that is well worth the money spent for our facilities. Debra and I stayed into the mid afternoon and then enjoyed a nice drive back to Hendersonville. This camp will end on Thursday and then the final camp of the season will begin. We are so thankful for the goodness of the Lord and the blessings He has bestowed on all of us.

Yesterday, Debra and I were honored to worship with the West Riverside church in McMinnville. After a great lunch at 12:30 p.m., the afternoon service began at 2:00 p.m. Also at the meeting were Bishop Winston Reid and a group of the Wildwood Ave COGOP who performed a dance routine, and sang several choir numbers. As well, Bishop Michael Harris and the congregation from the McMinnville Riverside Church attended. We were blessed to have Bishop Vital Herne and a multitude of other special guests, including a men's group from a local United Methodist Church. What a great time we had in the Lord! A very special thanks to Bishop Timothy & First Lady Scotton for being so gracious and loving to us. We look forward to our next visit there, hopefully soon.

Friends, This week has been one for the record books. We have heard powerful testimonies from across the state of the work God is doing among our people. It has also been a week filled with travel (I know, what's new) that started from going to Cleveland for a meeting with retired General Appointees, to preach at Fields of the Wood on Saturday and attending Father's Day services with my family in Cleveland. I attended the funeral of Deacon Nelson Yankee (Gallatin) and watched as Pastor Windell Moore did an excellent job. I am always made proud by our pastors who display professionalism with compassion. With Adminstrative Committee meetings, work for the Assembly Task Force and Youth Camps rounding out the schedule, suffice it to say getting even a little time to post something here has been difficult. The week ended with taking care of State Trustee work with Bishop Leon Graves and Bishop Richard Neal, and enjoying the opportunity to sit with the two of them for about a ha...

I have a Creation VBS kit with banners and decorations that has been donated. Please contact me if your local church is interested in this opportunity. kim.batson@comcast.net or 615-604-7484.

Today I learned that Cindy Peoples' father is to undergo heart surgery tomorrow at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville. The family has asked that we remember him in prayer. His name is, Clomer Woodin. I will post follow ups. God bless.

Good Morning Bishop McKinley I wanted to notify you of the death of one of our deacons here at the Gallatin Church. Brother Nelson Yankee went to be with the Lord Sunday morning. Brother Yankee has been a Deacon in the church for over 40 years. We would appreciate your prayers for the family. The arrangments are: Family Heritage Funeral Home 100 Albert Gallatin Ave. Gallatin, TN 37066 Visitation------Tuesday 2:00---8:00PM Service-----2:00----Wednesday (visitation 12:00--2:00) Have a good day Pastor Moore

We just concluded our second youth camp of the season at Camp Hickory Hills, near Dickson, Tennessee. After Encounter Camp we jumped right into Big Shot Camp. Tomorrow, Senior Camp begins and looks like we will have an outstanding group of children and staff on hand to worship, fellowship and share the joy of sumer camping. We appreciate all the hard work of our Coordinators, Directors and staff.

General Presbyter Clayton Endecott’s mother, Dora Mae Endecott passed away this morning around 10:30 CST. It is my understanding that Brother Clayton; his wife, Wanda and their two eldest children are in flight to Kansas City from Germany. I know the family would appreciate your prayers these next few days that God would comfort them in their loss. I will send arrangements as soon as they are received. Sincerely, Sam N. Clements

Click on the photo to enlarge and print.

Yesterday, I rose early to travel to the Cumberland Hospital in Crossville to visit the son of our Cookeville pastor, Thelma Roby. Bobby has been in critical care for over a week, and is currently on a ventilator. The doctors thought he had food poisoning, but instead his appendix ruptured and gangrene set up. I was able to visit with Bobby and pray with him, and then visit with Sister Roby and her husband Don afterwards. Please help me to pray for a miracle for Bobby. After leaving the hospital, I traveled back to the office and picked up Debra. We visited the opening services of Big Shot camp and stayed until late last night. Arriving home around 11:30 p.m., it made for a long day. As we get full swing into the camps, we are noticing a good turn out for the camps, and we are expecting God to do something very special in the lives of our campers.

Those who read our blog on a regular basis know that I try to post something every day, however, it has been a few days, and I wanted to give you an update on our activities. Encounter Camp Debra and I spent Friday and Saturday at Camp Hickory Hills for the Encounter Camp. This camp is for those age 18 and up, and Kim Batson serves as the director. Kim and her staff did an excellent job of preparation and implementation of the camp. Paul Holt, from the International Offices served as the evangelist on Friday and Saturday nights, and Sister Londa Richardson on Sunday morning. There was a great crowd in attendance and Debra and I really enjoyed our time there. Will Sims Wedding We left on Saturday afternoon for Columbia where we attended the wedding of one of the members of the local church, Will Sims, whom I had the privilege of serving as pastor for eight years. It was a beautiful wedding and reception. We arrived back home late Saturday night, and then left home again Sunday morn...