Voice of Hope

Here is a reminder for all of the couples attending this years Marriage Retreat, Feb 12-14, 2010 at Pigeon Forge. If you can email (or snail-mail) a couple of your wedding photos and a more recent one, there is still time to include you in the video presentations I am working on. Please email to me at: ecmmckinley@mac.com or send to the office: Church of God of Prophecy Tennessee State Office P.O. Box 2319 Hendersonville, TN 37077-2319 GOD BLESS!

The blizzard of 2010 as some have called it has come and gone. Remaining are ice-covered roads and a beautiful landscape of white snow. The children in the neighborhood have been out all day riding sleds down the hills surrounding our house, and we've enjoyed a day in with each other. No doubt, many of our churches will be canceling their services tomorrow (Sunday) and folks will sleep in and get a great day of rest. Because of this storm, our scheduled meeting for the Plateau region is canceled, but we will be rescheduling soon. In your prayers tomorrow, please remember our people in Haiti who are still struggling with a terrible disaster, and please remember our soldiers sailors, airmen, marines and first responders. May God bless you.

  Folks, we are anticipating a move of the Lord at our Hispanic mission in Cleveland at the Tomlinson College Chapel. Pa stor Cliff Anderson and his congregation invite you to attend. Attached, please find a poster for display. PLEASE CLICK ON THE POSTER TO SEE A FULL-SIZE GRAPHIC

Friends, Please help me pass the word that our District Leadership meeting scheduled for Sunday, January 31, 2010 at the Pine Grove church in Crossville, TN has be CANCELED. This is due to the heavy snow, freezing rain and sleet in our state. If will probably not warm enough to change the circumstance. We will reschedule the meeting and make you aware of the new date. Again, please help me get the word out. Thanks.

Most of yesterday was spent with preparation for the Tennessee State Marriage Retreat, scheduled for February 12-14, 2010. Because most of this was media work, I spent about 12 1/2 hours on production and duplication in my home office. We are expecting a great turnout, as the rooming list was turned in today to the hotel. Once again, the couples of Tennessee will be gathering for a great time of worship and celebration, along with the deepening and strengthening of relationships. Today, the snow has finally reached us in the Nashville area, so I am once again in my home office, this time doing some biblical study and preparation for the ministry in Tennessee. Our prayer is for God's richest blessings in your life.

Today, I was blessed to give checks totally up to nearly $4,000 to Bishop David Bryan for the relief work in Haiti. I was told today that the giving from our churches has now gone over $100,000 for this effort, and I am so happy that the Tennessee churches have led the way. These checks presented today just represent giving this past Sunday from churches in the Nashville area. God bless you!

Temporary Building for Orphans Delivered The team of brothers from the Dominican Republic delivered the pre-fab building to the site where the children from the orphanage have been relocated. Things got a bit tricky since the tractor trailer with the container could not be taken directly to the plot of land because the streets are so narrow. They had to unload the building and transport it to the construction site. Leveling the ground also took more time and work than they expected but the building frame is up. When the structure is complete it will have 6 rooms, 2 bathrooms and a kitchen. The work should be done so the children can move into the house by the end of this week. This house will be the children's temporary home for about a year, while plans are made for rebuilding. Children Receive Nourishing Supplies The shipment from the Dominican Republic also included water, food, and other basic supplies for the children. Pastor Pierre Richard, Orphanage Administrator, reportedly...

This morning I attended the 104th anniversary of the General Assemblies of the Church of God movement. What a blessing it is to return to the site of something special God began just a few generations ago. 104-years-ago 21 delegates gathered to find the will of God and to be accountable to one another. Today, over 10 million people across the globe trace their roots to this site. This number does NOT include the millions who have already gone on to their reward. The service was moderated by Bishop Wayne Allen, caretaker of the Fields of the Wood, along with special singing, comments by our General Overseer, Bishop Randall Howard and the message by Bishop John A. Stone, the pastor of Keith Street Ministries in Cleveland. Bishop Stone shared a message on "HOLINESS" that should be heard by everyone in our movement. We were also blessed by members of the Murphy Church of God (Cleveland Assembly) who ministered with music. After the celebration, delegates of this anniversary...

Churches from the Nashville area gathered last night at the Lakeside Church in Westmoreland for our area district leadership meeting. As always, the worship team at the Lakeside church led a powerful worship service to a full house. The presence of the Lord was special, and so rich. During the worship service, the churches of the area gave a special offering for our work in Haiti,and we are grateful for their generosity. I will be delivering the check to the Global Outreach department this week. Special thanks to District Presbyter, Bishop F. Leon Graves for his superb skills at planning and moderating the event, and thanks to our state staff present for the meeting. My family and I are so blessed to minister to the wonderful people of Tennessee.

This morning, I was privileged to attend morning worship services with Debra and Lindsey at the Bellshire church in Nashville. We found a well attended service, and enjoyed the music during the worship time. The local church received a nice offering for the disaster in Haiti, to assist our work there, and I will hand-deliver their check to Global Outreach this week. Pastor Todd Carroll presented an excellent sermon that blessed everyone in attendance, and the service concluded with Holy Communion. We are so blessed to worship and fellowship with such wonderful people in the State of Tennessee.

"...Responding to the Haiti crisis. All of the updates, a video message, and status reports are at the website www.cogop.org . You can click on the scrolling screen to the left to see the video and on the right to get information. Pictures taken by our team that went in from the Dominican Republic have also been uploaded. We are working closely with our leadership in the Dominican Republic, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean to mount a rapid response. We have already taken in one shipment of supplies to the orphanage and others are in the works. I appreciate your prayers, and support for the precious brothers and sisters in Haiti. Interceding for Haiti, David Bryan Director, Global Outreach Ministries Church of God of Prophecy International Offices _________________________________________ 3720 Keith Street P. O. Box 2910 Cleveland, TN 37320-2910 Secretary: (423) 559-5203 Direct Line: (423) 559-5204 Fax: (423) 559-5238 Email: david@cogop.org or david8lion@aol.com We...

Tomorrow night (January 24,2010) the churches of Upper Middle Tennessee will gather at the Lakeside church in Westmoreland, Tennessee for a special time of praise, worship and the preaching of the word. The state staff will be present to share their printed materials before and after the meeting, and the evening message will be brought by the State Overseer, Bishop E.C. McKinley. This is the third of these meetings, and the previous two were very well attended and the Lord blessed each in a special way. This meeting is open to ministers and laity alike, and we trust you will join us. For directions to the church CLICK HERE The District Presbyter, Bishop F. Leon Graves will host the service.

For our regular readers of the blog, you will notice that it has been several days since I’ve posted on a regular basis.  Since Tuesday morning of this last week, Debra and I joined several other leaders in the Church of God of Prophecy at the Synergize2 conference in Orlando, Florida.  This network is dedicated to seeing one billion souls added to the kingdom of God and to see new churches established. The presenters at the conference minister to all of us in a special way, and one of the highlights was the prayer sessions where leadership from across the Christian realm and from around the world gathered.  Among the delegation from the Church of God of Prophecy was our General Overseer, Bishop Randall Howard, World Language Director, Bishop Gabriel Vidal, TC Director, Bishop H.E. Cardin and overseers, Bishop Robert F. Davis (VA), Bishop Tim Coalter (SC), Bishop Fred Lawson (OH/WV), International Women’s Minister, Catherine Payne, and several pastors. We are believ...

Bishop Flavio Rosario and Pastor Quiterio Rosario were able to make their way into Port-au-Prince on Saturday and met with Bishop Dorlean, overseer of Haiti, and some of our Haitian brothers. The long journey into the Haitian capital was slowed by traffic, clogging the roads as others sought to deliver aid. At many points the roadways were made impassable by debris so although delayed, the Dominican team arrived safely. They delivered enough food and water to the children at the orphanage to last about a week. Bishop Dorlean was overwhelmed by the support and could not find words to express his gratitude for this act of Christian solidarity. Bishop Benjamin Feliz, Director of Finance and Publications, was able to speak with Brother Dorlean and encourage him of the global church's full support for Haiti in this hour of crisis. The office of the General Presbyter of Central America, Mexico and the Hispanic Caribbean, along with the leadership of Panama and the Dominican Republic is ...

CHURCH OF GOD OF PROPHECY CONNECTIONS It has been more than 48 hours since a 7.0 quake pummeled Port-au-Prince, capital of Haiti, demolishing the already tenuous existence of millions in this nation that shares an island with the Dominican Republic. The Church of God of Prophecy, its members, and ministries have not escaped unscathed. The National Overseer, Bishop Jean Claude Dorlean, although reported to be safe, has not been able to make contact with our International Offices. Five of the orphans at the Leogane Orphanage administered by the church died apparently when the Girls Dormitory collapsed. Two adult workers are also confirmed dead. Brother Pierre Richard Mirand, Orphanage Administrator, who was appointed to the post at the 2006 convention, reports that the orphanage walls, the sea wall (the orphanage is on the west coast of the island), and the Administrator's home all sustained extensive damage. Twelve of the children were injured, two seriously enough to require Bis...

Dear Friends, I have done my best to give you updates quickly from the devastation, however, as you can imagine, communication has been severely limited. I will continue to post as I receive information, but I will always make sure it is from a reputable source. As with previous disasters any donations sent to the state office will go 100% to the efforts there. We undergo annual audits from an outside audit firm to ensure we are compliant with professional accounting standards. Anything sent, needs to be marked for Haitian relief. To send donations to the State Office: Church of God of Prophecy Tennessee State Office P.O. Box 2319 Hendersonville, TN 37077-2319 PLEASE CLEARLY MARK YOUR DONATION FOR HAITI RELIEF IN THE MEMO FIELD Also, there is the opportunity to donate online at our International Website. Here is a link that will take your there: COGOP HAITIAN RELIEF

Information from Global Outreach Director, Bishop David Bryan We have received information from a Haitian pastor in Key West, Florida who was able to connect by email with our orphanage administrator. We are thankful that Bishop Dorlean, our national overseer, is safe. However, this tragedy has struck the orphanage. Five of the children have died, along with two employees. Evidently, the orphanage has sustained serious damage and four of the remaining children are trapped under the rubble and it is feared that they will die, unless they are rescued. Brother Dorlean took two severely wounded children to seek medical care. The other sixty-eight children, along with Brother Mirand, the administrator, his wife and three children are all on the street with no shelter, food or clothing. Brother Mirand also mentioned that in one district of 11 churches, nine were completely destroyed and the other two sustained serious damage. Obviously, the scale of this catastrophe defies full comprehension...

This afternoon, I am attending the Youth Harvest Training conference at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Convention Center in Murfreesboro. Once again, the Trevor and Ailene Reid and their staff have organized a great conference, filled with relevant information for our youth and children's workers. We are thankful for their hard work and preparation. I will be attending again tomorrow, and I am looking forward to the material to be presented.

We have received a report from our orphanage in Haiti. Five of the children have died, along with two employees. Four more children remain buried under the rubble. Please continue to prayer for this nation.

Greetings! Finally, I have been able to talk to the associate Pastor of the Haitian COGOP in Delray Beach FL. His name is Marc St. Fort. He said he just talked to someone in Haiti. That person said that the orphanage has sustained damages. Several children are wounded, and there may be some casualties. Several leaders of the church are in the process of helping Bro. Dorlean to relocate the children so they can receive medical care. The hospital in the area is not operating due to heavy damages to the facilities. I will keep you posted when I have more information. Let's stay in prayer for Haiti! God bless!!! Bob

This attached flyer is available to download, print and distribute to your church. Just click the image to enlarge.

As you may know, the Church of God of Prophecy has a significant presence in the nation of Haiti—our most recent statistic indicating 58,000 members—much of which live in the Port-au-Prince region, along with our Orphanage being located in this region, as well, caring for 68 orphaned children. In a nation already challenged by limited infrastructure, extreme poverty, past devastating hurricanes and flooding, the 7.0 earthquake which struck yesterday has only exacerbated the difficulty that our brothers and sisters already faced on a daily basis. Due to all communication lines being down in the Port-au-Prince area, we still have NOT been able to make contact with our National Overseer. From the news reports, our fears are that there is much loss of life and property, but our faith must rise and reach up to the One who is ultimately in control. Your urgent prayer support is vital at this very moment! Certainly, we appreciate your patience as we make every effort possible to make connecti...

By now, many of you have watched the devastation from an earthquake in the nation of Haiti. When the first news flashes came across the television, I told Debra, this looks bad...our fears have been realized. As you may know, the Church of God of Prophecy has a presence in Haiti, so we have concerns about our brothers and sisters there. This disaster has only exacerbated the situation there of limited infrastructure and the extreme poverty that much of the nation experiences. Previous national difficulties, including political upheaval has seen the nation suffer for as long as I can remember. I have spoken with our Global Outreach Director, Bishop David Bryan and he has informed me that we are still trying to establish contact with our National Overseer, and with the Area General Presbyter, Bishop Brice Thompson to assess the damage. We all fear the worse, that there has been much loss of life and property. At this point we DO NOT have contact, but continue to reach out. Many have ...

I would like to invite anyone connected to Ministry to Children to join me at Pine Grove Church at 4pm prior to District Meeting on January 31st. Snacks will be provided. I would like an opportunity to share the vision God has given me for Children's Ministry in Tennessee. I am new to East Tennessee. I want to meet you and get to know the needs of your local church. I want to be a resource to you. I hope you and your ministry team can attend. We will conclude by 5:30pm. This will not interfere with the District Meeting. Kim Batson

This past weekend was a great time of fellowship and ministry in our churches in Tennessee. Yesterday morning, Debra and I were blessed to be with the Empowered Church in Dickson for their anniversary service. Pastor Mike and Rhonda Jennette work so hard for the kingdom, and are building a powerful ministry in the middle Tennessee area. During the morning service, I was blessed to extend the membership covenant to two brand new members. When I shared this with one of our pastors yesterday evening, he shared that he had received four new members into his local church the same day. Praise the Lord. Last night, the churches under the care of District Presbyter, Bishop Gary Riley gathered at the Crossroads church in White Bluff for an great time of worship and fellowship. As you may know, Crossroads has a large seating capacity, but there were so many in attendance, that chairs had to brought from the Sunday School room and set in the aisles to accomodate the crowd. The Empowered te...

February 12-14, 2010 is the date set for the Annual Tennessee Marriage Retreat. Applications have started to come in at an increasing rate, and we are hope you can join us for this special time in the Great Smokey Mountains. The MainStay Suites in Pigeon Forge is the setting for the retreat, and Bishop Tim and Karen Harper are our special guests. Please check back for more information.

Treva Walker, lay minister at our Dickson, TN church has asked for special prayer for a family member.

Mr. "Frog" Gibbs, age 83 of Hickman, died Thursday morning, January 7 at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He is survived by: wife, Vella Gibbs; children, Sherry Gibbs of Carthage, Sheena McCaleb & husband Tim of Gallatin, Kim Dyer & husband Benton of Defeated Creek, Kris Gibbs & wife Janie of Hickman; sister, June Vaden of Hickman; brother, Maxie Gibbs Sr. of Lock Seven; 10 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren. Mr. Gibbs is at the Carthage Chapel of Sanderson Funeral Home where his service will be conducted Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. with Bro. Tim McCaleb officiating. Interment in the Smith County Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends at the Carthage Chapel on Friday from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m. and on Saturday from 11 a.m. until service time at 3:00 p.m. Memorials may be made to the Second Harvest Food Bank.

Last Sunday evening, ministers, members and friends of the churches in West Tennessee gathered at the DoubleTree Hotel in Jackson for the first area-wide meeting. The worship service was excellent and the ministry of the Ridgely drama team added to the evening. A special thanks to Bishops Robbie Wier and Clayton Mahan for arranging the meeting, and for creating the opportunity for me to share my heart. The next meeting is scheduled for this coming Sunday evening, January 10, 2010 at the Crossroads church in White Bluff. District Presbyter, Bishop Gary Riley will be in charge of the services. We hope to see you there.

To view the local news story from Atlanta, CLICK HERE

I am saddened to share this story with you from the Atlanta Journal Constitution affecting a local congregation. The New Year should be a time filled with resolutions of living a happier life in the 365 days to come. But for one Atlanta family, this past New Year's Eve will be filled with sad memories of loss, as a four-year-old boy was shot and killed by a stray bullet, while in church. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Marquel Peters was most likely hit by the bullet of a rifle, fired in celebration of the New Year. Peters was playing with a video game and waiting, with his mother, for a 12:30 a.m. concert to start at Church of God of Prophecy, in the Decatur area, when he was shot. He was taken to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston, where he died. Ballistics expert Kelly Fite told AJC that an AK-47 is the probable firearm that was used in the shooting, as the rifle is "the most prolific [weapon found]" in the area. Fite also said that it'...