Voice of Hope

  The Roberts Tabernacle church located at 1801 Fairfield Road, Westmoreland, TN will be in revival services October 2-5, 2011 with Evangelist Phil Minter from Tryon, Georgia. Services times are as follows: Sunday Morningr 11:00 am Sunday Night 6:00 pm Monday through Wednesday 7:00 pm For more information, please call (615) 644-3824

As you may know, October is a month set aside across the United States to honor those who are serving in the pastoral leadership ministry.  I am offering this post as a source of information for congregations to ponder and for pastors to ingest.  PLEASE DO SOMETHING SPECIAL IN OCTOBER TO HONOR YOUR UNDERSHEPHERD. According to a 1992 survey that was published in a prominent journal, the pastoral family has some unique challenges.  When giving reasons for divorce among pastors, note the statistics from “Is the Pastor’s Family Safe at Home?,” by David Goetz: 81% insufficient time together 71% use of money 70% income level 64% communication difficulties 64% congregational expectations 57% differences over use of leisure 53% difficulty in raising children 46% sexual problems 41% pastor’s anger toward spouse 35% differences over ministry career 25% differences over spouse’s career As you can clearly see, the pastor’s family faces the same pressures of other fami...

These last few days Debra and I have been blessed to attend this conference hosted by the Church of God of Prophecy’s International Ministries.  The site of the conference was the Ridgecrest Conference center located just outside Black Mountain, North Carolina. The churches of Tennessee were well represented by children’s ministries workers from across the state.  Also this year, one of our Pastors, Larry (Bubba Meadors) from the Lebanon church attended and was a great blessing to his folks.  State Children’s Ministries director, Kim Batson represented us well as she ministered throughout the weekend.  I hope that next year more of our pastors will be able to attend the conference. As always, Kathy Creasy our International Director and her staff put together a conference that will be remembered for it’s excellence, and in the final session our General Overseer Bishop Randall Howard a challenge that was both inspired and anointed. Special thanks to all the local c...

This past week I met with the state staff and District Presbyters to go over the calendar of events for the next year.  I am working on a way to present an online calendar to make this readily available for all interested parties. Please check back in the next few days for the calendar information.

  Have you ever felt like you were so far behind you just couldn’t catch up?  Well I have been there, done that and have the t-shirt to prove it.  Here is an announcement that I just found that hadn’t been posted.  It is better late than never and I beg forgiveness for missing this announcement from the pastor of our Big Sandy, Tennessee church.   “Bro. McKinley Just want to let you know that our grandson has arrived. Joshua Caleb Stockdale was born August 30, 2011. He weighed 7 1/2 pounds and is 21 inches long. I now am learning how you feel about grandchildren. Donnie Kirby”   MY CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WHOLE FAMILY

I am posting a message I have received from Bishop Rick Lee, the Presiding Bishop of the Northwest Territories Region (MT, ND, SD, WY). From time-to-time churches ask about Level two harvest partners giving. While we want to be totally supportive of work outside of the United States, we also have needs at home that are worthy. This is one I can support, knowing the people involved, and the confidence I have in Bishop Lee for proper accountability. If you would like more information, please email Bishop Lee or me personally. Greetings I hope everyone is having a good day. Many have asked about the Minot situation and this is the latest update I have received. This information is from Rose Rector, the wife of Interim Pastor, Jason Rector. The clean up is completed. The parsonage had to be gutted from 4 1/4 feet down on all walls. All plumbing and furnace, duct work, appliances, carpet, subfloor, all matting and carpet, doors, fireplace and numerous other things had to be tor...

It doesn't quite seem real. Ten-years ago, terrorists attacked the homeland of the United States and spread death and destruction in New York, Washington, D.C. and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. September 11, 2001 has become this generations Pearl Harbor. The events of that day set off a global war on terror which have included the deployment of thousands of servicemen and servicewomen and the near loss of civil liberties long cherished in the United States. Things changed that day...no clear-thinking person can think otherwise. We were living in Montana at the time of the attacks, and there are some images that have not left my mind. Like the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert Kennedy, I can clearly remember where I was when I heard the news. I remember the gut-wrenching feeling that struck me and I knew that our nation would never be the same again. During this time frame of ten years, a lot has changed....they changed in our nat...

From Bishop Randy Howard: The COGOP world family of ministry has just lost a wonderful Mother of the Faith in Egypt. Sister Eatedal Rizk, wife of our Bishop and Overseer of Egypt, Samir Rizk, has passed away after struggling with illness these last few months. She was a saint found always at the side of Bishop Samir. Please pray for the family and the national church of Egypt. -- Post From My iPad

Pastor Rick Brogden is currently at Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He is facing surgery. Please join me in prayer for him and his family. -- Post From My iPad