Voice of Hope

Join with me, Bishop Clements and leaders from the Assemblies of God, the Church of God, the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, and more at a two-day conference being held in Fayetteville, North Carolina.  The singular purpose is united prayer.  Our goal is to seek God for revival in the church and awakening in the culture, with awareness that change begins in us!  For more information or to register, visit  encounter2015.com

In just a few days, our brethren and sisters from around the world will be joining together to seek a fresh encounter with our heavenly Father.  From January 5-25 there will be countless prayer meetings, sermons preached on prayer, lessons taught on encountering God’s Presence.  Please check back on this site for updates.

Children have souls too

We must ask ourselves a question at church budget time

In the last few weeks I have been extremely troubled at the events that are taking place in our nation? I understand the political process can seem to be complicated, but some things are easily understood.  With American citizens being beheaded and Christians around the world being murdered for their faith I am distressed at the continuing political game that is being played by the leaders of our nation. While I don't know all of the internal workings of the political parties, I know this:  America is in trouble and we need help.  However, I don't believe the help can come from anywhere other than the Lord. I pray that God will touch our leaders hearts and lives.  I pray that they will stop the political tomfoolery they engage in and pay attention.  Our freedom is on the line...its time to wake up!

As I've shared before, I am a proud citizen of the United States of America. In recent weeks I've heard a lot of disparaging remarks made about this great nation that I love, and I take exception to the attitudes displayed, and the snide remarks made about the people, and especially the churches. Not long ago, I saw one of the National Registry signs on the side of the road as I traveled to the western part of Tennessee.  I was a little surprised to see it so I just had to snap a picture.  As you can see, it marks a place where Alexis De Tocqueville visited on his travel throughout our young nation. Seeing the sign reminded me of something by De Tocqueville once said about this land that I love so much.  He is famous for saying, "America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." We must dedicate ourselves to the ideas of liberty and justice for all, as well as the value of freedom over tyranny.

This evening I had a wake up call.  No, it wasn't from the telephone, but rather from the Holy Spirit.  As I sat to read my Bible after a long trip questions began to arise in my mind.  What verse was it that made me sit up and pay attention?  Well, I'm glad you asked. Here it is, "I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me; refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul." (Psalm 142:4)  Those last six words seemed to jump of the page and right into my heart.  NO MAN CARED FOR MY SOUL .  For the next few minutes I just sat and thought.  I began to remember where my ministry began and I thought about the countless thousands of people I have come in contact with after over three decades of this work I am involved in.  I thought about those early years when the only minister who would invite me to preach was my father (a pastor) and my father-in-law (also a pastor).  They served very small congregations, my dad in Indiana and my fat

What has happened to the posts on this blog? That's a good question, now here is the answer. We have been slowly migrating everything over to the Tennessee Church of God of Prophecy State Website and more fully use the social media opportunities to help get the word out about events and happenings across the state. Although this is my personal blog, often church events overshadow what I would like to do with it...namely to post my own ministry thoughts, values and opinions.  Often my personal opinions are in stark contrast to fellow ministers whom I love and appreciate.  I don't want to endanger them or hurt their feelings by posting something that upsets them in the middle of church updates. Therefore, from today on, this page will become PERSONAL and all of the State of Tennessee Related events and news will appear on the LATEST NEWS tab on the website.  You can find the website by typing the url tncogop.com or by clicking this link provided for you:   http://tncogop.

Friday May 30 Viewing 4pm -6:30pm Memorial Celebration. 7:00pm Location: Wildwood COGOP Saturday May 31 Viewing 10am -11am Homegoing Service. 11a Location: tbd

I am deeply saddened to announce the passing of Sister Vernetta Reid. Sister Reid served alongside her husband, Bishop Winston Reid most recently at the Wildwood Church in Cleveland, Tennessee.  Her son and his wife, Trevor and Ailene Reid serve as the International Youth Ministries Directors. Please join us in prayer for Winston and their family, I will share information about visitation and funeral arrangements once I receive them.

Tonight, I spoke with Pastor Vernon Carruthers (Madisonville Church) by telephone and learned that his wife, Sharon is in Park West Hospital in Knoxville, Tennessee.  With a high fever and sever pain, she was hospitalized due to an infection in one of her knees, that had replacement surgery. She is to undergo a surgical procedure tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) and Pastor Carruthers is requesting your prayers for her.  I am also asking each of you to pray for Vernon as well. 

We are sad to announce the passing of Deacon Louis Cartwright (GreenRidge formerly know as Greenbrier Church) Funeral arrangements for Bro. Cartwright: Austin & Bell Funeral Home 2619 Hwy 41S Greenbrier, TN, 37073.  Visitation will be Thursday, May 8, 5 to 8 PM  Friday, May 9, 9 to 11AM, Service will be at 11 AM.

Debra and I are on our way home from a full day of ministry. Of course I need to mention we were in Cleveland yesterday for visitation to honor Bishop A.J.Coalter. Funeral services for Bishop A.J. Coalter this morning. I was privileged to be able to make a few comments along with North American Presbyter Bishop  Sam N. Clements , Retired Bishop J.E. Brisson and enjoy a great message by Bishop Coalter's son-in-law, Bishop  Duke Stone , pastor of the Hickory Vallley. Our prayers are with  Norma Coalter , Bishop  Tim Coalter  and Shirlene Stone and all the children and grandchildren. After graveside services by Bishop Tim Coalter, we learned that our Asia/Oceana General Presbyter, Bishop  David L. Browder  was hospitalized in Cleveland last night for chest pains. We, along with Georgia Bishop  Billy Adams  and his wife  Charlotte Rea Adams  went to visit and have prayer for him. While there, we learned that Bishop  Wade Patterson  had also been admitted, so we went to his room

Tonight, Bishop A.J. Coalter, former State Overseer of Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee and Florida is in hospice care.  After suffering a lengthy illness, his family is with him and we are asking your prayers for the whole family. Please help me pass the word.

Greetings District Pastors, Remember the Dayton Children's Workers Workshop at Dayton, TN CoGoP with the Great Kim Batson May 1st Pastor's Lunch at La Costa Restaurant in Crossville May 3-5 "Get Real Girls camp at Camp Hickory Hills and  May 26 Young Child's Workshop at Old Hickory CoGoP with the Great Kim Batson God Bless you as you work for Him "Freddie" Harding drharding@me.com 931-260-1966

Bishop Knoblich writes: Dear Church Family: First, I want to say thank you for the outpouring of your love and prayers for those whose lives have literally been turned upside down. It appears like the last person rescued was last Saturday when this immense landslide occurred.    For days, search teams have concentrated on rescue operations.  Unfortunately, these operations have turned now to recovery mode.  Our missing church member, Steve Hadaway still has not been found.  At this point there are over two dozen known fatalities and approximately 90 people still unaccounted for. As you can imagine when a tragedy of this magnitude hits a small community of about 1300 people, it is devastating.  None the less, the community is pulling together and trying to do the best they can.  Our pastor and his wife in the Darrington area, Brother and Sister Alexander, are working hard ministering to people and are so thankful for the prayer support.  Please continue in praye

"But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with   compassion  on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd." (Matthew 9:36) It seems like it was only a short-time ago that I accepted the call from the Lord into ministry.  To be perfectly honest, it was a call that I ran from for many years.  Like so many others, I tried to deal with the conviction from the Holy Spirit by filling my life with things of no eternal value.  I was on a dead end road until the day came that God put a roadblock in my path and I turned around. The memories of those early days are still fresh.  You see, I knew the difference between right and wrong, I simply chose wrong.  I had a godly mother who prayed and fasted for me, and had been married almost two years when I stopped running from God and started running toward Him.  My father returned to the Lord, mostly brought on by the sudden and unexpected death of my older brother.  He was now pursuing th

Received from North American General Presbyters office: The Pre Assembly Expression reports and forms were made available via the COGOP website and mailed to North America Pastors on March 12th, 2014. The original deadline for the expressions to be returned to the State/Regional/National Offices is set for March 31. This date seems somewhat unrealistic for some of our outlying areas that may not get the information quickly to make a quick turn around with their expression. Wi th the changes in the business procedure this year and the Meeting of the General Presbyters and Committees upcoming in April, I am proposing these changes in deadlines: April 10, 2014 - Deadline for Pastors to send Pre Assembly Expressions to State/Regional/National Offices

Friends, Perhaps you have heard the news of a terrible mudslide in Washington State that was devastating to the local community.  I learned this afternoon that this has affected members of the Church of God of Prophecy.  Please read the following notice from Dr. Don Knoblich, the State Presiding Bishop of Washington and Alaska.  Will you also please join us in prayer for this special need: Dear Church Family: Last Saturday, March 22nd, a devastating land/mud slide occurred on Highway 530 between the small towns of Darrington  and Arlington.  Reports say that the slide took out 1 square mile of the mountain.  Tons and tons of debris have destroyed houses and have taken out a major section of Highway 530.  Worst of all, there are a number of fatalities and now it is believed that dozens of people are missing.  One of those missing is Steve Hadaway , a member of the Darrington  Church.  Please keep the Hadaway  family in prayer along with the many other families impacted in the D

Today I was privileged to minister the Word at the Emerge Church of God of Prophecy in Lebanon, Tennessee.  My wife Debra and two grandchildren, Reagan and Madison traveled with me and were present too. Walking into the new entrance-way and sanctuary were like walking into a brand-new church building.  The church, under the direction of Pastoral Team Larry and Kelly Meadors have overseen what can justly be described as a transformation like nothing I have ever seen.  Gone is the old worn look of much use and in its place a more youthful, vibrant and colorful facility.  I do not have the words to express the change.  If you have ever attended that church, you need to see it now.  Wow! As always, we received a warm welcome and was so thrilled to see all of the progress of the work there.  Along with old friends, there are a lot of new congregants.  The worship team was excellent and filled with the Spirit   The ladies of the church honored my wife for her birthday (March 21s

Today is a special day around our house. My wife, Debra is celebrating her birthday. My life is worth living because she is a major part of it. She is full of love for people, is an avid prayer warrior and loves unconditionally. HAPPY BIRTHDAY....I love you.  

As of February 14th, there are over 3700 delegates registered for the upcoming International Assembly in Orlando!   REGISTER REGISTER REGISTER!!! We would love to have an accurate idea of how many delegates will be attending this summer's International Assembly BREAKTHROUGH! In order to make this happen, we need your help! If you will be attending (not just needing a room reservation), PLEASE follow this link:  http://cogop.org/assembly/registration.html  and click on the red "Register Here" button, follow the steps of registration. This information will help us be prepared for the record crowd that we are expecting! HOUSING The third hotel has been opened for reservations in our system. Rosen Inn International 7600 International Drive, Orlando, FL 32819 http://roseninn7600-px.trvlclick.com/?utm_source=travelclick&utm_medium=cpc * Rate for this hotel is also $79 + tax per night. * Refrigerators and microwaves are available in each room. * Parking at Rosen Internati

Please help us pray... Jerry Brooks, father of our State Missions Coordinator Michelle Brooks-Young is hospitalized in Nashville with heart issues. Lori Metcalf Washburn wife of District Presbyter and Springplace Pastor Eric Washburn will be undergoing surgery today.

Assembly Update 2/4/2014 This morning, there are 3300+ delegates registered for the upcoming International Assembly in Orlando! What an amazing time together it will be! REGISTER REGISTER  REGISTER !!! We would love to have an accurate idea of how many delegates will be attending this summer's International Assembly BREAKTHROUGH! In order to make this happen, we need your help! If you will be attending (not just needing a room reservation), PLEASE follow this link:  http://cogop.org/assembly/registration.html  and click on the red " Register Here " button, follow the steps of registration. This information will help us be prepared for the record crowd that we are expecting!    HOUSING As you already know, a second hotel, Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando, has been opened for reservations. Here is the website for more information:  http://www.roseninn9000.com/ There are important perks to staying at Pointe Orlando you should be aware of: *  Rosen Inn @ Poi

Please join me in prayer for Karen Gordon (Waverly) and her family as they mourn the passing of her mother.   CLICK HERE for visitation and funeral information.

I am saddened to announce the passing of Sister Lora Britt.   CLICK HERE to view her obituary and funeral service time.

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Truth.  An amazing concept that has been debated for thousands of years, all the way back to the beginning of time.  I read the story the other day about the failure of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3) and saw that even there, the truth was a problem. You see, truth is a problem for a lot of folks.  Over the years I've heard dozens of colloquialisms about the truth or lack of it.  One of my favorites is, " he is such a liar that he would rather climb a tree to tell a lie, than to stay on the ground and tell the truth. "  On this, the third day of 21 Days of Seeking,   On day one I spoke about the need for the power of the Holy Spirit and on day two spent a little bit of time to the subject of grace...now, let's consider the thought of TRUTH.  I want to take a little time and quite a bit of space to touch on this subject.  This is a long read, so please give yourself time to read it all the way through. Any dictionary will probably tell you

As we move into day two of our 21 Days of Seeking, it occurs to me that it would be a good time to take a personal inventory.  In the late 1980's I was privileged to attend (and later teach) personal evangelism classes that taught a Biblical, easy-to-understand way of presenting the Gospel to those who have not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ into their lives.  To say that it changed my life would be an understatement...it not only changed the way I live my life, but it also changed me.  I began a journey of self-discovery that would eventually change my own personal walk with Christ, but also how I view others. A member of my local church drove by the parsonage one day to give me a present in the form of a book written by one of my favorite authors and speaker, Dr. Charles Swindioll.  The book was entitled, A Grace Awakening , and I once I opened the first page I could not put it down until I had read completely through it. That book, is still available to this day.  My persona

On Sunday, January 5, 2014, the Church of God of Prophecy begins twenty-one days of seeking the Presence and the Power of the Lord.  With a genuine spirit of repentance, we call on the Lord to move among us and lead us into a future He has determined. There is not one church among our fellowship that is exempt from the need for a genuine touch from the Holy Spirit.  There is not one minister among us who is without need of a fresh anointing.  With this in mind, we pray for the power of repentance to move among us and to lead us. We submit our hearts, souls and minds to our Lord, asking for His Divine touch.

If you are like me, you probably wonder where 2013 has gone.  It seems like the Christmas season was so short and that the New Year celebration happened before we had time to even turn around.  I have always looked forward to January 1 of any year, because I like the opportunity for fresh starts. I know that I am not perfect and to be honest with you, each day in the Scriptures reminds me of that fact.  I struggle to make right decisions and do what is right and proper in any situation, but as I said, I am not perfect.  So, as January 1 rolled around this year, I looked forward with great hopes of the opportunities to begin anew, however, I have learned that Satan just doesn't want that to happen.  He pushes, prods and provokes at every turn and uses circumstance and culture to antagonize...but, the opportunities for a fresh start never comes from him...rather, it always comes from God our Father. Perhaps my favorite story in the Old Testament is that of Mephibosheth, the grand