“THESE TIMES OF ECONOMIC
HARDSHIP PROVIDE A REAL
OPPORTUNITY FOR THE
CHURCH TO EXPAND AND
NOT TO RETRENCH.
PENTECOSTALS DID NOT
PUT THE GREAT COMMISSION
ON HOLD DURING THE
GREAT DEPRESSION.”
—GEORGE WOOD
WOOD: Most of what separates us is polity and history. Our
CULPEPPER: I would greatly encourage our ministers and
doctrines are pretty much the same. We need to work together
churches to interact with fellow Pentecostal brothers and sisters.
at building relationships. We need to demonstrate to the world
We need that. But I would go a step further, and recommend
that we are one in Christ and that Christ transcends our differ-
that we also be more open and more interactive with non-Pente-
ences in polity and history.
costals. There is a great deal we can learn from one another. It is
dangerous for us to draw a line and assume there is nothing we
MACKLIN: We must do this. One way that I propose we start is
can learn from others. It is not a compromise when we fellow-
by planning cooperative celebrations on Pentecost Sunday each
ship and pray with others.
year. I think this is a powerful model. Bring together Pentecostal
believers on an interracial, intercultural, interdenominational
COSSEY: Thank you, gentlemen, for your time and for your insights.
basis, and let’s see if we can celebrate the things we have in com-
Our Evangel staff and readership will be praying for you and your
mon. From that, we can foster relationships for the future.
leadership in this great Pentecostal Movement.
Reallocation of Resources
Continued from Page 7
For example, for all our churches that typically send in Conclusion
$12,000 or less to the International Offices and the While the church is in financial transition, we must not
state/regional offices over the period of one year, the average lose our passion for the mission of the church. Everything we
savings per year per church will be $490. For those churches do as a church should be done with our mission in mind as
averaging sending in from $25,000 to $50,000 per year to the stated in the Minutes of the International General Assembly:
International Offices and the state/regional offices, the aver-
age savings per year will be $6,118. Those churches that aver- The mission of the Church of God is to communicate
age sending in from $50,000 to $100,000 per year will aver- the full gospel of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19-20) in the
age keeping an additional $11,516 per year. (These estimates Spirit and power of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4, 6, 13-18).
are based on data from church reports sent in between Sep-
tember 2007 and August 2008. These yearly savings reflect I believe God is with us. The Church of God has been
the amount saved per year and not the accumulative amount called and commissioned by Christ, and we will continue to
saved over the reduction period). move Forward Together in Changing Times.
EVANGEL • AUG 2009 25
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