Editorial
JAMES E. COSSEY
EDITOR IN CHIEF
NOTHING
LESS THAN
A
LMOST 32 YEARS AGO, at land and started preaching the gospel.
the 1978 General Assembly, I They were the first Church of God min-
was selected to serve as pub- isters to preach outside the United States,
lications editor for Church of and Rebecca Barr is believed by some to
God World Missions. One of be the first woman to be credentialed
MIRACULOUS
my first assignments was to research the by the Church of God. The Barrs were
life and legacy of Missionary R. M. Evans. joined in Nassau on January 4, 1910, by
With that, I set off on an excursion that the Evanses, with their foster son, Sam-
took me to the Bahamas several times, uel Moreland, and Carl Padgett. Thus,
IT IS DOUBTFUL
and from one end of Florida to the other. Church of God World Missions was born
My 1970s research led to the publication through a ministry partnership that was
THAT THESE COUPLES
of my small book, R. M. Evans, the First of multicultural, multigenerational, and
HAD ANY SENSE OF
His Kind. That, together with the beauty multinational.
of the land and its people, has led me It is doubtful that these couples had
THE LONG-TERM
again and again to the Bahamas. In 2009, any sense of the long-term significance of
SIGNIFICANCE OF
I was honored to be the opening night their mission. Consumed by their new-
speaker at their national convention. The found experience, they merely desired
THEIR MISSION. THEY
story of the birth and expansion of the to take the Pentecostal message to the
COULD NOT HAVE
Church of God outside the United States Bahamas. They could not have imagined
IMAGINED THAT TODAY
continues to intrigue me. that today the Church of God would be
In the summer of 1909, A.J. Tomlin- ministering in 170 nations with seven
THE CHURCH OF GOD son conducted a revival meeting at the million members!
WOULD BE MINISTERING
Pleasant Grove Holiness Campground This issue of the Evangel celebrates
near Durant, Florida. Many people came 100 years of missions ministry by the
IN 170 NATIONS
to faith in Christ and scores were bap- Church of God. We are pleased to have
WITH SEVEN MILLION
tized in the Holy Spirit with the initial been joined by Bill George in the plan-
evidence of speaking in other tongues. ning and development of this com-
MEMBERS!
Among them were Edmund and Rebecca memorative issue. Dr. George was my
Barr, a Bahamian immigrant couple, and immediate predecessor as editor in chief
R.M. and Ida Evans, a Caucasian couple and currently serves as coordinator of
You are invited to visit the online
who had recently retired after having education and publications for Church of
Evangel site at www.onlineevangel.org pastored prominent Methodist churches God World Missions.
and my personal blog at
throughout Florida. The lives of these What God has done through Church
www.jecossey.blogspot.com
four people were forever changed, and of God World Missions is nothing less
Views expressed on my blog are my
they became both partners and friends. than miraculous! As you can see from our
personal views and do not reflect
the views of the Evangel staff, the
In a few short months, the Barrs, hav- articles, this issue is not just about the
Church of God, or Pathway Press.
ing been credentialed at Pleasant Grove past. It is about celebrating what God is
by Tomlinson, returned to their home- doing today.
EVANGEL • JAN 2010 3
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