Passing of Bishop Fred S. Fisher, Sr. It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of beloved former General Overseer Fred S. Fisher, Sr. (2000-2006). Bishop Fisher was installed as general overseer in the Church’s 91st Assembly in 2000. At that time, he expressed a consuming burden to see larger, more vibrant local churches, and overall new growth throughout the United States and the world. He spoke of the Church as “an inclusive ship” and the change to his leadership as a “bend in the river.” “Our methods have changed,” he said, “but our message is the same—Jesus saves, Jesus saves!” Bi ..read more

The Prophetic Call to Disciple Our Children The call to disciple does not begin with the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19–20 where Jesus sent his disciples to “go and make disciples.” The commandment to disciple has existed since the beginning of creation. Bible scholars highlight a unique connection between the Great Commission and the first commandment (Genesis 1:28), where Adam and Eve were commanded to “go and multiply.”  There is a definitive link between the church’s call to make disciples and the family’s call to bear and raise their children to be godly disciples. This call is ..read more

Children’s Ministry for Today’s Church It is often said, “It is not a matter of are our children being formed, but rather who or what is forming our children?” By the time our children hit adulthood, they’ve been formed by hundreds of influences—teachers, aunts, uncles, coaches, technology, books, pastors, counselors, small group leaders, to name a few—through mentoring, coaching, hands-on-learning, and modeling. Formation is this messy mash-up of all the little mundane moments that get connected to the highs and lows that build little persons into big persons. It is not a miracle. It is nor ..read more

Reconciliation   Empowered by the Holy Spirit Over the summer, I was privileged to attend and be involved in ministry in several state, regional, national, and international conventions and conferences. I have had the opportunity to be a part of these meetings over the years as I have served in some capacity at the International Offices. The experience has consistently blessed my life and spiritual journey as a part of the Church of God of Prophecy family as we are informed of and celebrate in God’s work among us. However, this summer provided an exceptional reconsecration for me in ..read more

Going Forward in the Power of the Spirit Throughout his life, Jesus demonstrated that his entire ministry was accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit. When he was baptized in the River Jordan by John the Baptist, Luke notes that Jesus was filled with the Spirit and led by the Spirit. A short time later, Luke noted that Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit (Luke 4:14), and he also rejoiced in the Spirit (10:21). The Apostle John records that Jesus emphasized, “I can of Myself do nothing” (cf. John 5:19, 30 NKJV). In other words, Jesus was totally reliant upon the Holy Spirit fo ..read more

Over 400 Complete Children’s Ministries Level II Certification in Nicaragua August 18-20, 2023, International Children’s Ministries partnered with the Church of God of Prophecy National Office in Nicaragua to offer its Level II Leadership Certificate training. Over 400 students gathered on the national Tabernacle campus for this intense time of advanced training, worship, and fellowship. This is the largest training event hosted by International Children’s Ministries in the past five years. For three days, the participants received instruction in nine areas of leadership development with spe ..read more

White Wing Messenger to Transition to Fully Digital, Free Publication On August 11, 2023, the Corporate Board of the Church of God of Prophecy International Offices announced the launch of a new online platform to deliver the White Wing Messenger, the church’s official publication, fully digital by May 2024. The move makes the magazine immediately accessible, at no charge, to constituents globally in English, Spanish, and French—with plans to expand to additional languages in the coming year.  “As the Corporate Board began to dialogue with the Communications staff of the International O ..read more

Stewarding Eden The high calling of caring for creation If one were to pick one word to encapsulate human’s relationship to and care for the environment and all creation, this word would be stewardship. The concept of stewardship in the Christian tradition is rooted in the story of Creation. God created the heavens and the earth and everything in them and declared them good. He then created humans after his image and likeness and entrusted them with the high calling of caring for his marvelous work. Genesis 1:28 states, “God blessed them; and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, an ..read more

Stewards Over God’s Creation Is caring for the environment important? Revelation 11:18 (KJV) states, “And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.” Reflection “We are stewards of God’s creation” is currently a statement or a subject that has received little attention from most believers. When God created the heavens and the earth, he designed eve ..read more

Children’s Ministries Awarded $1.12m Grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. International Children’s Ministries of the Church of God of Prophecy International Offices (COGOP) has received a grant of $1.12 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish a Child Discipleship and Faith Formation division for its global ministries. The project is being funded through Lilly Endowment’s Christian Parenting and Caregiving Initiative. The aim of the initiative is to help parents and caregivers share their faith and values with their children. Activities being supported by grant funds include the additi ..read more