What a wonderful General cross, and knock on God’s door for

Assembly we experienced! Time

flew by and as soon as it began, Editorials
it was over. The Psalmist wrote, Oscar Pimentel
“Glorious things are spoken of thee,
General Overseer
O city of God. Selah” (Psa. 87:3),
and we shared the same feelings and
witnessed the same experience as we attended the 113th
General Assembly. So many glorious things were spoken
regarding God’s holy city and I’m sure those of you who
were privileged to be present will not soon forget the
blessed moments when His divine presence swept over the
congregation. We thank God that all was done in order and
under the anointing of the Holy Ghost. The preaching of
the Word of God by His anointed servants surpassed our
expectations, and inspired the multitudes to be more and do
more for God this coming year. Let us go into the fields that and other ministries are operating as we have been taught
are “white already to harvest,” as we continue forward in
the Spirit with which we were filled at this year’s Assembly. each ministry in the Church as “helps” in our work to win
My family and I offer our sincere gratitude for the
magnificent offering received for us during the General
Assembly and the many other special things that were
done for us even since the Assembly. We want to thank you
for all your prayers lifted up to the Lord on our behalf this
past year and we thank you in advance, knowing that you
always pray for us. We feel very unworthy of all the kind
and nice words of encouragement and commendation that
were shared with me and my family—thank you, thank
you, thank you. May God bless each of you for your love,
donations, and prayers. May you receive an hundredfold
in this life and in the world to come eternal life.
REVIVAL TIME!—“ASK, AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN
YOU; SEEK, AND YE SHALL FIND; KNOCK, AND IT
SHALL BE OPENED UNTO YOU” (Matt. 7:7). Shall we
not then ask at the hand of God, seek at the foot of the
revival? Pastors, let’s not allow time
to slip away but let us pray, fast, visit,
and do our part that we will receive
God’s good results. I believe it is
alright to say that we desire a revival
that will usher in the coming of the
great King of kings. We do not desire a “revival spasm,” for
it furnishes no permanent stimulation, but let’s pray down a
move of God that will fan the embers now burning in our
midst until it becomes a full scale flame of fire that will burn
up and destroy the very works of the enemy of our soul, and
at the same time set the souls of captive men free!
Make sure all things are in order for the upcoming year’s
work. This is a good time to make sure that all auxiliaries
and have learned they should. Remember that God placed
souls and spiritually build The Church of God. One man
said, “It is a great deal easier to do that which God gives us to
do, no matter how hard it is, than to face the responsibilities
of not doing it.” If we organize ourselves as we should, then
accomplishments will follow.
Female Evangelist Josephine Perry, from Tallahassee,
Florida, went to her eternal reward on September 4,
2018. Sister Perry’s sweet spirit was exemplary and
she, and her washboard, will be greatly missed by all
General Assembly attendees. Heaven just got sweeter!

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The Evening Light 2 October 2018

 Annual Address to the 113th Annual Assembly
The Church of God
Oscar Pimentel, General Overseer
The Church of God
Introduction
It is an honor to stand before you today. Such an honor,
though, is preceded by great fear and trembling. My flesh and
heart tremble exceedingly at the thought and present real-
ity of standing, in this capacity, before the General Assembly
and Church of the Firstborn. God, who is the discerner of the
thoughts and intents of the heart, is fully aware that many
times I’ve come to Him burdened as I feel that this task is big-
ger than I am capable of undertaking. Undoubtedly it is, but I’m
dependent upon the Lord, knowing I can’t do anything within
myself. But God’s grace has been sufficient.
Three years ago, during the Overseer’s meeting for the se-
lection of an Interim General Overseer, a list of attributes was
redacted and then shared in the following Assembly which ex-
pressed what the Overseers looked for in this man. I remember
the sacred atmosphere that prevailed in that meeting. In that
hall, as these men of God stood before the Lord, they moved
with reverence and caution when they shared the attributes
God laid on their hearts. None of the attributes uttered were
rooted in selfish reasons or motives; in my humble opinion
they seemed to reflect what God was demanding. In revisiting
the list of attributes, I find a mountain of qualities such as: a
man that loves God, a servant of servants, a unifier, an encour-
ager, leader of his family, living the teachings and the Advice
to Members, deep integrity, attention given to all nations, all
countries of the world, a man who understands the times, not
partial, a people person, and various other attributes. I feel as
though I’m way down at the base of this mountain of attributes,
but if the Lord will help me I intend to climb this mountain in
order that I may be a blessing to the Great Church of God.
I never imagined that the duties and responsibilities of this
office would someday be upon my shoulders. I never knew that
I would have to make some of the difficult decisions that have
had to be made during the last three years. I do not claim to be
infallible, and so I do not overlook the possibility that during
this past year I may have hurt and offended some of our people,
but please understand that it has not been my intention to hurt
anyone—it has only been my attempt to be faithful to those
duties and responsibilities as best I know how. I’m determined
to be faithful to the principles, doctrine and government of
God’s Church. We can be sure that when we do the will of God
in our life and ministry, and when we do what is right in the
sight of God, and fully surrender our will to His, God will always
help us be in one mind and one spirit to the glory of God, and
we will be able to avoid the need for any unpleasant and un-
comfortable action by those over us in the Lord.
Fondly do I hope, and fervently do I pray that in all things
I may know and live up to God’s expectations above anything
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else. In the end, He will be the One to either call me “thou good
and faithful servant” or tell me “I never knew you.”
As I stand here today to address, encourage, and give in-
structions to this noble body of people, several of whom have
been in the work of the ministry for many years, I feel so small,
so little, and so unworthy. Such an immense task has caused me
to cast myself upon the Lord.
Change of Venue
It’s wonderful to be able to come together as we have for
this blessed Assembly. I’m happy to be here. I wonder if you’re
happy to be here. Almost everyone is aware that this is a dif-
ferent location from the one we have gathered at the previous
eight Assemblies, but we are thankful to God for His provisions.
I would like to make everyone aware that the change in venue
was not by choice or due to our desire.
Many of you know that during the last twelve years or so,
from time to time, we have been faced with the need of relo-
cating the Assembly venue. There have been different and sev-
eral reasons for the need to relocate. General Headquarters has
consistently done its best to comply with those things speci-
fied in agreement documents between parties. We have always
been thankful to the different organizations for their willing-
ness to grant us use of their facilities under terms of contract.
All of the organizations have been very gracious.
We were at Memorial Auditorium in Chattanooga, Tennes-
see, from 1993-2006; in Cleveland, Tennessee, at North Cleve-
land Church of God in 2007; in Cleveland at Conn Center in
2008; at Abba’s House in Hixson, Tennessee, in 2009; and at
Ridgecrest Conference Center near Asheville, North Carolina,
from 2010-2017. We are now here in this wonderful place at
MeadowView Conference Center in Kingsport, Tennessee.
Relocating is truly a massive undertaking, and this time was
no exception. If we had the time, I’m certain the brothers and
sisters who have been occupied with helping to find a new
place for this Assembly, as well as those involved in helping to
work out all the details, could explain to us what a huge task it
has been. Of course, all of you have taken part in this process as
well, since you had to make certain important preparations and
adjustments to your travel dates, lodging, food, mode of trans-
portation and travel routes. Some of you had to make differ-
ent arrangements with your place of employment. Others, who
would normally be here, have had to miss out on being here
altogether due to the change in venue. We don’t like to change
venues, but sometimes these things are out of our control.
Allow me to share only a portion of what changing venues
and relocating has meant in this case—perhaps in almost every
3 October 2018
case. I do desire you to know that by sharing this information
I’m not complaining, but simply sharing with you the chal-
lenges faced in relocating the Assembly venue. By God’s grace
and with His help we will always work fervently, as all have, to
make ready for our Assemblies. We are thankful to the Lord that
we were able to get a contract for this location for at least this
year and the next two, per the terms of the contract with Mead-
owView. Our hope is that when the contract expires we will be
able to sign a new one unless the Lord has provided something
else for the Church.
I put together a Committee of five individuals for the explic-
it purpose of helping to search out our options and find a place
adequate to hold the 113th Annual Assembly. Several meetings
and phone calls took place between our Operations Coordina-
tors, Brother Brad and Sister Tonya Anders, the Committee and
the different administrators of the various locations or venues
considered. Eventually, after considering our options, the de-
cision was made, the terms of contract were negotiated, and
then additional meetings were held with MeadowView Con-
ference Center and Church officials to finalize the agreement.
Many hours were employed in those meetings, and, of course,
many, many miles were traveled by different Church represen-
tatives by automobile to make these meetings a success.
Meetings also had to take place with the company from
whom we have rented much of the media, sound and lighting
equipment. As far as getting things ready inside of this audi-
torium as you see it now, a whole new layout of cables, sound
boards, wires, cameras, instruments, lighting, etc., for the sound
and broadcasting of the General Assembly had to be re-config-
ured and redone. Plans had to be worked out for the screens
and projectors. Plans were worked out for the best possible
seating arrangements and platform arrangements. There cer-
tainly are many benefits to using the same facilities year after
year like we did at Ridgecrest since many of these things were
already in place.
General Headquarters and the World Mission Department
also had to make a few adjustments. The World Mission De-
partment handles the lodging, food, the airport “pick-ups”
and “drop-offs” of the National Overseers, plus their transpor-
tation while in the U.S. It prepares accordingly to ensure that
the brethren from the nations of the world will have what they
need and arrive where they need to be. Some of the necessary
arrangements were “ironed out” or finalized just shortly before
the start of this Assembly.
We also had to make different arrangements regarding the
location and facilities to hold our International Youth Camp this
year. There were many, many things involved in that process as
well—just ask our General VLB Coordinator and his wife.
Time will not allow for every bit of detail to be shared, but
many things certainly go on “behind the curtains,” so to speak,
in order to make the Assembly happen. I have done no justice
in my brief explanation to help you fully understand the chal-
lenges we face in this process, but I’m sure you can get a tiny
picture with just a few of the things that have been shared.
Shortly after our Assembly last year, when it was under-
stood that we were without a place for our next Annual As-
sembly, I was briefly overcome with sadness. Honestly and sin-
cerely, I can say that my heart ached at the thought that God’s
Church didn’t have a more permanent site in which to celebrate
its Annual Assembly and conduct its business. Maybe I felt that
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way because I was caught off guard and it was unexpected. We
didn’t even have a place to borrow. I felt that we were left to
wander and it reminded me of the time Moses and Israel were
traveling through the wilderness and they came to the border
of Edom. They desired safe passage through their land. They did
not have a mind to stay there, nor occupy any of their belong-
ings. They simply desired Edom to grant access so they could
just pass through and continue their journey as commanded
by God. Their petition, of course, was rejected and they were
not granted access so Israel had to go another way and figure
something else out.
As these thoughts filled my mind, in my heart I asked the
Lord, “How long will this continue? How many more times will
we need to find somewhere else to go?” I can’t say that God
has answered my questions, but certainly the thought of hav-
ing our own place in Cleveland to celebrate our Assemblies was
strongly impressed upon my heart. A place where we don’t have
to worry about vacating because things simply didn’t work out.
A place where we can come and go in our Assembly sessions
as the Spirit leads and releases us. A place where we will not be
subject to dismissal from occupancy due to what we preach,
practice, and believe. A place where we are not censured in any
way from preaching Christ and the Church as God has divinely
revealed this message to us. A place that can represent us well.
A place that we can all be proud of.
In the past, some from the field have asked about the fea-
sibility of erecting a tabernacle on the acres owned by the
Church in Cleveland. At the same time, it is true that others
have commented they feel different about erecting a taberna-
cle. Perhaps the thing that we all agree on is the fact we must
have a convenient place for our Assembly every year until the
Lord returns. Understanding that one feels one way and an-
other feels another way, I believe that it would be in order for
me to ask this wonderful group of people to begin to pray for
divine direction as to whether we should have such a place in
Cleveland for our Assemblies or not. In all things, we want to be
in the will of the Lord.
Let the Church, Be the Church
The Scriptures tell us that Jesus of Nazareth had “…no form
nor comeliness, and when we shall see him, there is no beauty
that we should desire him” (Isa. 53:2). To the natural man and
the natural eye there would be nothing attractive about Him.
He would be despised and rejected of men. However, the Bible
also says that Jesus of Nazareth was full of the Holy Ghost and
was led by the Spirit to get alone with God in a desert place,
and when He reappeared in the world a short time later Jesus
returned in the power of the Spirit “…and there went out a fame
of Him through all the region round about” (Luke 4:14).
In the Book of Acts, the Church was alone with God for
many days—in prayer and supplication—and God came into
the place where they were gathered and filled them all with
the Holy Ghost. This great move of God, though not under-
stood by those in Jerusalem, was noised abroad, and the mul-
titudes came to see what the commotion was all about. Oh,
that we would get alone with God, make ourselves available to
God, die to self, to where He can move in us and use us in this
critical hour.
What would the Church be like today if more of its mem-
bers would get alone with God in a desert place? I’m not talking
4 October 2018
about geographically relocating, but a spiritual relocation in
which one is alone with God. In that solitude he is able to hear
the voice of God speaking to him and telling him to deny him-
self, take up his cross, and follow Him (Luke 9:23). What would
the Church be like today if you and I were wholly dedicated to
the Lord and His service? If more and more of her members
were deeply spiritual? I’m sure there is in each one of us a desire
to be more spiritual.
The world, secular and religious, could not long ignore a
group of deeply spiritual people who are sold out to God—a
people banded together in genuine love, unity of doctrine,
government and purpose; one that is led by the Spirit and op-
erating under the influence of the Holy Ghost. In the eyes of
many we may not be much—we may not be very attractive—
but as we increase in obedience and as we draw nigh to God it
will bring us to a place where the beauty of God’s holiness and
the preaching of God’s Word in demonstration of His Spirit and
power will make the Church known in the world.
John the Baptist sent men to Jesus to inquire if He was the
one awaited for or if they should they look for another. The
thing that stirred John to send men to inquire about Jesus is the
same thing that will stir people to inquire today as to whether
we are indeed the Church of the Bible or not. What is this thing?
It is the Church of God doing “the works of him that sent” us.
In this 21st century we must determine in our hearts to keep
preaching Christ and His Church, but even more important, we
must determine to live Christ and be the Church! Someone said,
“Walk the walk; talking isn’t necessary.” What the world needs to
see today is The Church of God burning with the fire of the Holy
Ghost, being the Church—doing the work of The Church of God!
What are we here for, Church? Why are we in the world? If I’m not
mistaken, He said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” He said, “Go ye and
preach the gospel unto every creature.” He said, “Teach all nations
all things.” He said to baptize them “in the name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” He said, “Heal sicknesses.” He
said, “Cast out devils.” He said, “Ye are the light of the world.”
The then known world could not ignore Christ when He
walked the earth, but was obligated to acknowledge Him in
view of His powerful miracles and anointed preaching. A man
came to Jesus by night and said, “Rabbi, we know that thou art...
come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest,
except God be with him” (John 3:2). Another passage says that
the men “...were astonished... for he taught them as one that had
authority, and not as the scribes” (Mark 1:22). I use this to demon-
strate two things: that they knew He was come from God, and
that the difference between Jesus of Nazareth and all others
was unmistakable. If this was said of the Head, it should be said
of the Body.
A Holy Ghost anointed Church could not go unnoticed in
the world! The multitudes followed after Jesus because they
had never seen a man do the works that He was doing, they had
never heard a man speak in the manner in which He spake, nei-
ther had they seen the depth of compassion He demonstrated
for those in need. What will it be like when the Church begins to
DAILY do the works He did, speak in the manner that He spoke,
and is moved with deep compassion as He was. I believe the
multitudes have not come to us, not because we are “too holy,”
but because there is not yet enough difference between God’s
Church and the world—God’s Church and man-made religious
institutions—but I also believe we are on our way.
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There are many outside who are doing good deeds, they are
good orators, and they do have compassion for those in need.
But we must come to the place where it can truly be said of us
“…but THOU excellest them all” (Prov. 31:29). Jesus was talking to
the Church when He said, “…I say unto you, He that believeth on
me, the WORKS that I do shall he do also; and greater works than
these shall he do…” (John 14:12).
The multitudes have not arrived, not because the “doctrine
is too strong” or because “the teachings are too strict,” but I fear
because, in many cases, they don’t so much as know that we are
in town. The Bible tells us that the early Church altered towns
and cities and many times made such a difference that the
whole town knew they were present. The early Church made
such a difference that in one city they were accused of turn-
ing the world upside down. I pray that very soon this year the
Church will be accused and found guilty of turning this world
upside down.
I want to encourage all of our people, let’s engage our hearts
in seeking after the Lord. Let’s move closer to God and let’s get
His blessing upon us in the measure that is needed. The work
of the Church must be accomplished and the closer to God we
are, the better we can accomplish the work. It is through the
Spirit and power of God that we will be able to make a differ-
ence in the world and accomplish our work. We need the same
power Jesus had to do the same work Jesus did. Let’s live daily
as those who are perfectly convinced of what is right and what
is wrong, what is true and what is false, and have no trepidation
as to the destiny of the Church. Only faith in God will move the
Church to action and prevailing and effectual prayer will bring
power to the Church.
Big City Evangelistic Efforts
* Philip and Samaria
“Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached
Christ unto them…And there was great joy in that city” (Acts 8:5,
8). Samaria was the name of both the city and the surrounding
region. At one time the city of Samaria was the capital city of
the northern kingdom of Israel, situated along a major north-
south route through Palestine. Under Herod the Great, the
city became the capital of the Roman administrative district
of Samaria. The peak period of Samaria’s greatness was from
180-230 A.D. This was, of course, during the same time as the
early Church. The territory of Samaria is where Jesus met the
“woman at the well.” It is also the origin of the traveler known
as the “Good Samaritan.” In the book of Acts, the city of Samaria
was the location of the first successful evangelistic effort out-
side of Jerusalem.
We are told that Philip went down to the capital city of Sa-
maria to preach. Proclaiming Jesus Christ was the substance of
the message which Philip preached in Samaria. God honored
his preaching with miracles and wonders that caused the peo-
ple to believe the words he spoke. All manner of sickness and
devil possession was cured by the power of God and there was
great joy in that city.
* Peter and Caesarea
“...And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and cer-
tain brethren from Joppa accompanied him. And the morrow
after they entered into Caesarea” (Acts 10:23, 24). In New Tes-
tament time, Caesarea was a magnificent Roman seaport. It
5 October 2018
was the largest seaport on the Mediterranean. It was from this
important Roman port that the apostle Paul set sail to preach
in communities all over the Mediterranean. It was considered
the headquarters of northern Palestine. It was a major political
center. Under Herod it became the capital city of the Roman
province of Judea, the headquarters for governors and the Ro-
man legions.
This prominent city is where unexpected things would take
place for the Church. It was here the Lord would reveal to the
Church that “God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto
life” (Acts 11:18). It was in this city where Peter preached to a
Roman centurion named Cornelius, and his family. Peter did
not know these people, but God worked it out to bring them
together. He preached to them and they believed the message
and while he yet spoke the Word “the Holy Ghost fell on them”
(Acts 10:44), and they spoke in tongues in the same manner
that we speak in tongues. This is the city where we find the first
Gentile converts to Christianity. Shortly after this Peter would
baptize them all in water.
* Men of the Church and Antioch
“And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which,
when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preach-
ing the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them: and
a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord” (Acts 11:20,
21). Antioch was the capital city of the Roman province of Syria.
With a population of more than 500,000 in the days of the early
Church, it was the third largest city in the Roman empire. Since
the great routes of trade and commerce passed through An-
tioch, it was a natural gateway to the Greco-Roman world. It
was a great cosmopolitan trading center in which many nation-
alities could be found, mainly Syrians but there were also many
Greeks, Jews, Romans, and other nationalities.
Here, for the first time, the Church came into contact with
a high number of the Greek and Roman population. This city
provided a natural base for reaching the Gentile world with the
gospel of Jesus Christ. The first big event in the spread of the
Church beyond Palestine would take place in the prominent
city of Antioch. It was here that the disciples of Jesus Christ
were first called Christians. This city would become the center
for the spread of the Church westward with her message of
God’s love and plan of salvation.
* The Pattern
I do not share the aforementioned information regarding
these ancient prominent cities to merely tell you of some of
their historical facts, neither do I share it to simply remind us of
the wonderful exploits of the early Church. My intention is for
us to take notice of the evangelistic pattern of the early Church
and for us to follow that pattern. Do you see where they went?
They went to the big cities. They went to prominent cities. They
went to densely populated cities.
Traveling to different places in the last several years, here in
my country and foreign countries, I’ve noticed that many of the
big cities and capital cities in the States and Nations have no
local churches. Many of our local churches are in smaller towns
and villages. Of course, we are grateful to the Lord for every lo-
cal church no matter where it is located.
For those that are searching for them, the big cities offer
many opportunities in regard to jobs, colleges, careers, etc. For
the Church, the greatest opportunity these big cities offer is
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that of establishing itself in a densely populated area of people,
and people equals souls. Just think about the opportunities of
reaching the different cultures and nationalities that can be
found in these big cities of the world. Wouldn’t it be a blessing
to have a local church of Korean people or some other national-
ity or ethnic group in your state?
Consider the size of the population in the Atlanta, Georgia,
metropolitan area—5.6 million; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma,
metropolitan area estimated population exceeds 1.25 million
inhabitants; Providence, Rhode Island, has a population of an
estimated 179,000 residents; Nairobi, Kenya, Africa—4 million
inhabitants. Don’t you think there must be at least one soul in
these cities who will hear the gospel of Jesus Christ? Surely God
has some in these cities who will receive the last day’s message
of Christ and the Church!
Every avid and wise fisherman will always want go to the
place where the large population of fish can be found, and fish
of different kinds. Well, he won’t catch them all, but his chances
of catching some dramatically increase, do they not? What if
this fisherman made plans to invite ten, fifteen, or more fisher-
men like himself—each one having his own fishing pole—how
many fish do you think they could catch together in this heavily
populated fishing hole? Do you suppose the chances of catch-
ing fish also dramatically increase? May we learn from this wise
fisherman, do as he did, and not wait for the fish to come to us,
but let us go to the where the fish are.
My desire is to put before us a challenge, that this year we
make it our goal to go to the big cities of our states and nations
to evangelize and then organize a local church or two. Of course
we will not let off going to any city, town or village that God may
direct us to, but let’s capture this vision now, and working to-
gether we will see that it is not impossible to have a local church
in Denver, Colorado; Atlanta, Georgia; Colombia, South Carolina;
Augusta, Maine; Richmond, Virginia; Madison, Wisconsin; Mem-
phis, Tennessee; Salt Lake City, Utah; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma;
Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston, Texas; Guadalajara, Jalisco,
Mexico; Medellin, Colombia; and so on and so forth.
The Bible tells us, “Where there is no vision, the people perish”
(Prov. 29:18). We must have a vision for lost souls or they will con-
tinue to perish. A 20th century preacher by the name of Leonard
Ravenhill, said, “A vision without a task makes a visionary; a task
without a vision is drudgery; a vision with a task makes a mis-
sionary.” If we have a vision, we will get busy with the mission.
Overseers, ministers, members, when you get back to your
field of labor, look at the map of your respective area and find
the biggest city on the map where we still do not have a local
church and make it a goal that before we meet back here next
year we will have one there.
Here in the United States we have 202 churches, with 83
bishops, 103 female evangelists, and 204 male evangelists. In
total we have 390 persons that hold a license of some sort in
the Church. It’s easy to see that we have many more ministers
than we do churches. I feel like we have a pretty good inventory
of ministers, and I also feel like every minister should have a
part in this big city evangelistic effort.
Surely there is some plan whereby each able minister can
have something to do with this evangelistic effort. I feel that
the first thing needed is compassion for souls on the part of
the ministers who have affirmed that they are called of God
into the ministry. Jesus looked at the multitude and was moved
with compassion. We need compassion for the souls of men
6 October 2018
to the extent that we will be moved to win them for the Lord.
Compassion for the souls of men will bring results in this en-
deavor. Without it we will not have the necessary results.
Jonah was a man called of God to go to Nineveh and preach
in that city, but he lacked compassion for the souls of the men,
women and children there. Think about it. Jonah knew God in-
tended to destroy them because of their sin. What did he do?
He got on a ship and headed in the opposite direction from
where God was clearly telling him to go. I tell you, there are
souls in these big cities! In essence, Jonah was doing nothing,
at least not for the poor souls in that city. But he wouldn’t be
long on his journey when the question rang out, “What is thine
occupation?” (Jonah 1:8).
I feel compelled to ask every license holding minister in the
Church who affirmed they were called of God on their minister’s
application, “What is thine occupation?” What are you doing for
God? What are you doing for souls? Are you busy preaching
somewhere? Are you busy evangelizing somewhere? If not, this
is your opportunity. I call upon you.
I’m calling on our precious Overseers to band together with
the General Evangelism and Victory Leaders Band Departments
as soon as possible to help prepare a plan of action for your
respective area of work so that this big city evangelistic effort
can be a success. One of the responsibilities of the Overseers is
“to conduct or order a general evangelistic campaign during
the year.”
I’m sure we have several district overseers either in this au-
ditorium or listening over the broadcast; I call upon you. Let
me remind you of part of the responsibilities of the capacity in
which you function. According to the Minutes of the Assembly
you are “to do evangelistic work in [your] district... it is [your]
duty to evangelize and organize churches. To assist the state
overseer when called upon in all things relating to church work.”
I call upon the youth of the Church everywhere to join in
and help us accomplish this objective. Listen to former Gen-
eral Overseer, Bishop M. A. Tomlinson, in his Address to the
Assembly (60th, 1965), “The former General Overseer in his far-
reaching vision placed emphasis on the value of the youth to
the Church. It was his desire that the youth movement develop
into a national and international organization for the purpose
of propagating the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the interest of
the Church of God in all the world. John realized the value of
the youth to the Church when he said, ‘I have written unto you,
young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in
you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.’ Three distinct quali-
ties characterize the young men addressed in this passage:
they are strong; they have the Word of God abiding; and they
are overcomers.
“Young men of this spiritual excellence are in demand, and
God desires to use them at home and abroad. Nations and or-
ganizations are taking advantage of the physical and mental
capacities of their youth. Scholarships are given to them by
governments and industrial concerns. Youth, with its strength
and vigor, is sought to fulfill the dreams of master engineers
who have pioneered the way before them. Research teams
welcome new blood to their staff. The political world is mak-
ing its bid for the youth of today. Every nation is moving ahead
with the strength and energy of its youth, directed by the wise
counsel and vast experience of its seasoned leaders. We, as the
Church of God, are responsible to take advantage of and utilize
to the fullest extent the capabilities and talents of our young
The Evening Light
people. We are responsible to offer the challenge of world mis-
sions to our youth.”
We used to print a section entitled, “World Must Be Evange-
lized” in the Assembly Minutes. This is what it said, “It will take
good organization and systematic methods to accomplish this
task.” I’m certain the Overseers and the General Departments
can come up with the best method to involve the ministry of
their respective areas to accomplish the goal. We understand
that each State/Region and Nation is different from one an-
other. Some are smaller in regards to ministers, local churches
and members. Some areas are big and others small geographi-
cally. Some have great distances to cover between cities while
in other areas this may be different. Therefore, the details of the
method must be left to the Overseers and the Departments.
As we take up establishing good methods let us carefully
consider that methods and plans alone will not get it done, but
we need Holy Ghost filled individuals whom the Spirit of God
can work through. Individuals who have studied how they may
become fishers of men and who have with them the real Word
of God with prayer, backed up by a godly life. We do not need
any artificial bait; the true Word of God will catch them. Meth-
ods and plans are necessary, but Holy Ghost anointed men and
women working those plans will bring greater success. Above
all things we will need men and women of prayer whom the
Holy Ghost can work through to the saving of souls.
It goes on to say, “God’s power is demonstrated in propor-
tion to the unity and oneness of the people.” We’re going to
need plenty of “oneness” to accomplish this goal. “The mem-
bers of the early Church were all of one accord, steadfast in
the apostles’ doctrines and fellowship, and the multitude that
believed were of one heart and one soul, and great grace was
upon them all and mighty results followed as a result of their
perfect unity and careful organization. We must banish from
our minds the thoughts of individual or local independence
and haphazard, spasmodic efforts. Pull together, pull at once,
pull steadily all the time is the road to success”. I heard a man
say that it is one thing to pull in the Church, and another thing
to pull together. He said it’s like those two men who were mov-
ing a refrigerator. It was in the doorway—the guys pulled and
pulled, they grunted, they sweated, they perspired and finally
one man asked the other, “You think we’ll ever get it in?” The
other man said, “I thought we were trying to get it out!” Church
of God, it’s one thing to pull, but it’s another thing to pull to-
gether! Let’s pull together!
“All members should be ready to center their minds and
prayers on the one thing, as a unit, when calls for special prayer
are made. Each one should feel his or her part of the responsi-
bility, remembering that when one member fails, it cripples or
dwarfs the body until the matter pending may fail.” Church, we
don’t want to fail in this challenge, we don’t want to be indiffer-
ent regarding this challenge, please take it to heart and let us
work together for the glory of God and see what God will do.
He’s Been With Us—Not Forsaken
“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are per-
plexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down,
but not destroyed” (2 Cor. 4:8, 9). “... he hath said, I will never leave
thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:5). “And he said, My presence shall
go with thee, and I will give thee rest” (Ex. 33:14).
God has been true to His Word! Not a day has gone by dur-
ing this last year in which He was absent from us on this pil-
7 October 2018
grimage of life. Sometimes we are even overwhelmed by the
attention God gives us, are we not? He is so big and we are so
small and this causes us to say, “What is man, that thou art mind-
ful of him?” (Psa. 8:4).
I’m sure there must have been many other important mat-
ters to attend to than my small needs. No doubt there have
been people in the world everywhere who have had far greater
troubles than our own, but He was so gracious to be right there
present with us when we needed Him the most. In our time of
trouble, we may have glanced over to the left for a way out, but
the way was closed. We glanced to the right, and it was closed.
We looked behind us, and it was closed. We looked in front of
us and it was closed. But glory to God, aren’t you glad that the
top is always open?! God gave an ear to our prayers; He did not
hide Himself from us! What a blessing to have access to the
King eternal, immortal, invisible, and the only wise God.
Since we were last gathered together in this way, many
things have taken place in our lives and in the world. Some
of the things have been pleasant while others have not been
so pleasant. Some have been difficult and they tried our faith,
while others have been experiences of great spiritual riches
and joy unspeakable. We may have experienced tribulation,
distress, famine, peril or persecution, but “...in all these things we
are more than conquerors” (Rom. 8:37), and that is why, despite
all those things, we are here today. God spoke these words to
His people, “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with
thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when
thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither
shall the flame kindle upon thee” (Isa. 43:2).
Have we been through the water? Have we been through the
rivers? Have we been through the fire? We have, but thanks be
to God that we were determined not to quit. Thanks be to God
that we trusted in Him for grace that is sufficient, for strength
that is made perfect in weakness, and for help that is certain.
Knowing that God will never leave us, we have great cour-
age to face every battle we encounter as we travel through this
world. God has not just helped us face our battles during the
last 309 days, He has fought them for us. Let us recall some of
the battles He fought for us. When the battle was sorrow, He
was the God of all comfort (2 Cor. 1:3). When the battle was wea-
riness, the joy of the Lord was our strength (Neh. 8:10). When
the battle was fear, God spoke saying, “fear not!” (Gen. 26:24).
When the battle was sickness, by His stripes we were healed
(Isa. 53:5). When the battle was restlessness, “Come unto me...
and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28), were His words. When it
was battle after battle and it seemed there was no end in sight,
He stood and said, “Peace be still” (Mark 4:39).
The man or woman who believed that all their troubles and
battles ended in their glorious and happy hour of conversion,
has made a very great mistake. That was only the moment in
which we enlisted in the army of the Lord. In reality, they have
just begun, so let me encourage us to think it not strange con-
cerning the fiery trials which are to try you. Life is a battle, and
much more is the Christian life a battle. The Bible tells us we
are not wrestling “...against flesh and blood, but against princi-
palities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this
world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12).
Our enemies are unseen, our foes are of a spiritual nature; we
are not contending against flesh and blood. The enemy of our
soul would have our love to wax cold toward the world, and to-
The Evening Light
ward one another, but we are not fighting against man. Know-
ing this, then, we want to leave carnal warfare to the world, love
our neighbor as ourselves, and fight the good fight of faith.
Scripture tells us to “…be strong in the Lord, and in the power
of his might” (Eph. 6:10). Since it is a spiritual battle we are in, we
are in need of spiritual power. That spiritual power can only be
attained upon our knees, before God, at the feet of the great
giver of strength, Jesus Christ. He’s been faithful, has He not, to
pour out that strength into us? I anticipate He will continue giv-
ing us mighty spiritual strength as we stay close to Him. Now our
duty is to be strong in the Lord—strong in hope, strong in trust,
strong in love, strong in endurance, and strong in the Spirit.
Holy Ghost
There is something within me that urges me to write this
portion of the Address. It has been said that out of the past
comes what we are today and where we are going tomorrow,
and that the Church’s destiny of the future will go astray unless
it is anchored to her experiences of the past.
A little over 25 years ago, God’s Church reorganized at the
command and urging of the Holy Ghost. The reorganizing of
The Church of God was unavoidable due to the letting down of
the divine standards and practices that were and are entrusted
to the divine institution for which Christ gave His blood. Many
things happened in the years prior to God calling the Church to
reorganize and, while many things could be shared regarding
that period of history in the Church, there is one thing in par-
ticular I wish to mention.
Several years before the reorganization, God brought very
forcibly to the Church through the Questions & Subjects Com-
mittee of the 79th Assembly a revelation or understanding,
perhaps more precisely, a rebuke, which was expressed in that
Assembly that the Church had drifted in many ways from a vi-
tal relationship with the Holy Ghost. While drifting from a vital
relationship with the Holy Ghost, compassion for lost souls was
replaced with self-centeredness; godliness with contentment
was replaced with materialistic hunger for things; simplicity
and moderation in all things was replaced with prestige and
fleshly pride. I feel I must say this to remind the Church of that
horrible mistake. I feel a need to express warning to the Church
that we must guard ourselves from ever making this mistake
again. We don’t want to drift away from Him only to gradually
drift back to the world. We are not of this world, we are of God.
I hardly need to remind us that there are still powerful in-
fluences working everywhere around us to lead us away from
God, Divine Revelation, the Bible rightly divided, and divine
standards and practices. I’m not alarmed by this statement, and
neither should you be, since we are not to be ignorant of Satan’s
devices. We can draw closer to God in these last days, and we
should, since it is the Holy Ghost who compares spiritual things
with spiritual that we may know if they are of God or not. We are
indeed living in perilous times. The spirit of the antichrist may be
plainly seen today in the world. It is so clearly demonstrated that
you can almost see the antichrist lifting up his ugly head. See it
in all the lawlessness. See it in all its opposition to Jesus Christ.
It is working in the world, but we stand against its infiltration
into the Body of Christ. These powerful influences work with the
intent to draw us away from the Person of the Holy Ghost whom
we need so much in these last days. It is He who will lead and
guide us through this world to have a successful journey.
8 October 2018
 Jesus said that it was “expedient” that He should go away in
order that the Holy Ghost might come. So important was the
coming of the Holy Ghost that Christ did not want to stay any
longer than necessary and hinder His coming. Now bring into
view the route Jesus had to take to “go away” and we com-
prehend just how serious Jesus was about the importance
of the Holy Ghost to the Church. All the horrors that lead up
to Calvary’s hill and the cruel cross were the “go away” route,
but none of it deterred Him because it was expedient that He
should go. It paved the way, so to speak, for the arrival of the
precious Holy Ghost.
His coming was for our advantage, and in understanding
that the Person of the Holy Ghost is for our advantage we must
never reject Him, we must never walk away from him, we must
never allow ourselves to be deceived and drawn away from
Him, and we must never quench the Spirit. We must be sensi-
tive to the Spirit of God!
We need Him now more than ever before. Let us be filled
with the power of Holy Ghost. Let us strive to be more spiritu-
ally minded and not carnally minded. Let us walk in the Spirit
and live in the Spirit. There is abounding joy and peace in the
Holy Ghost. Let us pray in the Holy Ghost when we pray.
He is not here for us to simply take advantage of Him or avail
ourselves of Him as a benefit, but He is here as our advantage
over the adversary. He is Power for service! He is the Comforter.
He is the Truth Detector. He is the Great Teacher. He is the Re-
minder of Truth. He is the Revealer. He reproves of sin. He is a
Guide. He speaks not of His own, but He glorifies God.
We want Him to know that if He is not welcomed anywhere
else in this world, He is most certainly welcomed in The Church
of God that Christ purchased with His own blood. The Church
is not the Church without the Holy Ghost. Let the Church be
the Church!
Overreach and Not Reaching
I feel I must make mention of situations that are staring
us in the face, which only serve to hinder the progress of the
Church. If I could refrain from mentioning these things I would
gladly refrain, but I feel compelled to mention them. If I felt that
it could wait for some time in the future I suppose I would wait,
but we are in the last days and the progress of the Church must
not be hindered in any way because souls are at stake.
I’m aware that there is a spirit and a tendency in some min-
isters and members to want to overreach in areas of doctrine
and practices which the General Assembly has already settled.
There is a spirit and a tendency in some to want to overreach
into areas which the General Assembly has not settled. Some
seem to feel that the Church needs more doctrines and teach-
ings. Some are not satisfied and seem to feel that what she’s
got is not good enough, or that the Church has not been clear
enough, or that the Assembly doesn’t define some certain
things well enough. They take it upon themselves to venture
out and begin to go beyond what the Assembly has agreed
upon. They take it upon themselves to speak on points and
topics as Bible and Church teachings when the Assembly has
not so much as even brought it up for consideration before the
multitude of counselors. They have forgotten that no new or
different doctrine is allowed to be taught by any of our min-
isters or teachers until closely inspected by those in authority
and the General Assembly. This has only served to hurt, hin-
The Evening Light
der, divide, confuse, and bring contention in the Church. It is
not acceptable and we must quit it in the Church. I say, let the
Church be the Church!
I’m aware that there is a spirit and a tendency in some min-
isters and members that leads them to see no need to reach up
high enough to live by the doctrines and practices which the
General Assembly has already outlined. There is a spirit and ten-
dency in some that causes them to think the General Assembly
is expecting too much from them in regard to living a godly
and holy life. They have forgotten that it is, in fact, what God
expects from them. They believe that the Church has intruded
upon their liberties. We are indeed called unto liberty, yet we
are commanded to not use liberty for an occasion to the flesh
(Gal. 5:13). They take it upon themselves to pick and choose
what they will live by and what they won’t live by. They have
forgotten they promised in the presence of God and witnesses
that they would practice government and discipline, and walk
in the light to the best of their knowledge and ability. This has
only served to hurt, hinder, divide, confuse and bring conten-
tion in the Church. It is not acceptable and we must quit it in the
Church. I say, let the Church be the Church!
Of course, this unpleasant picture does not apply to all, it is
only to him to whom it applies. The standards and practices of
the Church were here long before most of us knew anything
about the Church. When God called us to the Church we loved
her the way we found her. I liken it to a young man encounter-
ing the lovely lady who will someday become his wife. When
he encounters her, he falls in love with her and there is nothing
about her that he doesn’t like. If there is, he’s better off letting
her know from the “get-go” and “lo que será, será.” When he en-
counters her there is nothing about her he desires to change.
He takes her as she is and she takes him as he is. After they have
been married for many years there still isn’t anything about her
he desires or even thinks about changing. She’s as beautiful and
as precious as the first day he met her. The day a man begins to
complain about his wife it is because he has lost his love for her.
He’s got his sight set on something else! The day he begins to
murmur about what she looks like, or who she turned out to
be, it is not because suddenly he realized something about her
he had not noticed before. No! No! He has lost his love for her.
That’s the way I feel about The Church of God of the Bible.
We encountered the Church with her teachings! We encoun-
tered the Church with her government! We encountered the
Church with her Advice! We encountered the Church with her
doctrine! We not only encountered her like this, but we loved
her like this. I’m not sure how to feel about a covenanted mem-
ber or a licensed minister who now raises his head and glances
at the Church and begins to complain about her. Well, no, I
do—he has lost his love for her.
I feel that our responsibility is to love her as she is and be
loyal to her. Questions and expressions of discontentment
about her should not even be mentioned among any of our
people. Let’s leave off everything that tends to hinder the prog-
ress of the Church. Let’s do and say the things that edify the
Church. Everything we say and do should be to the building up
of God’s Church and the saving of lost souls. This is our duty as
well as our privilege. Let’s let the Church be the Church!
The General Assemblies of the past have investigated this
Bible to where we have more than enough of their findings in
writing to direct and instruct every member and minister of the
9 October 2018
Church as to what we need to do, what we need to preach, and
how we need to live. We are to deny ungodliness and worldly
lusts and live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present
world (Titus 2:12). We should already know what our duties and
responsibilities are. In view of this truth, there is no reason for
anyone in The Church of God to overreach and go beyond, or to
not reach up high enough to measure up to the standards and
principles of Church doctrine—which is Bible doctrine.
It would be good for each one of us to take interest in care-
fully rereading our BTI study books, our Business Guide, all our
tracts and other printed material that the Church presently pro-
duces so that we have a clear understanding of the message
and the principal teachings of The Church of God. The principal
teachings have been kept under the supervision and inspec-
tion of the General Assembly. The blessed General Assembly is
our safeguard! The Bible says “the foundation of God standeth
sure!” The holy apostles and prophets are the foundation, Jesus
Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone, and we are build-
ing upon that foundation.
I heard one of our female ministers preach under the power
of the Holy Ghost not too long ago and she said, “The founda-
tion is right, but we humans are building. Since the foundation
is what it is, you’d think we would build and get it right. The
devil tries to get us to build out to let the world in, or to build
in to start nit-picking one another, we need to build up!” I agree
with her statement.
It’s time, for the sake of greater harmony and unity in the
Church, that we all live by the guidelines we already have and
quit attempting to add to or detract from them. We need not
err one way or the other. God is able to lead us in the way that
is perfect! “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the
end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov. 16:25). We dare not walk
in the way that “seemeth right”! Why venture out into a way that
seems right when we can walk in the way we know is right?
I believe the Holy Ghost it trying to help us. The Holy Ghost
is still convicting hearts. Jesus Christ is still the Head of the
Church. The Church will not leave this world if she is shackled
down with traditions, customs, and values which have little or
no Scriptural support, nor will she leave this world until the
world leaves the Church! Let’s let the Church be the Church!
It is incumbent upon us that we all accept and perform our
corresponding duties and responsibilities as members and
ministers of the Church of God, if we may reasonably expect to
see with our eyes what we affirm, believe and desire—a glori-
ous Church without spot or wrinkle.
The Bible says, “Nevertheless, whereto we have already at-
tained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing”
(Phil. 3:16).
Spots and Wrinkles
In view of all we see unfolding in the world, is it possible
that we should believe the hour of the perfection of the Church
is in some distant future? Nay, rather now is the hour in which
His wife must make herself ready. Jesus is coming soon! Now is
the hour in which we want to purge ourselves of every evil work
and yield ourselves to obedience unto righteousness. When His
bride hath made herself ready God has promised that “the Lord
himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of
the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ
shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught
The Evening Light
up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:
and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:16, 17). Prepara-
tion for the coming of the Lord means no spots and no wrinkles
on the wedding garments.
I’m sure many of us are aware that spots and wrinkles pres-
ently deface the wedding garments of the Church. Would a scan
across the aisle help me to pinpoint who is the spot or wrinkle?
No. I need only to take a glance in the mirror. The Bible tells us
to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith. How can I be
in the faith if there is resentment and dislike in my heart? How
can I be in the faith if I go around whispering and gossiping?
How can I say that I’m in the faith if I won’t obey or respect my
pastor, or my Overseer?
The Bible says, “And to her was granted that she should be ar-
rayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righ-
teousness of saints” (Rev. 19:8). If I’m reading correctly, the Bible
says that righteousness is clean and white. We can’t be spots
and at the same time be clean and white. We can’t be wrinkles
and at the same time, fine linen. We might fool ourselves into
thinking otherwise, but we’re the only one we are fooling!
Our own righteousness—that is, man’s righteousness—may
tell me I’m a good loyal member of the Church even when I don’t
attend church service regularly when I can, when I don’t pay
tithes of my increase, or when I quit on the ministry having been
called of God; but that is because “all our righteousnesses are as
filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6). But the righteousness of the saints is not
their righteousness, “but that which is through the faith of Christ,
the righteousness which is of God by faith” (Phil. 3:9), and the blood
bought child of God is created in this righteousness (Eph. 4:24).
I wonder what each of us would discover about ourselves
if we saw things the way God sees them. Would I be a spot of
unforgiveness on the wedding garments? Would I be a spot of
bitterness? A spot of whisper and murmur? A spot of conten-
tion and strife? A spot of immodest living and unholy behavior?
God can show each of us what He sees in our own lives, if we
ask Him to, if we are not afraid to find out. Then we have only
to do something about it if we find we are spots; we can get it
under the blood.
If I could see what God sees, would I be a wrinkle of pride?
Would I be a wrinkle of an obstinate spirit? Observe a fine linen
tablecloth that has just been prepared for use at some special
event as it lays spread across a table. Because you find no wrin-
kles in it, its appearance is beautiful and splendid. One would
rightly assume it was pressed with a hot iron to remove any
wrinkles. Every piece of fabric in that cloth is in its rightful place.
There is uniformity in every piece of fabric of the cloth and all
appears level, clean and crisp, but when a wrinkle appears it is
because one section of fabric has risen above the rest of the
cloth. Now it is ugly and distorted.
So it is in the Church. We find wrinkles in it when someone
is out of place, when individuals rise up against theocratic gov-
ernment. When every member and minister stays within the
scope of their responsibility and does not undertake to meddle
in areas of responsibilities not their own we will find no wrin-
kles. When everyone is marching in file and staying within their
rank, we find no wrinkles. Wrinkles are caused when folks don’t
obey, nor submit, to those over them in the Lord. Wrinkles arise
on the wedding garments of the Church when folks despise
government and are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. Not
everyone is so vocal about what is in their hearts, but “ye shall
10 October 2018
know them by their fruits” (Matt. 7:16).
Wrinkles of, “I’ll do what I want to do,”
“I’ll go where I want to go,” “I’ll do it the
way I want to do it,” won’t long be in the
Church. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
said, “Though the mills of God grind
slowly, yet they grind exceedingly
small, though with patience He stands
waiting, with exactness grinds He all.”
I say, “Though God’s iron irons slowly,
yet it irons big and small, though with
patience He stands waiting, with exact-
ness irons He all.”
Sometimes it is government also that
causes these wrinkles when a leader for-
gets that he is there to serve and not to
be served. In these last days a great deal
of sorrow has been brought into the
Church by those who have abused their
authority. Wrinkles appear when leader-
ship has selfish motives of gain-seeking
instead of fulfilling its responsibility of
feeding the flock of God. Leadership will
cause wrinkles when they become lords
over God’s heritage and oppress the
people. Those in government will cause
wrinkles if they forget that God, and not
themselves, has placed them over the
flock of God and it was He who died for
them. God of necessity provides author-
ity in the Church for operation of gov-
ernment, dealing with sin, evangelizing
the world, etc., but when authority is
abused, disaster occurs. When authority
is used according to biblical guidelines
the Church receives God’s favor and
blessings. We are not to have dominion
over the Church, but we are told to have
care over the Church.
What I have stated here is not meant
to discourage us, no. Though we may
be grieved from time to time, we are
not discouraged and our vision has not
dimmed one bit. The Church of God is
a glorious Church! Glorious in doctrine!
Glorious in government! Glorious in fel-
lowship! Glorious in revelation! Glori-
ous with Christ as the Head!
We understand that these imper-
fections will be overcome. Did He not
say, “That he might sanctify and cleanse
it with the washing of water by the word,
That he might present it to himself a glo-
rious church, not having spot, or wrinkle,
or any such thing; but that it should be
holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:26,
27)? It’s a privilege to be a member of
The Church of God and that together
we can work toward the time when she
will be without spot or wrinkle.
The Evening Light
No Short
Cut to
Perfection
“Till we all come in the
unity of the faith, and of the
knowledge of the Son of God,
unto a perfect man, unto the
measure of the stature of
the fulness of Christ: That
we henceforth be no more
children, tossed to and fro, and
carried about with every wind
of doctrine, by the sleight of
men, and cunning craftiness,
whereby they lie in wait to
deceive; But speaking the truth
in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ”
(Eph. 4:13-15).
Unity of faith, knowledge/revelation of who Jesus is, measuring up to
Him—these things are what perfection looks like. It is summed up verse
15:“may grow up into him in all things.” This sounds impossible. The whole
notion of a perfect people is inconceivable to our finite minds. We look around
with eyes of flesh and cannot imagine one another perfect and most of us cannot
see perfection happening in our own lives. Since perfection seems unattainable
and we cannot get past the things that keep us from it, we look for short cuts
or ways to make it easier.
We live in a Swiffer, McDonalds, check-yourself-out at WalMart world.
We have learned how to make things quick and easy for ourselves. Sometimes
though, there is just no substitute for the elbow grease of a mop and bucket
for tough stains on a floor. Nothing can substitute for a good home-cooked
meal, and while most may try to avoid it, there still are things best done by
a human cashier. When it comes to the perfecting of the Church, we cannot
afford another shortcut failure. Sometimes we lose people faster than we find
new ones. We have to get this business of unity, knowledge and measuring up
to Him right if we plan to make heaven.
Don’t settle for another “love program” this year. Don’t fall into a quick
fix. Our theme verse eludes to a length of time (till) it will take for us all
to reach perfection. This doesn’t give us a specific length of time or span in
measurements that we can estimate. This means we must work every hour as
if it is our last.
May His Spirit and His Word work on me, work on you, work on us all, till
we all come to the perfection He requires. When it comes to the ABM work of
your local church, don’t take a short cut. Go the extra mile for that soul who
is straying. Take the time to teach that faithful member how to be a disciple.
Make sure you are operating this auxiliary of love and perfection to its fullest
capacity “till we all come.”
Churches reporting 100% in Emergency $: Monongahela, PA
Geraldine, AL Salida, CO Pelham Valley, TN
Somerville, AL New Bern, NC Bassett, VA
Arkadelphia, AR Shawnee, OK Fries, VA
Mountain View, AR Salem, OR Seth, WV
&
11 October 2018
 A Look at the General Assembly 2018

113th General Assembly

Experiences and Information

Registration—1,257
Saved—9
Sanctified—5
Holy Ghost filled—7
Baptized in Water—1
Renewed Covenant—1
New Covenant Members Added—3
Healed—3
Accepted Call into Ministry—2

The Evening Light 12 October 2018

 Nigeria National Convention

Glory, honour and adoration be unto our Lord, who helped us and
revealed to us that He is our King, during our National Convention, 2018. This year’s Conven-
tion gave us more revelation of God’s faithfulness and His love.
The theme of this year’s Convention, “Return to Bethel,” was a timely message. Bethel is
the place of divine revelation and where the presence of God dwells; it is a place of covenant
and where dreams are conceived and revealed. Bethel is the house of God and is a place where
the power of God is being manifested.
In actual sense, Bethel is The Church of God. God does meet His people at this place. He
instructed Jacob to go up to Bethel, for a certain purpose known to Him, and he obeyed.
In all the outlined messages under this theme God was calling His people back to Him
for their salvation, breakthrough, and victory from all
the entanglements of this present world. Bethel is the
place of perfect joy where
there is no sorrow and trou-
ble of heart.
Many souls were saved,
sanctified and received the
Holy Ghost. The power of
God was manifested and
touched many, and they
decided to return to God
based on the love bestowed on them,
as the prodigal son returned to his
father. We had 362 in atten-
dance and many were filled
with the joy of God.
Glory be to God once
again because we had a won-
derful Convention this year.

—Matthew Ogunmola,
National Overseer

The Evening Light 13 October 2018

 General Assembly Appointments
Field Secretary.........................................................................Paul Horton Questions & Subjects Committee
Field Secretary.................................................................. Daniel Martinez Philip Bennett, Chairman
Field Secretary............................................................Robert F. Strong, Sr. Billy L. Cox
Assistant Editor of The Evening Light................................. Kryss Barick Joseph Hill
General Treasurer........................................................................ Jason Hill Brian O’Dell
Bible Training Institute Director..............................................Paul Horton Clint Pulliam
General World Missions Director............................ Robert J. Hawkins, Jr.
General ABM Coordinator...................................................L. Allene Cox Ways & Means Committee
General CPMA Coordinator..............................................James R. Horne Allard Smith, Chairman
General Evangelism Coordinator...................................E. Roger Ammons Brad Anders
General Sunday School Coordinator................................. Bettie Marlowe Herman D. Ard
General VLB Coordinator.................................................Joshua Farthing Jerry Cox
General WMB Coordinator.................................................. Sharon Griffin Jason Hill
General Church Historian.....................................................Walter Lofton
World Mission Committee Counseling Committee
General Trustees
Oscar Pimentel, Chairman Harvey Anders, Chairman
Ray D. Dupre
Ray D. Dupre Donald R. Estep, II
Walter G. Lofton
Robert J. Hawkins, Jr. Donalhue Grimes
Melvin C. McGriff, Sr.
Jason Hill Melvin McGriff, Jr.
David F. Risch
Paul Horton Robert F, Strong, Sr.

2018 -2019
Administrative Committee
Oscar Pimentel, Chairman
Ray D. Dupre
Robert J. Hawkins, Jr.
Jason Hill
Paul Horton
State/Regional Overseers
AL...................................................................Jerry Cox
AK.......................................................Michael A. Grant
AR/KS/MO/OK....................................Dewayne Smith
AZ/NM.....................................................Roberto Jovel
CO/WY/MT(E)/ND&SD(W)/NE(W)....Dustin T. Hays
FL............................................Christopher D. Clarkson
GA......................................................Donalhue Grimes
ID(N)/MT(W)/OR/WA..........................Allard L. Smith
ID(S)/CA/NV/UT.................................Serafín Pimentel
IA/NE(E)/ND&SD(E)/MN/WI.................Brian O’Dell
IL/IN/KY...........................................Donald R. Estep, II
MS/LA......................................................Ray D. Dupre
NC..................................................Robert F. Strong, Sr.
PA/CT/MA/ME/NH/NJ/NY/RI/VT......James R. Horne
SC...................................................................Earl Little
TN..........................................................Harvey Anders
TX...........................................................K. Alan Mack
VA/MD/DE.....................................................Billy Cox
WV/MI/OH.............................................James T. Smith
National Overseers
Argentina.........................................................................Antonio Digan
Bolivia................................................................. Benito Ramos Quispe
Brazil............................................................................ Daniel Martinez
Bahamas/Cayman/Turks & Caicos Islands/Jamaica..... George C. Forbes
Canada........................................................................... Mitch Cameron
Chile.............................................................................. Manuel Concha
Congo (Dem. Rep./Rep. of)/Cameroon............... Patrice Tshitadi Kalamba
Costa Rica........................................................................ Moisés Artola
Dom. Rep./Netherlands Antilles.....................................Bolívar Sanchez
Ecuador..............................................................................Victor Parraga
El Salvador................................................................. Manuel R. Castro
England/St. Vincent....................................................Philip C. Bennett
Equatorial Guinea............................................................Mariano Mico
Guatemala/Belize.............................................................. Efren Zuñiga
Haiti...........................................................................E. Roger Ammons
Honduras........................................................................ Julio César Cruz
India (North)/Nepal...................................................Ch. Paul Sudhakar
India (South).............................................. Isaac Thomas Adimavunkal
Indonesia................................................................... Yosua Nainggolan
Kenya/Ethiopia/Tanzania............................. Renison Mbogo Ngurukiri
Liberia/Nigeria/Ghana........................................... Matthew Ogunmola
Mexico........................................................................José G. Bañuelos
Nicaragua....................................................................Caleb Hernandez
Panama.............................................................................. Luis Zeledón
Paraguay/Uruguay.......................................................... Inocencio Ruiz
Peru......................................................................Julio Cesar Velásquez
Philippines.......................................................Danilo Mendoza Orcino
Puerto Rico..................................................................... Hiram Vasquez
South Africa/Lesotho......................................................Paulus Mabina
Spain.................................................................................. Jason Prince
Swaziland...................................................................Sikelela Simelane
Uganda/Burundi/Rwanda.................................... Makohá Francis Agati
Venezuela/Colombia.......................................................José T. Salazar
Zambia/S. Korea/Myanmar/Pakistan/Zimbabwe...... Robert J. Hawkins, Jr.

The Evening Light 14 October 2018


The Name of the Church
Part Seven
The name of the Church has been
marred in confusion over the years as
our previous history articles have noted.
Beginning with the name CHURCH
OF GOD, in 1907, to our present name
THE CHURCH OF GOD, in 1993, we
have been called by various names or designations.
The name THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE
CHURCHES OF GOD was adopted via the Constitution in 1922,
which helped propel the Church into the first disruption of 1923.
This name was never actually used but was there nevertheless.
The disruption of 1923 resulted in the Church being forced to
use suffixes such as “over which A. J. Tomlinson is General Over-
seer” and later “over which A. J. Tomlinson was and M. A. Tom-
linson is General Overseer.” These designations were preferred
(with a grain of salt) over the court appointed name, “Tomlinson
Church of God” and were used until 1952 when the court said
we would have to revert to the 1929 court ruling by using “Tom-
linson Church of God” as our name, or the court would appoint
another name for us.
The name CHURCH OF GOD OF PROPHECY was
appointed by the court and used by the Church until God inter-
vened in 1993. Throughout these years the Church itself misused
these names as the following examples indicate. Sometimes in
our Assembly Minutes, on Church letterheads and business cards,
Church signs, and in other publications one could see such usage
as “the Church of God” (with the article “the” not being capital-
ized). Also at times the word “The” would be capitalized along
with the rest of the name. Sometimes the word “THE” would be
in caps on a separate line from the name when the full name was
in caps and sometimes it would all be together in caps on the
same line.
The same held true with the name “Church of God of
Prophecy.” Sometimes the word “the” would be added without
capitalization and sometimes with cap-
italization and again sometimes being
in all caps. Even though these discrep-
ancies would take place in usage such
as stated above, almost always in the
contents of the message or article being
written the name would be properly
used as officially stated. This confu-
sion was finally cleared up with one
stroke of God’s hand at the Solemn Assembly in July 1993.
In the third Holy Ghost message which called for the Sol-
emn Assembly the Spirit said to us: “Lo, if they come together
again and call themselves the council of God, yea, then let them
call themselves by the name I have given them. Yea, are they not
called The Church of God?” Again, in the Solemn Assembly the
Holy Ghost said to us: “You are The Church of God. That is the
name I have given thee. Look to My Word. You are The Church
of God. You are The Church of God” (SAM, p. 19).
The delegates to the Solemn Assembly agreed to this God-
given name and it was officially adopted at the following General
Assembly in November of that same year (See 1993 AM, p. 11).
The correct name for the Church is THE CHURCH OF GOD.
It is befitting to note that prophecy declares that in the last
days the Church would exist in three parts with the third part
going through the perfecting, purifying fire (See Zechariah 13:8,
9). The first part was from 1903-1923. The second part was from
1923-1993. The third part is from 1993 onward. Isn’t it interest-
ing to know that the Church used three basic or primary names
during this time period? The first part used the name CHURCH
OF GOD. The second part used the name CHURCH OF GOD
OF PROPHECY and the third part—the part destined to go on to
perfection—was endowed the name THE CHURCH OF GOD by
God Himself. This is the true Bible name as the Scriptures bear
out. The first two imperfect parts used imperfect names while
God in His infinite wisdom reserved the perfect and true Bible
name for the third and final and soon to be perfected part. GOD
DOES ALL THINGS WELL!

It was 1991 at International Youth words to be about me, but rather about
Camp when I found myself at the altar Bible Training Institute the revelation I had already received
2018-2019
pouring out my soul before the Lord. I of Christ and the Church. I felt it was
remember well my prayer, sobbing and Walking by the indeed a confirmation to continue to
brokenhearted over the condition and Same Rule— “Walk by the same rule, and to mind
direction it appeared the Church was Minding the the same thing.”
heading. I remember pleading before Same Thing After being asked to serve as the
the Lord for assurance of the revela- General BTI Director, I immediately
tion that I had already received and felt impressed of the Lord to use as the
fully embraced. I remember praying, 2018-2019 BTI theme, “Walking By
“Lord, I don’t want to just believe this the Same Rule—Minding the Same
way because my father believed it this Thing.” I am convinced that the enemy
way.” It was easy for me to believe as Paul Horton of the Church (Satan) is terrified any-
General BTI Coordinator
my father believed and to walk as he time he sees the Body of Christ stand-
walked. He was a faithful example of serving the Lord and ing together, united in Spirit and Truth.
His Church with signs following. As much as I loved and It is my prayer and determination, through the work of
trusted my father, I needed my heavenly Father, through the BTI Department, to continue to help unify the Body of
the Holy Ghost, to once again give me divine assurance Christ around the world through this teaching ministry of the
of the revelation I was clinging to. I will never forget the Church, fulfilling the Word of the Lord found in Philippians
glory that filled my soul as the Holy Ghost spoke these 3:16, “Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let
two words to me, “You’re alright.” I never took these two us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.”

The Evening Light 15 October 2018

 Needed: Workers and Contacts for the Northeast
Church of Prophecy Marker Association “Mine Heritage
is unto me as a Region. If you are a minister that loves the Church
Speckled Bird” message, the doctrine, practices the Advice to
With our Members and would like to work for the Lord, please
General CPMA Coordinator

CPMA theme pray about the Northeast. If you know of anyone living
focusing on in the Northeast United States that may be a contact for
James R. Horne

the subject of the Church, please email: jhorne@thechurchofgod.org

“Heritage”
this year, let’s
commence our
monthly boost-
ing with some
timely thoughts
“Heritage” from former
General Over-
seer Robert J. Pruitt as he wrote in The Evening Light in
June, 1994. An “analogy in the Scripture concerning the E. Roger Ammons
uniqueness of the Church is that of the prophet Jeremiah General Evangelism Coordinator
who quoted God as saying, ‘Mine heritage is unto me as
a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her...’
The Tax Cuts and
(Jer. 12:9). It is a common reaction of birds, animals,
Jobs Acts of 2017,
and, yes, sometimes humans, to react adversely to one
which was passed into
among them which is different... In the Old Testament,
law this past Decem-
Israel was God’s heritage and in the New Testament it is
ber, has several notable
His Church. Just as natural birds reject the ‘speckled’ or
changes that will affect
unique one among them, so do other religious organiza-
churches and ministers.
tions resent the Church making itself known because it is
unique—speckled—different… Like Jeremiah’s ‘speck-
* The removal of Financial
the moving expenses Communiqué
led bird,’ the Church is resented, disliked, and persecuted
deduction. Pastors and
because she will not deny her identity, nor relent on her Jason Hill, General Treasurer
Overseers that have
mission. It would be apostasy to deny her heritage, des-
been transferred to a
ignation and calling. ‘What a beautiful thought I am
new location, in the past, have been able to deduct certain
thinking concerning the Great Speckled Bird.’ O, how
moving expenses. The new law no longer allows pastors/
beautiful are the words of that song, because it is so true.
employees to deduct these moving expenses. Pastors are
Nothing can change divine destiny. In God’s own way
now required to pay their moving expenses out-of-pocket.
and in His own time He will bring the true sheep into the
Also, if the church “reimburses” a pastor for the expenses,
fold (the Church). He will see that she is perfectly ready
it is considered taxable income.
to be received as His Bride—her and her alone.” Amen!
* The elimination of itemized deductions for busi-
Do we fully realize the preciousness and value of the
ness expenses. Expenses such as travel, meals, supplies,
“Heritage” we have been endowed with as The Church
etc. will no longer be deductible as “itemized deductions”
of God? Let’s keep the vision of that heritage vibrant in
(Schedule A.) This is in regard to income tax only, not self-
the hearts of our people! Join the CPMA!
employment taxes. Business expenses can still be deducted
Special thanks to all who volunteered and helped
from a pastor’s self-employment taxes.
with our Assembly booth this year!
For more information on how the new tax law will
affect churches and ministry, please contact your accoun-
tant or tax preparer.
Those achieving 100% this month are shown here on the Honor Wall:
Geraldine, AL Chaplin, KY Shawnee, OK
Somerville, AL Hopkinsville, KY Salem, OR Contacts for New Fields in Indiana
If you or someone you know lives
Arkadelphia, AR Dexter, MO Monongahela, PA in Indiana and are interested
Mountain View, AR Hillsboro, MO Pelham Valley, TN in having The Church of God
Trumann, AR New Bern, NC Bassett, VA established near you, please
contact Ryan Peters (317) 403-4236
Salida, CO Smithfield, NC Fries, VA or email: tcogpastor@gmail.com

The Evening Light 16 October 2018

 To Embrace the Vision is to act Abounding is going beyond the
upon it. Vision is more than recogni- ordinary. When a farmer plants the
tion. Vision is manifested by the action seed, he doesn’t stop there. In his
it prompts. mind is the vision of a bountiful crop
If there is no prompting to action, and he acts upon that vision. As the
there is no vision and without a vision, seeds begin to grow, he continues
“the people perish: but he that keepeth to cultivate until the crop is ready
the law, happy is he” (Prov. 29:18). to harvest. If he neglects the fields,
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, no doubt, some seeds will come up,
be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always some will even produce a little fruit,
abounding in the work of the Lord, for- Bettie Marlowe but not working the farmland will
asmuch as ye know that your labour is General Sunday School Coordinator produce minimal results. The vision
not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58). will not be fulfilled. The proper work
To abound is to produce or generate great quantity from was not done to produce a bountiful harvest.
a source—not just a token result of labor, but a “great quan- If we abound in the work of the Lord, we will reap great
tity.” When we are motivated by our love for Christ and results. Our labor will not be in vain. God will bless works
believe in the power of His resurrection, we will have works of holiness. Holy people will produce works of holiness. It
of holiness with the approval and anointing of the Holy takes full surrender to God to abound in His work.
Ghost. We will not be ashamed of our efforts or the results.

VICTORY REPORTS! Victory Leaders Band Felicia Buckner, NC—“I was

Testimonies from some youth
about Saturday night’s VLB Pro-
gram at the General Assembly:
Paydon Bradley, AR—“Words can-
not describe how wonderful the
services were, but to me none can
compare to the service of the Vic-
tory Leaders Band. It was such
an encouragement, and one that I
was in desperate need of!”
Brandon Shaw, TN—“The Church
has turned a corner. That’s what
I keep hearing and that’s what I
keep saying. From the moment
I arrived at the opening session
of the General Assembly, I knew
things were not business as usual...
Then Saturday night arrived, the
youth marched loud and proud,
and we heard a message about
taking the fight to the enemy. A
united front, working as one, pray-
ing together boldly and often, the
youth of The Church of God are,
without a doubt, a force the likes
of which will make the gates of
hell quake. I see a stirring in my
generation, as God is telling us to
get ready. I see young people, my
peers, maturing in the faith. God
Joshua Farthing, General VLB Coordinator
is doing something in the VLBs—pres-
ent tense—as in, right now! I am more
excited about The Church of God
than ever before in my life because I
believe we are watching Jesus line up
the troops. And the VLBs will not be
found on the sidelines of this battle-
field, but leading the charge!”
Chelsea Everman, KY—“The VLB pro-
gram at the Assembly this year was
amazing, and the blessing truly fell
over us all. You could feel the pres-
ence of God around you, and the Holy
Ghost truly fell.”
Haley Estep, KY—“I absolutely loved
the set up for the program this year,
the way that we went straight from
the marching to the skit, to the mes-
sage, then into a song service was a
great set up.”
blessed to attend the General
Assembly this year... I want to
encourage all VLBs that we can
put our ENEMIES ON THE RUN
because Philippians 4:13 says, ‘I
can do all things through Christ
which strengtheneth me.’ We
need to pray that our eyes are
opened like Elisha’s servant (2
Kings 6:17), that we may see that
the Lord fights for us (Ex. 14:14).
We should not fear (because fear
is of the devil and he’s a LIAR).
We must march ahead; the Lord is
our rereward (rear-guard).
“We make a daily—no, hourly—
choice whether we are going to
serve the Lord or not. It comes down
to priorities and excuses. I, with my
numerous disabilities, could choose
to, in the world’s eyes, justifiably
excuse myself from many respon-
sibilities. I could choose to dwell
on the ‘I can’t __’, ‘I can’t __’, ‘I can’t
__’. I’m writing to remind you that
“I can’t” never could. I remember
those who are looking to me and
my covenant to God, and choose
to find the, “but I CAN __.” The more
you do for the Lord, the more He
does for you. Your labor is not in
vain; God sees all.”

The Evening Light 17 October 2018

 THROW OUT THE LIFELINE! Himself and He commissioned her
The WMB theme for the 2018- purpose when He said unto her:
2019 year is, “The Lifeboat,” with “Go ye therefore, and teach all
our theme Scripture of John 3:15, nations, baptizing them in the name
“That whosoever believeth in him of the Father, and of the Son, and
should not perish, but have eternal of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them
life.” A lifeboat has a great job to to observe all things whatsoever I
do. It isn’t fulfilling its duty and its have commanded you: and, lo, I am
purpose if it isn’t launching out into with you alway, even unto the end of
the deep and throwing out the life- Sharon Griffin, General WMB Coord. the world. Amen” (Matt. 28:19-20)
line. A lifeline is an anchored line
attached to a lifeboat that is thrown chains of Satan taking them deeper and
out as a support to someone sinking deeper. Satan is working his hardest to IN APPRECIATION: Thank you
or drowning. make their destination hell and to cast to Sister Josie Foley and the WMB
Under the safety rules for lifeboats, their souls into outer darkness forever ladies who worked and staffed the
when throwing out the lifeline, the and ever. But there is a lifeline of hope! Missions Craft Table at the Gen-
rescuer is to shout out to the victim, We must call out to the lost, “Grab hold eral Assembly! Thank you also to
“Grab hold of the line!” Souls are lost of the line, grab hold of the line!” Sister Debra Cox and her staff for
in the darkness waiting for a lifeline Like the parable in the Bible of the managing and working the Mission
to be thrown out to them. They have woman who searched her house for the Clothes Closet! And finally, thank
gone so far in sin that they don’t know lost coin, the Church must search every you to all who made and provided
how to find their way back. The Psalm- ocean and every sea for the lost. She the crafts to sell for the craft table,
ist David said, “ [they] sit in darkness must sweep the waters until she finds and the donations of clothing, suit-
and in the shadow of death, being them. With determination, she must dili- cases, etc., for the clothes closet!
bound in affliction and iron.” Sin gently search for the survivors; She must May God enrich you and bless you
has bound the unsaved by the eternal go to them. Christ launched this lifeboat for your faithfulness!

We have received a report from

Sharing Isaac Thomas, National Overseer of
India (South), regarding the recent
Why do we call it The Evening Light today?
In history and use, The Evening Light is not
Hands natural disaster in Kerala State, a new name for the publication of the Church.
India. He states that a monsoon has The first issue was printed March 1, 1910, with
hit and there is very dangerous flood-
125 initial subscribers, and that name was used
ing. Many people have died and
many remain missing. The people in through February 1911. During the time of the
this area are in danger, and Brother Concerned for Bible Doctrine, this name was
World Mission Department
Thomas is requesting our prayers for recommenced, and it is what we have operated
God’s hand of protection. Twelve under since November 1992. In the 6th Annual
of our Church families have been affected with six of these fami-
General Assembly held in 1911, it was stated in
lies significantly impacted. The latter have lost everything. Many
in India are living in relief camps such as schools, auditoriums, part: “Some of the questions pertaining to the
and big halls. People are in need of food, water, clothes, and other Church, as prepared by the committee, were
basic necessities. To make a credit or debit card contribution by read, after which a half hour’s address was
phone, call Wendy Barick in the Accounting Department at 423- given by the General Overseer, calling attention
339-8264, ext. 233, during normal business hours. To contribute
to the importance of discussing these questions
by check or money order, mail your contribution to The Church
of God, ℅ India Flooding Relief Fund, P. O. Box 450, Charleston, in the light of the glaring ‘evening light’ that is
TN 37310. Thank you for your now shining forth after the cloudy and dark day
prayers and your sacrificial giv- of the dark ages… The discourse resulted in a
ing. “And the King shall answer season of prayer, groans and cries, tears and
and say unto them, Verily I say
sobs and the singing of the song—‘Waiting on
unto you, Inasmuch as ye have
done it unto one of the least of the Lord for the Promise Given,’ and another
these my brethren, ye have done season of prayer, tears, sobs and cries.”
it unto me” (Matt. 25:40). The light is still shining!

The Evening Light 18 October 2018

 Follow Peace With All Men
Consider how we behave when
we come to the house of God. We are
careful about how we act, talk, and
dress. And we should be very atten-
tive to these things—for it is God’s
house. But, what about beyond the
four walls? In some ways, isn’t our
conversation more important out
there in society where we are a wit-
ness to so many? Is our standard of
life and behavior as careful in public
as it is when we attend our church
services and events? After our words
and interaction with the waiter or
waitress that doesn’t seem to care
about our order, the customer service
representative on the telephone with
an attitude, the workman that botches
a job on our home or vehicle, or the
slow driver in front of us, could we
immediately follow it up with, “Let
me tell you about Someone who
loves you very much—Jesus Christ”?
Or would we feel like a hypocrite? If
our behavior or words are not a good
witness of the change the glorious
gospel has made in our lives, we need
to reevaluate in prayer and study of
the Word how we need to correct our-
selves and begin acting. Certainly, we
could do as Jesus said in Luke 16:15,
“Ye are they which justify yourselves
before men; but God knoweth your
Robert J. Hawkins, Jr.
General World Mission Coordinator
hearts...” and make excuses for unkind
words and ugly behavior, but the Word
of God says in Ephesians 4:29, “Let no
corrupt communication proceed out of
your mouth, but that which is good to
the use of edifying, that it may minister
grace unto the hearers.”
A. J. Tomlinson once wrote, “Prayer
is a means of subduing one’s spirit until
he will manifest a sweetness in his life.
A brother with whom I was acquainted
became a little bit on the sour and
crabbed order. He realized he had lost
the sweetness of his experience. In con-
versation with me one day he remarked
that he had got behind with his praying
and he would have to get out somewhere
alone and PRAY UP. I think all the peo-
ple who have ‘sour holiness’ would do
well to follow this brother’s example
and get out and pray up. I once knew
a brother that was lovable, kind, gentle
and mellow when things were going his
way, but when something crossed him
a little he had spells of what I called
‘Vesuvius eruptions.’ His face would
turn red and he would storm and rage.
Later on he would attempt to apolo-
gize and tell the folks in his presence
that that was just the (family name)
about him. And while I did not want
to cross him or say anything to him,
I thought that thing that was about
him, that made him do that way, was
the ‘devil about him.’ In fact, I never
could understand how a sanctified
man could fly ‘off the handle’ like that.
I thought sanctification took that kind
of spasms out of a person. In fact, I
fully believe it does. Sanctification is
represented by Paul as the crucifixion
of the old man that flies up like ‘Jack
in the Box.’ Paul describes a sancti-
fied life in the following beautiful lan-
guage: ‘And be ye kind one to another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
even as God for Christ’s sake hath for-
given you... Be ye therefore followers
of God, as dear children; And walk in
love, as Christ also hath loved us...’
(Eph. 4:32; 5:1, 2).” (A. J. Tomlinson,
pp. 473, 474, by Lillie Duggar, 1964)
Following peace with all men—
and holiness—go hand in hand. You
can’t have one without the other.
“for the tree is known by his fruit”
(Matt. 12:33).

Be a $300 Worker Church History

for Missions!
The World Mis-
sion Department and
the Women’s Mis-
sionary Band are extending
an opportunity for you to own one of these
beautiful, stainless steel World Mission Cards that
will be given to every “$300 Worker” for October
World Missions 2018. These high quality, laser-
engraved cards will make a wonderful display and
will be a blessed reminder of our Great Commission to go
into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
You may send your payment directly to General Head-
quarters or give it to your local church treasurer, who will
kindly forward your name to us with his report. If writing
a check, please gladly note in the memo—“$300 Worker.”
Thank you for your fervent prayers and giving!
Questions & Answers
Q: Do Committees settle things?
A: Committees never settle things, but con-
sider questions and recommend certain
actions, and the Assembly settles matters.
(10th Annual Assembly).
Q: What about secular work?
A: We feel some of our larger churches
have been neglected by pastors resort-
ing to secular work. We recommend that
the state overseers discourage ministers
working at manual labor where the tithes
are sufficient for their support.
(48th AM, 1953, p. 107, QSC).

The Evening Light 19 October 2018

 H istorical
S napshots
Bishop Dorlan
H. Queener
addresses an
Assembly of
yesteryear.

“And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat,
and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain” (Isa. 4:6).

Georgia Ladies’ Retreat

Tennessee
Guest Speaker:
Sister Deborah Perkins Ladies’ Retreat
October 12-14 October 19-21, 2018
$75 tuition Camp Overton
General Coffee State Park “The Rock Island, TN
Nicholls Ga.
e a u ti es of $65
Contact: B
s”
Holines
Kathy Jeffcoat—912-539-8590 Vicki Smith * (423) 244-7875
or vsmith@thechurchofgod.org
Rena Rowell—912-539-5103

From Assembly Operations:

Another great General Assembly has come and gone and there
were many things we are hearing as a result of our time with the
Lord. We are already in the midst of getting contracts finished up
and hope to have a link in the very near future for the 114th General
Assembly which will be held at MeadowView Conference Center
in beautiful Kingsport, Tennessee, August 6-11, 2019.
We have always asked for several of our committees and
Assembly workers to fill out a survey so we might improve for the
next year. This year we expanded that number to include some of
our ministry as well as some of our delegates. We were honored to
have some of these turned in and we have begun looking over them
to see how we can make next year run more smoothly, efficiently,
and just make it better! As you can imagine, it would be almost
impossible to hand a survey to all the attendees. However, that
doesn’t mean we would not like to hear from you, whether you get
to be present physically or enjoy the Assembly via Internet. If you
have a comment, suggestion, or even a concern please email us
at bradtonyaanders@gmail.com. Believe it or not, we are already
looking forward to 2019!!
Honored to Serve,
Brad & Tonya Anders, Directors of Operations
NOTICE -
The new deadline for submitting
pictures and information for the
Ministers' Memoir book is the end of
the year.
“If we are going to go on to perfection as the
Church, we are going to have to bridle this tongue.
We have Advice to Members which gives us direc-
tion in many, many things. And I don’t care how holy
you dress, how holy you look, how pious you are; if
you do not have control of this tongue you are not
holy. And if you think that you can be not holy and
criticize everybody you come in contact with—and
leadership—and think you've got a place in heaven,
you can think again. We need to get it right in here;
in our heart.”
—Virgil VanDeventer, General Assembly 2008

The Evening Light 20 October 2018

 Former General Overseers Speak
Let the CHURCH Be the CHURCH
A. J. Tomlinson
After staying all night with Brother W. F.
Bryant I got up the next morning, had prayers,
ate breakfast and took out up the mountain. I
was gone for an hour or more... I came back
down the mountain and entered the meeting.
Questions were asked, Bible answers were
given. They said they took the whole Bible rightly divided as
their only rule of faith and practice. I said, “Well, if you take
the whole Bible rightly divided, that makes it The Church of
God. Why do you want to call it the Holiness Church at Camp
Creek?” They agreed with me but couldn’t answer my question.
Then I said, “You have agreed that this that I have said makes it
The Church of God, and will you be willing to take it and keep
it The Church of God?” They said that they were willing. I then
asked if they were willing to take me in with the understand-
ing that it IS The Church of God—not going to be, but IS The
Church of God? They were willing. So I stood right there in
front of the fireplace, and Brother Spurling, who has gone on
to heaven, took the Bible and gave it to me. He handed it to me
and said, “Will you take this as the Word of God, believe it and
practice it, obey its precepts and walk in the light as God is in
the light?” I thought deeply. I remembered what a time I had
on the mountain. I meant business. David meant business and
Isaiah meant business when he said, “Arise, shine…”
(A. J. Tomlinson—Historical Notes, pp. 76, 77)
Robert J. Pruitt
Some people have a problem with that word
“perfection” and try to reinterpret, discredit, or
cast it out of Scripture entirely. They will tell
you that nobody is perfect, nor can they be. But I
must tell you, dear one, that God requires it and
since He requires it, it is not only possible but it is
the goal for The Church of God worldwide. The
Church of God teaches and preaches spiritual perfection because
it is a Bible doctrine and that Christ is coming back for a perfect
Church, which is His bride. We teach that all living saved persons,
the true sheep, will be in the Church at the time of the rapture.
Jesus said, and this is recorded in John 17:20-23, “Neither pray
I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me
through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father,
art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the
world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which
thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as
we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made per-
fect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me,
and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” That is our destiny,
dear ones, and it would be wise to get in the spirit of it and be pre-
pared to go up in the rapture when Jesus comes for us. Anything
short of it won’t make it.
(Annual Address, 2002)
The Evening Light 21
M. A. Tomlinson
Blessed and privileged are we who
have the advantage of looking back to
view the power of divine prophecy, espe-
cially as it relates to the divine institution
of which we are part. More than seven
hundred years before Christ came to set
in order His Church, which event itself was clearly fore-
told prophetically, Isaiah had revealed in his prophecy the
decline of the Church and its being forsaken by the Lord.
The same prophet however, also told of its reappearance out
of the darkness into which it would plunge. He told how it
would arise and shine, and how the glory of the Lord would
be seen upon this, His glorious creation. On June 13, 1903,
the prophetic utterance of Isaiah in the first verse of the 60th
chapter was fulfilled. Renouncing all man-made creeds that
had covered God’s Church for so many years… [and] to
accept the responsibility of being The Church of God in its
emergence from the dark ages. While none of that group
is still alive today, many of us were given the privilege to
know them personally and to have them share with us the
revelation they received which brought the Church out of
darkness. And we are filled with the same joy they expe-
rienced as we recognize our continuing role, bearing the
responsibility of being the pillar and ground of the truth.
(WWM, June 7, 1980, p. 2)
Stephen E. Smith
According to the prophets,
[the Church] would be found in
the mountains, in a land far away
from where it was originally head-
quartered in the land of Israel.
The place chosen by God for His
Church to arise was in the moun-
tains of North Carolina, in the United States of Amer-
ica. A. J. Tomlinson received a divine revelation of the
Lord’s Church on the top of a mountain, in a forest,
in “fields of the wood.” He had come under the spirit
of seeking out the “place” and “habitation” of the
Lord (See Jeremiah 30:18-22) [and he found it]. The
Church’s greatest days are just ahead, as God fills it
with divine glory. He will grant it anointing and power
to take the whole gospel to the whole world. As His
sheepfold, it will serve as the nucleus for the gathering
of all God’s sheep. As His building it will grow into a
holy temple and become the habitation of God through
the Spirit. As the bride of Christ, it will put on robes of
pure white and be presented to the Lord without spot
or wrinkle, holy and without blemish.
(The Church, the Body of Christ, pp. 39, 40, 67).
October 2018

Adios, Au Revoir,
Auf Wiedersehen
James R. Horne, Assistant Editor
Bessemer, AL
I f I may, let me break from the norm and write just
a few personal lines. What a pleasure it has been
to serve the Church as Assistant Editor of The Eve-
ning Light these last three years (2015-2018). I have
thoroughly enjoyed the research, the interactions, the
monthly deadlines, the writing and compilation, and
probably most of all, the opportunity to be part of the
history of this special and precious ministry of the
Church. In all of the things I’ve been appointed to do,
there is nothing else quite like The Evening Light and
I’m truly grateful to our General Overseer for the oppor-
tunity to have served in this capacity. Thank you to all
of you who have expressed your love and for your kind
words for the efforts made. To my secretary, Sister Vicki
Smith, who has served in this department for at least
22 years, words cannot begin to convey my thankful-
ness for your labors and the time invested. To my wife,
Rebekah, other proofreaders and staff, these words do
not seem adequate but again, “Thank you!”
The following is an updated historical account of our
publication for this generation and perhaps future gen-
erations to reflect upon:
A. J. Tomlinson served as editor prior to and
throughout his tenure as General Overseer for many
publications including: The Evening Light, Evangel
and White Wing Messenger. He also edited several
other smaller publications for the Church, seeing the
need for the circulated printed message. M. A. Tomlin-
son served as editor for our general publications, but
not long after he was selected as General Overseer, he
realized the need for assistance with the work. It was in
the 39th Assembly Minutes, page 42, he said, “I believe
we need someone to fill the position of assistant editor.
To have an assistant editor will give another to help
share the responsibility of the work.” This is where the
role and appointment for this office seemed to begin in
our history. It was October, 1944, that C. T. Davidson
was appointed as Assistant Editor of the White Wing
Messenger. He served through the Assembly of 1948
when L. A. Moxley was appointed. Brother Moxley
also served well and continued in the work through the
Assembly of 1952 when Robert Wright was appointed
to this position. In 1954, Buford Johnson assumed the
role and continued until September 1965 when R. O.
Covey became Assistant Editor. He had a long tenure
of twelve years in this capacity, serving through Sep-
tember of 1977. Billy Murray also served for twelve
years from 1977 through 1989 when Robert Pruitt
The Evening Light
was appointed with his first edition in October 1989
and serving through August 1991. In September 1991,
John Pace was appointed to this capacity as Assistant
Editor but with the turmoil associated with the disrup-
tion, The Evening Light was recommenced. In Novem-
ber of 1992, Stephen E. Smith took on this role for
the Concerned for Bible Doctrine, and in the reor-
ganization of 1993 he was appointed to this position
and served as Assistant Editor for twelve years until
October 2004. Kevin Werkheiser was appointed and
began in November 2004 and served through Septem-
ber 2008 at which time, Ray Dupre was appointed. He
served for seven years in this capacity, through October
2015. I was appointed and assumed the role beginning
with the November 2015 edition and continued through
October 2018. With the 2018 Assembly appointments
made, Brother Kryss Barick now assumes the respon-
sibility of this ministry commencing with the November
2018 edition. All of these Assistant Editors through the
years have served directly under the General Overseer
as Editor.
Darkness is all around the world, but this Evening
Light is still penetrating the blackness and lighting the
old path. Aren’t you glad that the light is still shining?
Remember that The Evening Light is the official printed
voice of The Church of God. It is the member’s con-
nection with our “spiritual Jerusalem” or General Head-
quarters. The paper continues to be full of inspirational
messages and information of the happenings and
worldwide efforts of the Church. It helps disseminate
direction from the General Leadership (all of the Gen-
eral Coordinators and the General Overseer) to help
with the Church work at all levels. “The Lord gave the
word: great was the company of those that published it”
(Psa. 68:11). It is anointed and prayed over at General
Headquarters every month.
As you may know, my family and I now begin a new
chapter in our lives, as we have done several times
before. We will miss our precious folks in Alabama and
hold deeply an eight-year treasure trove of fond mem-
ories. As we have been appointed, we are moving to
work alongside some other very special Church family
in the Northeastern United States and look forward to
all that God has in store there as we continue to build
atop the good work of those before. As I say goodbye
to The Evening Light, my responsibilities as an Overseer
and with CPMA continue. There is much to do. Please
keep my family in prayer for the sale of our home and
for the relocation. I now pass this special role to my
successor and friend, Brother Kryss Barick. “Finally,
brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of
one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace
shall be with you” (2 Cor. 13:11). Thanks again, dear
reader, for your love, prayers and support in this role.
This is James Horne, signing off.
22 October 2018

The Evening Light Subscription Form
Please Print Clearly
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2018 Canada National Convention
Visitors from Alberta, Alaska, Wash-
ington, Idaho and Georgia, as well as local
friends of the Church came to fellowship
and hear from the Lord at the 2018 Church of
God National Convention in beautiful British
Columbia this year. It was an anointed Con-
vention with testimonies stating; “It was full
of timely messages” and “The Spirit of unity
and love was very prevailing throughout the whole week-
end.” Canada’s National Overseer, Bishop Mitch Cam-
eron, opened the Convention up with the theme Scripture
from 1 Peter 2:5, 6, “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up
a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual
sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore
also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion
a chief corner stone, elect,
precious: and he that be-
lieveth on him shall not be
confounded.”
Canada National lead-
ers boosted the ABM, BTI,
CPMA, WMB, Sunday
School and VLB. One of
the boosts was particularly a blessing for me as it was my
16-year-old son’s message, and he put together an encour-
aging boost that excited the youth and elders of the Church,
reminding us how the auxiliaries (“helps”) are a strong
arm for the Church. Brother Joshua Farthing preached two
anointed messages. We heard powerful messages from
Bishop Michael Grant and Bishop Allard Smith. We also
The Evening Light
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Please send form and payment to:
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e-mail: eveninglight@thechurchofgod.org
had a special presentation to recognize and give hon-
our to our longest member of The Church of God in
Canada, Olga Maksymchuk and the oldest member
and minister in Canada, Victor Maksymchuk. Many
came to visit on this day and we were all encouraged.
The worship was a great blessing to me and my
children, as well as all in attendance, with many mu-
sicians’ playing together as we all worshiped the
Lord in one accord. The special singing was out-
standing with many gifted singers singing praises
to the Lord. Bishop Mitch Cameron preached a timely mes-
sage on the theme of the Convention.
The National appointments were made and a highlight
for my family was when my mother, Valerie Powell, chose
to become a member of The Church of God on Sunday af-
ternoon! Praise the Lord! “They shall ask the way to Zion
with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join
ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that shall
not be forgotten” (Jer. 50:5). It truly was one of the best
Conventions I’ve ever been at. The fellowship and unity
were something you just don’t get elsewhere, and I look
forward to all getting together again in 2019, with the
date set for June 28-30. Make
plans to attend our annual Na-
tional Convention in beauti-
ful Vernon, British Columbia!
You’ll meet the most wonder-
ful people and you won’t be
disappointed! ‘Tis a glorious
Church!!!
May the Lord richly bless you,
Terra Beauchamp
23 October 2018
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Special Thanks! ¡Muchas Gracias!

There is much to be said about Aaron and the help he gave to
Moses as his mouthpiece. He was the voice of one who otherwise
may not have been well understood. Our interpreters work tirelessly
at the General Assembly to be sure our Spanish delegation can under-
stand the speakers, program directors, announcements and more.
Join me in giving a big “Gracias” to all the brothers and sisters who
were the Aarons for our Church family.
Luis Banuelos, General Spanish Interpreter/Translator

Honor to Whom Honor

On May 11, 1933, Melvin Wilson Creech was born in John- and Mexico. Sister Creech
ston County, North Carolina, to William and Katie Creech. His taught BTI in Cancun
mother was a Christian who raised him to work hard and love and Pueblo, Mexico, and
his family. As a boy, his parents were tenant tobacco farmers. both have worked in vari-
This required his help and, as a result, he couldn’t graduate ous camps and served the
when he was supposed to, but in years to come he would work Cleveland BTI school as
very hard and earn his equivalent diploma proving his dedica- secretary and custodian for
tion to seeing things accomplished. many years.
In 1945, young Melvin would accomplish something else Brother Creech’s favor-
too that would alter his life forever. He was saved and began ite Scripture was found
a journey that would lead him to Norfolk, Virginia, where he in Mark 12:30 and while
would meet (in church), the love of his life. Lavonda Ruth Shi- he recognized that loving Featured Servants:
flett also attended church there. Sister Lavonda was born on God cannot be summed Melvin (Deceased) &
June 24, 1935, in Grottoes, Virginia, to Fred and Mattie Shiflett. up in works alone, no mat- Lavonda Creech
Her mother taught her that boys and books don’t mix, so she ter how many jobs and
didn’t date until after she was done with school, then became appointments he took on, when asked before he passed of what
Mrs. Melvin Creech on September 1, 1954. That union brought things would sum up his ministry he simply said, “I haven’t
fruit of three children: Steve, Rita and Vicki. Later, they would done enough.” That’s the spirit we all could learn to have.
add 3 in-laws, 12 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren. Sister Creech still enjoys knitting and encourages any
This couple together did much work for the Lord in many young minister to knit humbleness into everything you do and
areas of ministry. Brother Creech first became a deacon in keep Christ the center of it all. Her favorite Scripture is found
1974. Since that time, he and Sister Creech worked in various in Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14, “Let us hear the conclusion of the
capacities which included, but are not limited to, being lead- whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for
ers for ABM, WMB, CPMA, VLB, and Sunday School teacher this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work
and superintendent. They both served on a state/regional level into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or
with various appointments and have worked in other countries. whether it be evil.”
Brother Creech was the director for the Eastern North Carolina Please keep Sister Creech in your prayers.
Brotherhood of Workers and put roofs on churches in Belize