General Overseer Shares His "Dreams"

This week, the General Presbyters and Assembly Committees gathered at the International Offices in Cleveland for their annual Fall Meetings. This time of prayer, dialogue, and planning helps set the course for ministry throughout the year and provides opportunity for leadership to address the urgent needs of our global movement.

On Wednesday, October 19, General Overseer Randall Howard presented his "State of the Offices" address to the General Presbyters, Assembly Committees, and International Office staff. "This time of sharing has developed as a way to let leadership in the Church of God of Prophecy (COGOP) know where my mind and heart are so that they would better understand my actions and directives," said Bishop Howard during his opening statements. He continued, "It has evolved into a benchmark moment each year where we ask ourselves 'where have we come from, where are we, and where are we going?' It is good to keep these things in view as we walk along, otherwise we may find we are only taking a walk and in time we may find we have compassed this mountain long enough..

Bishop Howard shared four "dreams" that he and the General Presbyters have identified as they continue to pray about the church's future and implement Vision 2020 into their respective areas. These dreams, as outlined in the presentation were:

• We dream of the financial polity of this network being implemented in every nation of ministry.
• We dream of Leadership Development, building an integrated model to develop spiritually inspired ministerial leadership throughout the COGOP so that the International Offices will one day arrive to the place that our main product is Leadership Development
• We dream that our Vision/Mission/Core Values will become a matrix for the calling, identity, leadership and strategic action of this movement in the next ten years.
• We dream that this movement will become a mighty movement of prayer.

"Today is the day to dream the dreams of God and to walk toward the realization of those dreams by faith." said Bishop Howard. "This church has stepped out to declare that God is still giving dreams and visions. We have stepped out to proclaim that we are willing to move in faith to be dream chasers, Running after the glory of God at the end of everyone of His dreams and visions. Remember, eye has not seen nor ear heard neither has entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love him, but God has revealed them unto us by his spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, yes the deep things of God. Our former General Overseer Brother Murray spoke His dream and God's heart into this body when he said the greatest days of the Church of God of Prophecy are yet to come. We join that dream declaration. God's glory will ever increase on earth and we his people will move with Him to see that day come."