2018 Church of God
General Assembly
A
s Prayer Coordinator for the Church of God, Doug
Small orchestrated prayer efforts at the Church of
God General Assembly in Orlando in July. This year
included a one-day prayer training session, an interactive
prayer room, and live interviews from the exhibit hall.
Attendees for the prayer training were introduced to
the Praying Church Movement – a group of congregations
that have committed to bring prayer to the heart of all they
do. Dr. J. David Stephens began the training experience. A
collage of ideas and resources were presented laced with
moments of prayer. A School of Prayer Associate Presenter
training session was also conducted.
The interactive prayer room was full of innovative ideas
for enriching prayer. Over 15 prayer stations were displayed
including prayer banners; a carpet map of the world and
the United States; children’s prayer area; praying for the
persecuted church and unreached people groups.
Many sat. Others formed prayer circles. At times, during
the day, voices were raised in prayer in passionate, tearful
prayer. At other times, the room grew quiet. Never, during
the entire assembly, was it empty. Hundreds of intercessors,
during the course of the week streamed through the prayer
room. They picked up a handful of the many prayer requests
that were sent to the room and walked the floor praying.
In the exhibit hall throughout the day, Doug Small
interviewed various guests including Ramon Barboa,
Chris Cooper, Richard Dial, Ronnie Hepperly, Ken Hill,
Loran Livingston, Angel Marcial-Estades, Robert Moore,
and Fred Nichols. The interviews were livestreamed on
Facebook. The focus was on prayer-evangelism-mission
stories and insights showcasing what is happening around
the world and throughout the United States as a result of
fervent prayer. o
Order of the Towel
R
ev. Peter Thomas, field director for the Church of
God in Africa, was inducted into the ‘Order of the
Towel’ during the World Missions banquet held
July 30, 2018 at the General Assembly.
The recognition was presented by Doug Small. The
honor is bestowed “in recognition of servant leadership
and the creation of an ethos of character in leadership.”
In the decade in which Peter Thomas has served as
the Church of God field director for much of Africa, 43
nations have felt the temperate passion of a man who has
given himself to a continent. For more than two decades,
he served as the education director, forging relationships,
pressing the character of the church deeper, creating
a continent-wide network committed to the complete
evangelization of African peoples, and establishing a self-
sustaining movement.
In Africa’s leadership conferences, Peter Thomas can
often be seen sitting quietly on the sidelines. He leads by
serving. He directs by sharing authority and influence.
He guides with affirmation and, when necessary, clear,
dispassionate, principled engagement.
“There are few people among us who rightly deserve
the appellation of ‘apostolic,’” Small stated. Peter Thomas
is such a man. “Too often our ideas are clouded by images
of strong and dominant personalities. The apostle Paul,
on the other hand, often spoke of being weak and gentle
among the churches. He forged forward meeting rejection
and acceptance.”
“Along his journey, Peter Thomas has been taken
hostage and virtually left for dead,” Small concluded. “He
has been turned out of countries, injured and wounded,
falsely accused and arrested, and in peril that threatened
his life. Nevertheless, he has quietly persisted in a mission
to see an entire continent set ablaze in the glory of God.
Youthful Africa, with an average age of 19, is the rising
continent. It is the harvest that could change the world.”
Some of the previous recipients of the Order of the
Towel Award have been Dr. Robert Fisher; Dr. Horace
Ward; Missionary Margaret Gaines; Former Attorney
General, John Ashcroft; and Times Square pastor, Carter
Conlon. [Article credited to Faith News] o
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