Church of God adds 440 ministers and spouses to leadership roll

While some doomsday seekers were waiting for the world to end on May 21st, others were answering the call to ministry at Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn., being commissioned to lead themselves and others spiritually.

Scene outside church

Cleveland is the international headquarters of the Church of God (COG), a Holiness Pentecostal organization. Lee University is the denomination's affiliated school. The church has just over 1 million members in the U. S., and another 5 million throughout the world.


The commissioning ceremony was held on the Lee University campus.

Culpepper is a dynamic speaker.

"I don't think we will run out of preachers anytime soon," said one minister in the audience who has led mission trips to Jamaica and Haiti. COG has international students in Canada, Kenya, and Zambia.

General Overseer Raymond F. Culpepper gave the commissioning address and anointed the graduates of the Ministerial Internship Program (MIP) who came from several states. The title of his sermon was, “The Dynamics of Spiritual Leadership.” The bible was his playbook, and he quoted scripture after scripture, word for word, talking without the assistance of notes or prompters.

“Without spiritual leadership, there can be no spiritual accomplishments,” Culpepper said. “We live in a culture of postmodernism…relative truth…political correctness…Don’t wear you faith badge in your undergarments,” he said. "Stand up for the truth."

The audience was engaged.

Culpepper urged new ministers to dig deep into the bible and not be scared when adversity and criticism of their leadership comes, which he claimed was inevitable. Some verses quoted included Isaiah 6:8, Matthew 23:11, Joshua 1:8, Psalms 1:1, Jeremiah 29:11, John 15:5, Philippians 1:6, and Philippians 3:12.

Culpepper said leading in its highest form means becoming a disciple. “Following Christ is a servant-hearted art,” he said.

Bishop Glenn McNeill (l) and wife Evelyn (2nd from r) stand with Stanley (2nd from l) and Erica Dawn Griffin (r) after ceremony. “After God’s call, I moved,” Erica Griffin said.

Each graduate was given a 700-page book, "The Great Commission Connection," edited by Culpepper. The organization’s next major event will be its National Haitian Convention in Boston, Mass., May 27-29.

©2011 Tomi Johnson. All rights reserved.