EDMOND—Sixty-one Philadelphia Church of God ministers and their wives came from across America and nine other countries to the Herbert W. Armstrong College campus for the 2014 ministerial conference on June 18. The conference, which occurs once every 18 months, included over 30 hours of ministerial lectures, two ordinations, and the debut of the musical Morning Star—The Acts of Waldo the Apostle.
The one-week conference centered around five days of intense lectures in Armstrong Auditorium by Pastor General Gerald Flurry and 12 other ministers.
“I got into the book of Ezekiel and the problems that are coming, and also the good news,” Mr. Flurry said. “God is preparing us for the future.”
“I felt the lectures this year were exceptionally deep and profound,” said United Kingdom/Europe Regional Director Brad Macdonald, who also spoke. “There was also plenty of practical information too, instruction that each minister could take home and apply immediately in his ministry.”
“I’ve attended every pcg ministerial conference since 1999, and would have to say that this one outshone all of them,” Illinois Preaching Elder Eric Anderson said. “The lectures were especially inspiring, informative and useful. There was a heavy emphasis on ministers really growing in their spiritual understanding of the basic doctrines of the true Church and being able to effectively teach God’s people in a more profound way.”
“The sense of the greater urgency of the times was more evident,” South Africa Local Church Elder Bernard Wakelin said. “The theme that I noticed was of education—teaching the teachers—and preparation.”
“The central theme was the importance of what it means to be the pioneers and teachers of the World Tomorrow,” Trinidad and Tobago Preaching Elder Samuel Seebran said.The conference also included two ordinations. During a ministry/headquarters staff dinner in the John Amos Field House on June 23, Evangelist Stephen Flurry and Australasia Regional Director John Macdonald raised Philippines Local Elder Kirk Macdonald to the rank of preaching elder. Deacon Broderick Tongco, also from the Philippines, became the 61st minister attending the conference when Mr. Flurry and Mr. John Macdonald ordained him a local elder.
“I had mixed emotions,” Mr. Tongco said. “I felt a little nervous, but at the same time honored to be soon serving God and His people in a role of a minister.”
The dinner was just one of several events hosted by a small army of staff, students and volunteers during the one-week conference. Along with local pcg members and staff, the ministers also had the chance to view the debut of Morning Star on June 22 in Armstrong Auditorium. About 500 concertgoers attended music director Ryan Malone’s latest musical, which told the story of 12th-century Apostle Peter Waldo and featured 31 Imperial Academy students, four hwacstudents/graduates and the Muggavin School of Irish Dance.
“Those young people exhibited maturity of voice and ability that went beyond their age,” Australian Local Church Elder Brian Sherwood said. “It was incredible, and something that I will remember for a long time.”
Ministers also mingled with members at a Sabbath-morning coffee klatch in the field house and a Saturday-night Swans in Flight social in front of Armstrong Auditorium; toured campus on Sunday morning; and visited Mr. Flurry in his home.
Ministers said that one of the greatest benefits of the conference was their conversations with one another over meals at the field house and at the activities.
“It was great to meet up with the [headquarters] ministers again and also to meet others from the field for the first time,” Mr. Wakelin said. “I was uplifted spiritually by their enthusiasm for God’s Work, HQ focus and their concern for the brethren.”
“During a chat with Kirk Macdonald about [Imperial Academy] in the Philippines, he commented that six families had deliberately moved in order for their children to receive God’s education,” Washington Local Church Elder Darren Verbout said. “Having our children in IA for the past five years, personally, it helped me to more greatly appreciate the unique blessing that God’s education affords.”
“This conference was different as there was a stronger bond of unity amongst the ministers and a greater sense of urgency in all the lectures,” Australia Preaching Elder Aaron Hudson said. “Both these points were conveyed through numerous conversations.”
Mr. Flurry wrapped up the conference on June 24 with his fourth and final lecture, “connecting the dots and weaving several of the message themes into unified marching orders,” Mr. Verbout said. “In Mr. Flurry’s closing comments, he reminded the ministry to go to God, especially during the baptismal counseling process,” he said. “This was a detailed reminder of how significant and careful the baptismal process needs to be. After all, this is when conversion ultimately begins in a person’s life.”
“I feel stirred from all the lectures, but particularly from Mr. Flurry’s, to go home and fine-tune my life, my family’s lives and the brethren’s in preparation for what lies shortly ahead,” Mr. Hudson said. “Time is quickly running out.”
Beginning June 24, ministers and their wives returned to their homes around the world, in 15 U.S. states as well as Canada, England, South Africa, Australia, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Trinidad and Tobago and the Philippines.
“It was a terrific and much-needed reminder of the standard God expects me to live up to,” Mr. Brad Macdonald said. “I also benefitted enormously from the abundance of practical instruction.”
“The conference was full of inspiring, balanced spiritual instructions, corrections and directions—both of the basics and strong spiritual meat,” Mr. Tongco said. “I’ve never come home spiritually charged up this way before.”
“It was the best ministerial conference by a really good margin,” Mr. Flurry said. “Every message was outstanding. They were the most stirring messages we’ve heard at any conference.”
The next Philadelphia Church of God ministerial conference takes place at the end of 2015.