Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Help us plan the 2011 General Convention

By Bishop Charles Scott
We would love your feedback on the following:
  1. Would you favor a conference forum with breakout sessions?

  2. What type of sessions would interest you?

  3. Would you prefer outside speakers for the main services?

  4. Would you prefer department led services per history?

  5. What are the most important areas for you in relation to general convention, i.e. what do you expect from the meeting?

  6. What would you most desire from general convention?

  7. What would you like to say about general convention?

3 comments:

  1. I have only attended two General Conventions since being licensed in 1986. I almost didn't comment, feeling unworthy to make suggestions when not attending regularly. The truth is that I witnessed such a mean spirit among pastors that my wife and I felt it would be a waste of our churches resources to ever attend again. Two pastors had to be stopped from taking their argument outside (they were headed for a fist fight).

    I was so pleased to hear such positive comments about the last General Convention. We can't change the past and the mistakes of our past; but thank you, Bishop, for reshaping our future.

    I would love to attend a conference style G.C. with breakout session.

    Sessions on leadership, relationships between pastors and staff, church planting, church health/growth, innovative community outreaches, short term missions, planning big events, vision, and the like would be helpful.

    I would prefer outside speakers. Men like Tommy Barnett, Matthew Barnett, Larry Stockstill, T.D. Jakes - just to name a few - have so much to offer. Some of the greatest "preacher" in the world are in our movement; but great preaching alone doesn't build churches. I would rather hear someone less eloquent with great ideas for building healthy, growing churches. We could learn from our Baptist brothers and sisters; and I'm not opposed to hearing one of them at a G.C.

    The Department led services were O.K., but I didn't walk away saying "Wow! That was awesome!" An Independent Church in Florida (Trinity), led by Pastor Tom Peters has an incredible missions weekend every other year. If we're to continue the department led services, they need some spice.

    I would love to walk away from a convention saying, "I can't wait til the next one! I'm bringing my staff! I'm telling my church to come!"

    I want to belong. I want to be proud of our fellowship. I want to see men who can disagree without taking their disagreement to the parking lot. I want to see respect for one another. I want to see love that looks past our theological petty differences. I want to see maturity that embraces others when they think differently than we do.

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  2. I would love to see our G.C. become a place of leadership development, training, encouragement and support rather than all business.

    I do favor a conference with breakout sessions in areas that would be beneficial to ministry, church growth, serving our communities, church health and other things.

    I would prefer outside speakers for the main services. I love hearing our leaders but I think we need some outside leadership challenges that give us insight and challenges to do ministry in a way that we have never done it before that maybe reaches those we have never reached before, maybe (outside the box) LOL.

    Department led services need some energy, creativity, motivation. Maybe take a break from that format and do all leadership conference.

    I expect to walk away from G.C. with hope, motivation and i want to be proud of what I am a part of and the fact is, I don't leave that way.

    I love seeing friends in ministry at G.C. that are facing same struggles I am facing. But I would love to be see opportunities for break outs geared to meet the needs of each ministry style.

    Bishop, Thanks for your leadership and desire to take us to heights we have never been to before. I am reminded of Isaiah 40 for you and pray that as you lead us.

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  3. With all due respect (and I really mean that), there has to be a better time to honor the lives and ministries of our ministers who have passed away than during the Sunday morning service. The alomost funeral-like atmosphere that is created in the service is a real downer. It would seem to me that a "campmeeting" like service would go a long way towards setting the kind of tone that we would like to prevail throughout the entire convention. Additionally, in a service where we are honored to have representatives from other Pentecostal organizations present, do we really want to turn it into a somewhat depressing memorial service for those who have passed away? Just my opinion.

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