Pastors’ Fellowship 2023
Join us in-person May 1-2 at Winchester First Church of God for a time of uncompromising teaching and preaching, unifying fellowship, and spiritual encouragement.
What’s happening this year at Pastors’ Fellowship?
SUNDAY, APRIL 30, 2023
6PM | Heritage Hymn Sing
MONDAY, MAY 1, 2023
8AM-12PM | Registration
9:00AM-11:30AM | Morning Conferences
Drunkenness: A Sobering Reality in Church and Society
Presented by Dr. David Sebastian, Dean Emeritus and Minister at Large for Anderson University
This session seeks to help participants become informed and join the long overdue conversation about a legal but deadly drug: Alcohol.
9:00AM – 10:00AM
OR
10:30AM – 11:30AM
Worship: Blending, Bridging & Bonding
Presented by Brandon Pelfrey, Worship Pastor at Irvine First Church of God
Whether you’re wanting to blend music or use a particular style, we’ll look at practical ways to use available resources, organization, and planning to help better your worship services.
12:00PM-1PM | Women in Ministry Luncheon
If you’re a woman in ministry, join us for a special ‘Women in Ministry Luncheon’ on Monday at noon. The cost is $8 for a box lunch. Make sure to check the box for this event when you register to attend Pastors’ Fellowship!
1:30PM | Optimism About the Church: Are Our Best Days Still Ahead?
Allan Hutchinson
Opening Pastors Fellowship on a positive note, Allan Hutchinson will highlight one of the key themes that’s always motivated the Church of God to persevere, even through difficult times: God’s Glorious Church.
3:00PM | A Unique Identity: Should We Still Call Ourselves a Movement?
Darryl Allen
The Church of God shares a particular history, theology, and direction, all animated by the unity of God’s Spirit. Darryl Allen will encourage the church to strengthen the ‘movemental’ characteristics of our fellowship and to embrace our historical identity.
6:30PM | The Message: Is Jesus Still the Subject?
Gerald Rudd
In today’s world, the church is being pulled in dozens of different directions, tempted to major on secondary issues. But if Jesus really is the subject, then our proclamation must focus on him, the Savior, Groom, Foundation, Cornerstone, and Lord of the Church. Gerald Rudd will call the church to keep Jesus in the center of everything we do as the Church.
8:00PM | Preach Like a Prophet: What is the Role of the Preacher in a World Running from God?
Charlie Heater
Part of the Church of God’s heritage is that of strong biblical preaching. D. S. Warner and his associates met with physical violence on occasion because of the tenor and content of his sermons. In this message, Charlie Heater will exhort the Church’s ministry to preach like prophets, courageously sharing a counter-cultural message during a time of compromise.
TUESDAY, MAY 2, 2023
9:00AM | The Current Crises: Haven’t We Been Here Before?
Nathan Leasure
Today, we don’t face new enemies. We face old enemies with new masks. And yet, Jesus has promised that he will overcome every enemy. In this message, Nathan Leasure will call the church to take heart in the victory Christ has already won, as described in the pages of Revelation and elsewhere in the New Testament.
10:30AM | What the Bible Teaches: Is Doctrine Still Important in a Pluralistic Church?
Jessica Hall
The Church of God has always been a “what the Bible teaches” church and an “all that the Bible teaches” church. While clearly proclaiming the whole counsel of God can be costly, it is in our DNA as a people. Further it is pleasing to God and our calling as ministers. Jessica Hall will admonish the church to keep the Word of God at the center of all we do, allowing it to fundamentally shape our lives and the lives of our congregations.
2:00PM | “I Saw the Church”: What Did Our Pioneers Mean When They Coined The Term?
Dave DeVoll
In the Church of God movement’s early days, it was common to hear the phrase, “I saw the church.” It’s a declaration that’s rarely heard today. What did this powerful statement mean to those early pioneers? And how could it still have relevance for us today? In this message, Dave DeVoll will share the meaning behind this statement and trace its use over the past century.
3:30PM | Union or Oneness: Is Unity Possible in an Age of Compromise?
Bob Neace
Today, many in the religious world are calling for unity. But that call comes with a subtle demand: the willingness to give up any doctrinal and moral conviction that goes against the grain. Is this the kind of unity that Jesus prayed for in John 17? Bob Neace will share an important message on this topic, calling the Church of God to seek unity within the confines of God’s revealed will.