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November 5, 2021
Dear Fellow Minister:
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ:
Next July we will gather in San Antonio for the General Assembly, and at the conclusion of such, the appointment of administrative bishops/state overseers will be made by the International Executive Committee. As part of the appointment process, ministers in each state/region will have the opportunity to either submit a preference ballot for a new overseer, evaluate their current overseer, or in some cases do both.
The Church of God Minutes (S32) provide that the term of office for an administrative bishop/state overseer is four years. However, as a service to our administrative bishops, the International Executive Committee has determined to use a review and evaluation instrument each Assembly period to hopefully help strengthen administrative performance. Your review and evaluation, as well as your preference ballot, will be held in the strictest confidence and the International Executive Committee will only view the tabulated results and a composite list of comments.
The preference ballot and evaluation form will be available in late December – online for those who use the ministerial reporting website and mailed to those who submit reports by mail. Any minister who has been exempted from filing monthly reports are marked as current on all ministerial reports.
To be eligible to participate, the Minutes require the following:
- That the credentialed minister be current with their personal ministerial reports to both their state/regional office and the International Offices. In addition, those ministers who have been appointed as a pastor of a local church much also be current, or in covenant agreement, with their state/region and international monthly church reports, including appropriate monies, beginning at the time of their appointment, in order to participate in the process. (NOTE: The International Executive Committee has ruled that to be “current” with your personal ministerial reports means that you can have no more than three (3) missing church reports and/or no more than $1,000 in unpaid tithe of tithes), and
- That all credentialed ministers be active in both tithing and attendance in a local Church of God congregation within the state/region in which the vote/evaluation is conducted.
Those not meeting these requirements will be deemed ineligible to participate in the evaluation and preference ballot process. Any missing reports (minister and church reports) along with delinquent monies must be received and entered at State/Region and International Offices no later than November 30.
To check the status of your past reports:
- International Offices
- Online reporting – visit the Church of God reporting portal
- Mail reporting – contact Business and Records Office at 423.478.7149
- Canadian Churches – contact the Canadian Regional Office to verify church reporting status
- State/Regional Office – call state office to verify status
Thank you for your participation in this process and for your prayers as the International Executive Committee earnestly seeks the will of God for your state/region. May the Lord bless and keep The Church on Mission as we advance the FINISH Commitment in the Spirit and Power of Pentecost!
Sincerely,
Dr. Timothy M. Hill
General Overseer
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