Category: Announcements

Registration for the Good News Festival in Ocean City, Maryland, on October 13-16 (click here for details), has been extended through September 16. When registering, be sure to register for the conference itself, then (as a separate step) reserve your room at the conference hotel. The reserved block of rooms at the hotel is filling fast, so register soon.

In addition to previously announced activities, here are three more that will be included in the festival:

• a beach party hosted by the GCI interns for youth and young adults age 12 to 25
• a young adult trip to Ocean City Screams
• Saturday worship service where four of our GCI interns will be proclaiming the gospel

Click here for videos of the plenary sessions and workshops from the 2016 GCI-USA Regional Conference. CAD asks GCI-USA pastors and fellowship group facilitators who did not attend a Regional Conference this year to watch these as part of their continuing education. Here is the conference presentation from GCI President Joseph Tkach:

For a video of a Fellowship Group worship service demonstration presented at the Orlando Regional Conference, go to https://youtu.be/PKOF2i6cD5I.

Here is a topic for prayer and perhaps some financial planning. It applies to pastors employed by GCI and other churches and denominations in the US.

According to the ECFA, an important development has occurred this month in the most recent court challenge to the minister’s housing exclusion (parsonage allowance) brought by the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF).

The federal government, who has the responsibility for defending this provision of the U.S. tax code, made its first filing in the case, and in doing so, conceded that based on its understanding of the facts, FFRF has the legal standing required to challenge the housing allowance exclusion.

To read more about this development, click here.

The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), of which GCI is a member in the U.S., will be conducting a webinar on September 20 at 2:00pm (EST), titled Pastoral Care of LGBT Persons and Their Families. The presenter will be Christian psychologist Dr. Mark Yarhouse, author of “Understanding Gender Dysphoria” and founder of the Institute for the Study of Sexual Identity at Regent University (click here for his bio, and here for a paper he authored).

Normally, the webinar costs $25, but NAE is making it available to GCI folks at no cost. To gain access to the webinar, register by clicking here. Space is limited, so sign up soon.

Here is a list of recent ordinations. Congratulations to the new elders, their families and churches!

• Michael Guibord, Mt. Sterling, KY
• Kenneth Pinnix, Jacksonville, FL
• Lenrose White, St. Louis, MO
• Rachel Nhlapo, Mondeor, South Africa
• Aaron Ng’ambi, Kitwe, Zambia
• David Kachimwa, Kaoma, Zambia
• Thomson Zuze, Kabompo, Zambia
• Christopher Simbeye, Mpika, Zambia
• Kennedy Musopelo, Lusaka, Zambia
• André Nimpagaritse, Nyabungeri, Burundi
• Fabrice Habonimana, Mushanga, Burundi
• Nestor Niyongabo, Buhindo, Burundi
• Samuel Mbanye, Rugombo, Burundi
• Eric-Aimé Nindengera, Carama, Burundi
• Damascene Nyandwi, Cuzwe, Burundi
• Gordien Muhigigwa, Nyenzi, Burundi
• Six leaders from Malawi were ordained elders at a recent combined service in the city of Blantyre. Here are their pictures (top to bottom, left to right): Rodrick Mwatchipa, Jacob Stonad Kazembe, Blessings Ngwira, Alexander Mambiya, Hastings Kachali and Kasandi Ngubulwa).

New Life Fellowship, GCI’s Baltimore, Maryland, congregation, invites you to join them for their 2016 Good News Festival called The Father Loves and Likes You Fest. It will be held October 13-16 at the Holiday Inn Oceanfront Resort Hotel in Ocean City, Maryland.

The festival theme, Worship! Oneness! Witness! (WOW!), from John 14-17, will focus on participating with Jesus in proclaiming his gospel to those who don’t yet know it, so that Jesus may be encountered as humanity’s grace in word and deed. This message is for everyone, so invite your family, friends and neighbors—the gospel will be boldly proclaimed! Preacher/teachers will include Jeff McSwain who will be bringing with him several GCI interns. For additional information, click here.

Festival registration and hotel reservations

Conference registration and hotel reservations are done separately:

• To register for the full conference package (including meals), click here. To register for conference sessions only, click here. Note that the registration fee increases on September 16, so register early. For assistance phone Jamie Stewart at 1-410-701-0810 or contact her by email at jamiestewart1981@gmail.com.
• To reserve a hotel room at the reduced conference rate click here and enter group code NL6, or phone 1-866-834-3613 or 1-410-524-1600. If you wish to come early or stay late, the special rate applies from Wednesday, October 12 through Monday, October 17. The hotel reservation discounts remain in place until the hotel is fully booked and all rooms are taken.

This update is from GCI-Canada Director Gary Moore.

Wendy and I recently had the opportunity to attend services in Castlegar, British Columbia where Dennis Thibault recently retired from service as lead pastor. We are thankful for the great job Dennis and his wife Norma did during the years they pastored the congregation (with part-time employment).

I’m delighted to report that Bob and Sandy Bell have agreed to fill the pastoral role in Castlegar, where they moved recently from Penticton. Please keep them in your prayers.

At the recent US Regional Conference held in Orlando, Florida, GCI President Joseph Tkach honored Pastor Charles Taylor for 25 years of GCI employment. In recognition of their many years serving the church, Charles and his wife Keysha were given a plaque and watches.

GCI-UK elder Anthony Dady and his wife Alison are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Tabitha Miriam Dady. She was born at 9:17pm on July 12, weighing 7-1/2 pounds and measuring 18 inches. Everyone is well, despite the lack of sleep!

Kalengule Kaoma (one of GCI’s Africa mission developers) and Eugene Siboman (the acting National Director for Burundi), recently conducted an ordination service in which seven leaders of congregations in Burundi were ordained as elders. The ceremony took place in Rugombo, where the congregations sent their representatives. About 600 people attended. Congratulations to these new elders (pictured below), our prayers are with you!