This issue of Update is dedicated to reflecting on the past year. The image above is a word cloud, generated by combining all the 2023 Update letters from our president. A word cloud is a graphic that shows us which words were repeated frequently. The larger the size of the word, the more often it was used.
The words in the image reflect the most important GCI themes in 2023.
Read on to hear from Greg and look ahead to 2024.
Have a meaningful and merry Christmas, Elizabeth Mullins Update Editor
As we approach the end of 2023, there’s much to celebrate and be thankful for in our GCI journey! During my recent travels, I’ve been truly blessed to witness firsthand the remarkable ways the Spirit is moving in and through GCI and is moving us forward in unity.
Looking ahead to the coming year, I’m thrilled about the prospect of visiting four of our six global regions and attending regional gatherings across the United States. It’s a privilege to connect with many of you during these events, and I’m looking forward to sharing inspiring stories from across GCI through the GCI Update.
In addition to keeping you informed about GCI news, the letters, and stories you’ll find in the upcoming Update issues will center around our 2024 theme: Faith, Hope, and Love Integrated. This might sound familiar, as we’ve emphasized these values throughout this year.
Our ongoing pursuit of a Healthy Church involves a transformative journey to deepen our engagement with the neighborhoods where GCI congregations are present. We’re making progress, recognizing that becoming our healthiest expression takes time. It requires continuous learning, practice, reflection, adjustments, and execution—all guided by discernment of what is good to the Spirit and to us.
Throughout this period, our focus remains on a theological and practical orientation toward a holistic and interconnected approach to ministry. We firmly believe that this approach will help pastors and Avenue champions understand and execute the harmonious flow of ministry, reflecting the interdependent relationship of the Father, Son, and Spirit.
As always, Christ will be the only foundation we build from.
Christ’s first love given to us—because of his love we are filled and compelled to witness.
Christ’s faith imparted to us—because of his faith we are empowered for great commandment living and great commission sharing.
Christ who is our source of hope—because our hope is rooted in him, we can be the church, the hope of the world.
As we look forward to the coming year, stay tuned for the development of resources and articles that align with our Faith, Hope, and Love Integrated theme. Your continued support and participation are essential as we navigate this exciting and transformative path together.
Wishing you all a joyous conclusion to 2023 and anticipating a year ahead filled with growth, connection, and shared inspiration.
With the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas that began on October 7, many people are concerned. Some Christians may wonder what the prophetic significance of this war is. Is this something we need to be overly concerned about as we await Jesus’ return? Are end-time events unfolding in front of our eyes? There is much to consider.
Let’s put this conflict in perspective. Understanding that there are 32 ongoing conflicts in the world right now—ranging from drug wars, terrorist insurgencies, ethnic conflicts, and civil wars—gives a global perspective. This confirms the teaching of Christ in Matthew 24, where he says, “there will be wars and rumors of wars.” The ongoing division and resulting warring disposition of humanity is strong evidence of the fall and the brokenness in our nature.
As Christ followers, should we be aligned with Israel and seek their eventual victory? Certainly, we want the killing to stop and peace to come. But because we are Christ followers, we should be aligned with his universal atonement and be for all people, desiring goodness for all—Israel and Hamas, Ukraine and Russia, Nigeria and Boko Haram, both sides of the civil war in Myanmar, and on and on. Jesus died for all, and Jesus wants all to be saved. I believe that as Christ followers, we join Jesus in weeping over the hatred and needless bloodshed in all places around the world.
An ex-military building contractor that I know in my hometown is a sincere believer, and he continues to quiz me on what is happening to Israel. He peppers me with questions like, “Is the king of the north moving on Israel? Who is Gog and Magog, and how do they come into play?” I’m not that guy who sits with my Bible opened to the book of Revelation with all the newsfeeds open at the same time trying to match current events to Bible passages. Good luck with that. However, I assure my friend that if these truly are the final events to human history, which would indicate Jesus is returning, I am all in. In fact, there is nothing I am doing in my human life of such importance that I should desire a delay of his coming for one more minute. I tell him I trust that Jesus has everything in control and nothing this world does or doesn’t do will advance or delay his coming. What we do know is that he will come at the right time—in his time.
We are fast approaching the end—of the liturgical year, that is. This Sunday, November 26, is Christ the King Sunday, which marks the end of Ordinary Time and ushers in the Advent season. We celebrate Christ’s messianic kingship and sovereign rule over all creation. The meaning of the celebration can be summed up in this collective prayer.
Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Considering world events, I pray that Christ the King Sunday will be especially meaningful as we celebrate in our GCI congregations around the world.
If our GCI culture is sourced and shaped by our central personality, Jesus, then for all practical purposes we are ambassadors of Jesus.
What do you think of when you hear the word ambassador? Does your mind think about a politician, or a diplomat who represents our nation in a far-off land? Does it feel overwhelming? Perhaps you think that’s just not me. But maybe it is you.
When we read Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 5, we realize he is stating our ambassadorship as a matter of fact.
So, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:20 NRSVA)
Because we are new creations in Christ (verse 17), and he resides in us, the natural flow is that we are his earthly representatives. We are in the mix of the reconciliation ministry of Christ.
A strong parallel thought to being Christ’s ambassadors is that Jesus came in the flesh, and in his public ministry he continuously and persistently announced his eternal kingdom (Mark 1:15). In Luke 17:21, Jesus indicated that he had inaugurated the kingdom of God by his presence — the king is among them. Since the days of John the Baptist, the kingdom is advancing and breaking in (Matthew 11:11-13). The kingdom has a here-and-now dimension that we need to tap into. I call this the kingdom culture.
As ambassadors of Christ, it is imperative that we have kingdom eyes, a kingdom message, and kingdom actions.
Kingdom Eyes
In this fallen, broken world, do we as believers rise above and see the beautiful transforming work of Jesus through the Spirit? Do we see beyond the shootings and violence being reported on the news streams to the acts of kindness and faith? In most shootings and violence stories, some peole ran in to help, or some who tried to intervene. Not any less, acts of kindness might include one neighbor mowing another neighbor’s lawn. It could be a generous donor supporting a ministry in a developing country. Hopefully, all believers are relating to friends, family, and co-workers who are not yet believers — building strong, loving, credible relationships.
Kingdom Message
This is the message of reconciliation. God is not counting your sins against you; he has resolved that matter in Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:19). This is really, really good news!
As ambassadors, we are taking and carrying seriously good news about the true King, the great reconciler, Jesus. The strength of our message is contained in what he has done for us and through us. Our personal testimonies are how we give witness to the reality of Jesus.
According to the Barna Group’s research, some 61% of people surveyed in the U.S. see Jesus as the standard for being a good person. Shows like The Chosen, and the advertisement piece, “He Gets Us – All of Us,” establish the historical validity of Jesus and display his goodness. It then falls onto the shoulders of us church folks to proclaim his divinity and draw others into the worship of our Lord and God. The King is a nice guy and so much more.
Kingdom Actions
I think back to an Update letter I wrote in April about the beatitudes of Jesus. Because Jesus lives in us, we are to display meekness and humility in a world of pride and narcissism. Do we behave righteously when we are stressed and persecuted? Are we proactively making peace where there are factions in our circles of influence? We are empowered to live out these kingdom actions as Jesus lives in us. Not I, but Christ!
If we truly are Christ’s ambassadors and bringers of the good news, how do we live this out in a post-Christian world? Chapter 5 in Jon Ritner’s book, Positively Irritating, gives excellent instruction. On page 64, Jon writes,
All human longings ultimately find their fulfillment in God’s presence and his kingdom. The thirst for unconditional acceptance and love, deep healing and wholeness, significance and value, community and connection, all point us to God. Our job as missionaries [or ambassadors, my addition], is to identify the obvious yearnings in the culture around us and help people to find the ultimate fulfillment for those longings in God.
Jon has more to say in his book. Why not get a copy? Another tremendous tool created by the GCI Media Department is the Place-sharing webinar series.
As Christ’s ambassadors and kingdom citizens now, may we all have sharper kingdom eyes, be bold in sharing the kingdom message, and by the power of the Spirit, live out kingdom actions.
Prayer: Lord, by your grace, empower GCI to more deeply live out the kingdom culture that you began over 2,000 years ago. Amen!
Culture is made up of language, habits, ideas, beliefs, customs, symbols, social organization, inherited artifacts, technical processes, and values. As I travel the world serving GCI, I observe distinct ways of being from country to country, and even region to region. However, a common phrase that I hear across our churches is, “We are GCI!” This warms my heart and speaks to the unity that can only come by the presence of the Holy Spirit.
As an organization, GCI has its unique culture. GCI culture directs our understanding to what is true, our will to what is good, and our discernment to what is beautiful. A journey through our GCI website will give you an overview of the GCI culture. Sure, you will see evidence of our branding in color schemes, symbols, and language, but most importantly you will see the triune God revealed in the person of Jesus. You will constantly see humanity held up as children of God made in his image and created for salvation, not destruction. You will see the promotion and practical support of the church. The church is highly valued, and it is through the life of the church that we best participate with Jesus by the power of the Spirit. Thank you to the media team that keeps us grounded.
In my previous Update letter, I spoke about the culture of liberation that we are growing towards. It was described through the tool of the “Support-Challenge Matrix.” It is from this matrix that we get our GCI philosophy of “High Support, High Challenge, Grace Always.” This wisdom to live by finds its genesis in Jesus Christ.
There is no higher support than the second person of the Godhead becoming flesh and blood, then going to Calvary’s cross to lay down his life for all of humanity. It was an astounding sacrificial act that changed the course of a fallen world. No greater love have we ever known or ever will.
There is no higher challenge than what Paul said in Ephesians, “…until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13 NRSVA) Jesus desires for us to not only be saved by his love, but to be transformed into his image and to be fully alive in him.
The way that Jesus interacted with his disciples, and all the surrounding people of his earthly ministry, is a living display of grace. I am reminded of what John, the beloved disciple, wrote about Jesus: “…the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14 NIV) This two-sided coin of grace and truth is a matter I believe we need to understand better and practice more often.
Let’s go back to Ephesians 4:15. It says that speaking truth in love is one of the ways we grow up into the likeness of Jesus. Truth in love ties in closely with the Christ-like nature of John’s grace and truth combination. Truth without love can be a weapon that destroys. Grace without truth can be shallow, empty, and less than genuine. You see how these qualities are interdependent.
There are multiple examples of Jesus interacting with the apostle Peter which clearly demonstrate the grace-truth-love pattern. In Matthew 16, Jesus quizzes the disciples as to who he is. Peter answers, “You are the Messiah, the son of the living God.” Jesus rejoiced and exclaimed that this didn’t come from human understanding, but God the Father revealed this to Peter. Skip ahead just a few verses, and Jesus begins talking about his impending death, and Peter boldly proclaims that this would never happen. Jesus, speaking the love in truth, reprimands Peter saying that his thoughts are Satan-inspired, not God-inspired.
Was one of the events more graceful than the other? Did Jesus act lovingly and then act harshly? No, Jesus is consistent with his treatment of Peter. Think of the night before his death when he told Peter that before the cock crows twice you will deny me three times. It came to pass. Then when Jesus is reunited with Peter on the seashore after his resurrection, he does not remind him nor rub it in, rather he confirms their relationship. That is grace in action.
Conclusion
Culture is much more than architecture and style—it is a living activity to accept and embrace. What is true, good, and beautiful? Jesus. GCI culture is sourced and shaped in the person of Jesus. Our GCI culture is punctuated by Jesus being alive in you and me. Jesus is the author and finisher of “High Support, High Challenge – Grace Always!” Amen!
In 2019, A Giant Step Forward – Toward an Emerging Culture of Liberation was published. I co-wrote this book with Rick Shallenberger and Dr. Tom Nebel.
The book was a bridge connecting the past leadership of the church under Dr. Joseph Tkach to the new era under my term as GCI President. It explained where we had come from and where we are going. By the grace of Jesus Christ, we have been on track and moving toward a culture of liberation.
The “Support – Challenge Matrix” was foundational in giving us our bearings for moving forward.
This updated matrix expands the concepts in each of the four quadrants. The quadrants of domination, abdication, and protectionism speak for themselves. They are places and spaces we have experienced, and we do not want to go back.
Let’s dig into the quadrant of liberation and capture a broader picture of where we see the Holy Spirit taking us.
We never want to hold anyone back. Our goal in GCI is to help all individuals find their gifting and calling so they fit into the body as the Spirit is orchestrating.
For those who have been following our writings and tools on the 4 Es, you already know that empowerment follows the sequence of engagement and equipping. It assumes that a seasoned Christian leader has recognized the individual and invited them into ministry participation. It also assumes that the individual has been guided around the Apprentice Square providing them with training and preparation.
The liberation of empowerment and opportunity means that this prepared person can operate with freedom and authority in their place of service. It is parallel to the old U.S. Army slogan – “Be all that you can be.”
Interdependency
Before we become too individualistic, let’s understand the importance of interdependency. In organizational culture, interdependency refers to how team members rely on each other for the functioning of their teams. Although every team has different responsibilities and day-to-day functions, on a basic level, it is the interdependence of team members that makes a group of coworkers a team.
You will recall that “team based” is a core value and desired practice of GCI culture. We can do more together.
Healthy Relational Dynamics (Best Fits)
The concept of “best fit” is simply where your talents, skills, and passions match with the work that you have been employed to do. Giant Worldwide suggests that having a 70% to 30% ratio is a good target to shoot for. This equates to being in your sweet spot for 70% of your working hours.
In GCI we like to think about the marriage of competency and calling. Examining a person’s education and experiential background tells part of the story. Then through counsel from references and discernment through prayers and good interviewing practices, we collaboratively conclude that this is the right person for the given position. “Works well with others” is an important reference comment we always want to hear.
Partnership and Collaboration
For GCI, partnership means that two or more people serving alongside one another share in the same vision and mission and will work together to accomplish that end. GCI’s vision is to be the healthiest expression of the church of Jesus Christ that we can possibly be, and our mission is to live and share the gospel. So, whether it is the home office staff working to back up our field staff and pastors, our field staff making their rounds through their areas of oversight, or our field pastors working with their ministry champions, we are all for each other and we work in positive ways to accomplish our vision and mission.
Collaboration means that all team members are valuable, and their voices should be heard. Many of our churches have been exposed to the 5 Voices training. The voices are categorized as nurturer, connector, creative, guardian, and pioneer. Each voice has a position of strength that helps the team process in thinking, planning and execution. It is a true expression of being a priesthood of all believers.
Meaning and Purpose
The foundational meaning and purpose come from being Christ-centered. We don’t put Jesus in the center — he is the center. He is Creator, Savior, and King! All that we do is sourced by Jesus — it is his faith that we receive and share; he is our hope that makes us hopeful for ourselves and others. It is the fact that he first loved us that empowers us to love God with our hearts, minds, and souls, and to love others as we love ourselves.
Some have asked why we preach from the Revised Common Lectionary and why we follow a more traditional worship calendar. The simple answer is Jesus. We want to preach about how he impacted people throughout the Old and New Testaments, how he is revealed in all of Scripture. We follow the worship calendar because it points to Jesus – his coming in the flesh, his active earthly ministry, his mission to go to Jerusalem and die for the sins of humanity, his resurrection, his ascension, his sending of the Holy Spirit and establishing his church, and of his pending return to establish the eternal kingdom. Can you think of anything with more meaning and purpose?
Conclusion
I find it fascinating that in 2019 when A Giant Step Forward was made available, it received little fanfare and was only read by a small number of GCI folks. This was due, in part, to the cancellation of our Denominational Celebration, where the book would have been distributed. And that’s okay. The time was not right for many of our people. I am encouraged to see how the book has gained traction and has helped to illuminate this journey we are on toward Jesus and the liberation that can only be experienced in him.
It is a good time to be GCI!
Greg Williams
P.S. My new book, What if Jesus Meets Us in the Good, the Bad and the Messy?, co-authored with Mark Mounts, just came out. The centrality of Christ for all seasons and circumstances is the common thread throughout. I pray this book will be a blessing to you and to our worldwide fellowship of churches.
The New Testament uses a variety of terms to express our transformed life in Jesus. Jesus talks to Nicodemus about being “born again” or “born from above.” Paul tells the Colossian church that it is “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27 ESV). Paul describes this life in Jesus in several ways. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) he declares, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” Being “joined to the Lord” is another phrase that the apostle Paul uses.
Being in Christ gives us a new life and a new identity; we leave behind former ways of behaving and self-identifying. We are now becoming the people we were initially created to be—people in Christ, bearing the image of God, no longer bearing a false or broken image.
The apostle Paul provides a sample list of these types of former behaviors. Not so much as a “checklist,” but as a reminder of the ungodly, unrighteous activity we leave behind. After all, grace teaches us to say “no” to ungodliness (Titus 2:12).
In Paul’s letter to Corinth, he said:
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10 ESV)
And the key to Paul’s point is found in the next verse:
And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:11 ESV)
Paul reminds the church of who they were apart from Christ. He does this to break down their division and pride, but even more importantly, to help them regain their new and true identity in Christ and to refocus on their kingdom of heaven citizenship.
We all get called out in this list in one way or another. The great common denominator all Christians share is that before coming to Christ, we were outside of his kingdom – outside of a participatory relationship with our triune God—because of our sin. None of us were living according to our true, original, God-intended identity.
This Corinthian passage often gets singled out to show how the church is known for its views on homosexuality. However, let’s not miss the bigger context here; it is not just sexual activity that is called out. Paul shows us how sexual immorality in general as well as greed and swindling are symptomatic of a false identity (and this certainly isn’t a complete list of such behavior). To be part of God’s kingdom, we need to live according to the identity we have in Christ. We are to no longer be defined and controlled by our past, present, or future sin, whether that is seen in sexual struggle, idolatry, or greed. All those things are poor and false substitutes for what is offered to us in Christ.
How do we treat people who are struggling with these various temptations? How do we share God’s love without implying an endorsement of sinful behavior? How do we help people see the real issue is about our true identity—living in Christ, knowing him, and knowing he knows and loves us.? Can we be pastoral in our care?
First, we must admit that even though we are in Christ, we are also in the flesh; we all deal with temptation in various ways. In his letter to believers in Rome, Paul says that as believers, we aren’t ruled by these temptations, yet the temptations still nip at our heels. When considering the sins Paul listed, we need to delineate between temptation (the lure or attraction involved in sin) and response to temptation—behavior. Temptation, the attraction which leads to sin, is not the problem. It’s the wrong behavioral response to temptation that is the problem. This is true for all of us, whatever sinful temptation we experience. Jesus said that we must deal with the plank in our eye before we call out the speck in our neighbor’s eye. In Peter’s letter, he says that we should engage people in humility and with respect. That’s good and sound advice to heed.
Second, Jesus died for all. Therefore, we don’t look at others as outside the atonement of Lord Jesus. All are included in the love, grace, and life of our triune God. We who have received the transforming love of Jesus are outfitted to align with the two great commandments—loving God with our hearts, minds and souls and loving our neighbor as ourselves—and the new commandment Jesus gave us – to love others as he loves us. This means treating others, no matter their sin struggle or their false identity, with grace, respect, care, compassion, and hope.
What posture do we take as church communities in receiving and discipling people who are showing interest in Christianity, yet are still entangled in sinful behavior and false identities?
As stated earlier, we must first see people as children of God under the atonement of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit, and we should always display an environment of welcoming and care. We can seek to understand the struggles people deal with, as best as we are able, and not rely on misinformation or prejudice. Our central message and our actions consistently point to who Jesus is and who we are in relationship to him. We rely on the Spirit to guide the new person toward convictions about sin and righteousness in their individual life, according to a timing that only he regulates. If we, as a group of mature believers, can do this, we provide a safe space where people with all types of struggles can find their identity and belonging in Christ Jesus. We share with them a life journey of forsaking sin and growing in our relationship with Jesus in the true identity he gives them. This is a picture of the church being the church, and this is how we live out the slogan “All Are Included.”
We have GCI churches all around the world, in many different cultures, facing different societal pressures regarding sin issues. Let’s all be true to the gospel of Jesus by focusing on Jesus and our identity in him. This enables us to give answers and counsel to people’s struggles and sin issues.
Even as we have doctrinal unity outlined in our GCI Statement of Belief, the understanding and application of how we show care has some variance around matters of indifference and depth of understanding in various cultures around the world. This is no surprise to Jesus as he remains the faithful Head of the church. Some congregations, for various reasons, may be more effective in ministering to people experiencing various identity issues. In every case, however, the consistency we hope for in GCI is that we faithfully point all people to Jesus, over and above any social agenda or false identity. As we participate in a wide variety of relationships, we trust the Holy Spirit to actively accomplish the transformational work that only he can do.
The takeaway is this. Christ-centeredness and Holy Spirit dependence is how we operate as healthy churches. Because of Christ’s saving grace, we have a new identity. The sense of our belonging, significance, purpose, security, and destiny is realized in the true self found in Jesus. This union with Christ is the highest prize for which we lay all other things aside. We are justified in Christ by being forgiven and made righteous in his sight. For the rest of our lives, we live into that new identity as we are sanctified more and more, growing in the grace and knowledge of our Savior. We are a born-again, Spirit-filled work in progress, pointing others to the same Jesus and the same journey.
For this issue of Update, I wanted to give the column to retiring superintendent, Eugene Guzon. It has been my privilege and joy to work with Eugene over the years. Lulu, his wife, has been a wonderful partner and support alongside Eugene. Their daughter, Joyce, and her husband, Aron, are vibrant leaders for the present and the future.
During our recent Celebration, Eugene passed the superintendent baton to Danny Zachariah. Eugene emulates the love and patience of Jesus. His commitment and tireless service have been appreciated by the Philippines and the entire Asian Region. I wish Eugene and Lulu much joy and fulfillment in this next stage of life.
I write to share highlights and reflections from God’s work in Asia—a region of diverse peoples, cultures, and spiritual beliefs. A large segment of the population is young. The countries are developing, and resources are scarce. In several areas, Christians are a minority. GCI has been active in the Philippines, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Thailand, with networks in other countries, like Nepal.
I became Asia Superintendent in January 2019. The territory was a new frontier for me with its unique context and geopolitical challenges. An element that characterized this assignment was change. The Healthy Church vision was being introduced. We formed a new Community of Practice (COP) with Danny Zachariah and Wong Mein Kong, who were also early into their roles as regional directors for the Indian sub-continent and Southeast Asia (respectively). The landscape of the church shifted through COVID-19. It was a time of active learning as we tried to discern and follow where the Spirit led.
Participating together
One of the ways God is moving in Asia is through the people. I am inspired by many committed servant leaders, most of whom are volunteers. God provided them as engines of ministry in our local churches to carry out His mission. We have also been blessed through generous partners from our bigger GCI family and other like-minded organizations.
We are experiencing the value of teams. From the GCI Superintendents and Asia COP to the Philippines National Ministry Team, district directors, pastoral teams, and now the Faith, Hope, and Love Avenues, the team-based culture has been empowering and fulfilling. The process of cultivating REAL teams is not quick or easy, but it is a worthwhile investment and is more reflective of the life of our triune God.
God also led us to lay the groundwork and put organizational frameworks in place to help us pursue Healthy Church. This involved leadership and administrative consolidation in India, a new corporate legal structure in the Philippines, registration of GCI in Bangladesh, and new governance structures aligned with the Home Office and the team-based model.
We needed to be more intentional and strategic with development. The call is to raise leaders led by Jesus, who are equipped to lead others to Jesus. Praise God for the denomination’s support and our congregations’ efforts to help ministry workers undergo studies with Grace Communion Seminary, as well as with ACCM and other local seminaries. The formation of the Ministry Training Center in the Philippines is gaining momentum, and this will contribute to developing people who can nurture healthy churches at home and even across the region. While some of these are long-term endeavors, we trust God is with us in the process and he will fulfill his purposes.
It has been awesome witnessing how amidst challenges and uncertainty, God can bring about growth. Across Asia, we have seen this in the number of baptisms, new church plants, next generation leaders, and the strong foundations for GCI to move forward. These are testaments to God’s faithfulness, power, and goodness in blessing our collective participation.
Reflecting and looking forward
At the 2023 GCI Denominational Celebration, it was with confidence and hope that I passed the baton to Danny Zachariah as the next GCI Asia Superintendent. In addition to being a valued member of the Asia COP, Danny has been a national pastor in India for almost three decades, all throughout which God has been preparing him for this special role.
I look back on my 48 years with our denomination, with 33 years serving in ministry. I am grateful for how God has allowed me to know him, for the mentors and friends he has sent, and for the strength he has given me to do my best. My heartfelt thanks to Dr. Greg and the Home Office, our Asia and Philippine teams, to all of you in our GCI community, and to my family—Lulu, Joyce, Aron, and Lizzie—for your love, grace, and support.
With retirement, I face another new frontier. But as I continue to learn, God is faithful in every season and transition. I hope to experience him in fresh ways as I navigate this next chapter. I will take the opportunity to rest, spend time with family, and explore new skills and ways to be productive. As for participation in GCI, my heart for and dedication to the church remains. Like with geese in a “V” formation, there is a time to lead and a time to make space for others while still flying in the same direction and bearing others up.
May God continue his vibrant work and use GCI in mighty and missional ways to make disciples in our communities and beyond our borders, by his grace and for his glory!
I bring you greetings from our six GCI global superintendents. We met for planning meetings after the Denominational Celebration. The group was basking in the afterglow of “Remembering Our First Love in Jesus.” Jesus’ love was experienced in tangible ways – in the lingering of praise worship, the cacophony of fellowship with brothers and sisters, the celebration of GCS graduates, the inspiration of messages assuring us of Christ’s unfailing love, and the crescendo of communion uniting us to our Lord. The level of encouragement and assurance of participation with Jesus was off the charts. We have received many words of appreciation and stories of transformation.
One of the most unique experiences was enduring three fire alarms. Two alarms on Friday afternoon and one early Saturday morning (1:44 am). The early morning drill could’ve easily caused attitudes to flare and turned into a deeply negative experience for our attendees. However, during the fire drill, we saw members helping others, especially the elderly and those with mobility limitations. Then once outside, several service-minded members brought chairs outside and water to drink on the humid night. We were a sight in our various versions of sleeping attire, and yet the spirit was light and good-natured. The love of Jesus was experienced.
One man staying at the hotel for a family reunion was in tears on Saturday morning as he stood in the breakfast line and recounted his early morning experience. He was having chest pains and the paramedics were going to transport him to the hospital. Thankfully the chest pains stopped, and he was able to stay at the hotel. His experience watching our GCI brothers and sisters in action, helping so many, made an impact on him. He said that he saw heaven in action that early morning; the church was being the church. Sunday afternoon, we saw him again, this time he was wearing his pastor collar. Yes, unbeknownst to us he was a pastor and had just preached a sermon to his members in the hotel about what he had witnessed early Saturday morning. Thank you to so many for being GCI.
We were inspired to see that all six global regions had representation at the celebration. This event reset our cyclical pattern for hosting a Denominational Celebration every three years. This means, God willing, that we will have our next celebration in summer 2026. We encourage all who desire to attend to begin saving now and update your passport, if needed.
In our planning meetings, we reflected on how our triune God has blessed us, and each superintendent shared meaningful highlights. Each of us turned our attention to many of the challenging items that guest speaker Jon Ritner had shared at the celebration. We met in small groups to address the question, “What are the hard things that we are facing?”
In our group debrief, we assembled a list of many items. Below we share areas that demand our attention.
Effects related to post-covid – regathering of our churches, innovation to engage with human fragility and shifting culture (anxiety issues, busyness that crowds out church commitment, a major shift from absolute truth, etc.)
Championing the “Why?” of GCI. What makes our congregations and denomination places to participate?
Clear analysis and assessment as to how we best serve our pastors and congregations. Specifically helping pastors to comprehend and execute the role of “pastor-led.”
Right-sizing and restructuring organizationally, and how we best approach these moves.
Movement toward ministry practices that reflect our understanding of the triune God revealed in Jesus.
Becoming better at making and keeping disciples (emphasis on how to engage the youth).
Maintaining connectivity from the denominational, to the national, to the regional, and to the congregational levels.
Part of our group’s conclusion is that if we don’t attend to the health of our denomination at all levels, then we may not have a reason to host a Denominational Celebration in 2026. That is a sobering thought.
The good news that assures us is that we have Jesus as the head of the church. GCI has the love of Jesus – the love that transformed us and identifies us as his true disciples. It is his love that compels us to relationally engage with others towards the fulfillment of the Great Commission to make new disciples. If we follow Jesus and lean to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we are built for the hard things.
We are in this together! Greg & the Superintendents
Kalengule Kaoma – Africa Danny Zachariah – Asia* Daphne Sidney – Australasia Gavin Henderson – Europe Heber Ticas – Latin America Michael Rasmussen – North America & Caribbean
*In our next issue, the former Superintendent of Asia, Eugene Guzon, will write about retiring and passing the baton.
