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Show Pastor, wife return from Oklahoma Pastor and Mrs. David E. Ross of Moab First Assembly of God recently returned from attending the General Council in Oklahoma City from August Aug-ust 18 23. The Art Ross and Kyle Jonas families also attended at-tended as delegates from the local church. The largest General Council in the history of the Assemblies of God adjourned in Oklahoma City on August 23 after re-electing the denomination's highest executive officers. Total registration regis-tration for the biennial conference confer-ence reached 10,000 and at tendance at some evening rallies topped 15,000. A spirit of unity prevailed as delegates returned the four administrative officers to their posts with well over two-thirds majorities on the nominating ballots. The Rev. Thomas F. Zimmerman was re-elected to his 8th consecutive consecu-tive term as general superintendent, superin-tendent, and the Rev. G. Raymond Carlson was voted back in as assistant general superintendent. The Rev. Zimmerman has served in the church's top post since 1960. The Rev Joseph Flower was elected to a second term as general secretary and the Rev. Raymond Hunson was re-elected general treasurer. All of the members of the church's Executive Presbytery, Presby-tery, the governing board, were also re-elected by the council. Election balloting was completed on the third day of the council, an unprecedented unprecedent-ed early action that the Rev. Zimmerman termed "a remarkable re-markable show of unity." During the five days of business sessions, delegates ' heard and acted upon more than 30 resolutions ranging from a measure to broaden the denomination's relationship relation-ship with the charismatic movement, including a special conference on the Holy Spirit, to a resolution calling for the appointment of an American Indian representative in the church's Home Missions Division. Divi-sion. The Holy Spirit conference confer-ence is to be held in 1978 or "as soon as feasible." The Rev. J. Phillip Hogan was re-elected executive director dir-ector of the church's foreign Missions Division, a post he has held since 1960. As executive execu-tive director, he serves on the 13-member Executive Presbytery. Presby-tery. The remaining executive presbyters were re-elected from eight different geographic geogra-phic regions. They were: Richard W. Dortch, Great Lakes; Roy H. Wead, North Central; R.D.E. Smith, Northeast; North-east; N.D. Davidson, Northwest; North-west; Dwight H. McLaughtin, Southwest; Paul E. Lowen-berg. Lowen-berg. South Central; James E.Hamill, Gulf; and J. Foy Johnson, Southeast. During the opening session of the council, delegates adopted a statement of confidence confi-dence in the general superintendent superin-tendent that had been drafted and approved by the General Presbytery, the 200-member policy-making body ' of the denomination. The council gave Zimmerman a standing ovation when the resolution was read and another when his election was announced. In his acceptance remarks, the Rev. Zimmerman referred to recent controversy over published reports questioning his involvement in a Springfield, Spring-field, Missouri bank and in land purchases in that city, the denomination's international interna-tional headquarters. He said of the matters, "I have tried to be totally open in my relationship to God and with my brethern." The confidence statement said there had been a complete com-plete and thorough investigation investiga-tion by the Executive Presbytery Presby-tery of the "allegations, innuendoes in-nuendoes and insinuations" and, at Zimmerman's request, an open and complete discussion discus-sion of the matters by the General Presbytery. The council expressed "Complete confidence in the integrity and leadership of the general superintendent," in what it called the "absence of any evidence to support" the allegations. Highlights of the convention conven-tion included a special youth service Saturday night featuring featur-ing football star Denny Duron as speaker and a Sunday night "Celebration of Praise that drew an estimated 15,500 persons to hear recording artists Dino and Debby Kart-sonakis, Kart-sonakis, Evie Tornquist and the Couriers. The Rev. Glen Cole of Olympia, Washington was Sunday night speaker. Other speakers included the Rev. Zimmerman, who gave the keynote address; the Rev. Robert Schmidgall of Naperville, Illinois; and Rev. Albert Cakau, superintendent of the Assemblies of God in Fiji; and Rev. David Crab-tree, Crab-tree, of Des Moines, Iowa. Oklahoma District Superintendent Superin-tendent Rogert Goggin spoke rt the Sunday morning Communion-Memorial Service. |
