Covenant News

Southeast Conference Recommends Three New Churches

SILVERHILL, AL (April 23, 2002) - Three new churches were recommended for membership in the Evangelical Covenant Church during the recently concluded Southeast Conference Annual Meeting held at the Evangelical Covenant Church of Silverhill.

The new churches will be presented for acceptance during the 117th Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Covenant Church in Keystone, Colorado, in late June. They include:

• Central Carolina Community Covenant Church in Asheboro, North Carolina
• Greater Faith Tabernacle in Natchez, Mississippi
• Trinity World Christian Church in Douglasville, Georgia

Central Carolina Community was formed in January with Ed Arroyo serving as pastor. There were 281 individuals attending the first worship service in a primarily Anglo community.

Greater Faith Tabernacle is an adopted congregation that was previously an independent ministry. The church was formed in 1991 and averages about 60 people in worship attendance. Pastor Darryl Johnson of Walk of Faith Covenant Church in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, helped connect Greater Faith with the denomination.

Trinity World Christian Church had its beginning in 1993 in the home of Capt. Charles Lollar. The church was officially founded a year later. It is a multiethnic church of about 50 in a bedroom community outside of Atlanta.

In other news:

• Robert Owens was officially installed as associate superintendent during a Friday night banquet attended by more than 200 people. He began his new position January 1. Supt. Kurt Miericke stated that overwhelming financial support helped the conference establish the new position. Owens and Miericke were the guest speakers for the evening, alternating their styles and words in various portions of the sermon.
• At Friday's banquet, John Sterling of Silverhill, Alabama, was honored as a retiring pastor. Pastor Tristan Hohler of First Covenant Church in Vero Beach, Florida, was recognized for 25 years of service to his church. Rich Berry was honored for five years as director for urban outreach in the conference.
• The conference Executive Board elected officers, including Penny Barham, chair; Peco Forsman, vice chair; Cheryl Herring, secretary; and Bill Osburn, treasurer. They replace outgoing members Terri Cunliffe, Treasurer Dave Cunliffe and Denise Sands. New Executive Board members include Alan Cox and Cheryl Herring. Forsman and Dave Elowson were elected to the board for second terms.
• Ed Carey, pastor of Palmetto Community Covenant Church in North Miami, Florida, was named chair of the conference ministerium. Dave Johnson of Bay Indies Evangelical Covenant Church in Venice, Florida, is vice chair. Don Davenport, staff member for the denomination's Department of Church Growth and Evangelism, preached at the ministerium evening service last Thursday.
• David Kersten, executive minister of the denomination's Department of the Ordered Ministry, discussed the new proposed rules of the Ordered Ministry. Kersten also led a seminar about prayer as it pertains to preaching. Rock Doddridge of Asheville, North Carolina, spoke on "A Creative Way to Learn the Bible." Beverly Johnson of Walk of Faith Covenant Church in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, spoke about creating a spiritual hunger.

Miericke praised the work of the host church in Silverhill, which is the oldest church in the conference. It is celebrating its 100th anniversary and was honored during weekend activities. A total of 31 representatives from the conference's 42 churches attended the annual meeting.

"It was a great meeting and the folks at Silverhill set the bar for excellence that will be hard to beat," said Miericke about the host church. "It is great to see the church so alive, strong and growing in their ministry. Their staff was just great."

"Silverhill went overboard with southern hospitality," said Darryl Johnson. "We were overwhelmed."

For more information about the Southeast Conference and its annual meeting, call Miericke at 407-977-8009 or email him at Kmiericke@aol.com.

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