Church of God Chaplains Commission

Choice Christian greetings!

This week, we buried one of our greatest chaplaincy supporters, Dr. Cecil B. Knight.  Dr. Knight went to be with the Lord on Saturday, the day before Father’s Day, June 16.  His funeral was held at the North Cleveland Church of God on Monday, June 18.  Dr. Knight had outstanding ministries that span some 60 years.  He served as General Overseer, Youth and C.E. Director, Evangelism and Home Missions Director, State Overseer and President of our Seminary.  On several occasions, while serving on the Executive Committee, he was Executive Liaison to the Chaplains Commission.  He loved chaplains and military personnel.  Evelyn, his life-long companion and ministry partner, along with their kids and grandchildren, will be in our prayers.  I am the Director of the Chaplains Commission because Dr. Cecil Knight made it happen.  Additionally, while I was on active duty as a chaplain, he was my mentor and supporter.  Let me share with you one of many marvelous memories, for me, that he leaves.  On one occasion, when I was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia, I shared with him the fact that we were having trouble finding churches that would accept our soldiers who had racially mixed marriages.  As was the style of Brother Knight, he said, “Start a church, and build it on folks that other churches reject.”  We did precisely that, and the Victory Drive Church of God was born in Columbus, Georgia.  Our first pastor, Rudy Burroughs, helped us establish the church, and later became an Army Chaplain.  Dr. Knight, as much as anyone I have every known in the Church of God, knew what unconditional love was intended to be within the body of Christ.  I know all of you will be praying for Evelyn and her family.  Dr. Knight, you will be greatly missed.

 CHAPLAINCY NEWS FROM THE FIELD:

1. Pray for Will, the son of Pastor/Chaplain Rodney Vickers, Virginia Beach, Virginia.  We are told that Will recently had some type of seizure and is being observed.  At the present, he seems fine; but we want to keep him before the Lord in our prayers.
2. Pastor/Pastoral Counselor Reginald Bowens, Fayetteville, North Carolina, informs us that his father is scheduled for surgery this week.  He has requested prayer for his dad, Reginald, who pastors a Pentecostal church in Wilmington, North Carolina.
3. Prison Chaplain Donald Williams, London, England, informs us that on July 1, he and others will be coordinating a regional chaplaincy Thanksgiving service with National Bishop Eric Brown and his wife, Millicent, as guest speakers.  This is an annual event whereby churches and prison ministry personnel come together in the West Midland area for a “beyond the gates” celebration.
4. Army Chaplain (MAJ) Terry Simmons, Afghanistan, notes:  “We will all miss Dr. Cecil Knight.  He was one of our chaplaincy heroes.  I wish there was some way I could publicly honor him for the way in which he has touched chaplaincy ministry.”  On a different note, it looks as if Chaplain Simmons and his soldiers will be extended for 15 months deployment rather than 12.  But in the same note regarding this extension, he tells us with joy that the Gospel service he pastors is averaging more than 300 in attendance.  He states:  “God is moving us to a higher place spiritually.” 
5. South American Chaplains Commission Board Chairman, Chaplain Paul Stockard, sends the following news:  “God continues to greatly expand our chaplaincy ministries throughout South America.  I have asked the National Convention of Paraguay to allow me to step down as their National Overseer.  This will give me more time to develop our chaplaincy training.  I will also be serving as coordinator for South American missions in an effort to find, train, send and support South Americans who are called to be missionaries.”
6. As most of you know, Susan Gregory, wife of Chaplain (CPT) Clayton Gregory, who is stationed in Korea, is serving as our link from the Commission’s office to the families of our deployed chaplains.  This is her report after talking to these family members:  “Not surprisingly, all of our chaplains’ spouses and families are sustaining well.  A couple are preparing for their husbands/fathers’ return for a two-week R & R from Iraq.  Others are already getting ready for the next assignment in the U.S.; and one family had just returned from a camping vacation.  Of no surprise, these families are still deeply involved in chaplaincy ministries, weekly Bible studies and other spiritual activities on and off base.  I am greatly impressed by their spiritual strength.”
7. Community Service Chaplain LaVoy Newton, Elkton, Florida, reports:  “My wife, Kelli, and my son, Jacob, will be traveling with me to India for a mission’s trip.  Keep us in your prayers.  Let me share this brief testimony:  I was at our hospital visiting with a patient who was in terrible condition.  I prayed for a miracle.  In talking to her brother, he expressed his need to get right with the Lord.  I told him the Holy Spirit was already in the room, and that he did not have to wait to go back to church to get right with the Lord.  He made an altar out of the love seat and began to cry out to God.  He surrendered his life to the Lord.  Later in the afternoon, I returned to see his sister and she had made a complete turnaround.  A few days later, she was out of ICU and back home.  To God be the glory!”
8. Clinical Chaplain Joe Schuck, Lanett, Alabama, reports:  “Continue to pray for my stepson, Mark.  He remains in the hospital in Birmingham.  Through many complications and much prayer, we were able to meet with social services and arrange for an extended care or nursing home facility for Mark. This is totally different from what were originally told.  We give God the credit for turning this situation around.  The facility where he most likely will be placed is only ten minutes from us.  Who would have believed that almost 6 years ago, when the Director of this facility asked me to conduct Sunday afternoon services for their residents, that this would be the place where my stepson would gain the physical mental rehabilitation necessary for recovery?

NEEDED – SPECIAL SUPPORT FOR OUR JULY 1 GOD AND COUNTRY CELEBRATION:

The Chaplains Commission, under the signature of the Director and our General Overseer, sent an appeal out to 6500 pastors and churches to not forget our chaplains and soldiers who are deployed.  We have encouraged them to take our resources and present a special July 1st God and Country service.  They have in their hands all the material they need to honor Veterans, chaplains and soldiers deployed, and all our servicemen and women.  We encourage our chaplains to make sure their pastor carries out this important service.  We are requesting our churches pray for our deployed chaplains and soldiers and send a special love offering to be used specifically for resources for our soldiers around the world.  These resources include Psalm 91 bandanas, new convert packets, cookies and other goodies to be handed out to soldiers during the holidays, and discipleship materials.  I cannot imagine, in the midst of the 3500 who have given their life during this long war, as well as the thousands who have been wounded, that any pastor would fail to have this special time of prayer and financial support.  As chaplains, we ask you to encourage your pastor to take seriously this need to honor chaplains and soldiers.  If you would like to send a personal love offering for our God and Country fund drive, please feel free to do so.  Our goal is to raise $50,000 – to be used in support of this endeavor.

FINALLY:

I was privileged to be the recent Commencement speaker at our Seminary graduation.  I felt led by the Lord to lift up three spiritual ethics which I think are necessary for our Church.  They are:  righteous persons, righteous practices and righteous perspectives.  First, we must have ministers/chaplains whose personal lives are so “under the blood,” what we call holiness, so that when persons come to us with their problems, our personal problems do not become entangled with theirs.  Secondly, in everything we do, all the practices which take place in chaplaincy or pastoral work, we do it with a deep sense of Biblical righteousness.  Thirdly, when I talk of righteous perspectives, I am zeroing in on the heart and soul of chaplaincy.  God ordained the Church to love unconditionally; that is, to reach “the least of these;” and in doing so, we are ministering to Christ Himself.  Righteous persons, practices and perspectives will keep us centered on the mandate of the Scriptures.  Thank God for chaplains; for their personal ethics, their unquestionable practices and perspectives that enables them to reach out to a wounded world.

Sincerely,

Dr. Robert Crick

Director, Chaplains Commission

Director’s e-mail: cricksot@worldnet.att.net

Office e-mail: chapcm@bellsouth.net

Web Site/Page: www.cogchaplains.com

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