What a joy and a personal delight to inform you of the Alpha Conference Summer Celebration, June 16-18, 2016, that will be held at the church God helped our congregation to build when I was the senior pastor of Good Shepherd Pentecostal Holiness Church in Birmingham, Alabama. It is a magnificent church structure, built on the foundation of an equilateral triangle representing the Holy Trinity. Since it has three sides rather than four, it is call a tetrahedron. From the floor of the sanctuary to the top of the ceiling is a span of 50 feet, representing the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the 40 days that He appeared to His disciples with infallible proofs, breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit," and 10 days waiting for the promise of the Father and the Son of the gift of the Holy Spirit which was given to them on the Day of Pentecost, exactly 50 days following the resurrection of our Lord.
The Camp Meeting or Summer Celebration Speaker is Tunde Bolanta. He is the founder and Apostolic Overseer of Restoration Bible Church (RBCM) with headquarters in Kaduna, Nigeria. He travels extensively in many nations with diverse signs, wonders and miracles following his message of restoration and healing. Tunde is married to Tina Bolanta. The Lord has blessed them with three beautiful children.
The evening services begins at 7 p. m.
Jon Potter, a son of the Rev. Mr and Mrs. Wesley Potter (Peggie), is the pastor of Canvass Church. For the last four years his congregation has been meeting in this church facility presently owned by Berney Points Baptist Church. I have made a hyperlink for you to take a "look-see" at the Canvass Church where Jon and Lisa Potter are the pastors. Click Here to go to their website. The church is located at 2250 Blue Ridge Blvd., Hoover, Alabama. just off I-65 at the Alford Avenue Exit.
The evening services begins at 7 p. m.
Jon Potter, a son of the Rev. Mr and Mrs. Wesley Potter (Peggie), is the pastor of Canvass Church. For the last four years his congregation has been meeting in this church facility presently owned by Berney Points Baptist Church. I have made a hyperlink for you to take a "look-see" at the Canvass Church where Jon and Lisa Potter are the pastors. Click Here to go to their website. The church is located at 2250 Blue Ridge Blvd., Hoover, Alabama. just off I-65 at the Alford Avenue Exit.
The 92nd Annual Conference Session will convene on Saturday, June 18, at 9 a. m. Presiding Bishop Doug Beacham, General Superintendent of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, will be officiating at this conference session.
Bishop Doug Beacham has been asked to preach on Sunday morning, June 19, at the 10 a. m. worship service at Canvass Church in the same facility. You will want to make plans to attend this worship service if you live in Birmingham, Trussville, Tarrant, Bessemer, Hoover, Riverchase, Pelham, Oak Mountain, etc. You will be greatly blessed.
[Editor's Comment: I began my pastoral ministry in the Alabama Conference in 1963 following my graduation from Asbury Theological Seminary at the Brownville Pentecostal Holiness Church near Evergreen, Alabama in Conecuh County. Leon O. Stewart was the conference superintendent. He assigned me to this church with only 66 members in the poorest county in the State of Alabama. He told me that the church had great potential. Every church has great potential if God sends you there, and if you give it your very best. When we do our best, God will always do the rest. The church grew and the sanctuary was filled Sunday morning, and evening.
There was a move of the Holy Spirit, and we had a two-week revival with the Greta Campbell Trio--Greta Campbell, Patsy Welch, and Ramona Garrison Ready. Every youth in the church except one boy was saved, and we had a large group of youth. Many people were sanctified and baptized with the Holy Spirit.
It was from this small rural church, God opened the door for even greater opportunities, and Bishop Joseph A. Synan, Sr., asked me to resign my commission as an Army Reserve chaplain to fill the vacancy left when Air Force Chaplain, Colonel, Eugene Myers was accidently killed in a military transport aircraft over Manila, Philippines, in April 1964. At total of 57 people died in that airplane crash. Melvine, Greg, and I left Brownville in May of 1965, to drive to the Pacific Northwest to begin my career as an Air Force chaplain at McChord Air Force Base. It was in November of 1966 that God gave us Stephanie. She was born at Madigan Army Hospital at Fort Lewis, WA.
Eleven years later, I resigned my commission as an Air Force chaplain at the call of Bishop J. Floyd Williams to be the third president of Southwestern College. I served at Southwestern for two years. After I resigned, I was called by home church in Birmingham, Good Shepherd Pentecostal Holiness Church (formerly The First Pentecostal Holiness Church in Birmingham), to be their pastor. It was during my tenure of some nine years in Birmingham that God enabled our congregation to build the church where Pastor Jon Potter and his congregation, Canvass Church, have been meeting for the last 4 years. The church is over the mountain in Hoover, near the Galleria, the largest indoor shopping mall in the southeast.
Therefore, I have a great interest in the church. Melvine and I made a great investment in that church congregation and gave financially as the Lord was blessing us. The people gave generously too in obedience to the Will of God. Now, we wish the best for Jon Potter and Canvass Church. We are extremely proud of Jon and Lisa Potter. Jon is the son of the Rev. Mr. Wesley and Peggie Potter who reside in Houston, TX. The Potters are very special friends of us.]
Bishop Doug Beacham has been asked to preach on Sunday morning, June 19, at the 10 a. m. worship service at Canvass Church in the same facility. You will want to make plans to attend this worship service if you live in Birmingham, Trussville, Tarrant, Bessemer, Hoover, Riverchase, Pelham, Oak Mountain, etc. You will be greatly blessed.
[Editor's Comment: I began my pastoral ministry in the Alabama Conference in 1963 following my graduation from Asbury Theological Seminary at the Brownville Pentecostal Holiness Church near Evergreen, Alabama in Conecuh County. Leon O. Stewart was the conference superintendent. He assigned me to this church with only 66 members in the poorest county in the State of Alabama. He told me that the church had great potential. Every church has great potential if God sends you there, and if you give it your very best. When we do our best, God will always do the rest. The church grew and the sanctuary was filled Sunday morning, and evening.
There was a move of the Holy Spirit, and we had a two-week revival with the Greta Campbell Trio--Greta Campbell, Patsy Welch, and Ramona Garrison Ready. Every youth in the church except one boy was saved, and we had a large group of youth. Many people were sanctified and baptized with the Holy Spirit.
It was from this small rural church, God opened the door for even greater opportunities, and Bishop Joseph A. Synan, Sr., asked me to resign my commission as an Army Reserve chaplain to fill the vacancy left when Air Force Chaplain, Colonel, Eugene Myers was accidently killed in a military transport aircraft over Manila, Philippines, in April 1964. At total of 57 people died in that airplane crash. Melvine, Greg, and I left Brownville in May of 1965, to drive to the Pacific Northwest to begin my career as an Air Force chaplain at McChord Air Force Base. It was in November of 1966 that God gave us Stephanie. She was born at Madigan Army Hospital at Fort Lewis, WA.
Eleven years later, I resigned my commission as an Air Force chaplain at the call of Bishop J. Floyd Williams to be the third president of Southwestern College. I served at Southwestern for two years. After I resigned, I was called by home church in Birmingham, Good Shepherd Pentecostal Holiness Church (formerly The First Pentecostal Holiness Church in Birmingham), to be their pastor. It was during my tenure of some nine years in Birmingham that God enabled our congregation to build the church where Pastor Jon Potter and his congregation, Canvass Church, have been meeting for the last 4 years. The church is over the mountain in Hoover, near the Galleria, the largest indoor shopping mall in the southeast.
Therefore, I have a great interest in the church. Melvine and I made a great investment in that church congregation and gave financially as the Lord was blessing us. The people gave generously too in obedience to the Will of God. Now, we wish the best for Jon Potter and Canvass Church. We are extremely proud of Jon and Lisa Potter. Jon is the son of the Rev. Mr. Wesley and Peggie Potter who reside in Houston, TX. The Potters are very special friends of us.]