OKLAHOMA OUTLOOK | 1
OKLAHOMA
OUTLOOK Publisher H. Franklin Cargill Designer Jayson Evans Chris Ainsworth
JULY
Youth Camp #1 Youth Camp #2 Youth Camp #3 Youth Camp #4 Youth Camp #5 Youth Camp #6 Youth Camp #7
AUGUST
107th Oklahoma District Council (Owasso) Girls Ministries Celebration Century Leadership Roundtable
SEPTEMBER
PK Retreat (Sparks) Daughter’s Conference Main Event Men’s Conference Fall Ministry Tour: Section 5W (AM) Section 4 (PM) Section 3 (AM) Section 2 (PM) Section 5E (AM) Section 11 (AM) Section 12 (PM) Section 7 (AM) Section 1 (AM) Section 6 (PM) Section 9N (AM) Section 8 (PM) Section 9S (AM) Section 10 (PM)
July 5-8 July 8-11 July 12 -15 July 15-18 July 19-22 July 22-25 July 26 – July 29
August 7 August 15 August 27
September 5-7 September 11-12 September 24-26 September 1 September 1 September 3 September 3 September 4 September 10 September 10 September 11 September 15 September 15 September 22 September 22 September 29 September 29
Copyeditor Renae Elmore
GENERAL PRESBYTERS
SECTIONAL PRESBYTERS
H. Franklin Cargill Superintendent
Raymond Frizzelle Section 1
Craig Dacus Assistant Superintendent
Keith Williams Section 2
Darryl Wootton Corporate Secretary
Terry Bradley Section 3
EXECUTIVE PRESBYTERS
Bob Yandell Section 4
Bruce McCarty Ron McCaslin MINISTRY DIRECTORS Chad Brodrick Church Ministries Heath Corrales Youth Ministries Dean Guthrie Children’s Ministries Darren Pilcher Executive Pastor Missions Susie Purkey Women’s Ministries
P.O. Box 13179 Oklahoma City, OK 73113
OKDCofAG
(405) 475-1100
OKDCofAG
www.okag.org
OklahomaDistrictCouncil
Ordained Female Presbyter Deborah Burke
Jamie Austin Section 5E Jason Byers Section 5W Jeromye Jackson Section 6 Jimmy Keith Section 7 Kelly Coffey Section 8 David Brooks Section 9N Steve Lance Section 9S Don Barnes Section 10 Ric Freeman Section 11 Arlis Moon Section 12
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SUPERINTENDENT
DISTRI C T C O U N CIL “RE-SC H E D U LE D” 20 20
The year of 2020 will no doubt have a significant place in
history! So many schedules have been canceled, re-scheduled, postponed, delayed, etc. No one could have predicted such a year of turmoil and instability. The Annual Oklahoma District Council and our Century Leadership Conference was scheduled for this past April; however, due to the international health situation, our leadership postponed the District Council and canceled the Century Leadership Conference. Regretfully, most of us have been forced to clear our calendars and focus on short-range planning. I have been reminded often of the words found in Proverbs 27:1. “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” The Good News Translation reads: “Never boast about tomorrow. You don’t know what will happen between now and then.” None of this caught God by surprise! Jesus asked his disciples, “What is the price of five sparrows – two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them.” He assured them of their worth by stating, “The very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” Please note the cover of this edition of Outlook as well as the following announcement as it is made in accordance with the provision of our District Bylaws. The 107th Annual Oklahoma District Council will convene on Friday, August 7, 2020 in Owasso, Oklahoma at Owasso First Assembly. The projected schedule will include an abbreviated business session at 2:30 PM and an Ordination Ceremony along with a Missionary Commissioning at 6 PM. Every Oklahoma District Minister is encouraged to attend along with a certified delegate from each of our Oklahoma AG Churches. The business session will include the receiving of various reports as well as the presentation of our 2019 Audited Financial Statement. Voting will be held for at least one officer that serves on the Executive Presbytery. The term of Corporate Secretary, position currently filled by Darryl Wootton, is scheduled for election. Please join with me in prayer for His anointing to rest upon every session of this year’s District Council.
UPDAT E ON T HE DRE AM COVID19 has impacted our schedule for summer camping ministry; however, construction has continued. The new facilities are rapidly approaching completion! The extra time without campers has enabled us to make finishing touches and devote extra attention to the landscape. I am excited! While major projects are still on-going, in the event of a tornado warning we would NOW be able to house all of our campers inside the safety of the F5-rated Storm Shelter – THE SOLID ROCK. I look forward to each member of our Fellowship seeing, in person, the new facilities. Together, we can rejoice by shouting – LOOK WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE! Our general contractor predicts completion on or before October 1. We are in the process of scheduling a Day of Celebration and Dedication near the end of October. We will be promoting that event during our District Council on August 7. FUNDING – HAVE YOU PARTICIPATED IN MAKING THIS A REALITY? Our two major fund-raising initiatives are still open for contributions – with a goal now set for December 31, 2020. STORM CHASERS – we need 1,000 individuals contributing at least $1,000 each. A plaque will be installed inside of the F5-rated Storm Shelter that will list each name. We will hold this initiative open until the last day of this calendar year. We can do it! WE LOVE CAMPERS – we need every church to respond by raising $400 for each student that is part of your local ministry. $400 for every person between the ages of 8 and 18 that “claims” your church. This campaign will remain open until December 31, 2020. We can do it! Linda and I are sincerely appreciative of the honor we cherish through serving our Oklahoma Assemblies of God Family! Frank and Linda Cargill, Pastors Oklahoma Assemblies of God Ministries
FRANK CARGILL DISTR ICT SUPE R INTE NDE NT F R ANK . CAR G IL L @O K AG . O R G
OKLAHOMA OUTLOOK | 3
MISSIONS
M I S S I O NS FOU R G REAT RE AS ON S TO S U P P ORT
Supporting a missionary is at the very foundation of who we are as the Church. The New Testament gives ample
understanding that missionaries go to strategic places around the world because WE send them. And, there are plenty of good reasons we do that. Consider this list:
IT’S PERSONAL
The Great Commission was not given to a church first but to individuals that would be instrumental in establishing the Church. So, even though someone else might go to another part of the world physically instead of us, we aren’t off the hook. As one missiologist said, we either go, send, or disobey. As we support the missionary cause, we do it primarily because it’s based on our personal obedience to the Great Commission. The local church supports missionaries because individuals give to missions!
IT’S NECESSARY
It is always good for us to consider the ramifications of a global worker not going or being sent to be present where a spiritual rescue effort needs to take place. Apostle Paul poses these questions in Romans 10:14-15, “And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?” It is just that necessary that we send missionaries to places where God is calling. And, when we send them, we must feel in a way that God is using us to help in answering those questions.
IT’S RELATIONAL
There is no better way to stay connected with what God is doing around the world than by building a relationship with a missionary that you have sent. Frankly, this connection is a profound way of keeping us connected with the heart of God. And, furthermore, that relationship is essential and should be reciprocal. Their relationship with us sustains the work God has called them to do by keeping them aware that they are never alone. From university campuses to remote villages on a faraway continent, the relationship is why we pray and give.
IT’S LASTING
Nothing will last longer than what we give to God’s work. And, we really need to keep this in mind as we give our hard-earned money to the work of missions around the world. Matthew 6:19-20 says,
DARREN PILCHER M IS S IO N S DIRE C TO R EX EC UT IV E PASTO R DA R R E N . P ILC H ER @ O K AG . O R G @ DA R R E N P ILC H E R
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“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasure in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.” Jesus said that! In other words, when we give to Kingdom causes, we are magnifying the worth of Jesus and the eternal life He has provided for us. No one is really certain how all of this heavenly economy works, but suffice to say, our eternal rewards are tied to what we do here with what God has made financially possible. Our support to missionaries will last the test of time! Really, it boils down to what William Carey, known as the father of modern day missions, said to his friend, Andrew Fuller, in 1792 before going to India as a missionary: “I will go down into the pit, if you will hold the ropes.” We hold the ropes because it’s personal, necessary, relational, and lasting. And, those are good enough reasons to support missionaries here and abroad.
IT INE RAT ING MISSIONA R IE S Darrin & Sarah Contact information available from the Missions Office *Sensitive Country
Ryan & Lauren Plute laurenplute@gmail.com Global Initiative, International Ministries
Darin & Dianna Clements darin.clements@agmd.org Asia Pacific
Joshua & Lisa Sears joshua.sears@agmd.org Brazil, Latin American Caribbean
Stephen & Tiffany Contact information available from the Missions Office *Sensitive Country
Steven & Kimberly Snow steve.snow@hqmail.agmd.org Chile, Latin America Caribbean
Tim & Jennifer Land thelandsinafrica@gmail.com Cameroon, Africa Garo & Jordania Nargiz garonn@gmail.com Brazil, Latin America Caribbean
Brian & Crystal Stuke bcstuke@gmail.com Zimbabwe, Africa Adam & Bethany Weatherly adam.weatherly@agmd.org IMM, Spain
FINANCE
AL IGNMENT OU T OF
If a man is defined by what he knows about his car, then
let me be clear, I am no man! If you could stack up all of the things I do not know about my car against all of the things I do know about my car, it would be laughable. There is, however, one thing I can tell you about my car. I can tell you when my car is out of alignment. Over the years, I have learned the importance of dealing with misalignment early rather than late. The longer I wait, the worse it gets, and the more it costs to correct. All vehicles eventually get out of alignment. It doesn’t take much to make it happen. Potholes, curbs, rough terrane, poor road conditions, and driver error all work against the alignment of your vehicle. All you have to do to ensure your vehicle’s alignment gets off is drive. Just drive it long enough, and it will happen. If allowed to remain in this condition long enough, a misaligned vehicle will eventually lead to other more expensive problems. It will significantly diminish the comfort of the ride, the life of your tires, and, ultimately, the vehicle’s suspension. Ignoring the problem will not make it better. Ignoring the problem will only guarantee the problem will get worse.
Ignoring the problem will only guarantee the problem will get worse. Much like a vehicle, teams also get out of alignment. It doesn’t take much to make it happen. Normal working conditions, human relationships, problems, crises, and regular ministry activity all work against the alignment of your team. All you have to do to ensure your team’s alignment gets off is lead. Just lead long enough, and it will happen. If allowed to remain in this condition long enough, a misaligned team will eventually lead to more substantial problems. It will create sideways energy, it will significantly diminish the morale of the team, it will frustrate the focus of the team, and ultimately it will lessen the effectiveness of the team. Ignoring the problem will not make it better. Ignoring the problem will only guarantee the problem will get worse. To truly set a team up for success, leaders must deal with misalignment within the organization. If left alone, it will not correct itself. If left alone, it will only get worse and lead to more challenging problems down the road. There are many reasons leaders do not address misalignment, but none of these reasons keep minor issues from turning into significant problems down the road. There are many reasons leaders do not deal with misalignment within their teams. One of the chief reasons is because when misalignment first surfaces, it hardly feels like it rises to the level of a serious problem. It is highly manageable. All it takes is a little extra effort, a few emails, or getting someone else to cover for the
problem team member. There are other more serious problems to deal with, and taking time to focus on this smaller issue doesn’t feel as pressing. All that needs to be done is just adjust the wheel, and the team can remain centered and focused. The problem with this thinking is that it is never as simple as making one simple tweak to the steering wheel. When the team is out of alignment, even in the early stages, it takes more than one minor adjustment to correct the issue. It takes many adjustments to keep the team focused and on target. What starts as something that requires minimal effort to work around will ultimately take a great deal of effort and focus on keeping things moving in the right direction. The lesson for leaders is simple. Do not ignore misalignment inside of your team. When you sense misalignment, you must do what you can to help correct the issues. If it can be caught early, it can be corrected early. Misalignment is normal. It is not necessarily an indicator of a more profound or more severe problem, but if left alone, it can lead to more severe problems. As leaders, we should remain involved with the members of our teams, and do the work necessary to keep the team focused and on point for the task at hand.
For more resources, visitwww.ecfa.church/churchexcel
KEVIN CONNER F INANCE & O PE R ATIO NS K E VIN. CO NNE R @O K AG . O R G @K E VINSCO NNE R
OKLAHOMA OUTLOOK | 5
CHURCH
ME N OF
ENDURANCE
June 21st is Father’s Day and is the day that we encourage churches to highlight Men’s Ministries in the local church. It’s a day that gifts will be given, prayers will be offered, and sermons will be spoken on being a man of God! It is a day to celebrate the many roles that discipled, missional, and purposeful men fulfill in the life and ministry of the local church! Ministry to men is an important part of the development of a healthy church and is key in building a strong foundation for the family. Men who are strategically discipled and challenged will impact their family, community and church with a Godly influence. They are uniquely positioned to be a powerful voice in all areas of their life!
Ministry to men is an important part of the development of a healthy church The Oklahoma Men’s Ministries Department has a vision to see a healthy ministry to men in every local church. This vision is birthed in the understanding that ministry to men matters and the local church has a great opportunity to strengthen this vital ministry. It is vitally important that we develop strong ministry to men and assist them in leading others to Christ! 1. Men need the COURAGE to explore and begin their walk with Christ. 2. Men need the STRENGTH to develop the lifestyle that enhances the discipleship patterns of Christ. 3. Men need the ENDURANCE to live a victorious life that leads their family, friends, colleagues and the next generation to find fulfillment in Christ! The National Men’s Ministries Department (www.men.ag.org) has released several new resources to assist the local church in the ministry to men. This includes a newly released Men’s Ministries App with 225+ FREE discipleship resources that are perfect for group study or personal/family devotions. This app is available on ALL app stores: Apple Store, Google Play, and Amazon.
CHAD BRODRICK C H UR C H M IN IST RIE S C H A D. B R O DRIC K @ O K AG. O R G
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This app will also include district events and information so that your men can stay connected with all the happenings in Oklahoma Men’s Ministries! Taking things to another level, encourage your men to join a growing network of men dedicated to living out the Word of God and reaching others with the Gospel by joining 360 Man. This vital arm of the National Men’s Ministries will help us in the Oklahoma District to provide training for local churches, create discipleship resources, and partnering with missional projects around the world. You can find more information at: www.360man.ag.org. Finally, THANK YOU for your continued support of Light for the Lost (www.lftl.ag.org). Our Oklahoma Missionaries have been blessed by your faithfulness to continue to support them in the LFTL projects that are reaching people with the Gospel. I love being able to tell our missionaries that their projects are funded because of the generosity of our churches! This Father’s Day, let us encourage the men of our local congregation to get involved in men’s ministry or help start one in the church/community. Let’s challenge men to partner together with the work of the Kingdom to lead men of all ages to find Christ, be discipled, and lead others to become believers! Together we can make a difference because ministry to men matters!
WOMEN’S
TRU ST WORTH Y Happy Summer Girls! Touch three people and say “Bye-Bye Quarantine”! Wow, has the last 90 days been a journey or WHAT? We are witnessing history…and part of me can’t help but think – we are witnessing prophetic times, too. So much of scripture foretells catastrophic events and plagues surrounding the latter days, before Jesus comes back to Rapture His Church. I am keeping my eye on the Eastern Sky more than ever these days! Currently, I’ve been teaching a 9-Week Zoom Meeting to the Oklahoma Women’s Lead Team that I’d like to highlight this month. It’s from a book in the Bible that’s always been a little hard to understand – yet compelling because of its author…The Book of Daniel. Daniel saw such terrible and awesome visions and dreams that one finds themselves drawn into the pages like a magnet. However, like Daniel, it doesn’t take long to feel “worn out” and “exhausted” because it is all so mysterious. (8:27) He was told to, “go his way because the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end.” (12:9) With the recent Global Pandemic of COVID-19, my mind has raced with thoughts of the end-times prophesied about in the Bible and I want to learn more. It seems like we are seeing many of Daniel’s dreams and visions coming to pass right before our very eyes. Kingdoms rising. Kingdoms falling. Power struggles. Religious Freedom under attack. The righteous living amidst a pagan and ungodly culture. HELLO? Welcome to 2020! And by-theway…an ELECTION YEAR. So, in light of all this, it is my pleasure to recommend this easyto-read, easy-to-comprehend Bible Study to our Women and Churches, as we navigate these troubling times. The Author of this impressive study is no stranger to Oklahoma! Kay Burnett, is our National Women’s Director for the Assemblies of God and has done a beautiful job breaking down a challenging book, in to our modernday vernacular and at the same time, using this “highly esteemed man,” (10:19) Daniel, as a much-needed example to us of How to LIVE and LEAD WELL during the post-Christian culture we now face in American and the World. He did it so well! We can, too. Dive in to this Study, girls – you’ll absolutely love it! It’s our National Resource Study for 2020 and here below, is a little overview with all the ordering information you will need. I encourage you to order it and do a group study with your women’s groups! God bless you for making Biblical Literacy high on your list of life-style choices! We are never stronger than when we read God’s Word and then, pray God’s Word prophetically over our lives and families. No, REALLY! ~For Revival! Susie Purkey
Trustworthy: A Study of the Life and Character of Daniel by Kay Burnett Become the woman of integrity God designed you to be As a woman striving to live a godly life, do you find today’s culture anything but encouraging? Do you ever wonder if there’s hope for those of us who want to seek and share the freedom that God’s peace offers? In Trustworthy: A Study of the Life and Character of Daniel, you’ll discover how to face the challenges of the world and be encouraged to take up God’s regal call on your life to walk in holiness and integrity. As someone who walks the same path you do, author Kay Burnett comes alongside you, sharing how lessons from Daniel’s life connect to the struggles you face daily. Daniel didn’t cave in to despair and defeat at the hands of an ungodly culture, and you don’t have to either. Embark on this study and answer God’s call to be faithful and trustworthy, showing other believers the peace Jesus grants in an uncertain world. For more details and to order, visit: www.myhealthychurch.com
SUSIE PURKEY WO ME N’ S DIR E CTO R SUSIE . PUR K E Y@O K AG . O R G
OKLAHOMA OUTLOOK | 7
YOUTH
SIX P RIN C IP LE S FOR
R E -O PE N IN G Hey OYM Family!
4. EVALUATE YOUR EXPECTATIONS.
I am so thankful to be in a time where things are looking somewhat “normal” again!! Restrictions in Oklahoma are being lifted, Sunday morning services are getting back in session, and now we’re getting the chance to “relaunch” youth services!
Perfectionists, these first few youth services aren’t going to look like what your youth service looked like before COVID-19. And that is okay! Expect and embrace that your room will look different and feel different. What a great time to experiment and implement a new style of service and try new things.
Over the last few weeks we have talked about what re-opening our youth service could look like on our “What’s up its Wednesday” livestream and have shared these six principles to keep in mind as we do so. I hope these help!
5. COMMUNICATE WHAT TO EXPECT.
I will be the first to admit I’m still way behind on staying current with all-things social media. To a lot of us it’s still like a foreign language, but I believe COVID-19 has pushed the Church out of its comfort zone and we’ve had to become students of social media. Please do not neglect this area as we return to in-person services! Many families will not be ready to return to church immediately, for many reasons, and we need to continue to offer them connection and engagement from their homes.
For weeks, during stay-at-home, I imagine your mind running with ideas and thoughts about your youth service. However, as leaders, we need to remember that may not be true for others. It is important to share those thoughts and ideas and vision with your leadership teams. Your team needs to know what to expect and what your service will look like. The best thing you can do to set your ministry up for success is to communicate clearly to your team! Also, and equally important, is clear communication to your students and their parents as to what they can expect when they show up. Who will be there? What will they see? What will be different? What measures are you taking to keep students and volunteers safe? People are generally loyal and forgiving as long as you communicate.
2. BE EASY- GOING.
6. FOLLOW UP, FOLLOW UP, FOLLOW UP.
If you are anything like me, you understand the world of perfectionism all too well. I know kicking off the first youth service after 8-10 weeks is a big deal. Fight the urge to give into the pressure of perfectionism and the feeling that everything needs to fire on all cylinders. It’s going to be okay if it doesn’t! So sit back, try to relax, and just enjoy the company of students.
If you don’t have a good follow up system in place, now is a great time to start one. This goes back into the importance of connection and relationship. Today’s generation has serious self-esteem issues and often don’t feel like they matter. Now is the right time to show these students that they are important and someone does care about them. Youth ministry is easy on Wednesdays and Sundays. It’s the other days that connecting means the most in a student’s life. So find a way to follow up and connect with not only with your first time guests, but the students that show every week that we sometimes take for granted.
1. CONTINUE TO STAY ENGAGED ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
3. RELATIONSHIP OVER EVERYTHING. Go back and read the last sentence of the second point. Sit back, try to relax, and just enjoy the company of students, whom you haven’t seen in weeks! Enjoying the company of students should be the major focus. Our students are not coming back because of lights or sound or screens. They are anxious to come back to church because they are craving connection and relationships! So I encourage you as pastors and leaders to not be in a hurry with tasks, but move SLOWLY through the crowd to prioritize real connection!
We know that this pandemic will not suddenly end, but phase out into eradication. Continue to be intentional about creating spaces where students can feel valued and encounter the presence of our One, True God. We Believe in you, Oklahoma, Heath, Alisha, Lincoln, and Miriam
HEATH CORRALES YO UT H M IN IST RIE S H EAT H . C O R R A L E S @ O K AG . O R G @ H EAT H C O RR A L E S 8 | OKLAHOMA OUTLOOK
CHILDREN
A D D RE S S IN G RAC IS M
WIT H CHI LDRE N Last September, we held the annual Oklahoma Children’s
Ministries Workers Conference at Bethesda Assembly of God in Oklahoma City. The featured speakers were from the National Assemblies of God Kids Ministry Team, from Springfield, Missouri. One of the speakers was John Hailes. I was impressed with his ideology of children’s ministries, and he did a terrific job in communicating with the children’s pastors and leaders. In light of current events, in the past few weeks, surrounding protests of racial injustice in Oklahoma and throughout the nation, I want to take this opportunity to encourage pastors, children’s pastors and leaders to address this topic with children and families. I found an article written by John, and I would like to share it with you with his permission. It’s getting difficult to count the number of times over the past few weeks that I have scrolled through social media to see pictures and videos of black Americans receiving abuse unfairly or being killed without cause. With every occurrence, the outrage across the nation is growing and the excuses are becoming more challenging to find comfort in. We are living in a time where technology is denying us the opportunity to turn a blind eye and claim ignorance. With this in mind, I am inclined to believe that if we are stumbling upon these cases, then so are our children. If we fail to address these incidents with our children, then we instruct them with our silence that it is acceptable to kill others who embody the image of God. We begin to subtly teach them that their life is more important than their brothers. ALL Life is precious, and ALL human life is created in the image of God. We ALL sin and yet our sin does not disqualify us from being His image bearers. This is the message we must communicate to the next generation. When we see systematic issues, it is too easy to feel insignificant and incapable of solving the problem. However, as parents and church leaders we can make a difference through shaping the next generation. Here are some ways we can begin shaping our children’s understanding… 1. EXPRESS YOUR EMOTION I’m thankful for many of my friends who sit their children down after each of these occurrences and share the stories with tears in their eyes. You may be horrified at the idea of “stealing” a small portion of your children’s innocence…you are privileged with the choice of doing so… our brothers and sisters of color must shatter their children’s innocence to save them. The truth is though that many children will see these stories unravel and have no outlet to process them. We must communicate with our children and allow them to see the way we process these events through showing them our emotions. This will help shape their worldview and teach them how to process their pain.
2. EXPOSE YOUR CHILDREN TO A DIVERSITY OF PEOPLE Nothing is more powerful than exposing our children to a diversity of people. We must find opportunities for them to make friendships with people of color. This kind of experience shatters their learned stereotypes of other races. Given the world we live in, there is little excuse for failing to expose our children to a diversity of people. It’s beneficial and important for them to understand what it feels like to be the minority in the room. Consider vacationing in a foreign country, taking your children to a large city, teaching them about significant figures in black history or visiting a church that has a totally different ethnic make-up than your own church. This is not merely about racism, but it is about humanizing their perspective and helping them realize that what is perfectly normal for them, is not necessarily the experience of others. 3. EXPLAIN WITH SCRIPTURE It is vital that we help our children build their worldview from the truth of scripture. When we teach children the creation narrative, we elevate their understanding of the sanctity of ALL human life. When we talk about how Jesus engages the Samaritan woman at the well, we can help children understand that Jesus despised racism. When we teach the foundation of missions through the great commission, we can emphasize that we must have compassion for ALL people groups and nations who are yet to hear the good news. Finally, when we teach about finishing the race before us and we read scriptures about eternity with Jesus, we remind our children that people from all nations are God’s children. This worldview may easily become distorted by cultural experiences if we aren’t careful to teach our children to build from the truth of God’s word. We may not be able to change the outcomes of past occurrences, but their stories can be shared so that the next generation does not follow in our shameful footsteps. What are you willing to do to prepare and equip the next generation to stop this happening? John Hailes was born and raised in Manchester, England. He currently works as the Children’s Ministries Discipleship Coordinator at the General Council of the Assemblies of God.
DEAN GUTHRIE CHIL DR E N’ S DIR E CTO R DE AN. G UTHR IE @O K AG . O R G @O CMDE AN
OKLAHOMA OUTLOOK | 9
IN MEMORY
Rosie Yandell
8/23/1936 – 5/25/2020 Reverend Rosie May (Bates) Yandell was born on August 23, 1936 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She was the daughter of Reverend Dillard Richard and Rosie May (Sanderson) Bates. She was the oldest daughter of eight children. She passed from this earth on Monday, May 25, 2020, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She was a licensed minister with the Assemblies of God for more than 35 years. She was a P.K. (Preacher’s Kid) and her parents pastored twelve churches before they retired. She didn’t mention the exact time she gave her heart to Jesus as a child. She had a strong faith and determination to serve the Lord all her life. She mentioned being filled with the Holy Spirit at a young age and how that made such a difference in her life. She was familiar to moving to many towns and cities during their time of starting churches in the late 1930’s and 40’s. On the first night of the 1954 Tulsa Teacher’s Conference at the old Faith Tabernacle church, she arrived and saw a tall, really handsome (her own words) young man wearing a burgundy sport coat. She knew who he was and in her own words she said, “My heart did a standstill and beat rapidly and he shook hands with me. I suppose I said, ‘Hello.’” She and Charlie L. Yandell married on September 4, 1954, at her dad’s church, Bruner Assembly of God on the Sand Springs line. Together they began a journey of ministry and pastoring across Oklahoma and a brief time in Louisiana. The congregations that they pastored include Hammond Assembly of God in Louisiana; Prue Assembly of God; Pawnee Assembly of God; Turley Assembly of God; First Assembly of God in Henryetta; and Central Assembly of God in Edmond. She was always very active in the life of each church they pastored, even while raising six children. She played the piano and sang with Charlie throughout their ministry. Together they wrote many songs and recorded several southern gospel albums. They also hosted a radio ministry, “The Sounds of Sunday” many years on radio station KBJH that later became KCFO. She and Charlie greatly loved the people in the churches they pastored. They spent endless hours caring for their congregation. She was always active in the local church Women’s Ministries and girls ministry, “Missionettes.” This involvement in Women’s Ministries and Missionettes led to her being asked by the Oklahoma Assemblies of God in 1981 to become the state director for these ministries. She served in this position until her retirement in 1997. Throughout these years of service and ministry she held numerous meetings, conferences, retreats, and training courses. She loved and cared for the needs of the Oklahoma missionary family. She made sure that each missionary and missionary’s kids received a card and gift on their birthday. She of thousands of dollars to supply 1 0oversaw | O K L Athe H Oraising M A O Uof T Lhundreds OOK
household equipment for each missionary family. She took extreme care to make sure each missionary family was treated equally and received any help she could provide. Besides retreats for the girls in the Missionettes program, she loved being able to crown well over a thousand young girls who passed their highest requirements in their program as “Honor Stars”. She worked to make this ceremony as special as it could be with flowers, tiaras, and lovely stage decorations. After retirement, she and Charlie enjoyed some travel and found a place to retreat at Roaring River in Missouri. Along with their best friends, Charles and Norma Morrison, they spent hours together with the men fishing and she and Norma reading and relaxing together. The joy of Rosie and Charlie’s lives were their family. They raised all six of their children to know and love the Lord. They were involved in the music ministry of their parents. They knew how to celebrate all the birthdays, holidays and special occasions and took several vacation trips and outings through the years. As their children grew and some married, their hearts opened and welcomed their spouses into the family. Then, as the fifteen grandchildren came along, they loved to spend time with them and take them on trips to their place at Roaring River. Once again as the grandchildren grew and several married, they welcomed and loved each new member of the family. The 15 great-grandchildren became the delight of their lives. Rosie enjoyed getting pictures and videos of them all. Rosie is survived by: Four Sons: Tom Yandell and wife, Nancy. Ron Yandell. Don Yandell and wife, Debbie. Robert Yandell and wife, ReBecca. Two Daughters: Sheryl VonLanken and her husband, Brian. Phyllis Yandell. Fifteen Grandchildren: Brenna (Josh), Deana (Steve), Charlie A., Nick (Annie), Ryan (Marianne), Brad, Christina, Angela (Dan), Grant (Sarah), Jonathan (Angela), Todd (Kelsey), Allison, Craig, Will, and Emily. Fifteen Great-Grandchildren Caleb, Abbey, Maximilian, Drake, Lucy, Xyler, Adeline, Jake, Ryker, Dylan, Roman, Eva, Elias, Colin and Franklin. One Brother, Albert. One Sister, Elizabeth. One Sister in Law, Della, and numerous nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her husband, Charlie; her parents; her four brothers, Billie, Dillard, John, and David; her sister, Ruth; a daughter-in-law, Danetta.
MINISTERS’ SPOUSES Yoshiko Kinjoh Mabry Spouse of the Late James Mabry Gary Lee Willis Spouse of Rachel Willis
OKLAHOMA
DISTRICT NEWS PRAYER REQUESTS Clint Gray – healing for all, new church building provision and properties would be bought by the right owners. Fred and Jan Ticeahkie – Son and daughter’s healing.
INFORMATION Help for Pastors call (918) 758-4147 or visit www.pastoralcareinc.com.
PASTORS’ REPORTS Keith Ayers, Eagletown, reports one saved. Bo Gibbs, Carney, reports souls being saved and rededicated in weekly online services. Gary Mullen, Sallisaw, reports two delivered from alcohol in regular services. Lester Lowry, Enid, reports two saved. They received pews from Edmond Spring Creek and had new carpet and lighting installed.
EVANGELISTS’ REPORTS Dale Floyd reports 10 men saved in prison.
TRANSFERS Welcome Doyle Brummett Daniel Chavez Megan Chavez Farewell Scott Roley
From PennDel West Texas West Texas
To Mississippi
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