November 2019

OKLAHOMA OUTLOOK | 1

OKLAHOMA

OUTLOOK Publisher H. Franklin Cargill

NOVEMBER

LFTL (Section 2) School of Ministry Gameday (Muskogee) LFTL (Section 4) LFTL (Section 6) Credential Celebration Century Leadership Roundtable OCM - P B & J Retreat

DECEMBER

School of Ministry Gameday (OKC) Senior Heritage Christmas School of Ministry Gameday (Muskogee) Missions Faith Promises Due Ministerial Credentials Renewal Deadline

JANUARY 2020

Designer Jayson Evans Josh Lowder November 7 November 9 November 11 November 12 November 16 November 21 November 22-23

December 7 December 7 December 14 December 15 December 31

School of Ministry Gameday (OKC) January 4 School of Ministry Gameday (Muskogee) January 11 WM Sectional LIFE Rallies January 17 Century Leadership Roundtable January 23 ACMR Deadline January 31

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

P.O. Box 13179 Oklahoma City, OK 73113 405.475.1100 www.okag.org @OKDCofAG OklahomaDistrictCouncil

Dean Guthrie Children’s Ministries Darren Pilcher Executive Pastor Missions Susie Purkey Women’s Ministries 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 L Duane Elmore Section 9S Don Barnes Section 10 Ric Freeman Section 11 Arlis Moon Section 12

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SUPERINTENDENT

C OH ORT BIBLE E N GAGE ME N T

The Oklahoma Assemblies of God Ministries will be

sponsoring a one-day Bible Engagement Cohort. This event will be held in Tulsa at Christian Chapel, 7807 E. 76th, on Tuesday, March 10, 2020. Pastor Chris Dow and his team extends an invitation to all interested in this event.

This will provide our ministers with an opportunity to engage with representatives from the Assemblies of God National Office. A team with members from the National Office and Faithlife will conduct a live presentation of the Bible Engagement Project.

Those attending will be able see firsthand the “Built on the Bible” research conducted by The Barna Group and commissioned by the General Council of the Assemblies of God. This research reveals the alarming reality of the lack of Bible Engagement and the unintended consequences it has on our Fellowship. We will discuss our General Superintendent’s plan to ensure churches are healthy and grounded in scripture. Research shows that nothing will move the needle for spiritual formation more than Bible engagement.

You will also hear about the exciting partnership between Faithlife and the Assemblies of God. Together, we are working to tackle the issue of a lack of Bible Engagement by equipping and empowering the Pastor with Logos Bible study software – the best Bible study and sermon preparation tool on the market.

Finally, we will discuss “Listen” our new curriculum designed to take small groups of all ages (children, youth and adults) through the entirety of Scripture ensuring that they have a basic working knowledge of the Bible. This foundation will allow them to develop a strong biblical worldview and help them discern God’s ways from the ways of the world.

Online registration will be available at www.okag.org beginning December 1, 2019.

It is very important that the lead pastor attends. There will be 2 additional seats that the pastor may wish to reserve for leaders involved with discipleship, Christian education, youth ministries, and/ or children’s ministries.

The Oklahoma District Ministries Directors will be present and involved with encouraging participation from every age level to whom the local church ministers.

Linda and I are thankful to serve such a wonderful family as we have in Oklahoma! We trust that each home will enjoy a HAPPY THANKSGIVING and a MERRY CHRISTMAS! FRANK AND LINDA CARGILL

It will be imperative that you register as soon as possible to guarantee your seat. Registration will be restricted to a maximum of 150 individuals – with a limit of no more than 3 from any one Oklahoma Assemblies of God church.

Registration and attendance is free!

This event will take place from 10 AM until 2 PM. Lunch will be provided.

Faithlife will provide each attendee with temporary access to a full version of Logos on the day of the event to facilitate training.

You will discover how easy it is to use this incredible tool and add immense value to your personal study and sermon preparation.

Make sure to bring a laptop. You do not want to miss this special presentation of the BIBLE ENGAGEMENT COHORT.

FRANK CARGILL DISTR ICT SUPE R INTE NDE NT F R ANK . CAR G IL L @O K AG . O R G

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MISSIONS

EVERY W H E RE THE A NSW E RS ARE ST ILL T H E SAME

Why do we go? Why do we send missionaries? Why do we help establish the Church in hard-to-reach places?

It happens to me every time I visit another part of the world: the overwhelming feeling of the need for the Gospel. And, it really doesn’t matter the location or people groups. All of the answers for why we go and send are the same: God said so, people need Christ, and the only sustainable and reputable way to partner with Him in building the Indigenous Church is through missionary efforts.

I’m writing this in reflection of just returning from a most inspiring trip to Madagascar. This island nation just off the eastern coast of Africa, filled with mystery and intrigue, is home to an established Assemblies of God work. Thanks to missionaries, the Church continues to grow there. But, as in many places around the world, the need for more churches as well as trained spiritual leaders is critical. Categorized as the poorest nation on the planet, the practical needs of people can insult the senses and bring a feeling of impossibility. But the answers are still the same, even in a place like this. Seeing the missionaries at work in partnership with the national church showed me again that what seems impossible, by God’s grace is possible!

Thanks to missionaries, the Church continues to grow in Madagascar.

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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The one need I heard repeatedly from our missionary family there is for more workers, even requesting me to advocate for them in this regard. And, yes, again the answer is the same. Jesus’ response to the great need around Him was for His disciples to do this one thing: “Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into His fields” (Matthew 9:38).

As a fellow missions enthusiast once said, “We only have three responses: go, send, or disobey.” The answers remain the same. And, it’s these answers that give us the reason to keep going and sending.

Jesus said so, people need Him, and missionaries are the workers we’ve prayed for.

FINANCE

RESOURCES HELPFU L AD MIN IST RAT IVE

It is no secret. We live in a litigious culture. Churches are targets.

Staying current on changing laws, and implementing best-practices is an absolute must for church leaders. Solid resources are key to keeping ministry on track and on the right side of potential legal issues. Finding resources can feel like a challenge. Not because they are scarce, but because they can be both expensive and difficult to read. That said, I would much rather pay the price to get educated on the front end than pay the price of unfavorable lawsuits on the back end simply because I did not know an important piece of information.

Staying current on changing laws, and implementing best-practices is an absolute must for church leaders.

Every so often, I come across a resource that is both affordable (in this case, free) and full of easy-to-understand information.

For a couple of years now, The Evangelical Council of Financial Accountability (ECFA) has offered a tremendous resource for churches. The resource is called Church Excel. This site is full of resources that target critical church business administration issues.

The site offers a knowledge center, church board resources, eBooks, webinars, podcasts, tax guides and much more for church leaders.

If you need a good source of information, I recommend creating a free account. I also recommend downloading the resources and taking your team through some of the training videos. As I often say, some learning is exciting, and some learning is boring. Learning in the area of Church Business Administration is often on the boring side. As a result, this area of learning is often ignored until it is too late. Take a look at the sight and try to find some creative ways to implement the training with your church leadership team. Visit churchexcel.org/okag

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

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CHURCH

MAY YOU BE

BLESSED

Fall is the most wonderful season of the year! The heat

of summer gives way to cooler weather, changing colors, and the opportunity for some fantastic outdoor activities! Not only is it a great season for football, deer hunting and being outdoors, it is a time we have the privilege of sharing what God is doing around the world! Our 2019 Light for the Lost Tour began right after District Ministers Retreat and the start of Oklahoma School of Ministry.

It is such a privilege to partner with, encourage, strengthen, and mobilize women to fulfill their ministerial call. Our prayer is that God will multiply their efforts and that we will rejoice in eternity, all that God has done through their lives!

Throughout the tour, we have been so grateful for all of the men’s reps, host pastors, presbyters, volunteers, and steak teams who partner together with us to share the vision for 2020! These incredible leaders have blessed us and many of the congregations who joined us along this journey. We are praying God’s richest blessings rest upon each and every one of them!

During this tour, we not only shared missionary stories, but conveyed the thankfulness of missionaries who receive the tools they need, to be effective on the field. I am grateful that our missionaries partner together with us throughout this tour to make each banquet such a success. I pray that our support through Light for the Lost will provide every tool that they need to reach as many people as possible in the days to come!

Additionally we shared our vision to partner together with Project Rescue and the Warrior’s Journey in the coming year. These incredible ministries are not only changing hearts, but changing and rescuing lives! Our partnership together with them will make a massive difference in the issues of sexual slavery and the spiritual health of our great service members around the world.

Thank you to the pastors and churches across our state who have been so faithful to partner with us in Light for the Lost! What a blessing!

OKNWM The Oklahoma Network of Women’s Ministers has been gaining momentum since it’s inception. We are so grateful for the women across our state who have responded to the call of God upon their lives. We believe that their ministry is a much-needed voice in the church and in our world.

We want to remind you that December 7th is our Annual Heritage Christmas luncheon for our senior adults. This is an amazing opportunity for our senior adults to be encouraged and strengthened by joining together for a day of fellowship and ministry. Not only will you find information in your mail, but you can go online to www.OKAG.org/senior for more information and to register your group.

We are truly grateful for each and every ministry partner across our state. It is such a privilege to work with incredible leaders who are pursuing their call and encouraging others along the way. We have been blessed by many of the ministry leaders throughout the years.

We pray that in this Thanksgiving season you will be blessed and strengthened.

Thanks for all you do!

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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Chad and Nyree

WOMEN’S

WHY D ON ’T YOU T RY

A WOMAN 40 years ago, this month, an important interview took place, with

the Pastor of the largest Pentecostal Church in the world (both then and now.) It was featured in the Pentecostal Evangel and Pastor Yonggi Cho talked about how “WOMEN IN MINISTRY” were the CATALYST used by HOLY SPIRIT for the historic growth and success of his church. Interestingly, The Prophet Isaiah prophesies that in the latter days, women will outnumber men 7:1. (Isaiah 4:1) Wow…what a thought. If this indeed comes to pass, a female mega-force will certainly help to fulfill the Great Commission Jesus gave to ALL of His disciples.

As I look around the Bride Church today, I see thousands upon thousands of women being “raised up” in all 5-Folds of Ministry – Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. (Ephesians 4:11) both here in the U.S. and overseas. It’s a joy to behold! We are certainly better and stronger together! Reprint of the Article* below.

“God Gave Me a Dream”

by Yonggi Cho

Yoido Full Gospel Church (YFGC,) with approximately 800,000 members, is well-known for being the largest Pentecostal church in the world. The Assemblies of God congregation, located in Seoul, South Korea, was started by Yonggi Cho in 1958. However, some readers may be surprised to learn that the congregation’s growth is due in large part to the “ministry of women.”

However, Yonggi Cho began to grow prideful. He was in his 20’s and already had 2,500 church members. But with this pride came a fall.

He again wore himself out, unable to keep up with the demands of a large and growing congregation.

He sensed the Lord direct him to delegate some of his pastoral duties to laypersons, who would establish cell groups that would meet in homes across Seoul.

At first, Yonggi Cho approached various men in the congregation to become leaders of cell groups. The men declined, responding that they lacked proper training and that they did not want to invade the privacy of their homes. They additionally noted, “We pay you to do that kind of work.”

Again discouraged, Yonggi Cho turned to the Lord in prayer. He sensed the Holy Spirit tell him, “Why don’t you try a woman?” He argued with the Lord, replying “Try a woman! This is not America: this is Korea. In Korea women cannot have leadership.” God began to work in Yonggi Cho’s heart to overcome his cultural prejudice regarding women.

From that moment, Yonggi Cho began to take notice of the numerous examples of women ministers in Scripture. Previously he allowed his culture’s prohibition of women leaders to blind him to the biblical warrant for women in ministry.

In a 1979 Pentecostal Evangel article, Yonggi Cho shared how the Holy Spirit prompted him to train and empower women ministers – despite the negative view of Korean culture toward women leaders.

These women became the backbone of the church’s cell group structure.

Yonggi Cho shared his vision for cell group ministry with some women in the church and they eagerly asked how they could assist.

He began training women how to preach and lead and women became the backbone of YFGC’s cell groups. The cell groups multiplied rapidly, fueling the congregation’s growth.

Yonggi Cho’s ministry in Seoul began with dreams and visions. As a newly minted Bible college graduate, he had a dream that he was going to someday pastor the largest church in Korea. People scoffed at this dream, which he believed God had given to him. He worked very hard, and after six months he had used all of his sermons and wore himself out.

Outsiders who marvel at Yoido Full Gospel Church’s size often ask about the senior pastor or the church building, wondering what caused such growth. But Yonggi Cho, in his 1979 Pentecostal article, instead pointed to the cell groups, led largely by women, which he identified as vital to the church’s growth.

The young pastor became depressed and grew uncertain of his calling. Up to that point, Yonggi Cho had believed that he had already “graduated” from the “school of the Holy Spirit.” He believed that he could build the church through his own efforts. In desperation, Yonggi Cho cried out to God, seeking guidance for his life and ministry. He sensed God respond, “The Holy Spirit is the senior partner in your ministry. You are the junior partner. Every minute you must recognize Him, welcome Him and the Holy Spirit will flow through you and bring sinners to your church.”

This realization of the importance of depending on the Holy Spirit was a turning point in Yonggi Cho’s ministry. As he drew close to God, he could sense God’s leading. Doors opened up, countless thousands of people came to faith in Christ, and the church grew.

Thanksgiving Blessings Friends, I am Thankful for You! Susie Purkey *Article Excerpt taken from: https://news.ag.org/en/Features/This-Week-in-AG-HistoryNovember-4-1979

SUSIE PURKEY WO ME N’ S DIR E CTO R SUSIE . PUR K E Y@O K AG . O R G

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YOUTH

EXC IT E D FOR T H E

FUTURE Where should I start? Because of YOU, Convergence was a

homerun this year! I am still amazed at what God did that weekend.

Last year we were pretty close to capacity with 800+ in attendance at Victory Family, so we knew we would have to find bigger venue for 2019. People’s Church graciously became our new host and we grew to over 1,200 student and leaders. I know numbers aren’t everything, but more numbers means more impacted souls.

But the attendance numbers were not the numbers that surprised us the most. You may or may not know, every year at youth convention we take up an offering specifically for Speed the Light.

This year we saw a 500% increase in our offering! Do you know why?

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

Because of teenagers. If you are looking for someone who is ready to move and make a difference, look no further than the youth of your church. This generation of young people is eager to contribute and be a part of the miracles of God.

“See a need, Meet a need” is what we heard from our guest speaker Micah MacDonald. We saw an incredibly powerful response and the teenagers of Oklahoma were able to contribute over $9,000 that will go towards Free International, an organization which fights to Find, Restore, Embrace and Empower victims of Human Trafficking.

A big thank you to all of YOU, our District family, Oklahoma Youth Pastors and leaders for bringing your students. To the People’s Church staff, the OYM team (interns and volunteers) and all who helped make that weekend happen, thank you! Thank you to Pastors Robert Madu and Micah MacDonald for delivering powerful messages. And, of course, thank you to our amazing Superintendents Frank and Linda Cargill for believing and investing in the next generation.

How can you not be excited for the future?

Be Blessed Oklahoma!

Heath, Alisha, Miriam, and Lincoln

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CHILDREN

SLOW D OW N AN D

GIVE THANKS

I was looking through the archives of the OUTLOOK

articles that I have written in the past and came across this one.

It is one that was featured in 2012, but I thought it would bless some that may have missed it back then. – Dean Back in early September, I found myself walking through my neighborhood Walmart, with my list in hand, getting a few things for the house. I started to walk down the aisles, checking things off of my list; then I noticed that they were getting rid of all of the summer seasonal merchandise. I watched the tank tops, swimsuits and beach towels being taken down and in their place appeared pumpkins, candy corn, and costumes. Fall was just around the corner.

I have said this many times before; I absolutely love the fall season. It’s my favorite time of year. I love everything that fall brings with it. Things like football, hooded sweatshirts, and cooler weather, not to mention the fact that Thanksgiving will soon be here.

So as I made my way through the rest of the store, I needed to grab some things from the lawn and garden department. As I got closer to that part of the store I saw something that I could not believe. In one area of the store they were putting things out for fall and in the other they were already transforming it into something that resembled the North Pole! Christmas trees, stockings, and lawn decorations were already being set up for the Christmas season…in September! I caught myself thinking about something Charlie Brown might have said. “Good Grief!

What about Thanksgiving?”

As the seasons of our lives seem to quickly pass before us, we seem to be busy getting ready for what is coming up next in our lives. While it is good to be ready for what the next season of our lives has in store for us, we must also pause and give thanks to God for the guidance and direction He has given us through those seasons. Please take time out of the busyness of life, not just during this Thanksgiving holiday but everyday, to “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

Have a very Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!

Dean and Joy Guthrie

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

Psalm 100 states: 1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

2

Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

3 Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

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IN MEMORY

Arlie E. Teske, Sr.

1/22/1929 - 10/18/2019 Reverend Arlie Teske, Sr. was born on January 22, 1929 in Taloga, OK to George and Ada Koehn Teske and passed away on October 18, 2019 at his home in Oklahoma City.

He grew up in Washington and Oklahoma and graduated from Enid High School in 1947. Arlie graduated from Southwestern Assemblies of God College, Waxahachie, Texas.

In June 1958, he married Jennie Scott in Canton and they made their home in Southard. They became missionaries in Korea in 1965. They retired in 1996, and made their home in Enid. He was a member of Central Assembly of God Church and was a leader for Royal Rangers. Arlie served as pastor for Assembly of God, Pond Creek for several years.

Arlie was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Jennie on July 24, 2019; infant daughter, Patricia Ann; son-in-law, Bryan Vaughn.

He is survived by his children, Arlie Teske, Jr. (Denise) of Oklahoma City, Rebecca Vaughn (Joel) of Stafford, Virginia, and Freida Vaughn of Hugo, Oklahoma; 12 grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren; brother, Ervan Teske of Enid; sisters, Iona Green and Arlene Teske, both of Enid; nieces, nephews and friends.

Memorials may be made through the funeral home to Central Assembly of God-Missions.

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SPOUSES OF MINISTERS Ronald J. Ethier Spouse of Pamela Ethier 7/13/1957 – 9/28/2019 Lois A. Davis Spouse of the Late W. R. Davis 12/4/1925 – 10/13/2019 Dorothy J. Keen Spouse of the Late J.D. Keen 6/30/1925 – 10/21/2019 Laverne Massingale Spouse of the Late Calvin Massingale 10/11/1927 – 10/25/2019

OKLAHOMA

DISTRICT NEWS PRAYER REQUESTS Clint Gray - new church building provision and property would be bought by the right owners, and a new youth pastor.

Marna Hillard - healing from injury.

Sandy Ticeahkie - health and diabetes infection and parents health.

Fred and Jan Ticeahkie - son and daughter’s healing.

INFORMATION Help for Pastors call (918) 758-4147 or visit www.pastoralcareinc.com.

PASTORS’ REPORTS John Newland, Newkirk, reports one saved during a Wednesday night service.

Raymond Frizzelle, Miami, reports 10 adults and 11 children saved in two services.

Lester Lowry, Enid, reports two saved and one filled with the Holy Ghost.

Gary Walden, Peggs, reports two saved and three baptized in water.

William Smith, Luther, reports four filled with Holy Ghost in revival with Robert and Jan Teel.

Clint Gray, Arpelar, reports 10 saved at FCA meeting at their local public school.

Gary Mullen, Sallisaw, reports four rededicated, one delivered from drugs, one delivered from 30 years of alcoholism, and six saved in regular services.

EVANGELISTS’ REPORTS

Your story.

Our service.

Dale Floyd reports 200 men and women saved in missionary services.

Robert and Jan Teel reports 41 saved and six filled with the Holy Ghost in September.

Larry Martin reports several saved, healed, and filled with the Holy Ghost.

Marna Hillard reports family of five were saved and several were filled with the Holy Ghost in two separate services.

Alex Hanna reports 86 Arabs and Muslims saved in revivals and social media. Fifty eight were healed from various diseases.

His purpose.

NEW PASTORS Duncan Cornerstone Atoka First

Thomas Snavely Kay Seaton

cepnet.com Sign up for a free account on RightNow Media!

Visit www.okag.org/rightnow *For all Oklahoma Credentialed Ministers

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