General Conference Clergy of the Ecumenical Church

Dear Esteemed Guests,

Rev. Dr. Luella Redfern and I welcome you to the 27th Annual Holy Ecumenical Convocation with great pleasure. We are honored to host this year's event, which promises to be a time of fellowship, learning, and spiritual growth. We thank all those who labored to make this event possible. You have been driven by the love of Christ, his church, and the people of God. In each city, town, and village in all the countries we served, our hope in Christ has impacted the lives of this present generation and generations to come.

The theme for this year's Convocation is "A Charge to Keep I Have," which reminds us of our responsibility as followers of Christ to fulfill the Great Commission. We are proud to say that the Ecumenical Church and University and our partners CityLight and Cross Style Ministries have been working tirelessly to fulfill this charge. Through the power of God, our joint efforts have built churches, schools, and community centers and provided clean water, healthcare, and housing. We have used the stones of Stephen’s martyrdom to build a modern-day kingdom of God. We join Jesus in being the stone builders reject, only to become the moral cornerstone of civilization.

We are particularly proud of the work we have done to educate girls and provide spiritual training, education, and job opportunities for young men. These efforts are a testament to our commitment to building a better world through our faith. The Lord has prepared and equipped us to expand our construction projects to reach each of the 40 countries we served. We continue the work of the Ecumenical University’s President, Dr. Beverly Gurley, by expanding our virtual classroom to include China and Korea. Rev. Dr. Gladys Grimaud has given CityLight greater life-saving capacity through our affiliates. We provide more services and resources to Central Africa and other areas suffering from political and economic upheavals. The Grimaud Catalyst Award will recognize those who have impacted the world through their faith.

Today, we consecrate our new from countries we serve Bishops-Elect to form the World Council of the Ecumenical Church of Christ. The Lord desires that all be seen, heard, and appreciated. All faith is personal and local. We endeavor for each Bishop to bear the heart of the people to have a global impact. Our church is personal at the Local and Global levels. Our church is GLOCAL.

We are confident that this year's event will be a transformative experience for all who attend. Once again, welcome to the 27th Annual Holy Ecumenical Convocation. We pray that your time here will be blessed and that you will leave feeling inspired and empowered to continue the work of the Lord.

Sincerely,

Redfern II

Bishop and Rev. Dr. Luella Redfern