"Behold, how good
and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"
Psalm 133:1
Pastors’ Fellowship is marking its 35th
year of existence.
Pastors’
Fellowship is a gathering of people who identify with the Reformation Movement of the Church of God. Its purpose and mission
is to articulate Biblical truths that will challenge the church toward unity, holiness, Biblical Christianity, and the fulfillment
of the Great Commission. It meets annually at the First Church of God in Winchester, Ky., for two days of dynamic preaching,
heartwarming music, enriched fellowship and positive outlook.
It is an inclusive fellowship of both Pastors
and lay people with a positive attitude, challenging us to contend for the faith and calling us to Holy Spirit leadership.
The following work is a brief historical recollection
of the beginnings of Pastors’ Fellowship. Several years ago, this author conducted interviews with some of the founders
of the Pastors’ Fellowship. Further research followed culminating in the following history.
"... ye should earnestly contend for
the faith which was once delivered unto the saints..." Jude 3b
Gathering in a Holiday
Inn meeting room in Chillicothe, Ohio, in early 1973, a small group of pastors associated with the Church of God Reformation
Movement, Anderson, In., gathered to share a burden for the direction and future of the church of God, and in particular,
certain information regarding the School of Theology at Anderson.
Prompted by news that the School of Theology
was facing major changes and those changes were to be on the agenda of the Annual General Assembly meeting in June 1973, Dr.
Lillie McCutcheon helped lead the gathering of pastors from various locations in the Midwest.
The leadership of the School of Theology was
making plans, and had already entered into some agreements, to affiliate with the Foundation for Religious Studies. The Foundation
was a consortium of theological schools in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was said that low enrollments, rising costs, and an apparent
need for revitalizing the curriculum led the Board of the School of Theology to set in motion several changes, including creation
of the Center for Pastoral Studies and affiliation with the Foundation.
These men and women, drawn together by that common
concern, opened the door to what has become one of the greatest spiritual renewals in the history of the Church of God. Pastors’
Fellowship was the outgrowth of that meeting. Gathering for the first meeting in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1973, the annual
gathering moved to Winchester, Kentucky, two years following and has become one of the Church of God Reformation Movement's
annual events.
According to pastor and evangelist William C.
Neece, one of the originators of the meeting, the burdens regarding the Church of God's School of Theology and overall liberal
leaning of the Movement caused several people concern. A voice from the conservative arm of the church needed to be heard.
Most disturbing to the pastors meeting in Chillicothe
was the fact the Foundation included teachers from Catholic, Jewish, and strong denominational doctrines that were directly
contradictory to traditional Church of God teaching.
"I was shocked and stunned," said Dr. McCutcheon,
"when I learned that the Board had already signed papers to affiliate with the group. I couldn't stand that."
According to Dr. McCutcheon, the affiliation,
while undermining Church of God doctrine, could have closed the School of Theology. After the response from Pastors’
Fellowship and a lively debate on the floor of the General Assembly, a motion approving affiliation with the Foundation for
Religious Studies was defeated and a substitute motion calling for severing of ties with the Foundation was approved.
Dr. McCutcheon said a vehicle was needed for
more conservative voices to speak and be heard. After the Chillicothe meeting, the group decided to host a gathering of pastors
from the general area for a time of preaching and re-emphasizing the great doctrines of the Church of God and to give pastors
from outside of the Anderson community more of a voice on national issues.
"There were several of us that had been talking
for four or five years that we need a time for conservative preachers to come together; to preach the great doctrines of the
Church of God; to share how God is blessing in our local congregations, and to encourage one another by exchanging ideas,"
said Bill Neece. "But, nothing ever came of it.
"When the issues at the College came up it brought
the idea back in to focus and we decided to try to kick it off," he said. From that small start Pastors’ Fellowship
has grown into a well-attended, highly anticipated event each year in the Church of God Reformation Movement.
Under the pressure of time and schedules, Brother
Neece said the group had only six weeks to pull together the first Pastors’ Fellowship gathering.
"We had to move quickly because the School of
Theology issues were coming to the floor of the General Assembly in June of that year and we wanted to hear what others thought,"
he said. "We quickly put together a program, appointed a little committee to put out a paper and started inviting pastors
to come."
Those meeting in Chillicothe and forming the
first Steering Committee of the Pastors’ Fellowship consisted of Lillie McCutcheon, William Neece, O.L. Johnson, John
Conley, Harold Goodpaster, Roy Tincher, Herschell Caudill, Carl Reynolds, Allen Tinnerstet, Ed Koch, Bob Lawrence, and Arti
Brunette. Also attending the Chillicothe meeting were associate pastors Chuck Wood and Bill Arthur.
The first Pastors’ Fellowship met in May
1973 at the Eastland Parkway Church of God in Lexington, Ky. Bill Neece was the host pastor. Pastors’ Fellowship met
for two years at Eastland Parkway church before Pastor Neece resigned.
"We thought if we could get 50 preachers to come
to the first one it would be a success," Brother Neece said. "We were thrilled when we had 13 states represented and well
over 100 pastors and other preachers there plus many lay persons. The building was packed with extra chairs set up on the
narthex. We had a great time in the Lord."
While the spiritual emphasis of the meeting and
the doctrinal preaching was a calling card for attendees, all was not perceived well at the meeting.
"We were accused of having a hidden agenda. Some
thought we were trying to split the Movement and rumors had even been spread that we were trying to splinter off. We were
considered by some to be far right extremist fundamentalist out to tear the church apart," Brother Neece said. "And that is far removed from the truth."
The business session at the first Pastors’
Fellowship was steeped in anticipation as Dr. Barry Callen, then Dean of Anderson College, came to the floor and received
very pointed questions regarding the proposed changes at the School of Theology.
"Our business session was intended to give a
platform," Brother Neece said, "to speak to national issues and give some pastors a chance to speak that they would not have
had before. There was never a hidden agenda. We had hoped - and there have been - years when there were no issues at all and
we concentrated on the doctrinal preaching."
PREACHING!
The Pastors’ Fellowship focuses on one
purpose; and that is doctrinal preaching.
While celebrating in worship with great singing
and spending quality time in prayer, the preaching has been the hallmark of the Fellowships.
The preaching call has gone out for the best
preachers who will uncompromisingly preach the doctrines of the Church of God. The Pastors' Fellowship has been about the
business of calling the church back to the sound doctrines that made the Church of God Reformation Movement distinct from
any other group in America or around the world.
"Every year we have had good preachers," said
Dr. McCutcheon. "Pastors’ Fellowship has given conservative preachers understanding that they are not alone. There are
a whole group of Church of God ministers taking their stand for Church of God doctrine and truth."
Having served on the Pastors’ Fellowship
Steering Committee from its beginning, Dr. McCutcheon said the concern for preachers has been foremost in the minds of the
leadership.
"We always tried to get fresh preaching and preachers
that fit the topics," she said. "We would pray and ask who is speaking to this topic most clearly and who is doing the job
in their local church. We wanted clear, doctrinal preaching to mark this meeting."
THE
PUBLISHING MINISTRY:
The initial paper that invited pastors to the
first Pastors’ Fellowship has grown into the nationally distributed "Reformation Witness" magazine. The magazine carries
in its pages the following statement of purpose.
"The purpose of this newsletter is to keep the
brethren throughout the church intelligently informed of the crosswinds that are blowing steadily through the Reformation
Movement. Our position and support will be from and to those who are Bible-believing, conservative, and evangelical. Further,
we believe in the Biblical concepts which brought the Church of God Reformation Movement into existence.
"We will try to disseminate only information
that will build, purify, and strengthen pastors, preachers, and laymen of the Church of God in their faith and in their field
of responsibility. We feel that theological conservatives need to have some kind of voice, and we will seek to provide that
in this newsletter with integrity, gentleness and concern."
The "Reformation Witness" has become a periodical
that un-ashamedly stands for doctrinal purity in the Church of God. Drawing from the finest in Church of God authors, past
and present, the magazine sounds a clear trumpet for truth.
Several have served in the position of Editor-In-Chief
of the publication, beginning with an editorial team lead by Artie Burnett. He was followed by editors, Alan Tinnerstet, Orville
Easterling, Robert Lawrence, A. Wayne Burch, and current Editor Donald W. Neace.
Pastors Fellowship has also branched out to book
publishing. The Fellowship has either published or assisted in publishing several books including: 1. Herein We Stand, vol.
1 by Neece, Rudd, Colnley; 2. Herein We Stand, vol. 2 by DeVoll, Shupe, and Heberer; 3. Scenes from the Throne by Richard
Bradley; 4. Expanded Editorials by Donald W. Neace; 5. A Challenge for Clarity by Donald W. Neace; and 6. The Unshakable Kingdom
by Bill Neece.
THE MOVE TO WINCHESTER, KY.
After hosting the first two Pastors’ Fellowships
in Lexington, Ky., and upon the departure of Brother Neece as local pastor, the Steering Committee accepted the invitation
of Marvin Sanders to move the meeting to First Church of God, Winchester, Ky. The annual gathering has been located at Winchester,
Ky., since.
Frank Curtis served as host pastor of the Fellowship
from 1978 to 1995. Bill Konstantopoulos followed as host pastor from 1995 to 2008. Gary Brown is the current pastor at Winchester
First Church of God.
Brother
Curtis said he has been thrilled to see the growth of Pastors’ Fellowship over the years. The work of the local church
has enlarged through the years as well.
"I wanted us to do more as a local church to
host the meeting than to just open the doors and say 'glad you're here," he said. "That's when we started having book tables,
the breakfast and lunches, and doing early mailings to promote the meeting. The people of the Winchester church have opened
their hearts, they have taken vacation days to be here and worked very hard to help make the Pastors’ Fellowship successful
- they deserve a lot of credit."
With increased attendance came increased responsibilities
to the Steering Committee. Initially, there were no elections to the Steering Committee. The intent was to keep the organization
in the hands and hearts of those whom God had burdened with the vision for Pastors’ Fellowship.
In the ensuing years, the work load and the vision
to increase and enhance the meetings necessitated an increase in the Steering Committee.
Out of the work of the Steering Committee, a
Statement of Purpose was developed and is published in each issue of Reformation Witness.
It states, "May, 1973, Pastors’ Fellowship
was conceived in the hearts and minds of a number of concerned pastors, who were burdened for the faithful and on going preaching,
re-preaching, declaration and dissemination of those doctrines and teaching that brought this Reformation Movement of the
Church of God into existence. It is our purpose and mission to continue, by every means available, to carry this same vision
to our generation and those who follow."
In an attempt to move the Pastors’ Fellowship
to a more national scale, other gatherings of pastors were organized and promoted. Dr. O.L. Johnson was the first national
chairman.
Pastors’ Fellowship meetings were organized
in Pryor, OK, Seattle, WA, Detroit, MI, Distant, PA, St. Louis, MO, and Birmingham, AL. These meetings did not survive after
only a few successful years.
Subsequently,
Pastors’ Fellowship has hosted Reformation Renewal Rallies in various locations around the nation. The Renewal Rallies
are intended to bring the atmosphere of Pastors’ Fellowship to a local church or region.
Now, after 35 years of ministry Pastors’
Fellowship continues to move forward into new fields such as missions and continuing education. Praise God for His faithfulness
and for His call upon the Church of God.
Brother
Neece said, “Thank God, the meeting in Winchester is still going, and I hope will for many years to come. We need it
as keenly today (if not more so) as we did 35 years ago.”
