General Council | Speakers
The speakers for this year's services include:
Fine Arts Opening Rally - Monday, August 1, 7:00 PM
Scotty Gibbons - Realife Student Ministries
Scotty Gibbons has been the director of Realife Student Ministries at James River Assembly since 1993. When he started, Scotty could drive the entire youth group around in a van. Today, the Realife Student Center is home to more than 1,000 students and 200 volunteer leaders. Scotty is a nationally recognized youth communicator with a passion for reaching students and equipping leaders. Scotty, his wife Casey and their daughters live in Ozark, Missouri.
Keynote Rally - Tuesday, August 2, 7:00 PM
Dr. George O. Wood - General Superintendent
General Superintendent George O. Wood will speak at the keynote rally of the 54th General Council. Elected to lead the Fellowship in 2007, Wood quickly established initiatives to emphasize church multiplication, training young leaders and resourcing of churches and individuals for more effective ministry. Wood previously served as general secretary for 14 years and has more than 40 years of ministry experience. He was assistant superintendent of the Southern California District from 1988-1993, after pastoring Newport-Mesa Christian Center in Costa Mesa, California for 17 years. In May 2008, Wood was elected chairman of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship.
Morning Service - Wednesday, August 3, 10:30 AM
Alton Garrison - Assistant General Superintendent
Assistant General Superintendent Alton Garrison will speak at the GC service on Wednesday morning. He was elected to his present office in 2007 and serves as the executive director of the Division of Church Ministries and Discipleship, giving oversight to 11 departments that serve children, youth, and adults. Garrison served as executive director of U.S. Missions from 2005-2007, overseeing 1,073 U.S. missionaries and more than 450 chaplains across the United States and in military installations around the world. He served as superintendent of the Arkansas District from 2001-2005, after pastoring First Assembly of God in North Little Rock, Arkansas for 15 years. Garrison served as an evangelist from 1968-1985.
Youth Service - Wednesday, August 3, 7:00 PM
Joseph G. - Missionary to Asia
For 12 years, Joey and his family worked in the Himalayan region of North India pioneering churches, establishing Training Centers for church planters, and opening schools and Children's Homes for at-risk children. Then the Lord began to lead them to another country in Asia that is largely unreached and closed to the gospel. Four years ago, Joey and his family entered this country by starting an ESL school. Their students are all professionals, college/high school students who attend class in the evening to learn English. The school is the first step of building relationships that give opportunity to share the message of Jesus. There are now daily discipleship groups for those who want to know more about following Christ. Doors are opening in villages as many students return to tell their friends and family about Jesus. In this land that was considered closed to the Gospel we have close to 100 who have been baptized into the kingdom. Nothing is impossible for God!
Evening Service - Thursday, August 4, 7:00 PM
Dr. Jim Bradford - General Secretary
Dr. Jim Bradford was elected General Secretary of the Assemblies of God by the Executive Presbytery in February 2009. He oversees the credentialing of ministers, church chartering, the collection of official statistics, the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center, Ministerial Resourcing, and Pastoral Care. Bradford holds a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Minnesota. As a student he led a small Chi Alpha campus Bible study that eventually grew into a university church. Upon graduation in 1979, Bradford stepped into full time ministry with that campus outreach. In 1988, he assumed the pastorate of Newport-Mesa Christian Center in Costa Mesa, California. Twelve years later he transitioned to Vancouver, B.C. to pastor Broadway Church, a move that returned Bradford to his early Canadian roots. He was pastor of Central Assembly in Springfield, Missouri from 2003 until 2009.
Evening Service - Friday, August 5, 6:30 PM
Doug Clay - General Treasurer
Doug Clay was elected General Treasurer of the Assemblies of God by the Executive Presbytery in January 2008. Clay oversees the Division of the Treasury, which is responsible for handling all finances sent to the General Council headquarters for the world ministries of the church. Prior to his election as general treasurer, Clay served as superintendent of the Ohio District from 2004 to 2008. He pastored Calvary Assembly of God in Toledo, Ohio, from 1997 to 2004. Clay has also served as the Assemblies of God national youth director (1995-1997), Ohio District youth director (1989-1995) and as a youth pastor in Ohio and Iowa.
Evening Service Worship Music
Ricardo Sanchez
Christian recording artist Ricardo Sanchez is a Grammy-nominated, Dove-Award winning singer, song writer, conference speaker and one of the nation’s preeminent worship leaders. Having authored or co-authored such songs as Moving Forward, I Call Your Name, Power of One, Power of the Cross and others. Sanchez has received chart-topping radio play, while his songs are sung in churches around the globe. Currently as a publishing artist with Integrity Music, Sanchez has toured or partnered with many other Grammy, Stellar, and Dove-award winning artists such as Salvador, Israel Houghton, Hezekiah Walker, Rebecca St. James, Darlene Zschech, New Song, Mac Powell and many others.
Sanchez served as worship leader at Free Chapel in Gainesville, Georgia for four years prior to launching out fulltime with the mission to help churches around the world under the vision of Windows 2 Worship. Sanchez has recently launched Ricardo Ministries as the practical outlet to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the lost, hurting, and those without hope. Sanchez and his wife, Jennette, are committed to raising their three sons while continuing to partner with the local church.
Evening services will be held in the U.S. Airways Arena.
Business Sessions and Wednesday Morning GC Service will be held in the Phoenix Convention Center.
