Frank E. Howard Obituary

Frank E. Howard
Date of Birth: October 23, 1917
Date of Death: April 01, 2008
City: Cleveland, TN

Frank Edward Howard, age 90, a resident of Cleveland, TN passed away peacefully at his home Tuesday, April 1, 2008. Mr. Howard was born in Stratford, Iowa on October 23, 1917 and he was the son of the late Jenny Belle Lynch Howard and Wilbert O. Howard. His sister and five brothers also preceded him in death. He later served in the United States Army during World War II, in the 121st Hospital Division. Mr. Howard moved to Wyoming after his marriage to Elva Decker, where they co-pastored the Sheridan Church of God of Prophecy for eight years. It was in Wyoming Mr. Howard attended Hieman Business College, preparing him for his role as the accountant for the White Wing Publishing House here in Cleveland from 1958 until his retirement in 1984, serving 28 years.

During his 50 year residency in Cleveland, Mr. Howard ministered as a deacon at the Peerless Road Church of God of Prophecy, as well as serving in leadership positions such as treasurer, Sunday School superintendent, and small group ministry leader. He also supported his wife’s international ministry to women, traveling with her to every continent. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather. He lived his life as a testimony of God’s faithfulness. His humble spirit, tender heart and love for the Lord defined his character and inspired those around him.

Mr. Howard’s compassion for the lost prompted a life dedicated to personal evangelism and serving others. Above all, his family and friends will remember him as a man of prayer, who lived out his faith daily looking forward to the time that he would join the saints in heaven’s eternal celebration.

Survivors include his loving wife of 58 years, Elva Howard of Cleveland, his daughter, Kathryn Creasy and her husband Rick, his son, The Reverend Randy Howard (General Overseer of the Church of God of Prophecy) and his wife Bess, his grandchildren, Lee and Clint Creasy, Lauren Harding and her husband Jay and Ben and Brett Howard.

The Remembrance of Life Service will be conducted Saturday morning at 11:00 from the Peerless Road Church of God of Prophecy with Pastor Tim Coulter and Reverend Billy Wilson officiating.

Interment will follow in the Sunset Memorial Gardens with Milton Donnafield, John Disbrow, Paul Evans, Ken Nope, David Calfee, Jack Wilkinson, Victor Chaddock and Terry Frankland serving as active pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be the Peerless Road Church of God of Prophecy Deacons.

The body may be viewed from 10:00 until 11:00 Saturday morning at the Church.

Memorials may be made to the International Children’s Ministries, C/O the Church of God of Prophecy International Offices, 3750 Keith St. NW, Cleveland, Tennessee 37312 or to the Peerless Road Church of God of Prophecy Building Fund, 3301 Peerless Rd. NW, Cleveland, Tennessee 37312.

The family will receive friends from 6 until 9 P. M. Friday at the Peerless Road Church of God of Prophecy.

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Pastor Frank Taylor Supports New Community Magazine

[The Daily Record, Dunn, NC]

With hands lifted high in praise, and lots of "Amens," it was indeed a celebration of faith and hope.

Dunn, NC area pastors and lay leaders gathered yesterday to welcome The Daily Record's new Christian magazine, Faith & Hope, set to launch in early May. Faith & Hope will feature inspirational, faith-based articles by local freelance writers, and serve as a free guide to area Christian resources.

"We're looking forward to this as a means of serving our community in a new way," said Daily Record editor and publisher Bart Adams. "While we already publish more church news than most any newspaper our size, 'Faith & Hope' will be a Christian outreach to people who aren't looking at our church pages to find a service or activity.

"This is a way for business and church to come together in a bold way and say Jesus is Lord," Mr. Crawley said. "With your prayers, your support and your participation there will be revival, not just in Harnett County, but across eastern North Carolina."

Mr. Crawley also discussed the online aspect of the magazine, the Web site http://www.faithandhopeonline.com/, which will feature its stories, testimonies, links to churches and local resources, and a directory of area churches. Partnering churches receive an enhanced listing on the site, and a link to their own church site. Local churches will also be able to upload their news and pictures.

The Rev. Frank Taylor of Coats, pastor of the Church of God of Prophecy, said he's excited about being part of the magazine. "It's excellent, and I think the idea will be a great success," Rev. Taylor said. "It's something the churches have wanted to do for years - the book will bring us together as a ministry."

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Court Rules in Favor of Departing Churches

On April 3, Judge Randy Bellows of the Fairfax County Circuit Court ruled in favor of the Virginia churches that have departed the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia. Bellows ruled that a religious division had occurred, and that the Virginia Statute on Religious Division, Va. Code 57-9(A), is applicable to this case. The Episcopal Church and the diocese are expected to challenge the court's decision. Bellows has scheduled arguments on the constitutionality of the Virginia statute for May 28.

A majority of members in the 11 Anglican churches voted to sever their ties to the Episcopal Church and the diocese following disputes over the redefinition and reinterpretation of Scripture.

IRD Director of Anglican Action Ralph Webb commented:

"Judge Bellows' decision commendably recognizes facts that the Episcopal Church refuses to accept. The majority of many congregations across the country and the majority of one entire diocese have voted to leave the Episcopal Church.

"And it's ironic and tragic when a secular judge takes the Episcopal Church's membership in the Anglican Communion more seriously than the denomination itself. Bellows rightly recognizes that 'the CANA [c] ongregations were bound by personal ties of 'affection or sympathy' with the Anglican Communion' both before and after they left the Episcopal Church.

"The ruling should cause the Episcopal Church to take a long look at its harsh, take-no-prisoners approach to dealing with church property. This result was by no means inevitable. The denomination should have allowed the diocese to sit down at the table with the CANA congregations.

"Sadly, the Episcopal Church appears more interested in property than people, and more interested in the recovery of property than in reconciliation. Christians certainly can legitimately differ in their conclusions about who lawfully should possess the property. But sometimes you can be overly zealous concerning some goal that you'll either never reach or will attain at too great a cost.

"Will the Episcopal Church gain the world but lose its soul in the process? It still is not too late to pursue healing and reconciliation."

http://www.theird.org/

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Carol Howell Memorial

Plans are underway for a memorial to honor Dan Howell's wife, Carol. After Dan consulted with Fred Garmon, Executive Director of People for Care and Learning, he and the family settled on what they believe is a fitting permanent memorial for Carol in Cambodia.

Dan stated: “As you know, Carol fell in love with the Cambodian children, especially the ‘garbage dump’ kids in Phnom Penh. PCL has recently completed a new facility called ‘Emmanuel Village.’ Its purpose is to rescue these children from the garbage dump. However, the facility does not have a place for the children to play. Since play is an essential part of childhood and since Carol had such a lively and playful spirit, we thought it fitting to build the ‘Carol Howell Memorial Playground.’ It will be a safe place where children’s laughter is heard and their lives are mentored for Christ. As you know, Carol had an infectious laugh, and I know she would be thrilled to see the joy this playground provides for laughing children.”

“Her desire was to return to Cambodia next January. Through this memorial and a marker to display her name, she will always be with them. All contributions to this memorial will be appreciated by her family.” Tax deductible checks can be made out to Keith Street Ministries, 4000 Keith Street, Cleveland, TN 37312 and marked for the “Carol Howell Memorial.”

Sincerely,
Jerry & Evelyn Adams
5145 Creek Bend Circle
Cleveland, TN 37312
423 472 0906
adamneve65@charter.net

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Cleveland Happenings

This week, the General Presbyters of the COGOP have been in Cleveland, TN from around the world for their bi-annual meeting. These meetings have been punctuated by tragedy and difficulties, but successful. At the beginning of the General Presbyters meeting, Bishop Felix Santiago, the General Presbyter of Central America suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized in Knoxville. Bishop Miguel Mojica, General Presybter of South America was hospitalized in Cleveland for a heart-related issue.

General Overseer, Bishop Randall Howard's father, Deacon Frank Howard passed away.

In the face of all these events, the meetings carried on and business has continued for thus world-wide movement. This week the BDP Committee, F&S Committee, Global Outreach Committee, Administrative Committee, and TC Board met with the General Presbyters to continue the work of the church.

Self Inventory

[From LifeChurch.tv : swerve by Craig Groeschel]

For a self inventory, and introspective, ask yourself the following questions.

• In what area of life have I lost my passion? (What can I do to get it back?)
• If the enemy were going to “take me out,” what are my three most vulnerable points?
• What new burden has God given me in the last year?
• What have I unlearned that has made me closer to God?
• What new discipline is God calling me to do?
• What has God asked me to do that I haven’t yet done?
• Is there something that I think about more than I think about pleasing God? (Money, possessions, ministry, family, recreation, something else.)
• Do I have an increasing joy in serving Christ?
• Am I handling the pain of ministry with integrity?
• Am I still being persecuted for my faith in Christ?

The Top Seven Temptations Senior Pastors Face

[From Perry Noble dot com by Perry]

#1 - Selling Out God’s Vision In Exchange For A Paycheck

I know so many pastors who fear losing their jobs because they think if they say what God wants them to say or attempt what God wants them to attempt then they will get fired. They claim to believe in the Sovereignty of God but then cower before the “all powerful … committee!”

#2 - Trying To Please Everyone

You CAN’T do it – no matter how you preach, what you wear or who you talk to – someone is going to get angry at you. Jesus never tried to please everyone…He was faithful to His Father and His calling – we should do the same.

#3 - Thinking Working Harder Will Solve The Problem

There have been so many times I have felt like I needed to violate the 4th commandment in order to make things happen … BUT – the commandment to rest is not a mere suggestion. It’s a command!

Sometimes the godliest thing a pastor can do is walk away from the work for awhile and relax … and let God prove how HE is perfectly capable of running the world (and the church) just fine!

#4 - Sacrificing Their Family

I’ve seen so many pastors allow the church to thrust their wives into activities that they hate – but the pastor tells them to do it in order to “keep the flock happy.”

I’ve seen pastors go to the sporting events and school plays of every kid in the church – except for his own; after all, they will understand, right?

Pastors – there isn’t a church or ministry ANYWHERE that is worth the price of your family! (How do you know if you are sacrificing your family? Why not ask them?)

#5 - Not Delegating Their Weaknesses

One of the myths that pastors buy into is that they have to be “well rounded.” Let me be very upfront here – there isn’t a well rounded person on planet earth. NO ONE is good at EVERYTHING.

If you have a weakness … instead of spending all of your time trying to master it (which you never will) why not delegate it and focus on the things you actually do well. THOSE are the things that will add the most value to your church over the long haul.

#6 - Avoiding Conflict

Unresolved conflict is like cancer … if not dealt with it will grow and eventually kill an organization or ministry. If there is tension or unresolved conflict on a staff … it is the pastors job to make sure it is dealt with – not ignored! (Anyone need to have a conversation today?)

#7 - Not Spending Personal Time With God

When a pastor is not personally walking with God then He cannot expect His church to do so! Pastors, NOTHING should come in between us and our personal time with God – that is where our fire comes from! We NEED HIM … He doesn’t need us. SO … we need to spend more time seeking His face rather than merely asking Him to bless our plans.

ORU Lawsuit Moves Forward

A judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit accusing Oral Roberts University of wrongfully terminating two professors who uncovered alleged wrongdoing by the school's former president.

Attorneys for former ORU president Richard Roberts and the school argued that professors Tim and Paulita Brooker failed to support their claims in the court filings.

In denying motions to dismiss the suit, Tulsa County Judge Rebecca Nightingale also tossed out some of the professors' allegations, including breach of contract claims. The judge also threw out libel claims against the defendants, but kept the professors' allegations of slander and defamation.

Roberts resigned as president in November amid accusations he used university funds to bankroll a lavish lifestyle at a time when the school faced more than 50 million dollars in debt. He has denied wrongdoing.

[ONENEWSNOW]

Church Resources - National Volunteer Week

A resource-packed Web site recently launched a campaign to equip churches for national volunteer month in April and for volunteer week later this month.

The site, http://www.christianvolunteering.org/, offers a searchable directory of nearly 3,000 volunteer opportunities in 1,800 organizations aimed at equipping churches to volunteer in their communities.

ChristianVolunteering.org’s partners include big-name Christian ministries such as the Salvation Army, World Vision, Gospel Communications, the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions, Campus Crusade’s Here’s Life Inner City, Christian Community Development Association, and the Urban Youth Worker’s Institute.

“The purpose of this campaign is to get more volunteers from churches serving out in the community with the goal placing over 1 million volunteers in the next ten years,” the Web site explained.

The campaign highlighted the discrepancy between faith-based volunteer activities within church walls and volunteer work in the community.

According to the United States Department of Labor, faith-based volunteers are the largest pool of volunteers, representing over 34.8 percent of volunteers. The value of the time donated by faith-based volunteers is $51.8 billion each year in the United States alone, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service and the Department of Labor.

But very little of this volunteering occurs outside the church. Only 7 to 15 percent of volunteering through churches help the larger community, according to Lester Salamon of the Institute for Policy Studies of Johns Hopkins University.

In response, the Web site provides resources to encourage churches to launch a community volunteer program.

Pastors can find ideas for sermons on service and justice in the sermon outline directory. They can also have their church small groups conduct Bible studies on the importance of service and justice, and then have the small groups use the Web site to find local volunteer opportunities.

The site provides the following toolkit:

• Directory of over 40 sermon outlines, bible studies and small group materials on the importance of service and Christian social justice
• Group volunteer opportunity search for churches and small groups that want to volunteer together
• Church volunteer toolkit and Wiki encyclopedia on church volunteering
• Webcast presentations to train volunteers and volunteer coordinators
• Multimedia directory of thousands of sermons, workshops, videos and MP3s on justice topics
• Short term missions directory with opportunities across the world

National Volunteer Month is April and National Volunteer Week is April 27 to May 3.

A Merry Heart ...

Have you ever been to the Comedy Barn?

Seminary Professor Receives Award

The Foundation for Pentecostal Scholarship (TFFPS) has conferred its "Award of Excellence" for the best article of 2008. TFFPS co-founder and president, Robert W. Graves, announced the award during the 2008 Conference of the Society for Pentecostal Studies convening at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.

Professor Kenneth J. Archer, of the Church of God Theological Seminary, received the award for his article "A Pentecostal Way of Doing Theology: Method and Manner" (International Journal of Systematic Theology, July 2007). The article emphasizes the necessity of doing Pentecostal theology by means of an integrative methodology and in a narrative manner that flows out of Pentecostal identity. Archer argues that "Pentecostal theology must move beyond the impasse created by subsuming its identity under the rubric of 'Evangelical' in order for it to articulate a vibrant, fully orbed, mature Pentecostal theology."

Graves also announced that the Foundation conferred a $1,000 research grant to Professor Archer to pursue his project "Worshipful Witness: A Pentecostal Theology of the Five-Fold Gospel," a book-length elaboration of the award-winning article. "Worshipful Witness," according to Archer, will provide a formative Pentecostal theology for the training of ministers, the (re)shaping of Pentecostal communal identity, and the critical engaging of contemporary Pentecostal theology. The eventual monograph will enter into serious dialogue with current and diverse academic works as well as engage academic Pentecostal publications.

The Foundation for Pentecostal Scholarship was formed in 2005 with the singular goal of advancing biblical scholarship within the global Pentecostal family. "In supporting the convergence of the flame of Spirit and the flame of knowledge," commented Graves, "we hope to help advance today's move of the Holy Spirit throughout the world."

More information about the foundation is available at its Web site: www.tffps.org.

Elderly Witness

If she can do this, what can you do?

Health Stewardship

The Scripture is clear about the responsibilities of stewardship. Much has been given to us for which we are accountable. Health stewardship is an issue for all Christians, and especially the clergy.

Are you taking time to improve your health/fitness? Pastor, are you setting the example? How fit are you? ASk yourslef these questions:

• Can I walk a mile in fifteen minutes or less?
• Can I carry a couple of grocery bags from the supermarket to the car without difficulty?
• Can I climb one flight of stairs and not be out of breath?
• Is my blood pressure below 130/80? (Some more aggressive doctors—including mine—believe that number should be even lower . . . like 120/80).
• Is my resting pulse rate seventy beats per minute or lower?

Notable Pastors

Do you like to keep up with other pastors or see what other churches are doing?

The following is a list of pastors I have known personally or keep track of. Their ministries are blessed and notable. If you would like to check in on them to see what God is doing in their ministry ...

Celebration Church (Stovall Weems) - Jacksonville, FL
Champions Centre (Kevin Gerald) - Tacoma, WA
Church of the Highlands (Chris Hodges) - Birmingham, AL
Commonground Church (Tom Dillingham) - Tulsa, OK
Crossings Community Church (Marty Grubbs) - Oklahoma City, OK Elevation Church (Steven Furtick) - Indian Trail, NC
Genesis Church (Brian Hunter) - Tallahassee, FL
Granger Community Church (Mark Beeson) - Granger, IN
Healing Place Church (Dino Rizzo) - Baton Rouge, LA
Journey Church (Clark Mitchell) - Norman, OK
Lake Hills Church (Mac Richard) - Austin, TX
Leadership & Church Consultant (Sam Chand)
National Community Church (Mark Batterson) - Washington, DC
New Hope Christian Fellowship (Wayne Cordeiro) - Honolulu, HI
New Life Church (Rick Bezet) - Conway, AR
NewChurch (Monty Priest) - Oklahoma City, OK
NewSong Church (Dave Gibbons) - Irvine, CA
North Coast Church (Larry Osborne) - Vista, CA
NorthChurch.tv (Rodney Fouts) - Oklahoma City, OK
NorthwayChurch.tv (Buddy Cremeans) - Malta, NY
Seacoast Church (Greg Surratt) - Mt. Pleasant, SC
The Church at South Las Vegas (Benny Perez) - Las Vegas, NV
VictoryChurch.tv (Mark Crow) - Oklahoma City, OK

Muslims Now Outnumber Catholics

VATICAN CITY (AP) - Islam has surpassed Roman Catholicism as the world's largest religion, the Vatican newspaper said Sunday.

"For the first time in history, we are no longer at the top: Muslims have overtaken us," Monsignor Vittorio Formenti said in an interview with the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano. Formenti compiles the Vatican's yearbook.

He said that Catholics accounted for 17.4 percent of the world population — a stable percentage — while Muslims were at 19.2 percent.

"It is true that while Muslim families, as is well known, continue to make a lot of children, Christian ones on the contrary tend to have fewer and fewer," the monsignor said.

Formenti said that the data refer to 2006. The figures on Muslims were put together by Muslim countries and then provided to the United Nations, he said, adding that the Vatican could only vouch for its own data.

When considering all Christians and not just Catholics, Christians make up 33 percent of the world population, Formenti said.

Spokesmen for the Vatican and the United Nations did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment Sunday.

[Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved.]