2022 General Church Meeting

Bishop John A. Cherry, II - Episcopal Pastor

Review of the
2022 GCM

Review of the 2022 GCM

The 2022 General Church Meeting was a blessing! It was the first meeting of its kind in that we had a hybrid attendance, with many people streaming the Worship Services and general sessions. The Opening Service was wonderful and helped to set the tone for the rest of the week. The processional included a parade of local church banners and From the Heart clergy from nearly all of the From the Heart churches around the world.

The choir ministered hymns during the High Worship Service and the welcome program was upbeat and joyful! The different generations ministered in song, dance, acting and overall creative movement to the glory of God, while unveiling a From the Heart float that emphasized the excitement in the sanctuary for the start of the quadrennial meeting. And, the welcome program highlighted multiple From the Heart churches.

it was great."

Our Episcopal Pastor preached out of the theme, Motivated by Love and his sermon title was “Why Us, Why Now?” answering the question as to why we must continue the work that God has called us to do as a ministry. Bishop Cherry noted that we must do this because:

We have life

We were created for good works

This is our time

The General Church continued with a Morning Meditation each morning taught by Pastor Tyrone LaRose, Pastor Reginald Covington and Pastor Darryl Hymes; followed by general sessions. These sessions covered We are From the Heart, How to Know Your Church, How to Grow Your Church, Fullfillment through Service, Health and Wellness and the I Will Campaign.

There was a short video presentation played, scrolling the necrology listing of those within our From the Heart local churches who are now absent from their natural body and present with the Lord Jesus, having passed away since we last gathered as a General Church in 2018. Our Episcopal Pastor thanked every pastor, elder and minister who ministered to each family during their time of loss.

There were also business sessions held for the voting members of the General Church. On the final day of the general sessions, Bishop Cherry gave an overview of the amendments to the FTHCMW Constitution, resulting from the vote on petitions to amend the Constitution. He also announced that the third edition of the Constitution will be made available starting with the upcoming October 2022 Pastors Conference.

The 2022 General Church Meeting was truly unique, with so many members from the various churches viewing the meeting online by live stream. The culmination was the Closing Sunday Worship Service that took place on Sunday, July 17. In that one service the Worldwide Mass Choir ministered; there was a second processional of clergy including bishops, overseers, pastors, elders and ministers; our Episcopal Pastor gave his second Episcopal Address, entitled “From the Heart, Let’s Go”; he ordained an elder; and we together had Holy Communion. Bishop Cherry emphasized that From the Heart is open for in person worship and for the in person work of ministry and that every local From the Heart must return to what God has called us to do.

So, I will end this summary the same way our Episcopal Pastor did in the Episcopal Address…

“From the Heart…it is time to go, it is time to trust God, it is time to not be discouraged and this is the time to not be afraid. If you are able to breathe and take in air, the time has not passed you by. There is still a work for you to do. This is our time, it is time to go – so let’s go!”