On September 9, 2023, 63 delegates along with approximately 25 guests gathered to celebrate the 89th Conference Session of the Great Plains Conference (GPC) at the Amarillo Civic Center Complex in Amarillo, Texas. This session also served as their Quadrennial (Electoral) Conference.
Conference Superintendent Bishop Scott Hampton’s State of the Conference Report discussed personal and conference information, including his family, his involvement in a variety of general-level ministries, TEAM GPC which has 33 churches and 94 credentialed clergy members (32 local church ministers, 25 licensed ministers, and 37 ordained ministers), Leadership Development, Church Development, Arise 2033 vision which is well-developed with achievable goals, the future, and a concluding challenge.
Elections went smoothly as each ran unopposed and were elected unanimously. The GPC Executive Council are:
Bishop Scott Hampton as Conference Superintendent
Rev. Patrick Estrada as Conference Evangelism Director
Rev. Mathias Estrada as Conference World Missions Director
Rev. Jake Bunn as Conference Discipleship Ministries Director
Rev. Chelsea Bunn as Conference Secretary/Treasurer
In a separate election between the three elected Conference Ministry Directors, Rev. Patrick Estrada was elected to serve as the Assistant Conference Superintendent.
L-R: Rev. Mathias Estrada, Rev. Patrick Estrada, Bishop Scott Hampton, Rev. Jake Bunn, and Rev. Chelsea Bunn
On the General Conference-mandated ‘majority vote’ to determine the Great Plains Conference’s desire regarding term limits for all Conference Executive Council members, the vote was 20 in favor of retaining term limits and 43 votes opposing term limits.
The Conference approved Rev. JoAnn Alonzo as an ordained clergy member.
Bishop Hampton led the Conference in memorializing and honoring the life and ministry legacy of Mrs. Jauauna Garrison, the wife of former GPC Assistant Conference Superintendent, Rev. Otis ‘Chuck’ Garrison.
The Conference also welcomed Rev. Travis Lowe, President, IPHC Extension Loan Fund. The services of the IPHC Loan Fund continue to prove invaluable to our churches.
On Friday evening, the Conference hosted a Global Outreach meal followed by an evening service. Bishop Reshetinskyi and Dima Loyuk from the Ukraine were honored guests and featured speakers/preachers for this special celebration.
I was honored to serve this part of our faith family. Scott and his wife, Heather, represent so much of the future of the IPHC.
Believing that the ‘best is still to come’ for the Great Plains Conference.
