By Bishop J. Talmadge Gardner
I had the distinct honor of serving as the presiding officer for the ROCKY MOUNTAIN ANNUAL CONFERENCE [RMC] Session, June 3, 2017. There were 92 registered delegates present at the start of the Conference Session at 9 a.m.
The Conference was hosted at The Healing Place in Brighton, Colorado, (near Denver). The Healing Place is pastored by Rev. Joe and Irene Sanchez. Rev. Joe Sanchez is a member of the General Men’s Ministries Board. He has also assisted Men’s Ministries and its General Director, Rev. Bill Terry, with the translation of all Men’s Ministries resources into Spanish. He is a super pastor and servant leader. The weekend also marked The Healing Place’s transfer from an affiliate status relationship with RMC to member church status. Pastor Sanchez and The Healing Place make you feel proud to be a part of the IPHC.
On Friday, June 2, the Conference sponsored a morning of ministerial training for its conference leadership. Presenters were Rosie Olivas, Joe Sanchez, and Larry and June Herrera. RMC first-lady, Mrs. June Herrera, hosted a special Women’s Leaders Luncheon with Mrs. Juanita Diaz as their speaker during the lunch hour break and then RMC celebrated with an afternoon Hispanic Service with special speaker, Pastor Adrian Olivas. A concluding celebration service, in which Bishop Herrera preached, took place that evening. The Annual Conference theme was: ‘A Body in Motion Stays in Motion’.
Bishop Herrera’s State of the Conference (SOC) Report provided attendees with a very forthright account of the state of the Rocky Mountain Conference. It included the following updates:
- 19 Member & 5 Affiliate Churches
- 49 Ordained and 11 Licensed Ministers
- Total Church Membership of 1,200 Members
- Addressed the ministerial tithe situation
- Provided attendees with an update on several church openings
In concluding his SOC report, Bishop Herrera stated:
“It is time to grow:
Rejoicing through the pain of pruning. If you can recall, I addressed this conference in 2015 about what the Lord had been impressing on my heart. The summer of 2014 God began to show me that for this conference to grow it would have to go through a pruning process. Although slow and extremely painful, I believe we will start seeing the benefits from this time forward.
The pruning comes in three different ways: Removal, Attrition and Mutual Agreement. Jesus said, ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit; while every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. The goal of the RMC has always been to build the kingdom through healthy churches, ministries, and ministers. Bearing good fruit, fruit that lasts.
We are in a good place:
We have pastors that are compliant. We have young men and women that understand the meaning of teamwork, and we have constituents that have a place where they feel at home.”
This Conference historically provides their Council Members and Ministry Directors with the privilege of reporting in writing and orally to the Conference. I am always impressed by their vision, passion, and the timeliness in which they do this.
Clergy credentials were issued as follows:
Ordination (7)
- Rev. Rick Arrick
- Rev. Jacob Kutsira
- Rev. Norma Luna
- Rev. Jim Martinez
- Rev. Rosemarie Quezada
- Rev. Evangeline Santistevan
- Rev. Ronald Wright
Minister’s License (2)
- Rev. Joseph Cedillo
- Rev. Amy Joseph
Local Church Minister’s Certificate (20)
- Rev. Michelle Arguello
- Rev. Ramon M Pinon Ayon
- Rev. Roger Dale Cates
- Rev. Alexandra Cedillo
- Rev. Lewis Enriquez
- Rev. Luis Enriquez
- Rev. Delia Nidia Agustin Gomes
- Rev. Kimberly Kay Harmon
- Rev. Jim Kucera
- Rev. Matthew L. Lindsay
- Rev. Jeanette Luna
- Rev. Jorge Luna Jr.
- Rev. Shantel Martinez
- Rev. Cheryl Milhorn
- Rev. Mirna Yadria Escobar Reza
- Rev. Lilia Rosas
- Rev. Alma Delia Salas
- Rev. Michelle Trejo
- Rev. Alejandro Villa
- Rev. Marta Villa
It was an honor as the presiding officer to recognize the following conference attendees:
- Rev. Paul Clark, former Conference Superintendent, GBA and COB Member. Mrs. Verna Clark was not present. Please continue to keep Verna in your prayers. Probably one of the most loved ladies in the IPHC.
- Rev. Brian and Carol Burgess, former IPHC Missionaries to South Africa and Zambia
- Rev. Tyler and Laura Clark, former IPHC Missionaries to Japan
- Rev. Dawn Lubin, former IPHC Missionary to South Africa and the Ivory Coast
In its Memoirs report, the Conference in session paid special tribute to Rev. Clifford M. Sampier, long time Rocky Mountain pastor and Conference Superintendent.
Following his Missions report, Assistant Conference Superintendent and Conference Missions Director Tyler Clark challenged the Conference to support RMC’s 2017 Global Outreach offering emphasis. A total of $1,345.97 was received in a special offering taken at the Conference.
This was the first Conference in which Mrs. Laura Stewart Clark assisted Bishop Herrera with its planning. She is Mrs. Jewel Stewart’s daughter – she excelled!
May God give Larry and June Herrera the desires of their heart as they provided vision and spiritual oversight of this part of our IPHC flock. This Conference has tremendous kingdom potential. May this indeed be their “time to grow”!
