98th International Assembly, Thursday Evening Session (2014)

The Thursday evening session of the 98th International Assembly focused on Church Wholeness—a call for Spirit-empowered ministry that brings healing and restoration to the broken. The service opened with a lively processional by the Bahama Brass Band, followed by pre-session interviews hosted by Amber Payne featuring DeWayne Hamby (Communications Director and White Wing Messenger managing editor) and Darren Schalk (curriculum editor). A Break Through theme video set the tone for the night. Bishop David Browder, General Presbyter for Asia, Australia, and Oceania, introduced Bishop Tim Coalter as the newly selected and affirmed North America General Presbyter, and leaders gathered to lay hands and pray for Bishop Coalter and his wife, Kelly. Worship was led by the Northeast Region USA Worship Team, including songs such as “Freedom,” “Nothing Is Impossible,” “How Great Is Our God” (English and Spanish), “The Great I Am,” and “You Are the Risen King.” Bishop Clayton Endecott welcomed fraternal guests, including Dr. David Ferguson (Intimate Life Ministries), Terry Bower (Global Ministers Oklahoma), Dr. Steve Strang (founder of Charisma magazine), and Dr. Lamar Vest and his wife, Vickie. Dr. Vest briefly addressed the Assembly, encouraging the Church that its best days are ahead. The offering was boosted by Bishop Franklin Ferguson (National Overseer of the Bahamas), with prayer offered by Bishop Hilarion Javier Paton (National Overseer of Bolivia). Bishop David Browder then introduced the evening speaker, Pastor Brian Sutton of Peerless Road Church (Cleveland, Tennessee). The Peerless Trio—LeAnn Hamby, Renee Sutton, and Marsha Robinson—ministered in song (“He Made the Difference”) before Pastor Sutton preached “Breakthrough in Wholeness” from Luke 4:14–21 (with Isaiah 61 as the prophetic backdrop). Pastor Sutton emphasized that Jesus’ Spirit-anointed mission is the Church’s strategy for ministry: good news to the poor, freedom for prisoners, sight for the blind, release for the oppressed, and proclamation of the Lord’s favor. He framed the Church as God’s agent of wholeness—spiritual and practical—calling believers to live with daily dependence on the Holy Spirit and to serve “the least of these” as the visible expression of Christ’s Kingdom. The service concluded with delegates invited to the altar for prayer.