Lake Region's past and present leadership attending the Pastoral Evangelism and Leadership Council (PELC), left to right: Former Lake Region Youth director and Pastor, Jason North; Shiloh Pastor, William Lee; Conant Gardens Pastor, Tricia Payne; Lake Region PARL Director, Edward Woods. | photo credit: Jason North

December 12, 2019

Lake Region at PELC

Celebrating 40 years, the Pastoral Evangelism and Leadership Council (PELC) was held Dec. 8 - 11 on the campus of Oakwood University, under the theme of...

Celebrating 40 years, the Pastoral Evangelism and Leadership Council (PELC) was held Dec. 8 - 11 on the campus of Oakwood University, under the theme of “Evangelism Remembered, Reimagined, and Reignited.”

 

Several Lake Region leaders were featured, including: 

 

 

  • Lake Region President Clifford Jones presented the Tuesday morning worship

 

  • Conant Gardens (Detroit) Pastor Tricia Payne, conducted a seminar on “How Your Church Can Be Spirit Filled”

 

  • Lake Region Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Director Edward Woods III, presented on “Social Justice and Evangelism”

 

PELC is a professional growth resource agency for pastors and leaders, equipping pastors through annual conferences and online resources.

 

The organization, according to the ministry’s Facebook page, has become the largest continuous gathering of Seventh-day Adventist pastors in the world. Between 1,200 and 1,500 pastors, bible workers, chaplains, elders and church administrators attend the four-day session.

 

At its inception, PELC primarily served the professional growth needs of pastors in the African-American community. Thirty-two years later, pastors from multiple cultural communities are represented, and the gathering features a Hispanic track for pastors.

 

Associate Professor of Religion at Oakwood University, Jesse Wilson who also serves as the PELC director, wrote in his welcoming remarks that even though it has been 40 forty years, he can still remember the auspicious beginnings at Oakwood’s Mosely Chapel. It was standing room only and “all the doors were open for those who’d lost the battle for a seat, but still needed a word.

 

“As young ministerial students, we strained to see and hear our heroes like Earl Cleveland, Charles Dudley, Charles Brooks, Randy Stafford and others. And we were never disappointed.” 

 

Wilson continued, “my prayer is that we’ll celebrate our 50th anniversary in the earth made new, and Jesus himself will be our keynote speaker on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights.”

 

To see the full schedule and watch the videos, visit: https://pelcpower.com/