Report Of The Assistant General Superintendent

Charles T. Crabtree

The Vision for Transformation had a direct impact on the office of the assistant general superintendent. After a process of careful and prayerful analysis the decision was made by the Executive Presbytery for the General Council to appoint the assistant general superintendent as the Commissioner of Discipleship and change his role from executive liaison for Church Ministries to executive director. These changes have brought new and exciting challenges to this office. I will more clearly articulate their practical application and consequences in the reports of the Commission and Division mentioned.

The past 14 years have been most interesting and fulfilling. Ramona and I have counted it a unique privilege to serve the General Council in the areas of administration, pulpit ministry and music. The last biennium has been filled with glorious opportunities and an overwhelming sense of being in the perfect will of God.

In addition to the new responsibilities in Church Ministries and Discipleship, I have been blessed to have served as a member of the Board of Administration, Executive Presbytery, and General Presbytery; as chairman of the Loan Committee at AG Financial; and as secretary of the board of Maranatha Village. In addition, I have completed 13 years on the board of directors of Central Bible College as well as being chairman and member of a long list of other committees. I also had the privilege of serving as the chairman for the Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America and represented the Assemblies of God at the National Association of Evangelicals on behalf of the general superintendent, preached at the Pentecostal World Fellowship in Indonesia, and participated in other cross-denominational forums.

Ramona and I have discovered some of the finest people on the earth while traveling almost every weekend. They are the ministers and laity of the Assemblies of God. The General Council needs to know the devil wants us to focus on a comparatively miniscule number of failures and forget about the literally hundreds of thousands of faithful pastors, church leaders, deacons, department heads, missionaries, educators, teachers, facilitators, staff members, volunteers and the list goes on and on. What a Fellowship God has raised up! Every person who is in someway part of the Assemblies of God should feel privileged to be connected and involved in one of the greatest (if not the greatest) spiritual movements of the last century. It would literally take a lifetime to personally meet and become acquainted with everything going on from week to week and everyone involved in the Assemblies of God.

Of course, any national office is first of all dependent on the Lord and counts on a large group of dedicated people to work in unity for the purpose of bringing glory to God and accomplishing His will. My thanks to the people I mention is not perfunctory but filled with sincere gratitude.

• My general superintendent—and yours—is a competent, Spirit-filled friend I have trusted and leaned upon for wise counsel.
• The members of the Board of Administration have done everything in their power to encourage and bless. All of them are genuine men of God.
• Jackie Chrisner, my executive administrative assistant, has carried an extra load in almost single-handedly seeing all the details of weekly chapel services are not forgotten, as well as my travel, typing of sermons, correspondence and a hundred other areas of responsibility. Thanks, Jackie, for 13 years of excellence.
• Rebecca Gullion has served brilliantly in the last year as my coordinator for Discipleship. I cannot begin to mention all the names of our church ministries and discipleship teams. Our extended teams of Headquarters’ personnel have helped me in uncounted ways. To all these wonderful people—thanks a million.
• My wife continues to be my strongest ally and support. We will be celebrating 50 years of married life next year. She is unparalleled. Our daughters and their families continue to be the joy of our lives. (The 11 grandchildren have triggered some financial reverses for me, but I love them anyway!)

This will be my final report to the General Council in the role of assistant general superintendent, but I do not need an office to pledge my love and support to this Movement for the rest of my life. You have given me much more than I have given you. In the days to come with God’s help, I plan to become a better Christian, friend to all of you, and Pentecostal preacher.