By the closing services of the 103rd Annual Holy Convocation for the Eastern Missouri First Jurisdiction on Saturday, the saints had been in service nightly for more than a week long. It didn’t show.
The praying, singing, shouting, preaching and hand-clapping, coupled with fellowship and praise, had the sanctuary of Kennerly Temple so spirit-filled it was as if the festivities were just beginning.
And St. Louis has been with COGIC from the beginning.
Long before St. Louis became synonymous with the national church business of COGIC as the new host of its annual Holy Convocation two years ago, the city had been an anchor for the denomination.
The Eastern Missouri First Jurisdiction began convening just two years after the national body of COGIC started doing so, with Kennerly Temple serving as one of the “mother churches.”
This past week, The Eastern Missouri First Jurisdiction gathered once again.
“It has been brought to my attention that Kennerly Temple has been around since the 1890s,” St. Louis County Executive Charlie A. Dooley said to the crowd of worshippers on Friday evening. The audience erupted with applause and “amens.”
Guests who attended each night’s services were reminded of the rich history of COGIC’s St. Louis connection through slide shows that paid tribute to the founders who established the legacy the present generation was celebrating.
This year’s Holy Convocation was a special one for host pastor and Eastern Missouri First Jurisdiction Prelate Bishop R. J. Ward and his district. After Ward’s faithful dedication to the ministry of COGIC, the national arm returned the favor in a major way with the presence of Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake as the featured speaker for the Friday night services of the Convocation.
“I tell you that God is in the midst this evening,” said Comptroller Darlene Green. “I’m so glad that the presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake has agreed to come help us celebrate.”
Dooley and Green were just some of the guests and officials who came to celebrate Blake’s visit.
“Every time you come to St. Louis, it feels like the spirit is lifted higher and higher,” said Presiding Elder C. Jessel Strong, president of the St. Louis Clergy Coalition.
Before Bishop Blake took to the podium to deliver his message, a word had been delivered by the gracious hosts. The choir delivered a soul-stirring rendition of “Do You Know Jesus?” And what started as an introduction of Bishop Blake turned into a service in its own right.
“How many know that name?” Ward said as the choir concluded.
“How many know there’s power in that name? There’s salvation in that name. Look at somebody and say, ‘There’s no other name.’ Salvation is free. There was a debt that nobody but Jesus could pay. When Jesus was on the cross, there was a thief next to him that was on his way to hell. He said, ‘Lord, something got a hold to me. Something told me that you are my savior.’”
In came the tambourines – and a praise break.
Bishop Blake shouted from the pulpit as Ward transitioned back into an introduction.
“I’m so glad to once again hear from our presiding Bishop Blake,” Ward said. “He is a man who is on time – and he is one of the greatest leaders that I know.”
‘Blessed to be here’
When it was his time to speak, Bishop Blake delivered special thanks to nearly all of the noteworthy individuals who came to hear him speak.
“I feel so blessed to be here,” he said. “Every time I come to St. Louis, the people uplift me and support me. Let’s give praise to Bishop R.J. Ward. He’s a friend, a dear friend, and I appreciate him. That was a pre-sermon sermon!”
Bishop Blake’s sermon was one of encouragement. He reflected on the power of stepping over limitations – imposed both by oneself and by others – and walking with purpose.
“Do you know who you really are?” Blake said.
“If you don’t have a real concept of yourself, you will spend your whole life being less than God has made it possible for you to be. Proverbs 23:7 says, ‘So a man thinks in his heart, so is he.’ Who you are is in your heart. Be sure to ascertain your full potential before you define yourself. When you define yourself, you are setting limits.”
His references ranged from the bible to personal experiences and even nursery rhymes as he reminded the audience that walking into destiny and purpose begins with leaving others’ definition of you in the dust.
“I had a teacher in school who tried to define me,” Bishop Blake said.
She denied him the opportunity to speak at the baccalaureate service during his high school graduation ceremony.
“She said, ‘He never will be a public speaker,’” Bishop Blake said. “It broke my heart, but I made up in my mind that I wasn’t going to let her define me.”
He used animal imagery to drive home the point: “The chickens tried to define the eagle, but the eagle redefined itself. The ducklings tried to define the little swan, but the swan re-defined itself.”
COGIC’s evolution could serve as evidence of the power that lies within the word that he preached.
The Baptists asked a small group to leave their denomination near the turn of the previous century, and that small group has grown to more than 5 million strong. The Eastern Missouri First Jurisdiction – with Kennerly Temple as anchor – was one of the faithful foundations.
“Regardless of where you are, as a child of God you have a right to become what God has called you to be,” Bishop Blake said. “Don’t let people define you, let the word of God define you.”
