Before tens of thousands of delegates arrive in St. Louis for worship and fellowship, the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) will put its faith into action with a community giveaway this weekend. The outreach sets the stage for the denomination’s 118th Holy Convocation, Nov. 3-10, under the theme “Answering the Call.”
The eight-day gathering will feature lectures, anointing, worship, consecration and Holy Communion services, youth events and church business.
COGIC is the largest African American Pentecostal Christian denomination and one of the largest Pentecostal bodies in the world. Explore St. Louis projected that its return would generate approximately $250 million in regional economic impact over three years.
The gathering returns to “The Lou” after a six-year hiatus. St. Louis hosted the event from 2010 to 2019, drawing more than 30,000 attendees annually.
“I’m excited about the idea of them coming back to St. Louis and the revenue they’ll bring with them,” said Pastor Edgar O. Madison Jr., who leads Kennerly Temple COGIC in the Ville neighborhood.
“We’re answering the call for the needs of the people of the world. They’re looking for answers for salvation, healing, deliverance … with the economy being the way it is, our society is searching for help,” Madison said.
Before 2010, the conventions were held in Memphis for more than a century. In 2025, COGIC officials voted to return to St. Louis for three years after failing to reach satisfactory agreements with Memphis leadership and the local hospitality industry.
Donna Hykes, a member of Bethany Church of God in Christ, said she loved the Memphis conventions but welcomes this year’s return, with the main activities at America’s Center Convention Complex.
“As far as the services, meetings, lunches, breakfasts or whatever … they’re all in the same venue and we’re all able to worship together,” Hykes said. “Being under the same roof at the same time gives us a particular closeness, a shared experience and that’s special.”
Hykes said she’s thrilled to be installed during COGIC’s Women’s Day event as women’s supervisor for nearly 40 churches in eastern Missouri and western Illinois.
Bishop Elijah H. Hankerson III, one of 12 General Board members and pastor of Life Center International COGIC in St. Louis County, said he’s eager to highlight the organization’s benevolent activities.
“In typical COGIC fashion, we’ll be having some good church all week long,” Hankerson said, adding, “But I’m also looking forward to sharing lots of inspiration and activities like the ‘Christmas in November’ event where we’ll have tons of resources we’ll be giving out to the community.”
Christmas in November, a free community outreach event, will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, 1408 N. Kingshighway Blvd. Families and individuals will receive coats, toys, groceries and household items, according to COGIC..
Bishop Marquaello A. Futrell Sr., pastor of All Creation Northview Holiness Family Church in Ferguson, is coordinating the event.
“I’m looking forward to partnering with the St. Louis Urban League, World Vision, and the Catholic Charities to bring in truckloads of clothes, toys and other items to give to the community,” Futrell said.
Futrell said the region and other cities have already benefited from COGIC’s outreach.
“When last year’s tornado hit St. Louis, the national church donated tens upon tens of thousands to multiple churches to help get them back to stability,” Futrell said. “People who come to our COGIC Charities dinner will have the opportunity to see that the church has given back to various cities and places torn apart by devastation.”
Dr. Kendra Holmes, president and CEO of Affinia Healthcare and a member of Williams Temple Church of God in Christ, said “answering the call” means “when God calls us to do something we need to be willing to surrender our plans and listen to his direction and obey his will.”
Affinia Healthcare plans to offer free screenings for diabetes, hypertension and cholesterol, along with flu shots, during the convention.
“To be honest, the Black church needs to focus more on chronic health. We’re really trying to incorporate the health piece into the spiritual piece and to do it hand-in-hand,” Holmes explained. “COGIC has a large percentage of Black men. We need to specifically get to Black men’s health and make it more of an issue than it currently is.”
In a COGIC press release, Bishop J. Drew Sheard, the denomination’s presiding bishop and chief apostle, said its mission is to serve.
“Every city that welcomes our Holy Convocation becomes our home, and its people become our neighbors. The Church Of God In Christ believes it is our sacred responsibility to give back to the community that hosts us — not as visitors passing through, but as a church that loves its neighbors in word and in deed.”
Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.