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Wednesday October 31, 2007

For the first time the Assemblies of God ordain women

José Lopez, CAMAGÜEY, Cuba, January 19, 2007

The ordinations in the solemn ceremony that took place during the celebration of the denomination’s Taxi Heathrow Airport 75th anniversary in the city of Holguín, are the fulfillment of an agreement reached two years ago.

36 women had a stole placed around their necks with the laying on of hands by a like number of pastors, some husbands of the women ordained. These women have carried out long ministries of preaching and teaching, in a work involving great sacrifices and efforts, a reality that was recognized by all who spoke at the ordinations ceremony.

"The step seriously meditated on during years,” as was pointed out, is a great support for the participation of women in all of the areas of ministry of the churches, as the Assemblies of God have great prestige and respect among all of the Cuban Christians, as they do in other countries.

Together with the women, 54 men were also ordained. All were given Bibles in remembrance of such an unforgettable day. The emotion filled ceremony ended with the celebration of the Holy Supper.

Some 1,550 delegates, all pastors and ministers serving in Cuba, filled the gigantic Alleluia Temple of Holguín, in a truly fraternal festivity of preaching, deliberations, singing, testimonies and elections, on the theme taken from a passage in the Acts of the Apostles, “You will receive power.”

The convention was presided over by the Reverend Héctor Hunter, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, and during which he was reelected for another two year period.

Various invited guests from other countries took part in the assembly, among them the Reverend George Wood, Secretary of the denominations General Council in the United States, who preached on different occasions.