James Bradford Resigns as General Secretary

SPRINGFIELD, Missouri — On Sunday, James T. Bradford announced his resignation from serving as general secretary for the General Council of the Assemblies of God. The announcement was made at Central Assembly of God, where Bradford has been serving as acting pastor for five months.

Bradford was elected as general secretary by the Executive Presbytery — the Assemblies of God executive board of elected officers — in 2009. Prior to his service as general secretary, Bradford served as pastor of Central Assembly of God, Springfield’s first Pentecostal church.

Serving as general secretary for nearly a decade, Bradford brought a unique skill set to the position. As a student he led a small Chi Alpha campus Bible study that eventually grew into a university church. Upon graduation in 1979, Bradford stepped into full time ministry with that campus outreach.

In 1988, Bradford and his family moved to Southern California where he pastored Newport-Mesa Church in the heart of Orange County. Twelve years later the Bradfords transitioned to Vancouver, B.C., to pastor Broadway Church.

In a statement Bradford said, “After months of seeking to discern the Lord’s direction in my life, I would like to request resigning as general secretary of the Assemblies of God in order to pursue expanded full-time pastoral ministry.” He went on to say, “One of the greatest honors of my life has been to serve as an officer of the General Council of the Assemblies of God. It has also been a wonderful privilege and delight to work on [Doug Clay’s] team.”

General Superintendent Doug Clay conveyed his appreciation for Bradford’s service to the General Council. “On behalf of the Executive Leadership Team, I would like to convey my sincere gratitude for Jim’s service to God through his term as general secretary,” stated Clay. “He has served with excellence! I have known him to be a man of integrity, a man of the Spirit, and someone I’m proud to call friend.”

Bradford's resignation will be effective May 31, 2018. The General Council Bylaws call for the Executive Presbytery to fill the unexpired term of an executive officer.