2023 General Council Coming to Columbus
The 60th General Council of the Assemblies of God will run July 31-Aug.4 in Columbus, Ohio.
The 60th General Council of the Assemblies of God will be held at the Columbus Convention Center in Ohio on July 31 through Aug. 4. With the theme “Our Church Our Family,” the 2023 General Council will offer many of the traditional corporate worship opportunities, but also incorporate some changes to enhance opportunities to connect with others. “Our Church Our Family is more than just a slogan for this event,” explains General Superintendent Doug Clay, “it's an intentional plan that we have for bringing our spiritual family together...to create inspirational moments; equipping opportunities; relational connectivity, and to conduct business to keep us missionally aligned with our goal of seeing a healthy church in every community that’s marked by spiritual and numerical growth.”
The most significant change for the 2023 General Council, which will enable more networking and connecting opportunities, is a change of the adult service times.
For the first time in recent General Council history, the adult worship services will be held from 9 to 11 a.m., Wednesday through Friday. Although the services will be livestreamed on the General Council website (GeneralCouncil.ag.org), online viewers can also take advantage of the archived services (posted shortly after the completion of the service on the website) to enjoy the services at their convenience.
Speakers for the adult worship services will include Clay, George Westlake III, and Austin Westlake. On Friday morning, a special testimony service will be held with Greg and Sandie Mundis sharing on Effectual Prayer: Hope for Healing, Mike and Darla Rakes speaking on Flourishing Faith: Hope in the Midst of Loss, and Chrissy Toledo sharing on The Prodigal PK: Hope for Ministry Families Navigating a Dark Season.
The National Youth Conference will continue its tradition of kicking off the week with a 7 p.m. service on Monday, followed by 7 p.m. services the remainder of the week. The youth conclude their week with Friday’s Fine Arts Festival (FAF) Celebration service. All services will be livestreamed on Facebook. Also, Tuesday through Friday, FAF presentations will begin each day at 9 a.m.
Speakers for the youth this year will include Austin Westlake, Peter Reeves, Josh Wellborn, Greg Ford, Eric Hoffman, Holly Davis, and Lee Rogers with music provided by One Church Music. Youth leaders and students will find additional tips and reminders concerning the conference on the AG Youth Ministries Facebook page.
Camp GC, for kids ages 5-12, begins on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. with the following days beginning at 8:30 a.m. This year’s camp will be held on the first floor of the Hyatt Regency, located southwest of (and connected to) the Ohio Convention Center. This year’s special speakers will be Tim and Marcia Jones, U.S. children’s missionaries who are known for their skills in puppetry, illusions, and storytelling. Preregistration is recommended as the camp has limited spaces available.
The Influence conference returns with a 2 p.m. and a 6 p.m. session on Tuesday featuring multiple speakers in one venue. This year’s speakers will include Allen Tennison, Linda Seiler, Andy Kaup, Alberto Bello, Angelo Austria, Glyn Barrett, John Easter, John Skipworth, Kris Dillard, Nate Ruch, and Tim Parke. The sessions will be livestreamed on the main website.
The business sessions, which will also be livestreamed on the General Council website, will be conducted in the afternoons of Wednesday through Friday beginning at 1:30.
In addition to some fellowship services and gatherings slated throughout the week, this year there are dozens of optional breakfasts, luncheons, dinners, and receptions being held at various locations in the conference center and conference hotels.
To see a listing of all scheduled events, times, and locations, review the General Council Schedule posted here. Those planning on attending General Council can register online by clicking here and scrolling down to “Registration & Housing.”