single pages. - International Pentecostal Holiness Church

Honoring Bishop 

Ron Carpenter Sr. 

Jesus Can 

Heal Leukemia 

The Legacy of 

Philip List Sr. 

June/July 2012 

Youth Ministry 

Can Make You 

Crazy! 

Here’s how to stop 

the insanity.

Editor in Chief 

Dr. Ronald W. Carpenter Sr. 

June/July 2012 Vol. 9, No. 6 

Publisher 

Greg Hearn 

CEO, Lifesprings Resources 

Executive Editor 

J. Lee Grady 

Managing Editor 

Mégan Alba 

Associate Editors 

Jamie Powell, Sara Ray 

Editorial Committee 

Jana DeLano, Nina Brewsaugh, 

Annetta Lee, Kimberly Wilkerson, 

Kathryn Shelley, Jennifer Simmons, 

Sherrie Taylor, Shandra Youell 

Graphic Designer 

Beth J. Wansley 

WEB DESIGNERS 

Timothy W. Beasley, 

Kalanda Kambeya 

General Superintendent 

Dr. Ronald W. Carpenter Sr. 

Executive Committee of 

the Council of Bishops 

World Missions Ministries 

A.D. Beacham Jr., Vice Chairman 

Discipleship Ministries 

J. Talmadge Gardner, 

Corporate Treasurer 

Evangelism USA 

D. Chris Thompson, 

Corporate Secretary 

IPHC Experience (ISSN 1547-4984) Vol. 9 

No. 6, is published monthly except in July and 

December by Lifesprings Resources of the 

International Pentecostal Holiness Church, 

2425 West Main St., Franklin Springs, GA 

30639. Printed in the U.S.A. MMXII. Address 

editorial comments to IPHC Experience, P.O. 

Box 9, Franklin Springs, GA 30639. Or email 

sray@lifesprings.net. 

COVER PHOTO: © ThinkStock.com 

LSR 2012152 

14 Cover Story 

It’s time to stop playing the numbers game in youth ministry. God wants us to 

focus on discipleship and lasting life change instead. By Tavner Smith 

5 Expressions 

As he prepares to step down, 

Bishop Ronald W. Carpenter, Sr., 

shares his heart’s desire for the 

future of the IPHC. 

6 My Experience 

When Jerry Patterson was 

diagnosed with cancer, he never 

waivered in his faith. God answered 

with an incredible miracle that 

astounded even his doctors. 

8 Events 

Missionary Philip List, Sr., 

dies / IPHC colleges celebrate 

commencement / Oklahoma 

couples receive a financial miracle 

/ SC church celebrates growth and 

groundbreaking / SCU Graduate 

School launches new degree / M:25 

honors veterans at two separate 

events / Missionaries dedicate 

Turkey church plant. 

Plus: News Briefs 

12 Special Report 

As the IPHC prepares for a leadership 

transition, Experience honors Presiding 

Bishop Ronald W. Carpenter, Sr., for his 

years of service to the church. 

18 Emerging Voices 

Emmanuel College student Derrick Brown 

has a heart to plant a church and reach the 

urban population in Chattanooga, Tenn. 

20 Global Edge 

IPHC missionary Judith Perez has spent 40 

years training leaders in Monterrey, Mexico— 

and she’s not letting the drug war stop her 

from carrying out her calling. 

22 E-Resources 

IPHC member Annetta Lee uses her creativity 

to craft Christian fiction. Her work ignites 

readers’ imaginations and sparks a desire for 

a deeper relationship with Christ. 

23 E-Mail 

Letters and commentary from our readers. 

iphc.org/experience | June/July 2012 3

INSTALLATION SERVICE 

streaming LIVE OVER THE INTERNET 

For streaming details and times see www.iphc.org 

July 19, 2012 – 7:00 PM • Hilton Orlando Hotel 

Event is open to the public. Service will be available online for those who cannot attend.

A Fond Farewell 

Leadership involves making tough decisions— 

including knowing when to step down. 

By Ronald W. Carpenter, Sr. 

B 

y now, the majority of the IPHC knows of my decision to resign 

as general superintendent, effective July 19. I have received 

countless emails, phone calls, voice mails and text messages 

with prayers, encouragement, and well wishes. The outpouring 

of love and support I have received in the weeks following my 

announcement overwhelms me. 

The decision to resign was not an easy one. I fully intended to 

finish this term, and I would if I felt remaining in office were best. However, I am 

confident this is the right decision. With that in mind, I want to share with you 

how I arrived at this conclusion. 

Many are aware of the fact that I have battled melanoma four times in the 

past twenty years. For the last three and a half years, I have been 

undergoing treatment at M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston, 

Texas. That treatment has been and continues to be effective. The 

melanoma in my diaphragm is shrinking. My prognosis for recovery 

from the melanoma itself is a very favorable one. For this I am very 

thankful. 

However, in November 2011, I was put on a new medication, and 

the side effects have been unbelievably difficult. Those side effects, 

along with other health issues, began to interfere with my ability to 

carry out the duties of my office as general superintendent. I have 

always believed the general superintendent is to lead the troops, not 

be carried by them. The uncertainty regarding future side effects, as 

well as a great concern for my family, led me to conclude that it is in 

the best interests of the IPHC, my family, and me to resign and focus on correcting 

my health problems. 

I leave this church to the highly capable leadership of Dr. A. Doug Beacham, Jr. 

The Lord’s hand has truly been in this transition, as I could not have chosen a more 

suitable man as my successor. I believe Bishop 

Beacham––with the support of Bishops Gardner 

Although I am leaving 

and Thompson as the executive committee of the 

my post as general Council of Bishops––will continue to provide 

superintendent, I am 

the visionary leadership necessary for miraculous 

expansion and growth of the IPHC in the 21st 

not leaving the ministry. century. 

Although I am leaving my post as general 

superintendent, I am not leaving the ministry. Whether I am serving in the general 

superintendent’s office, standing behind a pulpit, or ministering in the “highways 

and byways,” I am, as Paul says, a “bondservant 

of Christ Jesus” (Romans 1:1, 

NASB). I am convinced there are good years 

left ahead for Nan and me to continue to 

minister out of Greenville, S.C., in varying 

capacities. 

As I leave office, my heart’s desire for 

the IPHC is to see the pure passion of 

Pentecostal power that was manifested in 

the first-century Church continue to be 

manifested in the International Pentecostal 

Holiness Church of the 21st century. I am 

sure that is why God’s first message to the 

church from me on the inauguration night 

of the 2009 General Conference came down 

to three words: be relevant, be dynamic, be 

demonstrative. 

My bequest to the church is Joel 2:28, 29: 

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I 

will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and 

your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, 

your old men shall dream dreams, your 

young men shall see visions: And also upon 

the servants and upon the handmaids in 

those days will I pour out my 

spirit.” 

The Lord then promises 

that in this atmosphere of 

Pentecostal manifestation, 

“[I]t shall come to pass, that 

whosoever shall call on the 

name of the Lord shall be 

delivered: for in mount Zion 

and in Jerusalem shall be 

deliverance, as the Lord hath 

said, and in the remnant whom 

the Lord shall call” (v. 32). If 

the IPHC is to be a church of evangelism 

and deliverance in the 21st century, it must 

operate in an atmosphere of Pentecostal 

power! 

I count it an indescribable honor and 

tremendous joy to have served you for the 

past three years as your presiding bishop. 

The IPHC has been my home since the age 

of four. It has indeed been my very life! I 

am blessed and humbled to have served in 

leadership 33 out of the 47 years that I have 

held credentials. The IPHC will always be 

my extended family around the world. I leave, 

not with a heavy heart, but with hopeful 

anticipation of that which is to come! 


I Am 

Healed! 

When doctors diagnosed 

me with cancer, I turned 

to the Great Physician. 

BY Jerry Patterson 

Healed and whole: Jerry Patterson looks forward to many years celebrating 

his miraculous healing. 

I’ve enjoyed pretty good health most of my life. So I 

was surprised when, in September 2011, I began feeling tired all the time. I assumed 

it was a fitness issue so I took up walking, improved my diet, and did all the things 

we’re supposed to do to get in shape. But the more I worked out, the worse I felt. My 

legs began to cramp, I felt tired, and I had no energy whatsoever. I felt like there was 

electricity running through my bloodstream. Then, I began having severe pain in my 

hands, feet, and legs. 

By this point, I knew something was wrong. I went to my doctor to see what was 

going on. He couldn’t pinpoint the problem, so he sent me to another doctor. This 

man examined me and proclaimed, “You have something serious going on.” By this 

time, I was in excruciating pain and could hardly walk. My doctors performed a 

barrage of tests, trying to find out what was happening to me. Finally, they referred 

me to an oncologist, where I went through yet another round of tests. 

6 June/July 2012 | iphc.org/experience

By February 2012, I’d been in and out 

of doctors’ offices more than I ever thought 

possible. After weeks of MRIs, EKGs, 

and every other test imaginable, I had a 

follow-up appointment with my doctor. He 

walked into the room and asked how I was 

feeling. 

“I’m hurting pretty badly,” I said. “But 

the Lord was with me when I came in, and 

he’ll be with me when I leave. He promised 

he would never leave me or forsake me.” 

Finally, the doctor gave me a diagnosis: 

chronic lymphocytic leukemia, also known 

as CLL. I immediately designated those 

letters in my mind to represent Christ’s 

Lasting Love. I knew he would be with 

me no matter what the doctors proclaimed 

over my life. 

As the church laid 

hands on me and 

began praying, I felt a 

touch from the Lord. 

I knew something was 

different. From that 

day on, I began feeling 

a little better each day. 

After the diagnosis, my doctor sent 

me for more blood tests to determine 

my treatment options. He also wanted 

to take out some of my bone marrow—a 

particularly painful procedure. 

Between my diagnosis and my 

follow-up tests, I went my church’s 

midweek service. I shared my diagnosis and 

asked the church to anoint and pray for 

me. We are a church that believes in divine 

healing! 

As the church laid hands on me and 

began praying, I felt a touch from the Lord. 

I knew something was different. From that 

day on, I began feeling a little better each 

day. 

The following week, I returned to my 

doctor to have my bone marrow procedure 

and to discuss the results of my blood test 

and treatment options. When he walked 

into the room, he asked again, “How are 

you feeling?” 

I immediately told him I’d been 

anointed and prayed for by my church. “I 

felt the Lord touch me,” I said. “My faith 

was good before I came in, and it will be 

the same when I leave.” 

After some discussion, the doctor 

finally said, “I have something to tell you.” I 

braced myself, expecting to hear the worst. 

Instead, he said, “I have a problem. I can’t 

find anything wrong with your blood! The 

tests last week and this morning all came 

back … normal.” If ever there was a reason 

to shout, this was it! 

I told my doctor I wanted to see the 

proof, so he took me to another office 

where he pulled up my medical records. He 

showed me the tests, starting in September 

2011 when doctors first determined 

something was wrong, and going through 

that last week in February when my blood 

suddenly became “normal” again. 

Immediately, my wife and I began to 

shout and praise God for this great miracle. 

But in the midst of my praise, I was 

reminded of the greatest miracle of all— 

when Jesus spilled his blood to save me. 

Since that time, I’ve been praising God 

and telling everyone who will listen that 

He has healed me of leukemia. 

Regardless of the trials we go through, 

we must never forget that “by His stripes 

we are healed.” God has promised us that 

He will never leave or forsake us, and he 

proved that promise to me during my battle 

with leukemia. 

My experience has only strengthened 

my faith. Nothing is impossible for our 

God! Now, more than ever, I believe that 

the Bible and its promises are true. As for 

me and my house, we will continue to serve 

the Lord all our days. 

Jerry Patterson is a member of South 

Henderson PHC in North Carolina. 

Godly family: Jerry, his wife, and their 

sons believe in the power of prayer. 

Have you had the Experience? Send your testimony to Mégan Alba 

at malba@iphc.org. 

How to 

Experience God 

Here are five simple steps you can 

take to begin a relationship with God: 

1. Recognize your need. The Bible 

tells us that “all have sinned and fall 

short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23, 

NASB). All of us are sinners, and we 

must admit our need for a Savior. 

2. Repent of your sins. Because 

God is completely holy, our sins create 

a wall that separates us from Him. 

By confessing your sins you will find 

forgiveness. “Repent” means to make 

a 180-degree turnaround. The Bible 

promises: “If we confess our sins, He 

is faithful and righteous to forgive us 

our sins and to cleanse us from all 

unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). 

3. Believe in Jesus. God worked a 

miracle when He sent His only Son 

to die for us. We don’t have to pay for 

our sins … Jesus paid it all! We can’t 

work for our salvation. It is a gift from 

God, and all He requires is that we 

believe. Put your faith in Him. The Bible 

says: “For God so loved the world, 

that He gave His only begotten Son, 

that whoever believes in Him shall not 

perish, but have eternal life” (John 

3:16). 

4. Receive His salvation. God has 

given us this free gift, but we must 

accept it. Thank Him for sending Jesus 

to die on the cross for you. Thank 

Him for His amazing love, mercy and 

forgiveness. Then ask Him to live in 

your heart. His promise to us is sure: 

“But as many as received Him, to them 

He gave the right to become children of 

God...” (John 1:12). 

5. Confess your faith. The Bible 

assures us: “If you confess with your 

mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in 

your heart that God raised Him from 

the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 

10:9). You have been born again and are 

now part of God’s family. Tell someone 

else what Jesus has done in your life! 

This amazing experience can be yours. 

Embrace God’s love and receive the 

salvation that only Jesus Christ gives. 


SCU’s commencement took place at OKC Faith Church. 

Eighty-seven students graduated. 

Philip and Gailya List ministered in Africa for 50 years. 

Missionary Philip 

List Sr. Dies Suddenly 

List leaves behind a rich legacy of missions and 

ministry. 

BY Mégan Alba 

Rev. Philip List, Sr., died 

Wednesday, May 23, at his home 

near Princeton, N.C., following 

an illness. 

The son of veteran 

missionaries Bill and Lottie 

List, Philip Sr. dedicated his life 

to sharing the Gospel in Africa. 

Philip and his wife, Gailya, 

became full-time missionaries 

to South Africa in 1962. 

“I first met Philip List when 

I was a student at Emmanuel 

College and he and Gailya 

were young missionaries. He 

impacted my life then and many 

times since,” said Dr. Harold 

Dalton, assistant director of 

World Missions Ministries. 

He was an apostle, founding 

the IPHC in several countries 

in Africa, and an evangelist, 

successfully reaching the Zulu 

and other tribes. He preached 

fluently in seven languages 

and was conversational in four 

more, including Chinese. Prior 

to his death, List served as 

the senior missionary in East 

8 June/July 2012 | iphc.org/experience 

Africa. He was also the founder 

and senior pastor of Calvary 

Worship Centre in Nairobi. Only 

heaven knows the number, 

surely in the thousands, that he 

introduced to Jesus. 

List’s ministry impacted not 

only the continent of Africa, but 

other missionaries as well. “I 

represent a life influenced by 

Brother List,” said missionary 

Kevin Sneed. “But living in 

Kenya, I see hundreds more 

lives who were shaped by this 

man. He will be greatly missed.” 

List is survived by his wife, 

Gailya, two daughters, and two 

sons. His daughter, Sharon, 

and her husband, Ron Wooten, 

serve as regional directors for 

World Missions Ministries in 

East Africa. 

Funeral services took place 

Tuesday, May 29, at the First 

Church in Goldsboro, N.C. 

The List and Wooten families 

appreciate the prayers and 

support of the IPHC during this 

time. 

IPHC Colleges Celebrate 

Commencement 

Graduates prepare for ministry and service 

around the world. 

The month of May brought three graduations at IPHC 

colleges and universities. The schools reported a cumulative 

230 graduates this year. 

Southwestern Christian University celebrated their 62nd 

annual commencement ceremony on May 5 at OKC Faith 

Church. A total of 87 students received degrees. The ceremony 

marked a milestone for the SCU Tulsa campus as the location 

conferred degrees on its first 13 graduates since opening in 

2010. 

“Commencement ceremonies are special, as they not 

only mark the end of one stage of life, but the beginning of 

another,” stated Dr. Reggies Wenyika, provost and vice president 

for academic affairs. “It is always an honor to witness and 

participate in such momentous transitions.” 

Holmes Bible 

College also celebrated 

commencement on May 

5 with 13 graduates. 

This was the last 

commencement to take 

place in the current 

Holmes Memorial 

Church. Bishop 

Talmadge Gardner, 

executive director of 

Discipleship Ministries, 

gave the graduate 

address. 

The future of ministry: 13 students 

graduated from Holmes Bible College 

this May. 

“Holmes is always sad to see graduates leave, but we rejoice 

in what God is doing in their lives and what He will work through 

them as they go forth to labor for Him,” said school officials. 

Emmanuel College 

held commencement 

ceremonies May 12, with 

130 students graduating. 

Professor Paul Oxley, 

who retired after 30 

years in the classroom, 

offered the invocation. 

Mrs. Linda Thomas, 

chair of the board of 

trustees, delivered the 

commencement address. 

“When an ending 

comes, it always provides 

an opportunity for new 

beginnings,” Thomas told 

graduates. 

–Mégan Alba 

Celebrate: Emmanuel reported 130 

graduates this year.

Starting the journey: Thanks to an anonymous donation, these church members are on their 

way to becoming debt-free. 

Oklahoma Church 

Receives $8,000 Miracle 

An anonymous donor helps Passion 

Ministries start the journey to 

freedom from debt. 

Passion Ministries members in Oklahoma City 

recently experienced a financial breakthrough 

thanks to an anonymous donor who listened to the 

voice of the Lord. The church has been offering 

Financial Peace University, a debt-free class offered 

by the Dave Ramsey group. Pastor Steve Ely said 

an individual who is a graduate of Financial Peace 

University contacted the church asking how many 

first-time enrollees were in the current class. Ely 

indicated there were eight couples and/or individuals, 

and the person said he would like to make a donation. 

IPHC Offers Three 

Israel Tours This Fall 

Each tour provides a unique 

opportunity to visit the Holy Land. 

The IPHC loves Israel. In fact, interest in the 

country has grown so much that three different IPHC 

groups are offering unique touring opportunities of 

the Holy Land this fall. 

Mission: M25 will host the second annual Run 

to the Wall: Israel October 22–November 1. The 

inaugural tour in 2011 garnered international media 

attention when more than 100 U.S. and Israeli 

motorcyclists rode together to the Wailing Wall. This 

When Ely met the individual, he 

was blown away at the donation. “He 

handed me an envelope. Inside, it 

had $8,000 cash to give to the folks 

enrolled. He and his wife funded all the 

participants’ emergency funds, which 

is Baby Step 1,” Ely said. 

Students in the class were amazed, 

and Ely said many were weeping at the 

miracle. “It was going to take several 

of the couples until November to put 

$1000 together,” he said. The donor 

had one stipulation—he and his wife 

wanted total anonymity and no tax 

credit. 

“It is probably the most generous 

act I have ever been privileged to 

witness,” said Ely. 

annual trip combines a motorcycle tour 

of Israel with humanitarian outreach. 

Participants will have the opportunity 

to visit historical sites, meet with 

Israeli Defense Force soldiers, and 

bring medical supplies to those in 

need. For more information, email Rev. 

Gary Burd at gburd@arn.net. 

Dr. Frank Tunstall, conference 

superintendent of the Heartland 

Conference, and Rev. Wyatt Cook 

of Kingsway Christian Center in 

Baltimore, Maryland, will co-host 

a Holy Land tour November 11–20. 

For more information, email 

wcook432001@yahoo.com. 

Rev. Garry Bryant, director 

of Acts2Day, will host a Pastors 

Familiarization tour November 29– 

December 6. The six-night, seven-day 

trip includes hotel accommodations, 

two meals per day, and visits to biblical 

sites. Space for this trip is limited. For 

more information, email acts2day@ 

iphc.org. 

All tours are offered in conjunction 

with Coral Tours, which has an 

excellent working relationship with the 

IPHC. 

» Bland Receives Logos 

Scholarship 

SCU’s 

Jonathan 

Bland has 

been selected 

to receive a 

scholarship 

and stipend 

exceeding 

$10,000 

Johnny Bland 

to Logos 

at Baylor 

University, a summer institute 

for students interested in biblical 

textual scholarship and Christian 

apologetics. Bland is currently 

working as a graduate assistant 

and adjunct instructor at SCU as 

he completes his final courses for 

an M.A. in theology from Southern 

Nazarene University (SNU). 

» TCC’s Gray 

Named Top 

CEO 

Albert Gray, 

CEO of The 

Children’s 

Center, has been 

named one of 

the 2012 Most 

Admired CEOs in 

Oklahoma. Gray Albert Gray 

was among 10 

Oklahomans listed in the nonprofit 

category. He was recognized at 

the third annual Oklahoma’s Most 

Admired CEOs event in February. 

» Taylor Appointed to 

Navy Chaplaincy 

Lt. Kendall 

Taylor 

has been 

selected for 

active duty in 

the U.S. Navy 

Chaplaincy. 

Taylor is an 

ordained 

minister with 

Kendall Taylor 

the South 

Carolina 

Conference. 

He is serving with the 1st Marine 

Division at Twentynine Palms, Calif., 

the oldest and largest active duty 

division of the U.S. Marine Corps. 

A motorcycle tour of Israel is just one of the options for 

IPHC Holy Land tours this fall. 


M25 Joins USO for Welcome Home 

Celebration 

Vietnam Veterans receive long-overdue appreciation at largest 

Welcome Home event in NC. 

On March 31, Mission: M25 joined the USO for North Carolina’s largest Vietnam 

Veterans Welcome Home celebration. More than 62,000 people turned out for the 

celebration and rally at Charlotte Motor Speedway. 

Rev. Mark Richardson of Siler City PHC and Mr. Gary Whaley of First Church of 

Goldsboro co-led the mission. Approximately 170 bikes from six states represented M25. 

The ministry also handed out 7,000 bottles of water and 3,000 handwritten thank-you letters 

and cards from IPHC children. The cards brought many tears and hugs from veterans. 

Higher learning: SCU will launch a Master of 

Arts in theological studies this fall. 

SCU Graduate 

School Approved 

for New Degree 

Master of Arts in theological studies 

will launch this fall. 

Dr. Terry Tramel, dean of the School of 

Adult and Graduate Studies at Southwestern 

Christian University, announced this week 

that SCU has been approved by the Higher 

Learning Commission to offer a Master of Arts 

in theological studies. 

“This is a historic day for higher education 

in the International Pentecostal Holiness 

Church and Southwestern Christian 

University,” said Dr. Tramel. “This new 

academic degree is especially beneficial for all 

of those who seek further studies in Bible and 

theology in preparation for research, writing, 

preaching, or teaching in higher education.” 

SCU will begin accepting applications for 

enrollment into this program immediately 

as courses are set to begin in the upcoming 

fall semester. Classes will be offered on the 

Bethany and Tulsa campuses, at Emmanuel 

College in Franklin Springs, Georgia, and 

online. 

The Graduate School will continue to offer 

the Master of Ministry degree for those seeking 

a more practical education. The offering of the 

M.A.T.S. is the first visible step toward one day 

having a full-fledged seminary in which to train 

ministers in the IPHC. 

For more information, visit www.swcu.edu or 

call 888-418-9272. 


Welcome Home: 170 Mission: M25 bikes ride in the rally at the Charlotte celebration. 

Mission M:25 Reaches 

out to Veterans at 

RFTW 2012 

The annual ride provides opportunities 

for outreach and evangelism. 

Mission:M25 recently completed their annual 

cross-country motorcycle missions trip, Run for 

the Wall. This annual event memorializes those 

who never came home from our nation’s wars, and 

brings opportunities for healing spiritual wounds in 

veterans. This year’s team consists of 20 volunteers 

who serve the ride in various capacities. Some 

are chaplains, others assist with wrecks, and still 

others hand out water and sports drinks at stops 

along the way. All are equipped to pray with and 

minister to chaplains as opportunities arise. 

All the way: 20 volunteers from M:25 completed 

the cross-country motorcycle ride. 

“It takes a huge commitment 

for these men and women to 

ride across the nation but they 

are tenacious,” said Rev. Gary 

Burd, Mission:M25 director. In 

addition to providing volunteers 

and chaplains for the run, M25 

also hosts a church service on 

the Sunday morning of the ride. 

Burd said this year’s service, 

which took place in a Wal-Mart 

parking lot in Grand Prairie, 

Texas, was a “slam dunk.” 

The ride concluded Sunday, 

May 27, with the Rolling Thunder 

ride in Washington, D.C., where 

thousands of riders joined 

a procession to the Vietnam 

Veterans Memorial. 

Burd said while it’s great to 

see crowds cheering and waving 

as the riders roar through town, 

the group always remembers 

its primary mission: We Ride 

for Those Who Can’t. “It is an 

incredible honor to be allowed to 

fill that place,” he said.

SC Church Sees Rapid 

Growth, Prepares for 

Expansion 

Conway First PHC triples in size in 

one year. 

Pastor Jason Cook has seen the level of passion at his 

church reach an all-time high in the past few months. 

“We have a lot of hurting people who have come to us 

for refuge and now have standing room only right now,” 

the pastor of Conway First Pentecostal Holiness Church 

said. “God has really blessed us, and we need more room 

to worship.” 

Conway First PHC held a groundbreaking and 

anointing ceremony in April. The new $1.1 million 

church will be located on a 10-acre tract of land off Dunn 

Shortcut Road, and construction is set to begin in the 

next few weeks. 

The 11,610 square-foot church will feature a large 

sanctuary, four classrooms, a children’s worship area, 

and seating for nearly 300 people—with the possibility to 

grow as the congregation grows. 

The building is almost paid off, even before 

construction has begun. 

“We hope to move into our new church debt free,” 

Cook said. “We only have about $100,000 left to pay on 

our new facility, and we will be set.” 

Cook said the majority of the materials for the new 

church have been purchased at cost and many people 

A firm foundation: Conway First PHC members pray at the groundbreaking for 

their new building. 

from the church have volunteered their time and materials to help. 

In the future, Cook said church officials hope to build a fellowship hall, an 

outreach center, walking tracks, a softball arena and a campground. 

“We have an outreach program that feeds 300 to 400 people on the last 

Saturday of every month, and we want to be able to grow that program,” Cook 

said. “We also want to further other outreach programs and help people in the 

community.” 

This article was republished with permission from The Horry Independent 

newspaper. 

Missionaries Dedicate Turkey Church Plant 

The IPHC begins replanting the 7 churches of Asia Minor. 

IPHC missionaries witnessed a major financial miracle as they endeavored to plant a church in 

Laodicea, one of the seven churches mentioned in Revelation 2 and 3. According to missionary Bob Cave, 

an influx of donations enabled 

the church in Turkey to pay 

$180,000 cash for a new facility. 

The building will house a church, 

coffee house, training center, 

and apartment. “What happened 

was a miracle,” said Cave. 

Turkey is 99.8 percent 

Muslim, although most citizens 

are secular in practice. The 

Turkey church hopes to reach 

this population and raise up new 

leaders to expand the gospel in 

Asia Minor. 

Cave says the church is now 

raising funds for renovations 

and for their next big project in 

Antioch. “Antioch is not one of 

the seven churches, but there 

is a ripe opportunity as we now 

have a congregation of about 40 

persons gathering in a home,” 

he said. 

To donate or to become part 

of the 2013 Seven Churches Trip, 

email bobcavewmm@aol.com. 

Reaching Turkey: The 2012 Seven Churches missions team. 


Stepping down: Presiding Bishop Carpenter will resign in July. 

A Beloved Leader 

Steps Down 

I felt remaining in office were best. 

However, I am confident this is the 

right decision for the IPHC and the 

right decision for my family and me.” 

In his address to the Council 

of Bishops and Global Ministry 

Center employees, Presiding 

Bishop Carpenter made it clear that 

although he is resigning as general 

superintendent, he will continue his 

ministry through other avenues of 

service. 

Dr. Carpenter was converted and 

called into ministry at 16 years old. 

During 47 years of ministry, he has 

served the IPHC as pastor, conference 

secretary, assistant superintendent, 

conference superintendent, executive 

director of Evangelism USA, vice 

chairman, and presiding bishop. He 

has also served in various advisory 

capacities on several boards. 

“My greatest desire for the IPHC 

is that it will make a significant 

difference in lives and in history,” 

said Carpenter. “I want this church a 

hundred years from now to have left 

a legacy, tracks in the sand, impacted 

cities, changed communities, and 

Because of health concerns, Presiding 

Bishop Carpenter submitted his 

resignation effective July 19. 

by Mégan Alba 

On May 3, Presiding Bishop Ronald W. Carpenter, Sr., 

submitted his resignation as general superintendent of the 

International Pentecostal Holiness Church effective July 19, 

2012. In his 

resignation letter 

to the Council 

of Bishops, 

Presiding Bishop 

Carpenter cited 

side effects from 

chemotherapy for melanoma 

and uncertainty about future 

side effects as reasons for his 

resignation. 

Leadership in action: Bishop Carpenter prays 

with a youth leader at Accelerant 2012. 


He said, “I intended to 

finish this term, and I would if 

A legacy of leading: Bishop and Mrs. Carpenter with Bishop and 

Mrs. Leon Stewart, Bishop and Mrs. James Leggett, Mrs. Esther 

Underwood, and Mrs. Jean Williams. 

transformed the atmosphere of 

America. I want this denomination 

to be a 21st century church that is 

relevant, dynamic, and demonstrative.”

Installing a New Leader 

Dr. Doug Beacham becomes general superintendent in July. 

by Mégan Alba 

Under the bylaws of the 

IPHC, Dr. A.D. (Doug) 

Beacham, Jr., current vice 

chairman, will become 

general superintendent 

on July 19 and serve out 

the remainder of Bishop 

Carpenter’s term, which 

was scheduled to end in July 

2013. 

Per the current IPHC 

Manual, the proceedings will 

be as follows: 

Bishop Carpenter will 

submit his resignation to the 

Council of Bishops. The office 

of general superintendent will 

then be declared vacant. 

The office of general 

superintendent will be filled 

by the vice chairman of the 

executive committee, Dr. 

A.D. Beacham, Jr. 

A vacancy in the office of 

executive director of World 

Missions Ministries will be 

declared. The replacement 

will be elected by the Council 

of Bishops. 

The COB will also declare 

vacancies in the offices of vice 

chairman, corporate secretary, 

and corporate treasurer. Rev. 

Chris Thompson, executive 

director of Evangelism 

USA, will fill the position 

of vice chairman. Rev. 

Talmadge Gardner, executive 

director of Discipleship 

Ministries Division, will fill 

the position of corporate 

secretary. The newly elected 

executive director will 

become corporate treasurer. 

A public installation 

service will take place Friday, 

July 20, at 7 p.m. in Orlando, 

Florida, during the opening 

Dr. A.D. (Doug) Beacham, Jr. 

service of Youth Quest. Those 

who cannot attend may watch 

the service via Internet live 

stream. 

A Legacy of Leadership 

IPHC executives celebrate the leadership of Presiding Bishop Carpenter. 

For over thirty 

years Ron 

Carpenter and 

I have served 

the IPHC as 

colleagues and, 

more importantly, 

friends. He has 

always been a 

biblical Nathaniel 

to me, a man 

“in whom there is no guile.” Presiding 

Bishop Carpenter has always been a 

man of integrity, genuine compassion, 

global vision, and deep love for Christ 

and His church. 

In the past months he has demonstrated 

wise leadership, perhaps more than 

at any stage in his life. He and his 

dear wife, Nan, have modeled faithful 

Christian service, and I am confident that 

the Holy Spirit will use this next season 

of his life in ways that will bless them 

and their family, bless the IPHC family, 

and continue to bring glory to God. 

Bishop A.D. Beacham, Jr. 

Executive Director 

World Missions Ministries 

Vice Chairman, IPHC 

I have 

known 

Presiding 

Bishop 

Carpenter 

since I 

enrolled 

at Holmes 

Bible 

College 

in 1971. 

Through the years, he has been 

a mentor and friend. History 

will record that his ministry 

led to many significant church 

advances. Perhaps one of the 

greatest will be his direction 

of the IPHC into a church of 

ethnic diversity. His enthusiasm, 

encouraging words, and frequent 

hugs will be missed. 

Bishop D. Chris Thompson 


Evangelism USA 

Corporate Secretary 

I have always respected 

Ron, but never more 

so than now. Very few 

leaders know when to 

leave. His example is 

unprecedented and tells 

me how much he values 

this church. 

His leadership over 

the course of the past 

three years facilitated the most comprehensive 

restructuring of our church in this era. One of 

the leadership traits that I so much admired was 

his ability to release persons/gifts for service. 

As an executive, I never felt micromanaged! 

He let me do what I was elected to do—lead 

and serve. I always felt that Ron was the 

biggest cheerleader that this division and I had 

personally. His support was constant. 

As the youngest member of the executive 

committee, I am indebted to him for his 

mentorship, friendship, personal interest in 

and love for me. I am humbled to have had the 

privilege of serving under his command. 

Bishop J. Talmadge Gardner 


Discipleship Ministries Division 

Corporate Treasurer 


COVER STORY 


By Tavner Smith 

Insane 

Youth Ministry 

It’s time to stop playing the 

numbers game in youth 

ministry and focus on 

lasting life change instead. 

Youth ministry. Those 

two words can be 

overwhelming. However, 

I believe youth ministry 

is one of the greatest and most 

difficult callings God can give to 

someone. It is tiring, frustrating, 

and rewarding at the same time. 

There is nothing quite like serving 

this generation! 

I grew up in youth ministry. My 

mom was one of our youth group 

leaders, so as a kid, I went along on 

every trip and event. I cut my teeth 

in an old 15-passenger van on 

outings to Six Flags, youth camps, 

ski trips, and any other event 

teenagers might be interested 

in. When I turned 18, I started 

teaching classes and organizing 

activities. I guess you could say I 

was born for youth ministry. 

continued 


Am I Insane? 

I eventually took a job as a youth pastor 

at a medium-sized church in South Carolina. 

I did what I thought I was supposed to 

do, what I’d always done. I preached every 

Wednesday night, organized lock-ins and 

youth trips, and did everything else I was 

taught to do to reach the next generation. 

It worked. My youth group grew 

exponentially. People noticed. In the 

middle of this growth, I was 

called away from youth 

ministry to spend a year 

with a Christian band. 

After my year of 

travel, I decided to 

settle in Greenville, 

South Carolina. 

God opened the 

door for me to 

begin serving at 

Redemption World 

Outreach Center, 

and that journey has 

changed my life and 

ministry forever. 

When I came to 

Redemption, I tried the same 

strategies I’d used at my previous church. 

This time, they didn’t work. For years, our 

ministry team tried to think of different ways 

to dress up the system, but our efforts always 

ended in frustration. 

I was seeing 400 to 500 students each 

Wednesday night. Our services were 

growing substantially. We were having 

amazing services and regularly saw hundreds 

of students at the altar weeping and 

surrendering their lives to God. But those 

same students would be back at the altar the 

next week. Nothing had changed. They were 

unable to sustain their decisions. I was tired 

of seeing numbers without seeing true life 

change. 

I got my staff together and changed 

everything, from the style of worship and 

preaching to our follow-up efforts to retain 

students so they could continue to grow after 

they made a decision for Christ. Nothing 

worked, and I was utterly frustrated. I began 

seeking God, asking Him to show me what 

to do next. Finally, after a year, the Lord 

spoke. 

I was sitting at home one night and a 

scene from an old spoof movie began to 

play in my head. In the scene, there was a 

man who wanted to cross a bridge. At the 

entrance to the bridge stood a knight who 

would not let anyone cross. A fight ensued. 


(I assure you, although the description 

seems graphic, the movie is a comedy 

and is not graphic at all!) As the fight 

progressed, the traveler cut off the 

knight’s arms and legs. At the end of the 

scene, the traveler crossed the bridge and 

left the helpless knight behind yelling, 

“Come back here! I’m going to bite 

you!” 

At that moment, God spoke to me: 

This is a picture of my church. 

We’ve been guarding 

the bridge, trying to 

prevent the enemy 

from crossing 

over to get this 

generation. 

But the 

enemy has so 

dismembered 

and disunited 

us that we’re 

rolling around, 

making empty 

threats to Satan. 

He can clearly see we 

don’t have it together, 

and with no arms or legs, we 

can only mouth idle threats at him. 

Consequently, he has crossed the bridge 

and taken this generation. 

Albert Einstein defined insanity as 

doing the same thing over and over 

while expecting different results. Most of 

us are familiar with this definition, and 

we’d never intentionally act insane. For 

example, we would never hit 

our thumbs repeatedly 

with a hammer, 

hoping that the 

next time we’d 

feel no pain. We 

would never 

put our hand 

in a beehive 

repeatedly, 

hoping that 

eventually the 

bees would stop 

stinging. Yet we 

repeatedly practice 

“insanity” in youth 

ministry! We have 

gotten into a habit of doing 

the same thing repeatedly. How 

many times have we called a creative 

meeting to plan a different way of doing 

the same thing? And what do we get? 

That’s right—the same results. We go 

home at the end of every day, frustrated, 

angry, lost and sad … wondering why 

we cannot receive the breakthrough we 

seek with this generation. 

That’s where I was the night 

God spoke to me. I realized I’d been 

practicing insanity—doing the same 

activities over and over, and wondering 

why we weren’t seeing changed lives. 

That night, God gave me a two-fold 

vision to stop practicing “insane youth 

ministry,” win back this generation, and 

change this culture! 

Step One: Unite the 

Body of Christ 

For far too long, we have tried 

to build our churches and our youth 

groups and our names and our agendas. 

This has to stop now! 

Jesus is not tied to a denomination. 

He is not Pentecostal. He is not Baptist. 

He is not Methodist. He is the King of 

kings and the Lord of lords. He cannot 

be put in a box, governed by manmade 

rules, or confined to our temporal 

parameters. He is God. He is the Head, 

and he needs a body on which to 

place his head of authority in order to 

take back the world and establish His 

kingdom and His agenda. 

It is time for all Christians to come 

together as one body. Let us lay aside 

titles and denominational arguments 

and focus on Jesus Christ alone. He 

says in John 12:32 that if we lift Him 

up, He will draw all men unto 

Himself. He didn’t say if we 

lift our denomination, 

or our rules, or our 

youth groups, or 

our names up. 

He said if we 

lift Him up! 

Notice He 

does not say 

if we lift Him 

up, then we 

have to draw 

people to Him. 

The word says 

if we will simply 

lift Him up, He will 

draw those to Himself. 

Ministry is not about us. It 

is all about Him. It is not about the 

churches we serve, but about His work. 

After I received this word from the 

Lord, I began calling all the pastors 

in my area and sharing the vision of 

uniting the Body of Christ. I posted

videos to YouTube, hosted meetings, 

took pastors to lunch, and did whatever 

was necessary to spread the word about 

bringing the body of Christ together in 

our city. 

Our first “Unite” service began in 

September 2011. Now, just eight months 

into this effort, over 3,500 teenagers 

and 80 churches of all denominations 

are attending our monthly gatherings. 

“Unite” is making the news and people 

are talking about it. Even the mayor has 

taken notice, and he has put his support 

behind the idea because he sees that 

we are banding together to reach out 

and serve our community in the name 

of Jesus, not in the name of a church 

or denomination. God is moving in an 

incredible way in these services. 

Step Two: Grow 

Smaller 

My ministry training told 

me we are able to know 

if something is healthy 

by the fruit it bears. 

But for this to be 

true, we have to 

judge the right 

fruit. 

The problem 

with youth 

ministry is 

that we have 

been taught 

that numbers are 

evidence of a healthy 

ministry. Don’t get me 

wrong—I’m a numbers guy. 

The more young people you get 

together, the more souls 

can be saved and lives 

changed, and the 

greater the potential 

impact. However, 

I do not believe 

that growing 

large always 

indicates the 

health of a 

youth ministry. 

Numbers are 

not the fruit by 

which we should 

judge a ministry. 

Instead, we need to 

Numbers are not the 

fruit by which we 

should judge a ministry. 

Instead, we need to 

focus on changing lives 

and creating disciples. 

focus on changing lives and creating 

disciples. 

Although the “Unite” numbers are 

growing, I am working within my youth 

group to grow smaller. I have cancelled 

all weekly services with my youth group. 

Instead, we recruited and trained 

leaders to be pastors. We 

broke our large youth 

group down into 

small groups of 

10-12 students. 

Now, Wednesday 

nights are small 

group nights 

where students 

meet with 

their leaders 

to study God’s 

word and receive 

encouragement on 

a personal level. 

This is not a typical 

group study. The structure 

allows the same leader to be 

assigned to the same group 

of students from middle 

school until they 

graduate high school. 

Leaders attend 

school lunches, 

sporting events 

and birthday 

parties, and 

they use every 

route they can 

to be involved 

in these students’ 

lives. Our leaders 

are literally invading 

their students’ lives and 

allowing the students access 

to their own lives as well. 

Be the Change 

My ministry is no longer based on 

numbers, but on life change. It is driven 

by real-life relationships, and it’s about 

disciples creating disciples, who create 

more disciples. Christian music artist 

LeCrae coined a phrase that describes 

this perfectly: disciple cycles. 

Am I still a numbers guy? Yes, to an 

extent. This is only because the more 

people we bring in, the more people can 

hear the life-changing message of the 

gospel. You need to consider, though, 

that no one will remember the number 

of people you can gather into a building. 

You will forever be remembered for the 

impact those people make in the world 

and culture they live in. 

It’s time to stop the “Insane Youth 

Ministry.” Let’s band together and bring 

about more than a temporary change. 

Let’s create disciples who are multiplied, 

empowered, and sent out to make the 

name of Jesus famous in all the earth. 

Tavner Smith is executive student pastor 

at Redemption World Outreach Center 

and founder of The Movement Student 

Ministries in Greenville, S.C. His goal is 

to reach teenage students across the world 

with the salvation that Jesus offers and the 

message that they, too, were created with a 

specific purpose. Tavner lives in Greenville, 

S.C., with his wife, Danielle, and their three 

daughters. 


A Fresh Face 

in Urban 

Ministry 

Emmanuel College student 

Derrick Brown plans to take his 

passion—and his hip-hop music— 

to the streets. 

by J. lee Grady 

Derrick Brown is only 22, but he has a big dream to plant a 

vibrant church. 

Derrick Brown doesn’t look 

a day over 18, but don’t let his 

baby face fool you. The 22-yearold 

freshman at Emmanuel 

College has a mature faith and 

a passion for outreach that you 

don’t often find in someone 

twice his age. And he has big 

plans: After he is ordained in 

the IPHC by early next year, 

he hopes to plant a church in 

the urban core of Chattanooga, 

Tennessee. 

“There is just something 

about ‘being’ the church instead 

of ‘going’ to church that sparks 

a fire in my heart,” says Brown, 

who grew up near Emmanuel, 

in Dewy Rose, Ga. 

He currently fuels his outreach passion by volunteering on Friday 

nights at SafeHouse, a street ministry in Atlanta, and by writing and 

performing Christian music. His favorite genre is Christian hip-hop, 

and he’s been writing and recording his music for nine years. 

“I’ve had a love for hip-hop music since my B.C. (before Christ) 

days,” says Brown, whose musical gift helps him overcome racial 

barriers. “In 2008, I started using my gift as a way to bring God glory 

and preach the gospel to urban culture.” 

When sharing his testimony, Brown laughs as he refers to himself 

as a “drug baby”—because he was “drug” to church every Sunday 

by his loving parents. He heard many sermons about Jesus, but he 

refused to surrender to Christ’s lordship. As a teen he was addicted to 

pornography, and he struggled to find any purpose in his life. 

All that changed at a youth event in 2007, while Brown was 

listening to a preacher who told the audience there is “no middle 

ground” when it comes to serving God. 

“In that moment the Holy Spirit dealt with my heart,” Derrick 

told Experience. “I had been living a lie. I went to the front of the 

meeting, prayed and decided to follow Jesus. I left that building 

with a desire to not just know about Jesus, but to really know Him 

personally. And I’ve been striving to do so ever since.” 

The vision for the Chattanooga church was born at a McDonald’s 

restaurant while Brown and his friend, Josh Hall, began dreaming 

about their future. Hall asked a pointed question: “If we started a 

church, what would it be like?” Brown says the question changed his 

life. 

“Three hours later we had hired a full, imaginary staff and had a 

complete service schedule for our multiple campuses!” Derrick says. 

“What began as a hopeful idea birthed a dream that became alive in 

us.” 

The concept for The Gathering Place was born during that 

conversation. The more Brown and Hall talked about Chattanooga, 

the more they fell in love with the city. The more they discussed 


the church, the more they felt called to 

actually go there. 

The two men plan to start a church 

that collides with Chattanooga’s modern 

artistic culture and presents the gospel 

through outreach to the unchurched. They 

also intend to open a shelter for women 

who are abused or trapped in prostitution. 

For now, until the vision becomes 

reality, Brown knows he is in training. 

Besides taking a full class load at 

Emmanuel’s School of Christian 

Ministries, he serves as a campus chaplain, 

and he opens chapel services. He also reads 

books or listens to sermons by his favorite 

preachers: Matt Chandler, Perry Noble, 

Steven Furtick and Eric Pennington— 

pastor of Celebration Outreach Center, 

the PH church in Elberton, Ga., that 

Brown attends. 

He is also being personally mentored 

by Rick Womack, the executive assistant 

of the IPHC’s Georgia Conference. 

The two men meet weekly—at the 

local McDonald’s near the Emmanuel 

campus—to talk honestly about life 

struggles and to discuss questions about 

ministry. 

“Rick adds fuel to my fire,” Brown says. 

“More than that, he provides direction. 

This is the main thing I need in my life as 

a young leader: a spiritual father who loves 

me like a son.” 

Womack says it is a joy to invest in an 

emerging leader with so much potential. 

“Derrick has been zealous to seek mentors 

to speak into his life in critical areas,” he 

says. “And he takes seriously the command 

to make disciples by meeting with the guys 

“There’s just 

something about 

‘being’ the church 

instead of ‘going’ to 

church that sparks a 

fire in my heart.” 

–Derrick Brown 

he mentors. And he has challenged them 

to make disciples as well!” 

Brown puts a fresh face on our 

movement, and he reminds us that 

ministry is not about being religious, but 

about rolling up our sleeves and serving. 

“Church services are vital to church 

vision,” Brown says, “but if we have 

‘services’ but do no ‘service’ for anyone 

afterward, our faith has no life.” 

Julio 26-28 • Sunrise, Florida • Iglesia Cristiana Torre Fuerte 

C 

H N 

2012 

“Fluyendo en un Ministerio Relevante, Dinámico, y Demostrativo” 

Conferencia Hispana Nacional 

iphc.org/experience | April 2012 19

mexico 

Training leaders: Judith and missionary Roger Gorman meet with teachers 

at Emanuel Bible School in Monterrey, Mexico. 

Leaving a Legacy for 

Future Generations 

Missionary Judith Perez has dedicated her 

life to training pastors and lay leaders in 

Mexico. 

BY Mégan alba 

J 

udith Perez took an adventurous and unexpected route 

to her missions assignment in Monterrey, Mexico. 

In her early 20s, she imagined spending her life in 

ministry with her husband, a pastor in 

the Appalachian Conference, but soon 

after they married, he was diagnosed 

with cancer. Just 13 months after their 

wedding, the young bride became a widow. 

After her husband’s passing, Perez earned her 

education degree and took a job teaching at the same 

elementary school she had attended as a child. She 

lived with her elderly mother and her spinster sister. 

In her spare time, she worked with the Youth in 

Action group at her local church. 

In 1969, Perez was asked to chaperone a youth 

missions trip to Mexico. While there, she learned of 

the IPHC’s training center in Monterrey, Emanuel 

Bible School. “Everywhere we went in Mexico, people 

would say, ‘That pastor graduated from Emanuel 

Bible School,’” she recalls. “It impacted me so much to see the work 

these young people were doing all over Mexico.” 

She returned to the United States, but her heart remained in 

Mexico. By March of 1970, she knew she had to return to help 


By the time the 

teaching contracts 

went out, I knew 

I couldn’t sign it. 

God was asking 

another contract 

in my life. 

the little Bible school in Monterrey. “By the 

time the teaching contracts went out, I knew 

I couldn’t sign it. God was asking another 

contract in my life.” 

With no knowledge of the Spanish 

language and a hesitant blessing from her 

mother, Perez moved to Costa Rica and 

enrolled in language school. In 1972, her 

training and ordination were complete, and 

she became a missionary to Mexico, serving 

alongside veteran missionary Floradell 

Baldwin. 

Forty years later, Perez is still in 

Monterrey, training pastors and lay leaders at 

Emanuel Bible School. Although the school is 

small, it continues to provide the majority of 

the ministers in the East Mexico Conference. 

Perez serves as both a teacher and the 

secretary-treasurer. She maintains the school’s 

ledger, tracks students’ grades, and even does 

the grocery shopping when necessary. She is 

a true missionary in every sense of the word, 

adopting a whatever-it-takes attitude to 

disciple others and spread the gospel. “I still 

have the same job description the Lord gave 

me back then,” she says. “He hasn’t changed 

it yet. I’m still fulfilling what he sent me there 

to do.” 

Her mission may be the same, but the 

Lord is taking the school to new places— 

literally. Now in its 51st year, Emanuel Bible 

School has evolved into a multisite training 

program, with extension campuses in four 

locations across the East Mexico Conference. 

The new program allows the 

school to train leaders who were 

previously unable to leave their 

homes and jobs to come and 

study at the main campus in 

Monterrey. “Now, we’re not just 

reaching young people; we’re 

able to reach a population that 

has always wanted to know how 

to evangelize better, disciple 

better, use their giftings in the 

church better,” says Perez. “We’re 

not just producing pastors— 

we’re producing and equipping 

workers to lift up the harvest.” In 

the coming months, the school 

plans to open two more extension campuses. 

Perez has also found a second calling as a 

wife and mother. While looking for an artist 

to help design the school’s crest, she was

On a mission: Judith stands with a short-term missions group visiting Monterrey. 

introduced to local artist and publicist 

Ruben Perez. Several meetings later, 

the school had its crest, and Judith 

and Ruben had a new friendship. She 

soon learned Ruben’s first wife passed 

away from cancer, leaving behind three 

children. The two quickly realized 

there was “chemistry,” said Judith, but 

given their previous marriages and her 

missionary status, “we felt it was in our 

best interest to go straight to the altar 

instead of pursue courtship.” 

This July, they will celebrate their 

35th anniversary. Ruben also teaches 

at Emanuel Bible School, and he uses 

his skills as a publicist to help churches 

with fundraising and strategic 

planning. Together, they are a dynamic 

team that provides much-needed 

training and discipleship to ministers 

and leaders across the region. 

Looking back on her life, Judith 

says she never could have envisioned 

such an adventure. Much like He 

did with Job, God has restored what 

she lost many times over. Because 

of her obedience, she was blessed 

not only with a second husband, but 

Mission profile 

Judith Perez 

also with three children and four 

grandchildren—and with countless 

spiritual sons and daughters at the 

school. “It’s a story that only God 

could put together,” she says. 

It’s also a story that isn’t finished 

yet. Despite the ongoing danger of 

the Mexican drug wars, Perez says she 

has no plans to retire. She now sees a 

new ministry opportunity: serving the 

widows and orphans of those killed 

in the drug cartel war. Now that U.S. 

missions groups are unable to come to 

Monterrey, Judith says the church is 

stepping into a new role. “The churches 

are more united,” she says. “They are 

doing more children’s ministry. Pray 

they’ll reach the young children who 

are enlisting in the drug cartel activity.” 

As long as there is a need, Judith 

Perez will be leading, teaching, buying 

the groceries, and serving the people 

of Monterrey. “I’m willing to stay until 

the Lord says otherwise,” she says. 

To support Judith Perez, go to 

iphc.org/directory/judith-andruben-perez 

or give to support 

account #54031S. 

Ministry base: Monterrey, Mexico 

Years in missions: 40 

Favorite meal: Virginia Ham (U.S.) and Judith and Ruben Perez 

Tamales (Mexico) 

Cultural faux pas: “I once took a Tylenol 

and washed it down with some Coca-Cola. I later learned that the Mexican 

culture thought taking any pain pill with a Coke was the same as taking 

dope.” 

Learning the lingo: “The Spanish word for oatmeal is avena, and sand is 

arena. Sometimes I get my words mixed up and ask Ruben if he wants a bowl 

of sand for breakfast.” 

Greatest needs in Monterrey: Prayer, compassion, and power to witness 

iphc.org/experience | June/July 2012 21 

“And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who 

labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and 

admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love 

for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.” 

1 Thess. 5:12, 13 

October 7 

is 

Pastor 

Appreciation Day 

Download your FREE 

planning guide and other 

resources at www.iphc.org/ 

pastorappreciation. 

iphc.org/experience | April 2012 21

ook 

Annetta Lee uses 

fiction to share 

biblical truth 

Light Encounters by Annetta Lee 

Available ONLY on Kindle 

$3.99 

truth that draws the reader into an encounter with the 

Divine Author of Life. Her prayer is that while providing 

entertainment, her book will “ignite hunger—hunger for 

intimacy with God—hunger for the supernatural truths 

of mysteries He has planted for us.” 

Priced at just $3.99 on Kindle, Light Encounters is 

an entertaining and imaginative addition to the oftenoverlooked 

genre of Christian fiction. Readers will be 

engaged and enlightened as the main character finds 

her way to the cross. 

-by Mégan Alba 

Annetta Lee is well-known in 

the IPHC as the administrative 

assistant to Presiding Bishop 

Ronald W. Carpenter, Sr. But 

this prayer warrior and servant 

leader is also an accomplished 

author in the Christian fiction 

genre. 

Lee has been writing and 

publishing fiction for over a decade. “I write fiction 

because the stories crowd my head and want out,” 

she says. Her latest book, Light Encounters, features 

action, romance, intrigue, and deception, all while 

sharing important biblical truths. 

The book’s main character, Celia, flees to a small 

town in Oklahoma after her family is murdered. As 

she tries to evade the mob, federal agents, and the 

man accused of murdering her family, Celia comes 

face-to-face with the faith she left behind 16 years 

ago. 

Lee says while devotionals and self-help books are 

important, fiction has a valuable place in Christian 

literature. She says, “Everybody isn’t going to pick 

up a Bible or devotional. Many simply want to be 

entertained. If I can be entertaining and plant a seed 

of truth that only the Holy Spirit can increase, then I 

have done my small part.” 

She also sees her work as a ministry and a form of 

evangelism. “My stories appeal to people of all walks 

of life … most just wanting an escape,” she says. 

“They have a message based on biblical principles, 

and since we’re all called to be fishers of men, I deem 

them my ‘net.’” 

In the midst of intriguing characters, wild 

adventures, and (clean) romance, Lee weaves in 

To order from Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/LIGHT- 

ENCOUNTERS-ebook/dp/B005W3LAUY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UT 

F8&qid=1337708689&sr=8-2 


“It saddens us that Bishop 

Carpenter is resigning, but 

God has greater plans for 

him and his family. He is 

a tremendous man of God 

and a great example for all 

of us. May God continue to 

bless him in his recovery 

and bless his family.” 

–Vicky Potter 

IPHC National 

Senior Adults 

MINISTRIES 

CONVENTION 

Readers shared their thoughts 

on Bishop Carpenter’s 

resignation. 

I feel sad to hear this about our 

bishop. God is in control. Our 

prayers are with him and his 

family. 

Christopher Mutira 

Bishop Carpenter is a great man 

of God, and we lift him and his 

loved ones up in prayer. 

Anthony Holmes 

My respect for Bishop Carpenter 

is greater at this moment than it 

has ever been. I believe that this 

decision shows that this man is 

not thinking of himself but of the 

body of Christ and IPHC. 

Kevin Sneed 

Sad to lose Bishop [Carpenter], 

but I know God will still use this 

man in incredible ways! Praying 

for him and his family … trusting 

God to work in him! 

Heather Reynolds 

He has my prayers. He is a man I 

greatly admire, and the one who 

was responsible for me seeking 

licensing through the IPHC. 

Cara Chase 

Readers commented on Larissa 

Akerman’s work in South Sudan. 

Praise God for obedience to 

the Call, God’s anointing and 

blessing! Rejoicing for the 

salvation of souls! 

Jeannie McClung 

Great article! 

Matt Helland 

We asked readers what areas 

of the church need a makeover. 

Here’s what they had to say. 

We need to allow the Holy Ghost 

freedom to move. Don’t be afraid 

to speak in tongues, etc. 

Jeremy Fairres 

Discipleship focus first, rather 

than numbers. Many repeat 

prayers of salvation and few 

get rooted. Depth of apologetic 

teaching will build a stronger 

five-fold ministry and create a 

stronger Body of Christ. It takes 

more time and effort to build lifechanging 

relationships, but [it is] 

well worth the investment, and so 

rewarding! 

Lisa Price 

Join us! 

For registration information, 

schedule and other details, go 

to www.iphc.org/discipleship. 

October 22-26, 2012 

Williamsburg, Virginia 


ISSN: 1547-4984 

LifeSprings Resources 

2425 West Main Street 

P.O. Box 9 

Franklin Springs, Georgia 30639 

For streaming times and 

details of services and 

awards ceremonies, visit 

www.iphc.org 

speakers/musicians 

Allen Griffin Pat Schatzline Tim Ross Joel Stockstill Bellarive

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