-1989-

  

On the 14th of May 1989, the Pentecostal Church of Christ at Cleveland, Ohio elected J. Delano Ellis, II, a minister of the Church of God in Christ, to serve as pastor. That alone was history-making in that a traditional Apostolic Assembly would elect a man from a non-Apostolic denomination. Having served the Church of God in Christ for more than twenty-eight years Bishop Ellis came to Pentecostal Church of Christ with a well-known portfolio as a Churchman.

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-1990-

In August 1990, Bishop Ellis called for the First Pentecostal Convocation of (what was then known as) “The Pentecostal Churches of Christ” to meet at Cleveland, Ohio. Seven congregations answered the call and these planned for an annual gathering of saints in Cleveland for the month of August.

Later in the year, a group of men and women, led by Elder John Lee Hilton, made a visit to the residence of Bishop Ellis to ask that he form them into a deliberate Body of Believers with “credential issuing authority.” Bishop agreed to meet with them again in the near future but Elder Hilton insisted that their group be taken into the “Pentecostal Convocations” as Fellowship Members. On the following Sunday Bishop Ellis agreed and listed those pastors and their congregations as members of the Pentecostal Fellowship. These were the seedlings of what became “The United Pentecostal Churches of Christ.”

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-1992-
On May 29, 1992 this same group, along with several others, who heard that there would be a meeting in Cleveland, Ohio, met at Midnight at the Pentecostal Church of Christ for prayer. Some
twenty-five pastors came to the prayer meeting and therein expressed their desire to be united whit this “New Reformation” whose theme was “FRESH FIRE….”

Because of Bishop Ellis’ deep and abiding passion for souls and a sincere desire to see the historical nature of the Church restored with a strong emphasis on holiness of life and witness, he was thrust into the ranks of the Apostolic Fathers who served their own generations. The wonderful and strange thing about that midnight gathering was that there were, exactly, One-hundred and Twenty people in that prayer meeting. Great were the signs and wonders in that session and from that time of prayer, Bishop Ellis received the mission for this “Zion”: “Declare the Name of Jesus; Restore the Historical nature of the pilgrim Church; Lead the Church back to unrestrained praise; and, Loose the women who have a call of Christ.”

On August 22, 1992, the First Pentecostal General Assembly convened in Cleveland a (what was to be called) The Mother Church, Pentecostal Church of Christ. During that convocation, Bishop Ellis was proclaimed the First General Overseer and President for the Reformation, with the title “Presiding Bishop.”

The Presiding Bishop’s first sermon to the newly organized body in that Third Pentecostal Convocation is outlined herein for posterity.

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Sunday, August 23, 1992, A.D.

Exodus 12:16, Leviticus 23:2, and Numbers 28:18
Subject: “HOLY CONVOCATION – GOD’S SUMMIT WITH MAN”

Through the centuries, God has called man to meet whit Him so that He might usher us into the age of reason supervised by His own divine providence. He sends the invitation “COME NOW AND LET US REASON TOGETHER…” and the method of conduct is sent through the Apostle (Paul) in Hebrews 4:16

“LET IS THEREFORE COME BOLDLY….”

Please notice, never as we licensed to come arrogantly or suspiciously, buy boldly. We approach God with the assurance of children approaching a father.

Since the Eden experience, man has sought to hide himself from his Creator. Even from day one in the life of Adam God frequently visited man to chat with him and to establish a fellowship with him. Man sinned and severed the following yet God seeks to establish sincere fellowship and kinsmanship with all that will respond to His invitation.

In order that God might continue His active influence in the affairs of man, He made choice of a small band of people and gave them a system with Him by organizing Holy Convocations. You will remember that the old Jewish Calendar is guided by the moon, as opposed to our calendar (Greco-Roman) which is guided by the sun. The lunar calendar of ancient Israel had New Year Celebrations within the twelve month period. The first was religious – Nisan (April) through Elul (September), while the latter half was civil – Tishri (October) through Ada (March). (See Notes on Leviticus 23)

See now, how God continues to arrange summits with man. Throughout the existence of mankind, God offers Himself for fellowship, but in Isaiah’s account, His offer for fellowship is mingled with the promise of sanctification and pardon. Know this; no person can ever come into contact with God without experiencing real change. That change may come in the form of delay, procrastination, or selfish unwillingness to surrender; “as the rich young ruler .” the King Agrippa who said “almost…,” or the Governor Felix who said “as a more convenient time…,” or even a Pharaoh who told Moses, repeatedly, “tomorrow!”

The change, however, is always designed to bring wholeness, fullness of joy and justification. God’s offer to meet Him is always coupled with the assurance of healing unity for the whole body. Disjointed members of the body serve no purpose. And remember; there is only one element of the body authorized to travel… the blood. Everyone and everything else is changed with the responsibility of functioning in his or her place.

Call to mind the experience of Ezekiel. The bones were useless until there was a “convocation,” (a coming together for a holy convocation. There are principle and varying differences between a convention and a convocation.

 

A CONVENTION:

1. 
   1. Is called by man or men for the purpose of implementing idea for promotion.

2. 
   2. Those who attend are elected or selected by men as delegates to do the business of their

3. 
   constituencies.

4. 
   3. Only that business which is on the (man-made) agenda may come before the conveners.

5. 
   4. There are exclusives in a convention which may exclude a good number of the attendees

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   such as; Executive Meetings, committee caucuses, special banquets with tickets for those

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   who paid the fee, and fringe benefits for the elite.

8. 
   5. If you act up you can be thrown out of the convention by the Sergeant-at-Arms.

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   6. Often you will leave the convention without having accomplished anything worthy of the

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    conclave.

11. 
    7. You are certain to leave every convention angry, broke, frustrated, and promising yourself

12. never to comeback again.

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    But if you want to have a summit with God, you’ll have to make your way to the God-called meeting of the saints, the Holy Convocation! Let’s study.

THE CONVOCATION:

We press our way here today because we knew that there would be a marked difference between the convention and the convocation. We came here today because we heard God’s call, in Psalms 50:5; “GATHER MY SAINTS UNTO ME, THOSE THAT HAVE A MADE A COVENANT WITH ME BY SACRIFICE.”

We knew that we didn’t have to wait to be called on by the Chairman. We heard that we would be free to express ourselves, for our letter of notice said; “LET THE REDEEMED TO THE LORD, SAY SO….”

The notice also assured us that loud speaking was in order in the convocation because the Davidic portion of our invitation told how loud we could be: “MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE UNTO THE LORD ALL YE LANDS.”

We also heard that there were no ‘shu-outs’ at the convocation. Everyone who is a part of the Body of Christ is included. There is no need to elect or select a few and call them delegates, because my invitation read: “WHOSOEVER WILL LET HIM COME.”

There is no need for purchasing extra tickets to extra affairs because everything is in the ticket purchased by the Blood of Jesus:

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There is Food and Drink - “HO EVERYONE THAT THIRSTETH, COME TO THE WATERS, AND HE THAT HATH NO MONEY, COME, BUY AND EAT; YEA, COME AND BUT WINE AND MILK WITHOUT MONEY AND WITHOUT PRICE.” There is Good and Safe Passage - “AND AN HIGHWAY SHALL BE THERE, AND A WAY, AND IT SHALL BE CALLED THE WAY OF HOLINESS. NO UNCLEAN THING SHALL PASS
OVER IT….”

There is Healing at the Convocation - “BLESS THE LORD OH MY SOUL…WHO HEALETH ALL THY DISEASES..”

There is Concern for your Broken Heart - “CAST ALL YOUR CARES UPON HIM FOR HE CARETH FOR YOU!”

There will be Dancing - “PRAISE HIM IN DANCE….”

After you’ve left the convocation, you can never run the risk of anyone taking credit for its success. There can be no backscratching or “buddy-hooding” because it was “NOT BY MIGHT, NOR BY POWER, BUT BY MY SPIRIT SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS.”

Let me, like the pilgrim saints of old, get to the convocation. I know I’ll find “REFRESHING FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD….”

We’re here because God said; “COME.” Saints are here and those with whom I share my inheritance, are here. I feel like David – going to the House of God, saying; “I WAS GLAD…!”

If we never meet here again, or at any other conclave here on the earth, let’s get together in that Holy Convocation in the Air. The address of that convocation is CITY SQUARE, AT THE CORNER OF “LAMB BOULEVARD” AND “REDEEMED HIGHWAY” IN THE NEW JERUSALEM, WHICH SHALL “COME DOWN FROM GOD OUT OF HEAVEN….”

I’ll see you there saints. If I don’t see you here again, I’ll be there. Look for me…I’ll be the one in a white robe, with a great big smile. I’ll be the one shouting and dancing around the Throne. I’ll be the one trying to out-shout everybody there because of what He’s done for me. Meet me there Holy Convocation in the Air!

WRITTEN, JULY 1969 BY BISHOP J. DELANO ELLIS, II
PREACHED AT THE HALLMARK CONVOCATION OF
THE UNITED PENTECOSTAL CHURCHES OF CHRIST

AUGUST 23, 1992
In the absence of a formal Constitution and by-laws, the Assembly gave Bishop Ellis the power to organize the Reformation until such time as a Constitutional Convention could be formed and convened and a Form of Government could be adopted.

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Provinces were established and the General Overseer appointed the first Overseers for the Episcopal Provinces with the announced intention to publicly “Consecrate” each of them to the “Bishopric” in the Fourth Holy Convocation. They were: Bishops (designate) James Ronald Chambers of Brooklyn, New York, assigned to the Northeastern Province; John Lee Hilton, I of Akron, Ohio, appointed to the Midwestern Province; Howard Benjamin Hogan of Chicago, Illinois, appointed to the Western Province; Carl Halloway Montgomery, II of Baltimore, Maryland who was appointed to the Atlantic-Southern Provinces; and, Lester Paul Bell, II of Chicago, Illinois who was granted the rank of Auxiliary Bishop and assigned to preside over the National College of Preachers and Board of Credentials. Elder Lester Eugene Hilliard of Cleveland, Ohio was granted the Rank of National Overseer as Special Missioner for the Office of the General Overseer. In the interim, in January 1993, the General Overseer appointed Harold Lloyd Joseph of Brooklyn, New York and assigned him to the Caribbean Province and scheduled him for consecration in the 1993 Convocation. With this list completed, the first six bishops of the “United Pentecostal Churches of Christ” were appointed and the Church continued its organizational work.

Among the first appointed General Officers of the Reformation was Mother Geneva Bruce-Montgomery of Baltimore, Maryland. Mother Montgomery was appointed the first General Mother of this Church, and although she never had opportunity to actively serve before being promoted to Glory, her life and ministry gave purpose to us who knew and loved her.
 

None knew or loved Mother better than her son, Bishop Carl Halloway Montgomery, II, who was also appointed to serve as the first Secretary-General of this Church. Upon the Homegoing of the General Mother, the General Overseer appointed Mother Montgomery’s Assistant, Mother Lenora Thornton of Cleveland, Ohio as the new General Mother of the Church.

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Other appointments were as follows:
Elder W. Michelle James-Williams,
ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL
 

Elder Benjamin Terwood Douglass,
GENERAL TREASURER
 

Overseer Emma L. Creamer, of Wilmington, Deleware,
PRESIDENT OF WOMEN’S MINISTRIES
 

Elder and Sister Eric Daniel Garnes,
PENTECOSTAL YOUTH CONGRESS PRESIDENTS

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-1993-
The Official Organ of the Reformation was created and called “The Pentecostal Flame” which was approved by the College of Bishops. In May 1993 the college of Bishops at Brooklyn, New York adopted the first formal draft of the Constitution of the Church. From those humble beginnings the Church has begun to grow and proliferate across America and the known world.

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-2004-

The United Pentecostal Churches of Christ received new leadership on June 8, 2004 when the founding Presiding Bishop, J. Delano Ellis, II of Cleveland, Ohio, stepped down and nominated one to succeed him in that office. Bishop Ellis presented BISHOP LARRY DARNELL TROTTER of Chicago, Illinois to the College of Bishops of the Church and the College unanimously elected him to serve the constitutional seven year term as Presiding Bishop and General Overseer for this Church. Bishop Trotter’s presentation of the message of Christ caused him to be one of America’s foremost preachers and Pentecostal Leaders and ‘United’ felt blessed to have him as our Second in Succession in the Apostolic Chair.

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-2006-
Then in January 2006 there came a disconnect between the original United Pentecostal Saints and the newly designated “United Covenant Churches of Christ.” The name of the original Reformation was changed without benefit of General Assembly adoption and the basic tenets of ‘Pentecost’ were rearranged to “give the Church a ‘less-offensive’ face to those who might want to connect with us.”

Our Senior Bishop and Founder seceded from the Reformation, along with the Mother Church and several other bishops and pastors who desired to remain ‘Anglican-Pentecostal’ and re-formed using the original name of the Reformation; “THE PENTECOSTAL CHURCHES OF CHRIST.” An election was held and Bishop Ellis was asked to lead our “Zion” once again.
 

There is energy in the air, which says; “the Lord cometh…” and PCC is about the business of preparing people to see the Lord of Glory. The traditional barriers of yesteryear must not keep saints of like-faith apart, ever again and this Fellowship of Holy, Apostolic, Pentecostal, Independent, Anglican Churches have discovered the Truth of our Lord’s prayer in the seventeenth chapter of Saint John: “…that they might all be one…”

Indeed, the Wind of God is blowing Fresh Fire across the world and Cushite men now ‘arise out of
Egypt’ to sit among the princes of this land.

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-2020-

On September 19, 2020, was the Transition and Promotion to Glory of our beloved and sainted Father-in-God, the Establishmentarian and Presiding Bishop of the Pentecostal Churches of Christ.

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In accordance with our Canons, the Pentecostal Churches of Christ were called to thirty days of Official Mourning for Archbishop Ellis. To fill the vacancy created by Archbishop Ellis’s transition and according to the Canons and Constitution of the Pentecostal Churches of Christ, Holy Conclave was called by the Secretary-General, Bishop Benjamin Terwood Douglass for Friday, October 30, 2020, A.D., at the National Cathedral in Cleveland, Ohio. The Bishops and Overseers gathered for a Historic Holy Assembly in our Church for a time of fasting, prayer, consecration, and Scriptural admonitions. On the first ballot, Bishop, Darry Dion Woodson was elected by the Bishop-Electors to serve as Presiding Bishop (Primate) and General Overseer for our Great Church and Second in Succession.