This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 29th, 2007 at 8:29 am and is filed under Articles. This entry has been tagged AG-News, Alton Garrison, Charles Crabtree, Executive Leadership Team, General Council, George Wood, James Bridges, John Bueno, John Palmer, Thomas Trask, Zollie Smith Jr.. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
The following article was published in the August 28, 2007 AG-NEWS Issue #1438. It relates to and expands on the information that was contained in the blog post entitled “52nd General Council Updates.” It is important that we keep our A/G leadership in our prayers, for they have very important jobs in the A/G fellowship.
The following article can also be found online at the A/G web site.
Earlier this year, as the Assemblies of God prepared for the 52nd General Council in Indianapolis, the Fellowship was looking to elect a new assistant general superintendent as Charles Crabtree had made it known that his intent was to step down from that position.
However, what originally looked like a fairly normal General Council business slate, took on a new level of uncertainty when General Superintendent Thomas Trask announced his intent to step down as well.
Ultimately, the decisions of Trask and Crabtree resulted in four of the six offices of the Executive Leadership Team (formerly known as the Board of Administration) having new leadership elected.
General Secretary George O. Wood was elected as the new general superintendent, with John M. Palmer being elected to the position of general secretary.
U.S. Missions Executive Director L. Alton Garrison was elected as the new assistant general superintendent, with Black Fellowship President Zollie L. Smith Jr. being elected to fill Garrison’s vacated position.
The two leaders remaining in place are General Treasurer James K. Bridges and AG World Missions Executive Director L. John Bueno.
The transition of leadership will occur October 8. In order to get to know these leaders a bit better, brief biographies of all six of the members of the new Executive Leadership Team follow:
GEORGE O. WOOD
Dr. George O. Wood was elected chief executive officer of the Assemblies of God at the 52nd General Council in August 2007. As general superintendent of the Assemblies of God, USA, part of the largest Pentecostal denomination in the world, he is a member of the denomination’s Executive Leadership Team and Executive Presbytery. The church has over 12,200 congregations in the United States with some 2.8 million members and adherents.
Prior to his present position, Wood served the church as its general secretary for 14 years. He was assistant superintendent of the Southern California District from 1988-93. He pastored Newport-Mesa Christian Center in Costa Mesa, California, for 17 years. During his tenure, the church experienced significant growth, relocated and constructed new facilities, and gave $1 million to world missions in the last biennium of his pastorate.
The son of missionary parents to China and Tibet, Wood holds a doctoral degree in pastoral theology from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, and a juris doctorate from Western State University College of Law in Fullerton, California. He did his undergraduate work at Evangel University (College) in Springfield, Missouri, and served the college in several capacities, including that of director of spiritual life and student life from 1965-71. He was ordained by the Southern Missouri District in 1967.
Wood is author of a number of books including: “A Psalm In My Heart Vol. I & II,” “Living Fully,” “The Successful Life” and a college text on the Book of Acts. He also is an attorney and a member of the California State Bar.
Sermons by Dr. Wood may be heard at www.georgeowood.com.
L. ALTON GARRISON
L. Alton Garrison was elected assistant general superintendent of the Assemblies of God at the 52nd General Council of the church in August 2007. He is a member of the Fellowship’s Executive Leadership Team and Executive Presbytery.
As assistant general superintendent, he serves as the commissioner on discipleship and as executive director for the Division of Church Ministries, which includes all of the adult, youth and children ministries of the church.
Garrison served as executive director of U.S. Missions since 2005. He was superintendent of the Arkansas District from 2001 until his election to AG U.S. Missions in 2005. He pastored First Assembly of God in North Little Rock, Arkansas, for 15 years. Garrison led First Assembly in developing extensive lay ministry involvement and giving millions of dollars to missions. From 1966 to 1985, Garrison ministered as an evangelist.
Garrison is a graduate of Southwestern Assemblies of God University in Waxahachie, Texas. He is author of “Hope in America’s Crisis” and “Building a Winning Team.”
JOHN M. PALMER
John M. Palmer was elected general secretary of the Assemblies of God at the 52nd General Council in August 2007. Palmer is a member of the Executive Leadership Team and the Executive Presbytery. As general secretary, Palmer oversees the credentialing of ministers, church chartering and the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center.
Prior to his current post, Palmer served as Executive Presbyter of the North Central Region and as an AG World Missions representative for the Africa Oasis Project, raising funds to dig wells in East Africa and plant churches in those same communities. In 2006, he founded Come Alongside Ministries, to provide consultation to pastors of small churches. Palmer served as senior pastor of First Assembly of God, Des Moines, Iowa, from 1985-2006. He pioneered New Life Assembly of God, Athens, Ohio, from 1974-1985.
Palmer holds a Master of Arts in Pastoral Leadership from Assemblies of God Theological Seminary and is a 1974 graduate of Central Bible College.
Palmer is author of “Equipping for Ministry,” “Stories to keep you…Looking Up” and “Keeping Up With the Jonahs,” and has contributed to many others including: “The Decisive Leader,” “The Pentecostal Pastor” and “Power for Living.” He has also written numerous articles for “Today’s Pentecostal Evangel.”
JAMES K. BRIDGES
James K. Bridges was elected general treasurer of the Assemblies of God at the 45th General Council of the church in August 1993. He is a member of the Executive Leadership Team and Executive Presbytery.
As general treasurer, Bridges oversees the Division of the Treasury, which includes departments of Finance, Internal Audit, Accounting and Information Services. This division is responsible for handling all finances sent to Headquarters for the world ministries of the church. Bridges also oversees Convention Services and the IT (Information Technology) department, and is chairman of the boards of directors for the Assemblies of God Family Services Group, Maranatha Village and the AGFSG Investment Committee.
He has served the church in a variety of capacities since 1952, when he began his ministry in the South Texas District. A graduate of Southwestern Assemblies of God University (College) in Waxahachie, Texas, Bridges has served pastorates in Houston, Dallas, Greenville and Waxahachie, Texas, as well as Wichita, Kansas.
He served in district leadership in the North Texas District, including sectional presbyter, executive presbyter, general
presbyter, assistant district superintendent and superintendent of the district from 1981 until his election to the office of General Treasurer.
From 1968-71, Bridges was vice president of Academic Affairs at Southwestern Assemblies of God University and has also served as chairman of the university’s board of regents from 1985-1993. SAGU conferred the honorary doctor’s degree upon him in 1991. He has been a member of the church’s General Presbytery more than 25 years and served on the national Board of Christian Higher Education for 18 years.
L. JOHN BUENO
John Bueno was elected to the post of executive director of Assemblies of God World Missions at the 47th General Council in 1997. He is a member of the Executive Leadership Team and Executive Presbytery.
As AG World Missions executive director, Bueno serves a family of over 2,600 missionaries and missionary associates in 212 countries. Prior to his election, he served eight years as field director for Latin America and the Caribbean region.
Born in Modesto, California, Bueno later attended Bethany Bible College in Scotts Valley, California, receiving a degree in
exegetical theology and an honorary doctorate in law. He also received honorary doctorates from the Evangelical University of El Salvador and the Christian University of El Salvador.
A dynamic speaker and veteran missionary, Bueno served for 25 years in El Salvador where he pastored the Evangelistic Center in San Salvador. Under his leadership, the church became the largest evangelical church in Central America. He also began a small school for the children who attended the church. This program grew until 1978, when Bueno founded Latin America ChildCare. This is a ministry that provides schooling, clothing, meals and medical care for
thousands of needy children in Latin America.
Bueno also has served as chairman of the missionary field fellowship, area representative of Central America, and as
sub-director of the Executive Council of the Assemblies of God in Central America, the Caribbean and northern countries of South America.
ZOLLIE L. SMITH JR.
Zollie L. Smith Jr. was elected to the position of executive director of Assemblies of God U.S. Missions at the 52nd General Council in August 2007. As AGUSM executive director, Smith coordinates the ministries of six departments: Church Planting; Chaplaincy Ministries; Teen Challenge International, USA; Chi Alpha Campus Ministries; Intercultural Ministries; and U.S. Mission America Placement Service (MAPS). Currently, there are more than 1,000 missionaries and more than 400 chaplains under AGUSM, with 5,000 other related field personnel.
Prior to his present position, Smith served as the Executive Presbyter representing the Ethnic Fellowships and as president of the National Black Fellowship from 1998-2007. He served the New Jersey District of the Assemblies of God as assistant superintendent (1998-2005) and then as executive secretary (2005-07). From 1990 to 2005, Smith served as pastor of Eternal Life Christian Center of the Assemblies of God, Somerset, New Jersey. During his pastorate, the
church grew to over 300 members and completed a $2.7 million educational enrichment center, which continues to train believers and ministers. Prior to Eternal Life Christian Center, Smith pioneered a church in his home that later became Plainfield Assembly of God, a New Jersey district affiliate.
Ordained with the Assemblies of God in 1986, Smith holds a masters degree in business management with emphasis on non-profit organizations from Regent University; a bachelors degree in criminology and criminal justice from Florida State University; and a diploma in ministerial studies from Berean Bible College.
Smith has spent his lifetime in service as a former police officer/detective; U.S. Postal Inspector; and Airborne Infantryman in the Vietnam War where he was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star.
Smith has been instrumental in gathering support from AG churches and encouraging them to become a “Rainbow Witness” for Christ in the planting of inner city churches.