Allegheny West Conference Camp Meeting Emphasizes ‘Getting Ready’ for God

Story by Keisha Bone

Allegheny West Conference (AWC) recently held its first in-person camp meeting in four years. The five-day meeting, located in Columbus, Ohio, at both the Beacon of Hope church and the First Church of God—one of the most spacious edifices in the Columbus area—was themed, “Get Ready, Get Ready, Get Ready,” which was echoed from the opening night with David Taylor, a professor emeritus from the School of Religion at Loma Linda University (Calif.).

On Thursday evening, Daniel Golovenko, associate pastor of the Ethan Temple church in Dayton, Ohio, preached a thought-provoking message on repentance. On Friday evening, Alisa Hood, the First Lady of the Southeast church in Cleveland, Ohio, presented a unique perspective on “How to Get Ready.”

Finally, on Sabbath, Henry Wright, retired pastor who served many churches during his 53-year ministry, presented a soul-rousing sermon. At the end of the service, more than 14 young adults responded to the appeal to accept Christ, and as a result, they are now preparing for baptism.

The youth and young adult speakers included youth Malaysha Dillinger and Gully Belizaire, members from the Central church in Columbus, Ohio, and Pace Fordham, associate pastor of the Shiloh church in Cincinnati, Ohio.

At the camp meeting, AWC’s administrators President Marvin C. Brown, III, Executive Vice President Joel Johnson, and Chief Financial Officer Keisha Bone spoke about the work that has been accomplished within the conference’s territory: church expansion, education expansion, and the financial growth of the church. One huge plan that was unanimously received by the congregation in an outburst of applause was the plan for the refurbishing and redevelopment of Camp Adena in Summitville, Ohio, a multi-million-dollar project.