Wednesday, February 20, 2013

PRESIDENT BERNARD C. YATES CAST VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF NATIONAL PRIMITIVE BAPTIST CHURCH

Yesterday Tuesday February 19, 2013 at the Board of Director meeting for the National Primitive Baptist Convention held in Huntsville Alabama at the Embassy Suites Hotel on Monroe Avenue the thirteenth president of this convention, Elder Doctor Bernard Yates, stood before the Board to cast his vision and share the projected measure of the initiatives that he  declared at the convention last August in Dearborn Michigan.

President Yates stated that the formation of the National Moderators Council would be constitutionally organized to maintain the continuity of this group beyond his presidency. He called the moderators, these men who are the administrative heads of groups of churches that are connected by geographic boundaries who continue fellowship among their respective areas, national resources.

President Yates cast a creative initiative which is the live recording of our National Choir. The President had first announced that this recording would take place in Los Angeles during the general convention in August 2013 but the date of this monumental event will now occur in February 2014 during the Board of Director meeting. I believe that with the right spiritual focus the release of this project will release a great move of God in this country. As the choir assemble as consecrated vessels recognizing their assignment as worship warriors of God and not entertainers the music created for this CD will dismantle demonic forces every place that this CD is played. Music that ministers under the anointing of God and does not descend to the level of entertainment contains spiritual power that wreaks havoc on the forces of hell.

President Yates continued his vision casting by stating the reality of conducting a feasibility study to seek a change of the general convention from the third week in August to  a more suitable date that would amiable to our youth that are in school and their parents and many of the members of the convention who are educators. President Yates vision is focused on the increase of this convention's reach and on the young people of our church and his zeal will reach its fruition when this convention is fuller with young people supplying energy to our national gathering with their presence.

President Yates shared his desire for the convention to began engaging in supporting the vision and ministry of the convention through online giving. This new initiative will shortly be available at the convention's website where members can go and make many contributions throughout the year.

A new spirit is blowing hope, cooperation and excitement through this body. Although President Yates was elected by the people by a slim majority of votes cast in August 2011in Greensboro N.C. surely the Lord has set him in this office for this time.

Bernard Yates is the thirteenth president and in Genesis chapter seventeen Adonai appeared to Abram in the thirteenth year after Abram slept with Hagar and produced Ishmael, to confirm the covenant between Himself and Abram. Thirteen is the number of new beginnings.  In the thirteenth year Adonai said to Abraham if you walk before me and be blameless I will make My Covenant with you and I will multiply you exceedingly. Abram then fell on his face before God an God changed his name demonstrating the new place that Abram had entered.

I prophesy by faith that Bernard Yates has the mantle of Abraham on him. He walks before God as a servant and he walks before this convention as a father. As he walks before God and man God will multiply him before us and multiply us as we walk with President Yates and receive the anointing that is on him. The challenge is great before him for as Abraham was required to be circumcised and then circumcise every male in his house so God requires that this convention be circumcised in its heart cutting away everything that is flesh. For in times past this Primitive Baptist church has produced many Ishmael's, sons born of the flesh; churches born of the flesh, ministries born of the flesh. But now in this thirteenth administration the Spirit says walk before me and deny your flesh so that I can birth Isaac in you for I have rejected Ishmael. For Isaac to come forth in the National Primitive Baptist convention we must die to our old self of selfish interests, the formation of cliques and the fashion show that many of the woman of God adorn themselves in that causes offense and separation. We must die to our traditions of denominationalism, sexism, and classism. We must die to regional loyalties and embrace a kingdom loyalty.

We are in a God movement in this church. God has raised up Pastor Bernard Yates, a shepherd with a apostolic and prophetic voice to shift the movement of this convention. With a burden in my heart I cry out as a Voice in the wilderness to the Primitive Baptist Church don't miss God because we were not willing to die. If we will not die to the flesh we will die in the wilderness never having seen our Isaac.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

NATIONAL PRIMITIVE BAPTIST CONVENTION GATHER IN HUNTSVILLE ALABAMA

The atmosphere was charged with the energy of the Holy Spirit as He filled the place with His skekinah glory. The praise offered by the 130 voice choir of the North Alabama District ascended to the throne room of God and descended on the congregation of hundreds who gathered on Monday February 18, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. at the Saint Bartley Primitive Baptist Church on 3020 Belafonte Avenue in Huntsville Alabama.

Whenever this convention comes to Huntsville it is a coming to our birthplace. It is reestablishing a connection with our beginning. It was in this honored city that the founders of this convention gathered in July 1907 to form this eccclesiatical body of God's people for the benefit of mutual fellowship and shared goals that would unify the Colored Primitive Baptist of the United States. And the church that hosted the formation of that convention was the Saint Bartley Church. So here we are again, returning to the city from whence God did a great work in this country one hundred and six years ago.

This February gathering is the meeting of the Board of Directors who will finalize the unfinished work of the general convention that met in August 2012 in Dearborn Michigan. It is also the 35th session of the F.L. Livingston Institute which is a training conference dedicated to the theological and spiritual growth of the church.

The institiute preacher for this session is the indomitable Rev H. B. Charles the pastor of the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church. Pastor Charles is well known in this country for his pedagogical approach to exegete the Biblical text that he proclaims with such energy and force. Last night was no exception. Pastor Charles demonstrated a powerful presentation of the centrality of Jesus Christ in the midst of the church as he declared the gospel from Colossians 1:28-29. Building a strong defense of the measure of maturity being determined by the church's faithfulness to preach Christ alone Pastor Charles called the Primitive Baptist Church to stand faithful to Him who is the substance of our salvation as well as the source of our salvation. Move toward maturity, Pastor Charles declared, as Jesus will help us to run this race with endurance.

The institute continues today at the Embassy Suites Hotel where Elder Doctor James Chester will engage our intellectual and spiritual minds as He lectures us this morning. Elder Chester is the pastor of the Orthodox Zion Primitive Baptist Church in West Palm Beach Florida.

Pray for the strength, unity and vision of this convention. We will be meeting in Los Angeles California August 17-23, 2013.