Last gathering before move to the St. Louis
Special to the Tri-State Defender
Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake and members of the Church Of God In Christ, Inc. (COGIC) are arriving in Memphis to worship and celebrate the 102nd Annual Holy Convocation Nov. 2-10.
More than 70,000 members are expected to convene in the city from around the world for the annual convention of the denomination.
“Our Holy Convocation is a time for members of our denomination to reflect on the past year and become energized about the future,” said Blake.
“We look forward to this year’s Convocation as we prepare to continue to extend our mission of bringing new believers into God’s kingdom. The theme for the convention is ‘All Things, All People, All Godly Strategies!’”
The102nd Convocation will open with a time of fasting and prayer on Monday, Nov. 2 beginning at 9 a.m. at Mason Temple. Major highlights of the Convocation include: the G.E. Patterson Morning Manna, the World Missions Emphasis, Women’s Observance Day, Men’s Conference, the Presiding Bishop’s Forum, Christmas in November, the COGIC Charities Banquet and the Official Convocation Day Service.
COGIC is the fourth-largest Protestant religious denomination in the United States with an estimated 6.5 million-plus members. Its headquarters are located at Mason Temple, the site of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s last speech.
This year’s Convocation is the last in Memphis before the COGIC “Saints” relocate their convention to St. Louis. The Convocation – Memphis’s No. 1 convention money-maker – has been held in Memphis for over 100 years. Last year the city reaped more than $35 million for the event.
The lure of St. Louis included the ability to offer enough convention space to host varied COGIC activities in one place as opposed to multiple venues, discounted hotel rates and the proximity of hotels to the convention facilities.
