The Rev. E. Thomas Trask, General Superintendent of the General Council of the Assemblies of God, has announced his resignation. I will prepare a report with more details soon. Really. I will.
Note: As promised, my long rambling cogitation is now available here.
[tags]trask, tom-trask, thomas-trask, thomas-e-trask, general-superintendent, general-superintendant, general-council, general-council-of-the-assemblies-of-god, assembly-of-god, assemblies-of-god, rev-trask, reverend-trask, resignation, blogrodent, religion, christianity, pentecostal[/tags]
No link? No more info? Are you just trying to scoop the media?
Ok, I just read the letter on the site. Is it true that he is stepping down to become a guest blogger on blogrodent?
Rich, I’m afraid your title may be leaving the wrong impression. Retiring 60 days after election is normal, and one month notice before Council is to minimize “politicking,” I’m sure. I seriously doubt that there is anything wrong or amiss.
Brother Trask, I’m sure, wants the election to be as Spirit-guided as possible. My admiration for him just went up another notch.
I loved it when Brother Trask kissed me at WAshington DC. I will miss his leadership and strong Pentecostal Voice to our fellowship.
Rich: “Really. I will.”? LOL
Taking to heart some of Carl’s recent tongue-in-cheek comments about your follow through?
Rich, may God bless you as you walk in His love today.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=50&chapter=15&version=31
check out the recent photos of this blogger that is just picking up the art…
http://heretogoal.blogspot.com/
I was heartbroken to hear of Bro. Trask’s resignation as our General Suprentendent. Bro. Trask has always been a wonderful example of integrity and Pentecostal passion for this great fellowship and will be greatly missed.
I thank God for the leadership he has given this fellowship and my prayer is that the Trask’s continue to enjoy the rich blessings of the Lord on their lives and ministry. I wish them happiness, health, and Heaven.
Let us be praying for the Lord’s direction in the decissions we are facing in our elections at General Council. May God speak to our hearts as we fast and pray and seek His will.
A little birdie told me George P. Wood will probably replace Trask, birdies are not always reliable though.
Love the “Rich’s Status” on the side. I’m waiting for “Rich had bad eggrolls for lunch.”
Prayin you gettin the Willow Creek spot Rich, its prime.
Rich, where’s the update? I’ve been waiting to comment. This is the second time you’ve promised one (Haggard story…) and I’m still waiting.
I think it’s a great thing Trask is stepping down. I was there when he was elected back in ’93 and that was a meeting worth recalling. It had been years of more senior (in age and “old school” approach) leadership and some “drifting” in vision. Once Trask was elected as Sup, the rest of the leadership (asst, sec, treas, etc) resigned (not indicative of revolt, but more in the tone of step aside and let a new generation lead, with fresh passion and vision). If anything, I think Trask may be reflecting on this sense and is stepping aside before he stays too long. A good preaching motto comes to mind “Always better to leave them wanting more….”
As for his leadership, I have some serious critiques that are best left for personal discussions. I do wish him the best and am optimistic to see what God will do.
The Spirit of God works despite our humanness, however, the church is only as good as it’s leadership and sadly to say, many of our AG leaders today are loyal to the AG denomination, rather than to Christ and the truth. The AG denomination is sick…. it needs healing.
I believe many of the leaders, both nationally and at the District level (primarily the NW District) have compromised themselves according to scripture and there needs to be repentance and cleansing.
Over and over I’ve witnessed pastors preaching easy believism, prosperity and self worth messages, rather than living holy and righteous before God. No wonder our young people think it’s ok to go out drinking and dancing, their suggestive clothing and behavior unchecked, and that even though they claim the name of Christ, living together. I’ve heard some AG pastors preach that lifestyle (whether it’s homosexual or otherwise) doesn’t matter. I’ve even attended an AG church where they’re promoting the “church tattoo”. How far we have strayed.
I’ve seen a faithful, loyal pastor of 47 years excommunicated from the AG denomination for speaking out against illegal and immoral activity by the NW District leadership. A pastor for 47 years!! When did it become ok to promote and solicite donations for a ministry that was never legal or operational. When did pastors become fearful of losing their positions in the AG, if they spoke against the leadership? When did the AG become a hierarchy? The church belongs to the people, not the leadership, and we have failed at all levels. The leaders for covering sin, the pastors for loyalty to denomination rather than loyalty to Christ, and the layity (ourselves) for allowing it to continue.
We need truth; we need repentance; we need to fall on our faces before God and beg forgiveness and seek his mercy.
I am glad to see Thomas Trask is stepping down. I pray this is the beginning of a new move of the Spirit. That there will be repentance, and injustices made right, that healing can begin.
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I’m not an ordained minister, but I believe Rev. Trask is a good man who just made one big mistake. It was wrong to remove Rev. Adour in the New York district without ever making the charges against him public. Rev. Adour is a good man with a good heart, and I respect him very much.
Aside from that issue, there are other problems in the New York District. There is one pastor who has a great reputation among the district brethren, but has had lots of trouble in the last 3-4 churches he has pastored. He left his last church in financial ruins. If you were to ask the congregants at any of his last churches, they would probably tell you that he doesn’t belong behind the pulpit.
But yet the New York leadership has no problem recommending him for new churches because he has a ‘spotless’ record. This has to change. The district is becoming like the Catholic Church, where bad leaders are just passed on to the next church and the next church. 99 percent of AG pastors are god fearing men, but they need to do a better job weeding out the bad apples.
Mike
It is funny that he left around the same time that I demanded accountability when his office refused to investigated a District leader who was corrupt. When I sent proof of the corruption all I got from Trask’s office was a LAWYER threatening me to back down or else.
IT IS TIME FOR A UNION TO DEVELOP.
The Assemblies has become corrupt because of several flaws.
It is time that outside groups form as shelters for those who have been hurt. These could be groups that operate over cities or districts. Groups who exist to hold the now completely unaccountable district leaders to accountability. Just take a look at the nepotism that has corrupted district offices. It is ridiculous and proof that the change wont come from the AG, but the AG will have to change because people will have become wise to the abuse and the corruption.
The way to get the attention of the AG leadership is for people to quit paying their tithes, or to leave the AG denomination entirely, until righteousness is restored within the denomination. Money speaks loud and clear.
There is no where in scripture that says a person should be loyal to the denomination. We are loyal to Christ, his commandments and teachings, and to the truth.
Have we lost our reverence and fear of God and what is holy and pure, that we have no conscience when it comes to truth and righteousness?
Do the district leaders and pastors think they are above the laws of Christ and that they don’t apply to them?
How foolish. We will come not as an organization before the throne of God, but individually to give an account of our lives and actions.
It is a fearful thing to be in the hands of an angry God. The scripture clearly says that it is better that a milestone were cast around the neck of an offender and he were cast into the sea, than to harm one of God’s children. That is a pretty good picture of God’s feelings on abuse of any kind, let alone illegal and immoral activity by any person claiming the name of Christ, whether a lay person or leader.
I pray for the leadership in the AG, although I sometimes wonder if their consciences are so seared they are beyond repentance.
–B