The Whole Truth

that they were rewarded spiritually. Some of these things are not in our control, and we do have some challenges there.We are constantly trying to meet those challenges but nevertheless, our prayer is that above all, God, please meet us each time, and give us a spiritual rejuvenation so that it is worth it. I believe God did just that at this year’s Convocation. All over the nation, people have different confer ences that they attend, and their expectations must be met at those conferences. Otherwise, it is a waste of time. My prayer is that no one ever says that they wasted their time coming to Holy Convocation, and that God would always supernaturally meet us. My prayer is that bodies were healed, souls were saved, and people were delivered from whatever they had been held hostage by - just because they had an opportunity to come to the Holy Convocation, just because they had the opportunity to set foot on the grounds of the holy Mason campus, just because they had an opportunity to go into the Prayer Room at

TWT: 2023 was your third Convocation as Presiding Bishop, correct?

Bishop Sheard: Yes, the first one was in 2021. In 2022, we had a hybrid format, so 2023 was my third as Presiding Bishop.The first one was a great challenge because it called for us to have a spiritual experience in a way that we were not used to. Many of my preachers and the speakers spoke to empty churches during the 2021 Convocation. The challenge was,‘Oh God please let those who view us by social media be blessed.’ The choirs were singing in empty churches and these kinds of things happened but nevertheless, God favored us.Then the next year (2022), everyone was extremely happy to be together; we had been apart for so long.And then we went back to our Jerusalem, as we call it - to Memphis,Tennessee, to experience the anointing of God in that place.We looked for that in the 115th Holy Convocation and tried to take it even higher. Everyone had a part in this year’s Convocation - from the cradle row to the senior citizen setting - including the men, the women, and the youth.And that was done on purpose, by design. It was not happenstance. TWT: Can the historical significance of having the Holy Convocation in Memphis be overshadowed by such things as costs and venue space? Bishop Sheard: It can be because things are changing.This year, the room rates were high er but what we must understand is that the Hotel Industry is kind of dictating now, because there is more of a demand. Here’s the thing we must be reminded of - the Holy Convocation is a conclave of saints who come together from all over the world to experience a move of God. So even though those externals - hotel rates, airfare, trains, and busses, etc. - may weigh heavily upon the delegate, I pray

Mason Temple. My prayer is that God would always meet the needs of His people, and that our expecta tions would be satisfied. TWT Elder Reginald Boswell is the pastor of Holy Temple COGIC in Decatur, Alabama of theWR Morrow Heritage District, led by Superintendent Bobby Sledge, Alabama First Jurisdiction (Bishop OL Meadows, Prelate).

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