World Olivet Assembly (WOA) is eagerly looking forward to its annual World General Assembly (WGA) less than two weeks away. This year's event will be held online for the first time due to the ongoing pandemic and the related travel restrictions - a challenge that turned out to be an opportunity to allow more leaders to participate and also set up conference technology that will be beneficial long-term.
Participants will gather regionally or nationally in the various Olivet Centers (OC) around the world, while following local social distancing guidelines. The WOA IT department has been assisting OC's in acquiring and setting up sophisticated conferencing tools, which are being tested right now. The arrangement will not only allow for broadcasting from the WOA's headquarters but also for interactive sessions where multiple locations can participate in video discussions in real-time. Such a setup will be valuable for ongoing collaboration beyond the event itself and is poised to strengthen the effectiveness of WOA's global missions network.
The WGA schedule has been confirmed to begin on Sunday, October 25 with a joint Opening Service. The following four days will be divided up into four issue-focused tracks leading up to the joint Anniversary Service on Friday, October 30, and the concluding Sunday Service on the 31st. Each day's program is set to last for four hours, which were set in the morning hours in New York in order to accommodate the different time-zones around the world as much as possible.
"We are very much looking forward to our time together. Even though we are physically apart, we are spiritually united and we are grateful that today's technology allows us to meet in a way that allows for fellowship and interaction between our leaders in different regions and countries," said Pastor Mark Spisak, General Secretary of WOA.
"There is much to be thankful for this year as God has blessed our ministries and fellowships despite the unprecedented challenges that came with the global pandemic," Pastor Spisak continued, adding: "We have seen God's faithfulness and how He has used our leaders and members to bring hope to a hurting world. It is our prayer that this WGA will be a turning point in our history that brings increasing momentum to our efforts to build God's Kingdom here on earth. May this WGA and everything we do give glory to God alone."
World General Assembly Preparations Gearing Up for Unique Interactive Online Experience
