Past Sessions
After seasons of planning, prayer, and persistent labor, the Grand O’le East gathered on our own 17.52-acre campus for the 155th Annual Session & Youth Convention. Doors opened, lights glowed, and voices rose in praise. What took shape on the ground was more than a schedule of services; it was a testimony that steady hands and steadfast hearts still move mountains.
How We Made It Back
- Faith that works. Repairs were completed on both buildings, guided by patient leadership and careful stewardship.
- Tuesdays that told a story. Week after week, volunteers traveled in on Tuesdays—cleaning, carrying, painting, patching, and preparing. Every task became prayer in motion.
- Many members, one purpose. Trustees, leaders, youth, and seniors all contributed. One hour at a time, the campus knit back together.
What This Homecoming Means
- A spiritual reset. Coming home marks the beginning of a new season for the East—space for worship, training, youth development, and mission sending.
- A place for our young people. The Youth Convention shared the same ground as the Annual Session, affirming that our next generation stands at the center of our fellowship.
- A platform for service. A restored campus is not a finish line; it’s a launchpad—for evangelism, discipleship, and community care in every district church.
Highlights to Celebrate (and Remember)
- First hymns and prayers echoing in rooms long quiet.
- Smiles across generations—seniors recognizing spaces they helped build; youth stepping into halls they will one day lead.
- The quiet, faithful work that never makes a headline: mopped floors, working lights, replaced panels, stocked closets—the invisible repairs that make visible ministry possible.
155th Annual Session Highlights
Moderator’s Recommendations (Approved by the Body)
- Lift the moratorium on auxiliaries; once quotas are met, auxiliaries may retain their balances.
- Treasurer: Sister Mary Myers (Greater Mount Gilead B.C.).
- Pastors’ & Ministers’ Conference naming: The Pastor Charles Carter, Sr. Pastors’ & Ministers’ Conference(for pastors of 20+ years or 20+ years preaching).
- Rainbow Night naming: The Pastor Jimmie Flakes, Jr. Memorial Rainbow Night Celebration.
- Trustees Emeritus: Sister Ruby Hill, Deacon Nathan Kennie, Deacon Ralph Collier—with all honors to which they are entitled.
- Hall of the Faithful additions: Sister Melva J. White and Deacon John Robbins.
- Property governance addendum: Building on the 2001 Annual Message protection (“no part of the property sold or leased without majority vote in a regularly scheduled meeting or 30-day written notice to all members registered in the previous Annual Session”), add the clarification that notification must be made to all registered churches and individuals from the previous Annual Session—to protect the Association’s assets.
- Strategic collaboration: Authorize the Executive Board and Trustee Board to engage the Mission Development Group of San Antonio for exploratory discussions on possible collaborative efforts.
- Greeters Ministry: Establish a Greeters Ministry with Sister Bernetta White as Coordinator.
- Security Coordination: Sister Alfreda Reese appointed Security Coordinator.
These actions honor our past, strengthen our present, and safeguard our future—spiritually, financially, and operationally.
Rainbow Ceremony — Winners & 2026 Colors
By Count (Attendance)
- 1st Place — Green Team (47 present):
Sisters Shirley Carter (Greater Mt. Gilead), Delores Florence (LT), Tommysha Narcisse (Solid Rock), Brook Cherith & Creston.
- 2nd Place — Red Team (28 present):
Shiloh (Alice Prince), Greater Mt. Calvary, Linda Edwards, Judy Tillmon (Victoria Area), Michelle Robinson (Edna Area).
- 3rd Place — White Team (23 present):
Strait Life, First Saint Mark, True Vine.
By Special Effort (Monies Raised)
- 1st Place — Blue Team: $4,000.00
Leaders: Sister Eva Tillmon & Sister Roceal Baker.
- 2nd Place — Pink Team: $3,063.00
Leaders: Sisters Gwen Deason (Worthington), Doris Richards (Graceland), Phyllis Easley-Bernard (Sunlight), Lynn Bennett (Gethsemane—Houston).
- 3rd Place — Orange Team: $2,029.00
Leaders: Sister Mary Ann Sandles (West Point), Bible Way, Lucille Wright (New Vision).
2026 Rainbow Ceremony Colors
Will be announced and publicized in advance of the next ceremony. (Watch the News page and social channels.)
Youth Convention — Winners & Notes
Bible Story Telling
- 1st — Serenity Olojo
- 2nd — Toddrick Johnson, II
- 3rd — Bre’elle Fontno
Kahoot
- 1st — Chase Lewis
- 2nd — Trinity Davis
- 3rd — Rayshawn Mack
Additional youth winners to be added upon receipt from Sister Sandles/Deason. Thank you for your patience as we complete the list.
Thank you to every hand that served, every leader who guided, and every member who prayed. Let’s finish the work together.