Meeting Transcripts

Rev. Darrel D. Lee | July 6, 2024

Opening Remarks

Welcome

Welcome to the webcast audience. We have many ministers and spouses around the world who are joining us for this webcast. We appreciate all of you who have joined us. This minister’s meeting will be archived early next week.

This meeting is confidential

This is a private meeting and intended for ministry and spouses only. I request that during this session, whether present in the sanctuary or viewing online, that you do not record, text, or otherwise share what I am about to state until the appropriate time. That time will be after tomorrow morning’s service. Sharing will be considered a severe betrayal of confidence. Additionally, to those who are viewing online, unless only ministers and spouses are present, please employ measures to watch this in a private setting. I understand if you are viewing in a group that there may be AV people, and they can be the exception. 

The information that I am about to share will be covered during tomorrow morning’s service. It is not intended for the public nor is it to be shared with family or friends until afterward. Now is an opportunity for anyone who needs to turn off their phone. We will have Brother Bob Downey come up and lead us in prayer.

Announcing a New Superintendent General

A statement of transition

The purpose of this morning’s session is to share with you a statement I intend to read tomorrow during the morning devotional service. This statement relates to passing the Superintendent General role to my successor. I will also be asking you to endorse the statement that will be read tomorrow. I would have preferred to confer with any number of you privately, but there are more of you than there are of me. So, I chose to confer with none of you privately. The exception was eventually the Board of Directors, and my children and their spouses; these are aware. I will communicate with all of you simultaneously, here. So, consider this a private consultation, one on one. You are at a disadvantage because you cannot respond. After I read the statement, I will add a bit more context to it. Tomorrow, due to the lack of time, it will not be practical to say any more than is necessary.

Tomorrow we will follow the usual order of the service, which is the prelude, welcome, and perhaps a congregational song or two—short ones. Brother Gary does a great job of adapting. We will start the service a bit early. Unintentionally, I think the saints have been used to us doing that anyway. Perhaps we will come out five minutes early, but we will figure that out as we get to it. I will make the normal announcements on the upcoming youth service, evening service, and Monday evening documentary on the Welsh revival. Then I will, Lord willing, say, “Before we proceed with the remainder of the service, I will read a prepared statement that relates to me passing the Superintendent General position to my successor. My successor will also speak after we pray over him.” After this, we will probably sing another appropriate congregational song. We will have to forego the Scripture reading and the middle special, which was to be the octet. We will not disclose anything to them until tomorrow when they will be asked to sing in the evening meeting instead. I will announce that Brother Andy Chasteen will sing a solo before the message. Then I will proceed with my statement, which reads like this:

To Apostolic Faith saints worldwide,

It has long been my prayer that God would reveal the identity of my successor and the timing for when the next leadership transition should take place. Over the past few years, the identity of that successor has become more and more apparent to me. Furthermore, I believe the mantle of Apostolic Faith global oversight now falls on one to be named shortly.

In a meeting of the Apostolic Faith Headquarters Board of Directors, I propose that the Superintendent General role be passed to a successor, whom I named. In addition to myself, our Board is comprised of Brother Bob Downey, Bill McKibben, Tim DeBusk, and John Baros. They each enthusiastically approved the proposal. This appointment will take effect after our formal installation in a few moments.

Here, I hope to say . . .

During our minister and spouse meeting yesterday morning, I shared this recommended path forward and solicited their support. They also wholly endorsed the appointment.

Here, I will tell the congregation . . .

I will ask the same of you in a moment. We ministers are united in our belief that we have the right man to take my place as Superintendent General, and that is the right time to appoint him.

Before continuing, first allow me to convey my sincere appreciation to all of you for your prayerful support of me and my family . . . over the past many years. Serving in this capacity has allowed Debbie and me to meet and work with the most beautiful people on the planet—all of you here and so many other Apostolic Faith saints elsewhere around the world. We are deeply indebted to you. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you very much.

Thanks also to our children, their spouses, and our eight grandchildren. The support and joy they have brought to our lives has been a tremendous personal blessing.

Finally, thanks to Debbie. She had no idea what she was getting into when she married me. Of course, nor did I. We initially met and became acquainted while serving the Lord in our nearby Dallas church. We later married in Dallas and our two children were born while we lived there. Debbie has faithfully served the Lord by my side all these years. She has been a consummate wife, mother and grandmother. Additionally, her common sense and unassuming manner have been instructive and beneficial to us all.

Most of all, we give thanks to God for His help and for the many blessings He has bestowed upon us in His service. Our hearts are full of gratitude to Him.

Today, it is time to transition to the next leader. My firm conviction, supported by the ministry, is that the mantle of Apostolic Faith worldwide oversight now falls upon Brother Olusola Adesope. He has agreed to pick it up and carry it forward. Brother Sola meets the Bible criteria for church leadership, which includes the high standard of ethical conduct he has exemplified for decades. The same can be said of Sister Tolu, to whom he has been married for over twenty-three years.

Before marriage, they each lived for the Lord from the time they were saved at a young ages. God has given them three children: Florence, Felicia, and Josiah. They too, are saved and faithfully live for the Lord. Brother Olusola will guide this work forward in a manner that honors the sound Bible doctrine we have stood for since Florence Crawford settled in Portland not long after the 1906 Azusa Street outpouring. I believe God brought him to North America and subsequently to Pullman, Washington, many years ago for such a time as this.

Transition details have been in motion ever since Brother Olusola and I met privately in Pullman some time ago. We discussed the matter then and the two of us have communicated nearly every day since, usually multiple times.

If we added it up, it would be many hundreds of communications back and forth.

From here, I remain willing to serve as he seems best. The entire Adesope family has my wholehearted support and prayerful backing.

The 2018 appointment of a Portland pastor was made in part with this eventuality in mind. Brother Sola intends to continue that approach. He will deal closely with the Portland senior pastor on Portland church matters, the same as I have done. The timing of their move to Portland is yet to be determined, but Brother Sola begins his role as Superintendent General immediately.

I am very excited about this appointment. Brother Sola is better equipped to take this work into the next generation as Jesus tarries. He is already widely known and highly regarded in Apostolic Faith circles worldwide. Our work will develop further and grow stronger on his watch.

Reading now from Joshua 1, we are reminded that God’s assurance to Joshua back then is His promise to Brother Sola now. We read, “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:5-9).

At that point, I will declare that the congregation can show their support for Brother Sola’s appointment by standing if they are able to do so. After they are seated, the Board of Directors will pray over Brother Sola. Then by the grace of God, I will present him or introduce him to the congregation. He will speak before he continues to direct the order of the service from there, moving to the chair that I had previously occupied. He has asked that I sit across from him for the remaining week of camp meeting, so I will sit down and do my best to decrease as he increases.

Some context

Now, let me give you some more context. My trip to Pullman and subsequent Board of Directors meeting to seek their approval was many months ago rather than many days or weeks ago. Actually, it was May 15-17, 2023. Not 2024, but 2023. So, it was over a year ago. Debbie and I drove up, and I had a letter in hand to give to Brother Sola. Instead, we went for a drive, so I could describe as best I could the content of the letter. It took him a while to grasp what I was leading up to, but I will just say that it was a good thing that we were in a neighborhood with no houses on either side when he finally realized what I was suggesting. One purpose for the visit and the letter was to determine if he or Sister Tolu were under any contractual obligations with respect to their jobs. I learned that they were not. 

What is interesting is that I was aware for the last few years that a transition could take place involving Brother Sola. I first brought this up to Brother Isaac Adigun at least three years ago. So, this was not done on a whim. This has been a prayerful and careful consideration. As I was saying, Brother Sola knew nothing about it. So, as I watched, he had employment opportunities from all over that could have doubled or tripled his salary, or more. Every month, he was being recruited, but I did not trouble myself with that. I felt that if God was in this, it would be evident. He turned all those jobs down at prestigious universities—not that Washington State University is not prestigious. But God brought him to Pullman for such a time as this. 

I also wanted to know with my visit in May about the impact this would have on their children. I say children, but two are adults and had already reached the academic level—Florence was pursuing her doctorate and Felicia her masters. Brother Sola let them pray as to where they should pursue their academic careers without being influenced by what he learned last May. God has led. Florence was led into the University of Washington in Seattle. Felicia, so far, will continue at Washington State. We must pray for the three now that their parents are leaving Pullman.

The timing for the move is not yet determined. It will be a few months before they relocate to Portland. Out of respect for Brother Sola’s employment, we are not stating the dates publicly. He has not been able to communicate the news to WSU privately, because if this became known, it would have subverted the opportunity for God to overrule it. Brother Sola hasn’t said anything yet, and he won’t until the appointment comes to pass—though it is the plan, it hasn’t happened yet, so we keep this in confidence. Brother Sola has already scaled back his work during the last six months. He will notify WSU that he can continue for a time to help the students through their doctorate program. In addition, he must determine what to do with the house and the move and all of that. We will see how things go.

Last August 21, 2023, I called for a board meeting, and we did meet collectively on that day. I had communicated privately over the previous couple of weeks with the members saying that we needed to arrange a Zoom meeting. They have long known my desire that the next leadership transition not take place in a crisis mode such as a death or major health event. That said, if God had willed it that we wait until I died or something catastrophic happened to me or Debbie, so be it.

I am well aware that a change of leadership has the potential to be unsettling to some whether in a crisis or not. Therefore, we pray that God will help us, and He will. God will help Brother Sola who tried to talk me out of it. He has been praying for the Rapture to take place, and he taught on that beautifully yesterday. He could not talk me out of it. He tried, but it was not even a close call on my part. When I say that I had a firm conviction, you do not know how firm that conviction was. Brother Sola is the man, and now is the time. This work will thrive under his watch. He is better equipped to take us to the next generation. We dare not be stagnant. To put it simply, I believe with all my heart that this is in the best interests of this beautiful work.

This morning, I met with the Pullman ministry for a short time. I appreciate the fact that they understand why this was a highly sensitive matter. Confidentiality was key, in order to allow the Lord to overrule this entire proposed plan. Brother Sola could not communicate with any of them ahead of time for the same reason I could not communicate with any of you ahead of time. Besides, how does one decide who to confide in and who not to? Who is important and who is not? You are all important. I told Brother Sola we used to have a VIP section of the campground, and I did not like that. Who is not a VIP? Tell me. Who among the saints is not important?

Going forward

Questions may arise such as, “Is there something here you are not telling us?” or “Is this about your health or Debbie’s health?” The answer to these questions is no. “Is this about your age?” I am mindful of my age. I remember at the old headquarters office, Sister Mildred Nelson noting that I took two steps at a time to the upstairs offices. Now it is one step at a time. This is not about age, though. This is about clarity emerging that we have the right man to take my place, and this is the right time. Had clarity in this matter not emerged at this time, there would be no problem. I have loved going to the headquarters office every day. I would have kept going without a problem. This is about what is in the best interests of the work.

We have a man who is better equipped to take this work forward. We know the man, and now is the time. Please allow me to note here that today’s meeting includes the Board of Elders, which is made up of current and retired ordained ministers. Historically, this is an informal, unofficial board that typically convenes at a change of leadership. Including spouses and all ministers is not intended to set a precedent for what should happen if the Lord tarries another forty years and Brother Sola passes the baton. This was the most practical and convenient way to do it this time.

Additionally, it is important for me to state for the record that this transition is not intended to set a precedent that a future leader should pass the baton upon reaching any certain age. This is not about age. This is about appointing the right man at the right time. 

Well, here is your chance. With this additional background, I want to give you the opportunity to show your support for Brother Sola’s appointment. You may demonstrate that support by standing now if you are able to do so. Thank God. Thank you. You may be seated.

For those of you who are called to preach later during this camp meeting or to testify, let's stick to presenting the Gospel. You do not need to acknowledge the transition. You do not need to publicly within your sermon say, “Thank you, Brother Darrel. God bless you, Brother Sola.” No, preach the Gospel. We are having that service tomorrow morning, then we will move on. There is no need to voice your approval publicly. We know we have your support, and we thank God for it. We have seen it, and we can move on.   

Meetings for leaders

Brother Sola would like to have a meeting with district superintendents, directors, and country leaders who are present at this camp meeting. It will be announced tomorrow that the meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Monday. Come if you are available. Some will already have left, and we understand that. We do not think there will be more than twenty here for the meeting. So, plan to meet at the headquarters office in the large conference room, which faces towards the back of the campground, off the patio. I think that room will hold a couple dozen, but if it is too crowded, we will go to plan B.

That meeting will be an opportunity to drag Brother Sola to his new office. After tomorrow, it won’t be my office. I haven’t cleaned it out yet, but I need to do that, as well as the offices at the back of the church and tabernacle. I will do that after hours.

Brother Sola would also like to meet with all ministers, not including the spouses this time, at 4:00 in the afternoon on Monday in the church chapel.

Closing Remarks

Brother Sola’s testimony and name

We have printed 10,000 tracts of Brother Sola’s testimony. So, next we will pray over those. They will become available tomorrow afternoon. Some will be placed in the entrance of the tabernacle, and the rest will be in the mail room. If you want to take some for your congregation, you can contact Sister Zelma for whatever needs you have, within limits.

We had a funny incident concerning these tracts. Sister Zelma is very efficient. We ordered all the tracts at the same time, and they all came in, except this one. She was very concerned, telling Sister Catey, our managing editor, that the printers had overlooked it. Well, they hadn’t overlooked it, but because it had Brother Sola’s new title on it, we kept it confidential. Sister Catey had made arrangements to be notified when his tracts were ready, so she could pick them up separately from the others. Then, as it turns out, she broke her leg, and I went and picked up the tracts. It was a good thing, too—those boxes were heavy. So, we will pray over those.  

There is one more thing. Our young people have come to know Brother Sola as Brother O in the last few years. I have intentionally called him Brother Sola, because I feel that it is more respectful. I would like all of you, as much as possible, to do the same. I’m still the leader as of today, so that will be one of my last instructions to you. I understand that Brother O is a term of endearment or affection, and it will take a while to change the tide, perhaps even years. However, I have discussed it with him, and he has agreed that using Brother Sola would be better, so let’s do that.

A reminder

Brother Sola and I have family members who have not been told. That is one reason why we want to keep this announcement in strict confidence. We would like them all to hear it at the same time from us rather than hear it through the grapevine. I have adult grandchildren, and they know nothing. So, I trust you to keep our confidence.

Prayer

I think I have covered everything. If you are able, let’s drop to our knees in prayer for five minutes. We do not want to draw attention to the nature of this meeting, so we are not going to tarry for long. Afterward, we will be dismissed in prayer by Brother Earl Phillips. This concludes our meeting. Thank you and God bless you. Let’s go to prayer.

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