Steve Cuss
Managing Leadership Anxiety: Yours and Theirs
MAY 25, 2021
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We invite you to view our past webinars that can provide essential insight and equip you in your ministry.
D.A.R.E. to be a Minister of the Gospel
MAY 17, 2022
Leading on One Foot: Practices for Effective Bi-Vocational Ministry
NOV 16, 2021
Retaking thee street
OCT 12, 2021
Managing Leadership Anxiety: Yours and Theirs
MAY 25, 2021
Assimilating New Believers
APR 27, 2021
Ministry in a Land Where We’ve Never Been Before
MAR 23, 2021
Pursing Personal Development
NOV 10, 2020
Healthy Church Leadership in Uncharted Territory
OCT 13, 2020
Mentoring Matters
SEP 22, 2020
Engaging the Presence of the Holy Spirit in Your Worship Service
MAR 30, 2020
Community Engagement Beyond Sunday Mornings
FEB 25, 2020
The Discipleship Gospel.
JAN 28, 2020
Creating an Environment that Promotes Church Growth
NOV 5, 2019
Equipping the poeple you have to reach the people you don’t have
SEP 17, 2019
Leadership Development and Discipleship serves Church of God of Prophecy ministry and laity. Our ministries encompass Accredited Ministry Development (higher education), Spirit & Life Seminary, the Center for Biblical Leadership (ministerial training), International Children’s Ministries, and Youth Ministries International.
Church of God of Prophecy International Offices
Leadership Development and Discipleship
PO Box 2910
Cleveland, TN 37320-2910
423-559-5100
ldd@cogop.org
Church of God of Prophecy International Offices
Leadership Development and Discipleship
P O Box 2910
Cleveland TN 37320-2910
423-559-5100
ldd@cogop.org
Author of Canoeing the Mountain and Professor at Fuller Theological Seminary
OCT 13, 2020
“The fundamental task of leadership is distinguishing between what needs to be preserved and what needs to be changed.” In this webinar Tod introduces elements of healthy leadership habits in uncharted territories.
Tod’s presentation title is “Healthy Church Leadership in Uncharted Territory.”
Leading on One Foot: Practices for Effective Bi-Vocational Ministry
NOV 16, 2021
Rob experienced God’s call to ministry at a young age. As an ordained minister, he has served congregations in Arkansas, Texas, West Virginia and Kentucky, and currently serves as the Senior Minister for the Beech Street Church in Ashland, Kentucky. He is Associate Professor of Preaching and Ministry, Director of Graduate Bible Programs and Dean of the School of Distance and General Education at Kentucky Christian University, as well as an adjunct faculty member at Fuller Theological Seminary and Johnson University. He has also served as a hospital chaplain in West Virginia and Kentucky.
Retaking thee street
OCT 12, 2021
David is husband to his wife, Ruthie, and father to three children. David has had the privilege of sharing God’s hope with incarcerated and high-risk youth, addicts, homeless, criminals, and others in seemingly hopeless circumstances. He has been trained by some of the top church planting leaders and thinkers and is a part of Acts 29, the Excel Leadership Network, and ENOC (the Epiphany Network of Churches). These organizations provide support, training, and community to healthy, multiplying churches such as Cruciform.
Managing Leadership Anxiety: Yours and Theirs
MAY 25, 2021
Steve is the lead pastor of Discovery Christian Church in Broomfield, Colorado. Steve desires to bring relief to leaders by equipping them with tools for individual and team health. His work and ministry experiences as well as educational background allow him to offer wise counsel and practical guidance on the principles in his current book, Managing Leadership Anxiety: Yours and Theirs.
Assimilating New Believers
APR 27, 2021
Ministry in a Land Where We’ve Never Been Before
MAR 23, 2021
Dr. Rainer’s presentation, “Ministry in a Land Where We’ve Never Been Before” will offer essential wisdom needed to face the challenges and opportunities that the quarantine crisis has created for the local church. “Be excited and encouraged. Don’t let the unknown become a source of fear” – Dr. Thom Rainer.
Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Community Church in the UK
NOV 10, 2020
“To be more like Christ is to be less like ourselves, whereby the Holy Spirit is at work until Christ is formed in us to become perfect humanity. This tells us that our journey is progressive, transformational, and forward looking.”
Barry’s presentation title is “Pursing Personal Development.”
Senior Pastor of Harvest Christian Ministries in Knoxville, TN
SEP 22, 2020
“There is room for the next pastor, there is room for the next leader. We should never have a fear that someone is going to out do us, but pray that our mentor surpasses the mentor.” In this webinar Sharon introduces some principles on being a great mentor for others in your local church.
Sharon Farruggia’s presentation title is “Mentoring Matters”
Senior Pastor of the Father’s House Church in Leesburg, Florida
MAR 30, 2020
“What would change about your worship service if the Holy Spirit were to depart? Would things continue as usual? It’s amazing the things that can be done without His presence. Truth is, every Sunday there are churches who go through liturgical motions and never engage with the presence of the Holy Spirit. In this webinar we will examine practical inspirational ways we can purposely engage with the presence of the Spirit and demonstrate what a Spirit-Led Church is all about. Terry Mahan’s presentation title is “Engaging the Presence of the Holy Spirit in Your Worship Service”
Senior Pastor at State Street Community Church Raleigh, NC
The church must become an agent of social and spiritual transformation in the community. With vision and personal commitment Carswell has led the State Street Community Church in fulfilling their mission, “To positively impact the communities we are called to serve with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” I have full confidence that he will inspire you to engage in greater Christian witness in your community as well. Bishop Carswell Leonard’s presentation title is “Community Engagement Beyond Sunday Mornings.”
Senior Pastor at Cypress Community Church, Salinas, CA
The gospel you preach determines the disciples you make. The reason so many disciple-making efforts fail at the local church level is they don’t begin with Jesus’ kingdom gospel. Ben Sobel’s presentation title is “The Discipleship Gospel.”
Senior Pastor of Turning Point Church in McDonough, GA
In this session, we will learn the seven cultural keys to becoming a healthy growing church. Michael Turner’s presentation title is “Creating an Environment that Promotes Church Growth.”
Senior Pastor of Bethesda Worship Center (COGOP) in Sheridan, WY
I have seen ministers that are extremely nice people, have incredible teaching gifts, and are creative in outreach efforts, yet fail to establish meaningful connections with individuals in their sphere of influence. Why is that? What kind of connections are people looking for? We will answer this question in our time together. Scott Lee’s presentation title is “Meaningful Connections as a Pastor/Leader.”
Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Christian Fellowship in Fountain Valley, CA
“If you a pastor of a small church – especially a bi-vocational one – there seems to be an eternal trade off. Every hour spent pastoring is an hour lost to reaching new people and the hour reaching new people is an hour lost pastoring. So what’s a pastor to do? Karl Vater presentation title is “Equipping the poeple you have to reach the people you don’t have.”
Director of Library Services / Accredited Ministry Development
Mrs. Brewer serves as Director of Library Services for the Spirit and Life Seminary in Cleveland, Tennessee. In addition, she serves as Director of Library Services for the Chattanooga College: Medical, Dental, & Technical Careers. Her career spans over 30 years and includes the roles of faculty member, instructor, consultant, director of technical services library division, assistant director, director of library services at three colleges (located in Cleveland, TN; Charlotte, N.C.; & Chattanooga, TN), head of circulation department, Interlibrary loan librarian, reference librarian, original cataloger, resource room coordinator, branch manager of rural county public library, community development librarian and branch services librarian.
Mrs. Brewer received her Bachelor’s degree from University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (1985) with a major in Psychology and minor in Library; her Master’s degree from University of Tennessee at Knoxville (1988) in Library Science; and her 6th Year Specialist degree from the Florida State University (2006) in Library and Information Studies.
She has held membership in numerous local, state and national organizations including Optimist Club; Kiwanis; Civitan; Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority, Inc.; the Dade County (Georgia) Chamber of Commerce, board of directors and ambassador; the Walker County (Georgia) Chamber of Commerce member and Leadership Institute graduate; American Library Association; Association of College and Research Libraries; Tennessee Library Association; Tenn-Share; Chattanooga Area Library Association; Georgia Library Association, Georgia OCLC/SOLINET Users Group, Public Library Association, Family Connections, Adult Literacy committees in Dade County (Georgia) and Walker County (Georgia). She served as volunteer librarian for the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park – CHCH Library from August 2011 to June 2018.
Mrs. Brewer has written several successful grants for the Chattanooga College Medical, Dental & Technical Careers, Inc. in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Cherokee Regional Library System in La Fayette, Georgia. The grants were awarded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund HEERF I, HEERF II, HEERF III – American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, American Library Association/National Endowment for the Humanities Big Read; Joshua’s Law Grant (Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety); Mini-Grants to Support Summer Reading Club Programs; Lois Lenski Covey Foundation; Millennium Project for Public Libraries We the People Bookshelf (NEH), Awarded 2003 Walker County Alliance for Literacy / Certified Literate Community Program grant to purchase Accelerated Reader materials for three public libraries.
Mrs. Brewer attributes her success to her Christian faith, life-long learning, mentors, motivation, drive, and vision of a desired path. She recognizes that prayer and support from family and friends make anything possible.
Mrs. Brewer is married to Ray N. Brewer of Chattanooga, Tennessee and is primary caregiver to her mother Martha Cassidy.
Specialist in Library and Information Science, from Florida State University in 2006
M.S in Library Science, from University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1988
B.S. in Psychology, from University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 1985
Business Office Manager / Accredited Ministries Development / Spirit & Life Seminary
Jacob currently serves as the Business Office Manager for Spirit & Life Seminary and the Department of Accredited Ministry Development.
Jacob graduated in 2018 from Lee University in Cleveland, TN, with a B.S. in Music Business. Jacob returned to Lee University in the fall of 2018 to attain his master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA), graduating in 2020. He used this time to increase his musical versatility and excellence, studying classical/jazz/commercial/worship piano, commercial and jazz bass, vocal and instrumental accompaniment, and commercial arranging/recording/production. Before graduation, Jacob was elected as a member of the Delta Mu Delta International Honor Society in Business in recognition of his high educational attainment.
In 2018, Jacob had the opportunity to complete an internship with the Michael W. Smith Management Group. Immediately following the completion of the position, he worked for LifeCare Centers of America as an Audio Engineering Assistant until December 2018. Jacob began working in the Communications Department at the COGOP International Offices in January 2019. He served as the Administrative Assistant to the Director of Communications, Web Developer, and Project Manager between 2019-2023 before transitioning to SLS/AMD into his current role.
Jacob has had the opportunity to serve as a lead pianist for Peerless Road COGOP since 2012. Following his calling for music and worship, he accepted the Music and Media Director position for PRC in July 2022. Jacob is married to Julie Coleman, who coordinates worship for the Children’s Ministry at PRC. They consider it a blessing to work together as a team and serve in those capacities.
Project Manager / Leadership Development And Discipleship
At the age of 15 years old, Antonio Orona was called by God at a teen camp into ministry. Serving in multiple areas helped him realized that he had a passionate heart for people Antonio desire is to help others know who Jesus is and so that they can be committed to living a life with Him.
Antonio has a B.S degree from California State University of Los Angeles in Fire Protection Administration and a Master degree in Leadership and Community Development from California Baptist University. He is also currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at the Pentecostal Theological Seminary in Cleveland, TN.
He has had the privilege to serve as the Youth Pastor at the COGOP Riverside Church in Riverside, CA from 2014 to 2019. He has helped served the youth ministry in the state of California from various areas such as teaching, preaching, and serving as a camp counselor at teen camps for 6 years. Currently he is pursuing his minister license with the Church of God of Prophecy.
He is married to his lovely wife Lilly Orona and together they have a one year old son named Isaiah Orona.
Currently Antonio is a project manager for the Leadership Development and Discipleship department, managing and organizing various projects in different platforms. He is also a volunteer firefighter for Tri-Community Fire Department in Ooltewah, TN.
Accredited Ministries Development / Spirit And Life Seminary
Albert Murza serves as the Registrar and Media Manager for Accredited Ministry Development.
He was born and raised in Moscow, Russia, and his father is Misha Murza, overseer of Russia COGOP. At 18, he moved to Germany to study at European Theological Seminary.
In 2016, he married Kristen Murza and moved to Cleveland, TN, serving as youth leaders at Peerless Road church and as youth pastors at Spring Place COGOP. Since March 2022, Albert and Kristen have been serving as youth pastors at Hickory Valley Community Church.
Albert Murza received his ministry license with the Church of God of Prophecy in 2019.
He is currently enrolled at Pentecostal Theological Seminary pursuing the Master of Divinity degree with the Biblical Studies concentration and will graduate in May of 2022.
Admissions And Marketing Manager / Accredited Ministries Development / Spirit And Life Seminary
Steven Hodge is the Admissions and Marketing Manager for Spirit & Life Seminary and the department of Accredited Ministry Development. Steven oversees the admissions process for all new applicants seeking higher education. Steven also heads the promotion and marketing initiatives for partnered schools, global cohorts, and various degree programs.
Steven grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and moved to Cleveland, TN, to begin working at the International Offices in 2021. Steven is bilingual and served as a lay minister at the Elizabeth Spanish Church of God of Prophecy. While serving in Elizabeth, Steven took on the role of youth pastor, event coordinator, and instructor for his region’s bible institute. Steven also served the Spanish Northeast Region as the assistant chief of operations for the Spanish Northeast Region Children’s Camp from 2012 to 2018.
Steven earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences from Seton Hall University and is currently enrolled at Pentecostal Theological Seminary pursuing a Master of Theological Studies in Pentecostal Theology. Steven enjoys music and has played in orchestras and jazz bands. He states that his personal motto is “Always be learning – God has given me the ability to learn, and I plan on using it.”
In 2021, Steven was sent forth by Pastor Collazo and his local congregation at Peerless Road Church ‘Casa de Refugio’ and is currently pursuing licensure in the Church of God of Prophecy. In 2022, Steven married the intelligent, beautiful, and kind love of his life, Alejandra Guajardo.
Training Specialist / International Children’s Ministries
At the age of fourteen, Joy said, “Yes!” to God’s call to serve and minister to kids. Since then, she has actively served in churches, camps, and various ministry environments both locally and internationally. Joy is the Associate Pastor of Children at her local church, Spring Place Church. While at Spring Place, she has had the opportunity to remodel and build a children’s ministry that is a safe and sacred place for kids to attend. She believes with her whole heart that children are indeed a blessing from God and that they are mighty arrows being released into the world (Psalm 127).
In July of 2016, Joy completed her Master of Arts degree in Ministry Studies from Lee University. Currently, she also serves part-time at the International Offices as the Training Specialist for International Children’s Ministries. She is most passionate about helping children and adults see the value of theology in ministry to kids. Joy’s idea of fun includes traveling, reading, working out, and laughing with the people she loves.
Executive Administrative Assistant / Leadership Development And Discipleship
At 22, a year after Alejandra became a Christian, she felt God calling her to pursue theological studies. In response to this call, she transferred from Texas A&M International University to Lee University in Cleveland, TN, to follow God’s vision for her.
Alejandra earned a B. A. in Biblical and Theological Studies from Lee University and an M. A in Theological Ethics from the same Institution. In 2019, she received the Zeno C. Tharp award, which is given annually to the Lee University senior who shows the greatest promise of making a significant contribution to the Church.
Alejandra has served as the translator and editor of several publications, including the quarterly newsletter El Camino produced by His Fullness Ministries and the Ministerial Development Department at Lee University. She worked at Lee University’s School of Religion as a teaching and research assistant for Christian ethics courses and at Lee University’s Squires library during her graduate education.
In the past, Alejandra has been involved in several ministries such as Bridge Ministries, Hunger Rescue, and Church at the Park in Laredo, Texas. Alejandra loves to participate in the local church. She functions as a mentor at NCCOG Collegiate Group and as a music minister at New Covenant Church of God. Alejandra is also a member of the Society of Pentecostal Studies, the Latin American Theological Fraternity (FTL), and Theta Alpha Kappa National Honors Society.
She has a passion for education, the practice of hospitality toward immigrant communities, and peace and reconciliation studies. Alejandra also served as a Church of God missionary in the Balkans after completing her undergraduate degree and has remained in partnership with that field since.
Alejandra has been married to Steven Hodge since January of 2022.
Project Coordinator / International Children’s Ministries
Leslie Green began ministering at her local church and summer youth camps before she was 12 years old. Since then, God has blessed her with opportunities to minister as a children’s ministry director and youth ministry coordinator as well as serving in various roles in camping ministry, conventions and ministry training in North America. She’s also travelled internationally on mission teams and as a trainer for children’s ministry conferences.
Leslie is thrilled to work alongside a few of the most passionate leaders in children’s ministry. She currently serves as children’s pastor at Keith Street Ministries in Cleveland, Tennessee. Her heart is full as she watches the children grow in their relationship with Christ and knowledge of His Word.
Registrar and Student Services Coordinator / Spirit and Life Seminary
Debbie served as an academic advisor, music instructor, and music department chairperson at Tomlinson College from 1987 to 1992. She then taught music in Bradley County Schools for 6 years before marrying her husband Dennis and moving to Huntsville, Alabama, where she served as an academic advisor at Calhoun Community College.
Debbie later moved to metro-Atlanta where she taught music and special education students in Gwinnett County Public Schools for nearly 20 years. She loves to play piano and has enjoyed working with several church choirs on her journey back to Cleveland, Tennessee. She is very excited to serve in a new role as registrar and student services coordinator at Spirit and Life Seminary.
AS in Music, Tomlinson College
BME (Bachelors in Music Education), Lee University
MS in Music, Radford University
Executive Director / Leadership Development And Discipleship Director / Center For Biblical Leadership
Kathryn H. Creasy served the Church of God of Prophecy for more than 26 years as International Children’s Ministry director. She brought to that assignment considerable children’s ministry experience at both the local church and regional level.
Her passion for developing leaders was birthed out of her call to serve children. In her first ministry role as regional children’s ministry director, Kathy saw the need for children’s ministers to be skilled in ministry and leadership, prompting her to organize her first children’s ministry conference at the age of 21. During her tenure as international children’s ministry director, Kathy developed effective ministry and leadership training resources and built strong mentoring relationships with leaders in more than 50 nations. Recognition by international leadership of Kathy’s passion, experience, and skill led to her appointment as Executive Director of Leadership Development and Discipleship.
She earned a Master of Science degree from George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. She taught in public schools in Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia. She is a licensed minister with the Church of God of Prophecy.
Kathy and her husband Rick live in Cleveland, TN. Their older son Lee has two young daughters, Elodie and Amelia and resides in Denver, Colorado. Their younger son Clint and his wife Charis have two young children, Callum Decker and Florence. They reside in a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Kathy’s joy is working with continental, national, and regional leadership to develop and implement strategies that will identify, equip, and release developing leaders.
