Rooftop UK Chairman attends International Council Meeting in Cincinnati.

On March 9th I was able to join with other members of the International Council in Cincinnati for our twice-yearly meeting to hear what God is doing around the world & consider what he might be calling us to moving forward. Even the location (a house provided for us overlooking downtown Cincinnati) provided a visual illustration of the work as we met.

The meeting opened with a reading from Isaiah 61:1-3:
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendour.”
and we reflected that, whilst some in the church debate the extent to which this should be about Social Action or Spiritual Proclamation, it must include both for it to be a true expression of our faith.
We heard a report from London in the UK, where links are being built across the city with different groups & leaders seeking to reach their communities, particularly through prayer & worship. With various events being planned in 2020, the UK team are considering how best Rooftop can network into what God is planning.
We heard how 8 cities in the US (from Chicago to Tucson, Los Angeles to Washington D.C) are planning Rooftop Encounters in 2019, with 7 others in consideration.
Much of the time was spent considering growth opportunities in both Africa & Latin America. An African-wide ‘Summit’ will be held in Kenya in June to bring together all pioneers across Africa; Dennis Pethers will expand on the Rooftop vision & Stephen Gaukroger will bring biblical teaching. With 15 African countries involved so far & the possibility of expanding into others, this is seen as a key step in laying a foundation for sustainable growth & hopefully can be replicated elsewhere.
Following Dennis’ recent visit to 4 countries in Latin America & with Esau Canales joining us (an El Salvadorian pastor based in Los Angeles with a deep understanding of Latin American cultures) it was exciting to see God opening up opportunities in this part of the world.

Whilst in Cincinnati, I was able to attend the Spiritual Awakening Conference organised by the Northern Kentucky Baptist Association (at which Dennis was speaking) & accompany John Whaley to Union Baptist Church for the Sunday morning service.

Before returning to the UK, I got to spend 24 hours in Chicago & there met Cheryl Dorsey, a member of the US Board & the local coordinator. She shared how she felt God call her to organise an event from a high place overlooking the city… which for the last 2 years has turned out to be the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), the highest building in Chicago. God spoke powerfully to those who attended, even showing different things to people facing out to different parts of the city, and a 3rd event is planned there for this May. She was also able to show me different parts of the city & share something of how God is using The Rooftop to bring believers together with a shared vision for the city.