2011 UNITY CONFERENCE

     The shofar sounded, and the 27th annual Unity Conference, held in Cisco, Texas, came to order. Elder Farris Wilks opened with words of encouragement to those in attendance, then introduced Pastor Sam Graham, who moderated the conference again this year.

     Brethren came from as far away as Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Missouri, Illinois, and South Dakota, to take part in this annual event.

     Pastor Sam read from Psalm 133, and led us in a few verses of “The Family of Yah.” He then went around the room and allowed each person to introduce themselves. It was interesting to hear what each one had to say.

     The first message was given by Brother Roger Norman. He talked about having Yahweh’s anointing Spirit and credibility when witnessing to new people, and how to build unity within the Body. He gave examples of how we can allow Yahweh to increase the character trait of credibility within us so that we may be a better vessel to reflect his ways, salvation and Word to those around us, in our community and beyond.

     Brother John Hawkins discussed his new booklet, “Understanding Yahweh’s Appointed Feast Days & Calendar,” and quoted from Ezekiel 20:12, “Moreover also, I gave them My Sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am Yahweh That sanctifies them.”

     Elder James King gave a very timely message on “America’s Righteous Heritage & Hell-Bent Future.” He talked about our current government and some of the turmoil going on in our country today. He said that we will never have a perfect government until the One comes that is prophesied to rule with righteousness. … “His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His Kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed,” Daniel 7:14. He mentioned how our founding fathers were determined to forge a nation that was founded on biblical principles, and guaranteed the greatest amount of freedom for its citizens. We are still blessed with these freedoms today, making it possible to worship Yahweh however we choose.

     Elder Tom Schattke spoke on “Essential Humility.” He said that, along with love for one another, the humility of a little child is an important foundation principle of our faith. Lack of humility caused the children of Israel to spend an extra 40 years in the wilderness. And Yahshua said that, if we do not have humility, we will never enter Yahweh’s Kingdom, making it a very important part of our existence.

     Elder Frank Kennedy gave a report on his small assembly in Delaware, and what they do to witness for our Heavenly Father, Yahweh. They have a “conference call” ministry allowing people to call in and listen to the messages being given, then they can participate in the scripture discussion that follows. Brother Frank said that they spend hours on the Sabbath worshiping and discussing scripture. Technology can be a very helpful tool in witnessing Yahweh’s word.

     Brother Mike Banak gave a serious, but humorous, message on the many possibilities of pronouncing Yahweh’s name, and asked for “grace” from the brethren on condemning those who do not pronounce the Name just as they do. He brought out the many vowel sounds in Hebrew, and the “supra-segmentals” representing additional  modifications to vowel sounds, thus making the pronunciation of Yahweh’s name almost impossible to match exactly according to what they heard at Mt. Sinai. In the end, he came up with 270,000 possibilities. His conclusion: We cope with these uncertainties by grace. If you are interested in having a booklet covering his message, please write in and we will send it to you.

     Sabbath morning, Elder Dwayne Wilson gave a good message entitled, “We are to be a Light on a Hill.” He asked if we are caught up in the cares of the world or are we on the path that leads to eternal life? Matthew 5:14 & 16 says, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father Which is in heaven.” We cannot straddle the fence forever. We will be forced to choose whether we want to be a part of the world or we want to serve Yahweh.

     We had two wonderful messages on “Unity” at the Unity Conference this year. Brother Jonnie Mize asked, “How do we achieve unity?” and  summed  up his talk by saying, “Until Yahshua comes, although we might not be totally united in doctrine, we can still be united in love.” This year was a good example of “being united in love” in spite of differences in doctrine, and there was, indeed, a good spirit.

     Elder Marvin Wilson also spoke on “Seeking the Truth in the Unity of the Spirit.” He quoted Ephesians 4:13, “...till we all come in the unity of the faith (belief), and of the knowledge of the Son of Yahweh, unto a complete man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Messiah.” He asked the question, “Do we have the love of truth?” We are not all at the same point, but we should be searching for truth in our daily walk with Yahshua.

     Elder Jake C. Meyer gave a very interesting talk on the “Sacred Name Legacy.” Just as the children of Israel were told in Deuteronomy 8:11, “Beware that thou forget not Yahweh thy Elohim, in not keeping His commandments, and His judgments, and His statutes, which I command thee this day,” we should not forget Yahweh’s laws, and the Sacred Name legacy. We need to guard against letting this message flounder or falter. We are Satan’s target and his desire is to destroy Yahweh’s work.

     Elder Jerry Healan gave an in-depth study on “The Curse That Comes Upon the Earth.” When Yahweh brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, He made a marriage covenant with them. He promised that if Israel would obey the conditions of the covenant, they would be greatly blessed throughout all the earth. Instead of obeying the terms of the covenant, they went into idolatrous worship and left the worship of Yahweh. We are still experiencing the curse of the sins of Israel today.

     Brother Paul Nison gave a seminar on nutrition and natural healing by using Yahweh-given herbs. He also talked about “common sense kosher” and said that, although a food is considered kosher, with all the additives they put in our foods, it is not necessarily healthy for our bodies. He talked about relieving stress and how harmful it is for our health. The presentation was  very interesting.

     The conference concluded with a report on foreign ministries. Elder Dwayne Wilson gave an update on what is happening in Kenya, and explained the plans in progress to drill a well on the assembly's land. At the present time, they have to walk approximately 3 miles to get water. The well will be a blessing for the brethren, and will also serve people from other towns around the area.

     Although Tony Suckla was not able to attend the Unity Conference this year, an encouraging report was given on the magnificent work he is doing in India. Brother Tony is involved in a school for children from Kindergarten through eighth grade. There are 285 children attending the school, with a staff of 28, not including Tony. These children can count on getting at least one good meal a day, thanks to Brother Tony. On Sabbath, the children and teachers come to school where he teaches them out of the scriptures, and sing songs, along with appropriate activities for children. They also observed the Feast of Tabernacles with about 80 people in attendance. Praise Yahweh for the opportunity to witness His truth to these people. Brother Tony would like to express his appreciation to all the brethren who have helped to support the work and make it possible for him to be there.

     We were blessed to have a baptism during the Unity Conference. Will Brinson from Huntsville, Texas was immersed into Yahshua’s Name. Let’s keep this newly-baptized brother in our prayers.

     We would like to thank the Cisco assembly for their wonderful hospitality, and for all the work they put into making this Unity Conference one of the best ever. Each year they just seem to keep getting better and better. We hope to see you all at Rocheport for next year’s Unity Conference, to be held August 3, 4 and 5, 2012. 

Click here for a few pictures from this year's Unity Conference in Cisco, Texas.

HalleluYah!