The Tribune

AFTER 20 years of service to the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International, the Senior Pastor of Mount Tabor Full Gospel Baptist Church, Bishop Neil C. Ellis, has formally resigned as 2nd Presiding Bishop, and a member of the Bishop’s Council.

He has officially withdrawn his membership and that of Mount Tabor Full Gospel Baptist Church from the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International.

In a letter (see below) addressed to the International Presiding Bishop Paul S. Morton, Bishop Ellis said: “I am satisfied, after much prayer and reflection that the Holy Spirit is now leading me to bring this season of my life in the Fellowship to a close”.

Bishop Ellis expressed gratitude, “to Almighty God for guiding my heart, hands and mind over the past 20 years as I have transitioned from role to role in our Fellowship and I wish to express gratitude to you for allowing me to serve.”

He further recognised the members of the Bishop’s Council, for the respect and cooperation extended to him particularly during the last 11 years while serving as 3rd and 2nd Presiding Bishop.

Mount Tabor’s Senior Pastor pronounced a blessing on: “Bishop Morton and Lady Morton during your final years on the frontline of the Fellowship; may He be allowed to guide the hands and the work of the International Presiding Bishop-Elect and may God smile upon the future of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International.”

The decision comes on the heels of a move this past July at the Fellowship’s international conference in Lousiville, Kentucky when Ellis pulled out of a two man race for the leadership of the Christian group in his words, “to avoid a possible division within the fellowship.”

Bishop Morton will demit office in 2015.

THE letter in full from Neil Ellis:

Dear Bishop Morton,

As a follow-up to our conversation earlier today (Ellis/Morton), please accept this letter as my official resignation as the 2nd Presiding Bishop and as a member of the Bishop’s Council of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International, with immediate effect. I would wish for this letter to also serve as the official withdrawal of my membership and that of the Mount Tabor Full Gospel Baptist Church in Nassau, Bahamas, from the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International.

I wish also for this letter to record my thanks to Almighty God for guiding my heart, hands and mind over the past 20 years as I have transitioned from role to role in our Fellowship and I wish to express gratitude to you for allowing me to serve.

In 1994 I began my tenure as State Overseer for The Bahamas. At that time, the Bahamas was under the Florida Region. Within 10 months and by God’s almighty grace, we grew from 3 churches to 16 churches. This rapid growth resulted in the Bahamas becoming a new region, and in my being consecrated in 1995 to the office of Bishop appointed to serve as the first Regional Bishop for the Bahamas.

Simultaneously, I served as the first Bishop of Foreign Ministries; with responsibilities for churches outside of the continental United States of America. In that role, I was afforded the wonderful privilege of being the voice and the face of the fellowship and an instrument of change for the Kingdom in Africa, India, Canada, Europe and the Caribbean. What a tremendous opportunity this was to serve.

As the Fellowship expanded, I have had the distinguished opportunity to serve as the first and only Chairman of the College of Bishops, 1st Assistant to the 3rd Presiding Bishop and the personal honor was mine to serve you for three years as the 1st Assistant to the International Presiding Bishop. While serving in these offices, I was able to connect with the individual needs of our wider membership. In this regard, I am pleased that the Debt-Free Program initiated during my tenure as 1st Assistant to the International Presiding Bishop, remains a part of the ministry of the Fellowship.

Eleven years ago, I was appointed to serve in the capacity as 3rd Presiding Bishop. In this post, I served as Acting Presiding Bishop for a three month period, while the International Presiding Bishop took a leave of absence after the devastating blow of hurricane Katrina.

For the last seven years, I have had the privilege of serving in the office of 2nd Presiding Bishop. In this post, I was pleased to have been able to introduce the State of the Affairs Service that continues to set the pace for the annual conferences as the opening gathering; particularly for the leadership of the Fellowship.

What an awesome journey and a marvelous experience all of this has been. To God be the glory!

At the root and core of my Christian journey there is, and always has been, a resolve to yield to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This resolve has guided my relationships and decision-making within the Fellowship. It is this resolve that allowed me to remain in the Fellowship and endeavor to serve as a faithful and dutiful member and loyal assistant to you; even though you and I know, that there were occasions when, humanly, I could have reasonably walked away.

As I continue to accept the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I am satisfied, after much prayer and reflection that the Holy Spirit is now leading me to bring this season of my life in the Fellowship to a close.

It is left only for me then, to give thanks. Thanks to you for the opportunity to serve and for the support you have given to and confidence you have placed in me over the years. Thanks to the members of the Bishop’s Council, for the respect and cooperation extended to me particularly during the last 11 years while serving as 3rd and 2nd Presiding Bishop. I wish God’s choicest blessings on each of them.

May God bless you and First Lady Morton during your final years on the frontline of the Fellowship; may He be allowed to guide the hands and the work of the International Presiding Bishop-Elect and may God smile upon the future of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International.

Sincerely,

Neil C. Ellis

2nd Presiding Bishop