Trending
WHEELING -- Suff. Bishop Darrell Cummings, pastor of Shiloh Apostolic Faith Assembly in Weirton and Bethlehem Apostolic Temple in Wheeling, will now serve as a spiritual and community leader in two cities thousands of miles apart.
Cummings was voted Bishop of Port Elizabeth on Wednesday by the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World's Board of Bishops during its midwinter meeting.
"I'm going to be the American spiritual representative for Port Elizabeth," explained Cummings.
"This is an exciting time and a nervous time for me," continued Cummings. "I'm nervous as a long-tail cat in a room full of rocking chairs because I've never done this before."
The excitement for Cummings stems from becoming the first Pentecostal Assemblies of the World diocesan bishop in the Ohio Valley in more than 100 years. The nerves stem from being named a diocesan on a national level, as Cummings has served as a suffragan bishop, which is the assistant to the diocesan bishop.
Cummings first became involved with Port Elizabeth seven years ago when he invited the former bishop of Port Elizabeth, Gwendolyn Weeks, to speak at the Bethlehem Apostolic Temple.
Cummings described "making a connection" to Weeks and her service in Port Elizabeth while she was in Wheeling. The Bethlehem Apostolic Temple then began to support the work Weeks was doing in the city financially.
After several years of Cummings supporting Port Elizabeth from afar, Weeks invited Cummings and his wife, Laitsha Turner-Cummings, to visit South Africa and speak at churches in the area. From there, the Cummingses were invited back six times, continuing their collaboration with Weeks.
For the past three years, Cummings and his wife have visited Port Elizabeth every February and October for two weeks at a time. When Weeks decided to retire from her position as bishop of Port Elizabeth to become the bishop of Maryland, she nominated Cummings for her former position.
From there began a vetting process for Cummings that included Wheeling community leaders writing letters on his behalf and a year-long investigation by the board of bishops to determine whether he was worthy of the role.
After being voted into the position by the board on Wednesday, Cummings will now be consecrated in Baltimore in July. He explained that about 10,000 people from the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World convention will attend.
In October, Cummings will head to Port Elizabeth for his installation to the position, which will include a special service and program with pastors in the community. Cummings added they hope to have a duplicate installation in the Ohio Valley at a later date.
"This is an extreme honor and privilege," said Cummings. "It's a heavy responsibility, but also a high one. I hope to extend my legacy and service to our community in the Ohio Valley and now be a part of helping to make a difference here and around the world."
Cummings' work in Port Elizabeth will include building and establishing churches along with meeting with pastors and community leaders in the area.
"I will meet with the community leaders there and become the pastor of that community, just like I am a pastor in Wheeling," described Cummings. "God forbid something negative happens in the area, I will also serve as a positive spiritual leader that the community can rely on."
Cummings noted his service in Port Elizabeth will not differ too much from his duties as a pastor in Wheeling. He noted both areas have residents who are in need of assistance.
While much of what Cummings does as bishop will be similar to his work as a pastor, he noted many more residents in Port Elizabeth need assistance. He explained the city has a 90 percent unemployment rate, which he has witnessed the impact of firsthand during his work in the city.
"South Africa is a wonderful place, and Port Elizabeth is a wonderful place, but there are some people who are in great need," noted Cummings. "Once when we were giving out some shoes and dresses, a child who was probably 6 or 7 told us that the pair of shoes we gave them was the first pair they had ever had."
"We don't have that in the Ohio Valley," continued Cummings. "As far as I know, everybody here has had shoes before, but in South Africa, some things we take for granted here are true luxuries."