NASSAU, Bahamas – Held outside of the United States for the first time, The Gathering 2019, an international church conference hosted annually by Global United Fellowship (GUF), attracted more than 3,500 participants from around the world to the Atlantis Resort at Paradise Island from July 9 – 12, 2019.
Global United Fellowship Presiding Bishop Neil C. Ellis says on GUF’s website that the mandate of Global United Fellowship is to “be different in its approach to uniting the Body of Christ and equipping church leaders with the tools necessary to build and maintain healthy churches.”
“Therefore, GUF distinguishes itself as not another church denomination but a fellowship of churches united to enrich and expand the Kingdom of God to all the nations in the world,” the website notes. “Although the fellowship is international, it has a significant presence of more than 600 Churches in the United States, which is where its last five conferences have been held.”
In announcing that The Gathering 2019 would be held outside the United States for the first time at the Atlantis Resort in The Bahamas, the home country of Presiding Bishop Ellis, the website quoted Bishop Ellis as saying: “Hospitality is central to the Bahamian people, so this promises to be an extraordinary experience as everyone will feel welcome. If this is an attendee’s first time on the island, they will leave home to come home. If it is not their first time, they will leave home to return home.”
Because the conference was being held in The Bahamas, the website said GUF organizers “made some programmatic changes this year so that attendees can enjoy the beautiful Atlantis Resort and explore the island overall.”
Established in October of 2013 under the leadership of Bishop Ellis, Senior Pastor of Mt. Tabor Baptist Church in Nassau, Global United Fellowship “is a cross-denominational fellowship of spiritual leaders and churches united to strategically plan, implement and execute transformative and generational impact,” according to GUF’s website.
“In six years, GUF has grown from 41 churches to more than 1400 churches in 42 Countries,” the website noted. “The Fellowship’s Five Prong mandate is to unite churches; equip leaders; enhance marriages; resurrect the dying discipline of prayer and build covenant relationships within the Body of Christ. GUF is represented in churches from countries and provinces, including the Bahamas, England, Jamaica, Pakistan, South Africa, the Turks & Caicos Islands, the Philippines, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba and The United States.”
The website adds: “With more than 100 consecrated Bishops and Apostles in the Fellowship, and hundreds of influential pastors, GUF is equipped to leave a major spiritual imprint on today’s culture through targeted ministries in the areas of Family, Education, Business, Media, Religion, Government and Arts & Entertainment.” Check out this interview of Bishop Neil C. Ellis by renowned American journalist at the closing session of The Gathering 2019: https://youtu.be/f3bIKfjswCY
