What a time we had at Dominion Camp Meeting 2026! If you were unable to experience it in person, it is available to download or to watch across all social media channels.
I want to reiterate some points from a message I shared with those from our great City Harvest Network who were in attendance at a special session on Thursday night, July 2, just before DCM began. I believe this deserves special emphasis now because we are in danger of diminishing influence if we do not return to fundamental values and principles that helped us achieve great victories in the past.
Three things deserve particular attention: legacy, souls, and Pentecost. I will deal with the first of these this month. God willing, I will expound on the other two in subsequent newsletters.
When I use the term legacy, I am not talking about a financial windfall bequeathed to heirs after the demise of a family leader. Legacy as I am using it means an enduring influence or result. The legacy we have received from those who have gone before us can be continued as we pass it along to those coming after us. However, the transfer of legacy is in particular danger in our culture. I plan to address that danger before explaining more about how legacy can and must be continued.
I do not recommend Karl Marx as a role model in any way, but he recognized a principle that caused his ideas to receive far greater attention than they deserved. It is this: people without a heritage are easily persuaded.
If we don’t know from where or from whom we have come, we will have difficulty identifying who we really are. If we are uncertain about our identity or our purpose, others will try to persuade us to conform to the image of who they think we should be.
This has become a particular problem in our world of a multiplicity of social media outlets. Today it seems as though everyone has a voice, a podcast, and often an influence that is far greater than their experience, education, or character would otherwise warrant. Anyone who has sense enough to point a cell phone camera at themselves while talking suddenly becomes an expert, or at least is credited with providing credible commentary on some issue or other. They don’t need credentials or even charisma. All they need is a conclusion recorded on video. Before long, hundreds or even thousands of people are sharing the opinion of the so-called influencer, and conforming to their conclusions.
Here is what the apostle Paul said about this phenomenon in Ephesians 4:14 (AMP): “So that we are no longer children [spiritually immature], tossed back and forth [like ships on a stormy sea] and carried about by every wind of [shifting] doctrine, by the cunning and trickery of [unscrupulous] men, by the deceitful scheming of people ready to do anything [for personal profit].
Don’t misunderstand me. I am not saying that everyone who has a podcast is a deceiver. I have a podcast, as do many others who are using every means available to share the gospel with a lost and suffering world. What I am saying is that it is far more likely that people will be deceived if they are not rooted and grounded in the truth. It is also more likely that people who are rootless and have no connection to a spiritual father will be drawn away and enticed by false doctrine.
There is provision in a father’s house, and protection in a father’s oversight. This may seem antithetical to anyone who has been abandoned, abused, or betrayed by their natural father. Keep this in mind: even though your natural father may have failed you or forsaken you, there is a heavenly Father who will never fail you and never forsake you. Rather than being chained to the failures of your predecessors, I encourage you to shake off the shackles of the past and allow God to connect you with those who will provide a clear and straight path to follow into His purpose.
We see examples of this throughout the Bible. Joshua had Moses as an example. Some of what God put on Moses was also available to Joshua. Elisha served Elijah. The servant received a double portion of what was on his master. Paul mentored Timothy, who pastored with distinction in the early days of the developing church. The greatest example, of course, is Jesus and the disciples He chose to follow Him, to learn from Him, and to imitate His faith and His behavior. They changed the world.
I can tell you how this worked in my own life. As a young man pastoring at the direction of God Almighty, I had few examples of how to lead, to manage, and to grow a new local church. I prayed, I studied, and I read as much as I could on the subject, but I recognized that there was much I did not know. God supernaturally arranged for me to come into contact with Dr. Lester Sumrall. It was a divine connection that benefited not only me, but my family and the church I pastored.
Dr. Sumrall provided an example of faithfulness through trials, steadfastness in the midst of storms, and perseverance despite persecution. When unprecedented opposition arose against me personally or against the ministry efforts I was leading, I could call him for counsel and encouragement, which he never failed to provide. Even when I did not reach him personally, I could be guided by his example and manner of life as he successfully navigated the perils of perilous times.
The wisdom and foresight he provided to me was no accident. Dr. Sumrall himself had been the grateful recipient of the experiences and insight available from mentors God provided him also. Foremost among these were Dr. Howard Carter and Smith Wigglesworth—men whose names were widely known nearly a century ago, but in many places are scarcely recognized today.
Dr. Howard Carter was the man who received revelation from God about the nine manifestation gifts of the Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12 that has become the standard in Pentecostal churches worldwide.
Smith Wigglesworth was an illiterate plumber who received salvation and became one of the most sought-after speakers of his generation. He became known as the apostle of faith. Some of the most dramatic miracles of that age happened because of his relentless faith, including several people being raised from the dead.
These kinds of supernatural occurrences are not just a legacy handed down to me—this belongs to all of us who have recognized the call and commission of the Lord Jesus Christ to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
Those who have gone before us have blazed a trail that we can confidently follow. And then, we can do the same for others as those of previous generations have done for us.
However, this will not happen automatically—we must be intentional about seeking and finding men and women who will receive what we have to give them. In every generation, there are those who will not just accommodate God’s will, but who will aggressively pursue His plan and purpose for their lives. They will demonstrate their determination by showing up, submitting to authority, listening to and absorbing instruction (and correction), and making and maintaining a commitment to excellence in all their endeavors. Every soul has unlimited potential, but there are some who have a noticeable ability to translate zeal into effectiveness in whatever God has called them and anointed them to do. These are the ones who will not be satisfied with mundane and mediocre living. They are those who are most likely to receive and carefully steward the legacy of faith that we have to pass on to them.
What has gone before us will also go beyond us. It will not come to an end—it will endure if we will do the work that is necessary to carry that flame into the future.
Yours for the Harvest,
Dr. Rod Parsley
Founder & General Overseer
I want to reiterate some points from a message I shared with those from our great City Harvest Network who were in attendance at a special session on Thursday night, July 2, just before DCM began. I believe this deserves special emphasis now because we are in danger of diminishing influence if we do not return to fundamental values and principles that helped us achieve great victories in the past.
Three things deserve particular attention: legacy, souls, and Pentecost. I will deal with the first of these this month. God willing, I will expound on the other two in subsequent newsletters.
When I use the term legacy, I am not talking about a financial windfall bequeathed to heirs after the demise of a family leader. Legacy as I am using it means an enduring influence or result. The legacy we have received from those who have gone before us can be continued as we pass it along to those coming after us. However, the transfer of legacy is in particular danger in our culture. I plan to address that danger before explaining more about how legacy can and must be continued.
I do not recommend Karl Marx as a role model in any way, but he recognized a principle that caused his ideas to receive far greater attention than they deserved. It is this: people without a heritage are easily persuaded.
If we don’t know from where or from whom we have come, we will have difficulty identifying who we really are. If we are uncertain about our identity or our purpose, others will try to persuade us to conform to the image of who they think we should be.
This has become a particular problem in our world of a multiplicity of social media outlets. Today it seems as though everyone has a voice, a podcast, and often an influence that is far greater than their experience, education, or character would otherwise warrant. Anyone who has sense enough to point a cell phone camera at themselves while talking suddenly becomes an expert, or at least is credited with providing credible commentary on some issue or other. They don’t need credentials or even charisma. All they need is a conclusion recorded on video. Before long, hundreds or even thousands of people are sharing the opinion of the so-called influencer, and conforming to their conclusions.
Here is what the apostle Paul said about this phenomenon in Ephesians 4:14 (AMP): “So that we are no longer children [spiritually immature], tossed back and forth [like ships on a stormy sea] and carried about by every wind of [shifting] doctrine, by the cunning and trickery of [unscrupulous] men, by the deceitful scheming of people ready to do anything [for personal profit].
Don’t misunderstand me. I am not saying that everyone who has a podcast is a deceiver. I have a podcast, as do many others who are using every means available to share the gospel with a lost and suffering world. What I am saying is that it is far more likely that people will be deceived if they are not rooted and grounded in the truth. It is also more likely that people who are rootless and have no connection to a spiritual father will be drawn away and enticed by false doctrine.
There is provision in a father’s house, and protection in a father’s oversight. This may seem antithetical to anyone who has been abandoned, abused, or betrayed by their natural father. Keep this in mind: even though your natural father may have failed you or forsaken you, there is a heavenly Father who will never fail you and never forsake you. Rather than being chained to the failures of your predecessors, I encourage you to shake off the shackles of the past and allow God to connect you with those who will provide a clear and straight path to follow into His purpose.
We see examples of this throughout the Bible. Joshua had Moses as an example. Some of what God put on Moses was also available to Joshua. Elisha served Elijah. The servant received a double portion of what was on his master. Paul mentored Timothy, who pastored with distinction in the early days of the developing church. The greatest example, of course, is Jesus and the disciples He chose to follow Him, to learn from Him, and to imitate His faith and His behavior. They changed the world.
I can tell you how this worked in my own life. As a young man pastoring at the direction of God Almighty, I had few examples of how to lead, to manage, and to grow a new local church. I prayed, I studied, and I read as much as I could on the subject, but I recognized that there was much I did not know. God supernaturally arranged for me to come into contact with Dr. Lester Sumrall. It was a divine connection that benefited not only me, but my family and the church I pastored.
Dr. Sumrall provided an example of faithfulness through trials, steadfastness in the midst of storms, and perseverance despite persecution. When unprecedented opposition arose against me personally or against the ministry efforts I was leading, I could call him for counsel and encouragement, which he never failed to provide. Even when I did not reach him personally, I could be guided by his example and manner of life as he successfully navigated the perils of perilous times.
The wisdom and foresight he provided to me was no accident. Dr. Sumrall himself had been the grateful recipient of the experiences and insight available from mentors God provided him also. Foremost among these were Dr. Howard Carter and Smith Wigglesworth—men whose names were widely known nearly a century ago, but in many places are scarcely recognized today.
Dr. Howard Carter was the man who received revelation from God about the nine manifestation gifts of the Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12 that has become the standard in Pentecostal churches worldwide.
Smith Wigglesworth was an illiterate plumber who received salvation and became one of the most sought-after speakers of his generation. He became known as the apostle of faith. Some of the most dramatic miracles of that age happened because of his relentless faith, including several people being raised from the dead.
These kinds of supernatural occurrences are not just a legacy handed down to me—this belongs to all of us who have recognized the call and commission of the Lord Jesus Christ to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
Those who have gone before us have blazed a trail that we can confidently follow. And then, we can do the same for others as those of previous generations have done for us.
However, this will not happen automatically—we must be intentional about seeking and finding men and women who will receive what we have to give them. In every generation, there are those who will not just accommodate God’s will, but who will aggressively pursue His plan and purpose for their lives. They will demonstrate their determination by showing up, submitting to authority, listening to and absorbing instruction (and correction), and making and maintaining a commitment to excellence in all their endeavors. Every soul has unlimited potential, but there are some who have a noticeable ability to translate zeal into effectiveness in whatever God has called them and anointed them to do. These are the ones who will not be satisfied with mundane and mediocre living. They are those who are most likely to receive and carefully steward the legacy of faith that we have to pass on to them.
What has gone before us will also go beyond us. It will not come to an end—it will endure if we will do the work that is necessary to carry that flame into the future.
Yours for the Harvest,
Dr. Rod Parsley
Founder & General Overseer