The Commission on Discipleship

L. Alton Garrison, Commissioner

L. Alton Garrison was elected assistant general superintendent of the Assemblies of God at the 52nd General Council of the church in August 2007. He is a member of the Fellowship’s Executive Leadership Team and Executive Presbytery. As assistant general superintendent, he serves as the commissioner on discipleship and as executive director for the Discipleship/Church Ministries Division, which includes all of the adult, youth and children ministries of the church.  Garrison served as executive director of U.S. Missions since 2005. He was superintendent of the Arkansas District from 2001 until his election to AG U.S. Missions in 2005. He pastored First Assembly of God in North Little Rock, Arkansas, for 15 years. Garrison led First Assembly in developing extensive lay ministry involvement and giving millions of dollars to missions. From 1966 to 1985, Garrison ministered as an evangelist.  Garrison is a graduate of Southwestern Assemblies of God University in Waxahachie, Texas. He is author of Hope in America’s Crisis and Building a Winning Team.

Watch the powerful chapel message he presented to the national office on October 9, 2007.

Wes Bartel

Wes Bartel has been active in Christian education for over 30 years, holding leadership positions at both the district and national levels. Wes has been a successful pastor, using Christian education to help build and strengthen a variety of churches. He is currently the director of the national Sunday School Department.

Mark Canfield

Mark Canfield serves as the Lead Pastor of Pinellas Community Church in St. Petersburg, Florida, overseeing five pastoral staff members and five ministry directors. He became part of the PCC staff in 1994 and has since founded and implemented several ministry groups for the church. Pastor Canfield graduated from Southeastern College with a BA in Church Ministries. He is an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God and served as a Youth Representative for the Peninsular District Assemblies of God. Mark has been a conference presenter, guest speaker and musician for a variety of churches and events. He and his wife Lori have four children: Jonathan, Jensyn, Jocelyn and Jacob.

Alfred Cockfield

Alfred Cockfield was called by God into the ministry in 1975. He has ministered across the country and in just about every continent (except Antarctica). He has invested nearly 35 years of service at God’s Battalion of Prayer Church in Brooklyn, New York, where he is Senior Pastor. Rev. Cockfield also oversees Churches in South America, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, New York, Illinois, Delaware, South Africa and Nigeria. His desire is to see Christians grow in the knowledge of the Bible, establish healthy relationships in Christ, and toward others to the glory of God. He enjoys spending time with his wife, Audrey Linette, children, grand children, and writing. He has authored several books and articles. Rev. Cockfield received his degrees: Bachelor in Pastoral Studies, Berean College, Springfield, MO; M.A. in New Testament Theology; M. Div. in Urban Studies, from Alliance Theological Seminary and his D. Min. from Northwest Graduate School of Ministry/Bakke Graduate University of Ministry, in Seattle, Washington.

Rebecca Gullion

Rebecca Gullion serves as the National Coordinator of Discipleship and Small Groups for the Assemblies of God.  She earned a B.A. in Children’s Ministries/Bible from Central Bible College in 1998 and has been active in children’s ministries for over 20 years.  She is currently involved in a small group ministry in her local church.  Rebecca is passionate about discipleship and helping churches throughout the Assemblies of God partner with one another to strengthen discipleship efforts across the Fellowship.

Randy Hurst

Randy Hurst is a missionary-evangelist who also serves as commissioner of evangelism for the Assemblies of God and director of communications for Assemblies of God World Missions. He has been a pastor, college teacher, missionary, linguist and author and has ministered throughout the United States and in more than 50 countries of the world. The son of missionary parents and a long-term missionary himself, Randy Hurst's focus of ministry is on the unreached and the responsibility of all believers to share the message of Jesus Christ.

Winston Larry

Winston Larry has been a Senior Pastor for 15 years at New Covenant Assembly of God in Gary, Indiana. He has a D. Min. in Counseling and Psychology and has been a licensed and practicing psychotherapist for 22 years in Indiana. He has also served 2 terms as a committee member on the Assemblies of God Commission on Ethnicity. He and his wife, Marilyn, have been married 10 years and have two children, Christopher and Joshua.

Jay Mooney

Jay Mooney serves as the National Youth Director for the Assemblies of God. He has also served as youth pastor, senior pastor, and was a district leader for the state of Georgia for four years. Previously, Jay served as the National Student Outreach (Youth Alive) Director. Jay speaks to motivate God’s will in students and adults. He is married to Laura, and they have four children: Elizabeth, Elise, Eric and Erin.

Jason Noble

Jason Noble is the National Director of the National Children's Ministries agency, meeting the many needs of children's pastors and churches. He speaks at conferences, conducts training seminars and children pastor's retreats, and speaks at kid's camps. Jason and his wife, Paula, have served as children's pastors for eight years in two different churches: Seattle Outreach Ministries in Seattle, WA, and most recently at Lakeview Assembly in Stockton, CA. They are both graduates of Northwest College in Kirkland, WA. Jason has a B.A. in Church Ministries with an emphasis in children, and Paula has a B.A. in Elementary Education. They have four wonderful children: Avi, Ryan, Audree, and Julia. Jason and Paula's passion in ministry is to help children's ministry leaders and pastors reach their fullest potential in ministry and to help them build dynamic children's ministries. They also have a passion to reach kids and to raise them up for ministry.

Zollie L. Smith Jr.

Zollie L. Smith Jr. serves as the executive director of Assemblies of God U.S. Missions, coordinating the ministries of six departments: Church Planting; Chaplaincy Ministries; Teen Challenge International, USA; Chi Alpha Campus Ministries; Intercultural Ministries; and U.S. Mission America Placement Service (MAPS). Prior to his present position he served as the Executive Presbyter representing the Ethnic Fellowships and as president of the National Black Fellowship from 1998-2007. He has also served the New Jersey District as a senior pastor, the assistant superintendent, and as executive secretary. Ordained with the Assemblies of God in 1986, he holds a masters degree in business management with emphasis on non-profit organizations from Regent University; a bachelors degree in criminology and criminal justice from Florida State University; and a diploma in ministerial studies from Berean Bible College

Phil Steiger

Phil Steiger has been an associate pastor in the Rocky Mountain District for just over 10 years and is currently the senior pastor of a new church plant, Quail Lake Community Church. He received his M.A. in Philosophy of Religion from Denver Seminary. Phil and his wife Heather live in Colorado Springs.

Craig Sweeney

Craig Sweeney serves on the executive team at Capital Christian Center in Sacramento, California as the Director of Equipping. Craig’s role is to coach leadership in how to initiate equipping as a culture, church-wide. Craig also oversees and promotes partnership in ministry, which is one of the five purposes of Capital Christian Center. He and his wife Becky have been investing in people for the last eighteen years. Their passion is to see people unleashed into God’s plan for their family, church and city. The greatest reward of their life however, is being mom and dad to their two children, Seth and Hannah.

Juleen Turnage

Juleen Turnage is national Director of Communications/Public Relations for the Assemblies of God. She serves on various committees for the church and is a published author.

George O. Wood

Dr. George O. Wood was elected chief executive officer of the Assemblies of God at the 52nd General Council in August 2007. As general superintendent he is a member of the denomination’s Executive Leadership Team and Executive Presbytery.  Prior to his present position, Wood served the church as its general secretary for 14 years. He was assistant superintendent of the Southern California District from 1988-93. He pastored Newport-Mesa Christian Center in Costa Mesa, California, for 17 years.  The son of missionary parents to China and Tibet, Wood holds a doctoral degree in pastoral theology from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif., and a juris doctorate from Western State University College of Law in Fullerton, California. He did his undergraduate work at Evangel University (College) in Springfield, Missouri, and served the college in several capacities, including that of director of spiritual life and student life from 1965-71. He was ordained by the Southern Missouri District in 1967.  Wood is author of a number of books including: A Psalm In My Heart Vol. I & II, Living Fully, The Successful Life and a college text on the Book of Acts. He also is an attorney and a member of the California State Bar.  Sermons by Dr. Wood may be heard at www.georgeowood.com.

Dr. Mark Wootton

Mark has been an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God since 1983 and is the vice president for College Advancement at Central Bible College in Springfield, Missouri. He earned a B.A. from Central Bible College, an M.A. from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a D.Min. from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. Mark’s ministry experience includes youth pastoring and church planting in Ohio; pastoring two churches in Arizona; serving as a sectional presbyter in the South Central Section in Arizona; and serving as an instructor and president of Western Bible Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. While in Missouri, Mark has served in sectional and district offices within Men’s Ministries and missions in the Southern Missouri District, as a senior and staff pastor, and as a professor and chair of the Church Ministries Division at CBC. Mark is married to Joy, and they have four children: Tim, Dan, Lisa, and Julie.

J.T. Wray

J.T. Wray serves as the General Manager for Gospel Publishing House. He was formerly the marketing director for GPH. He has served this fellowship as a worship leader, youth volunteer and Sunday School teacher. He assisted his father in planting a church while he was a student at the University of Texas at Austin. During his senior year at U.T., he started Earth and Sky Recording Studio in Austin. He has also served as marketing director for a mixed-use real estate development as well as several other real estate related businesses.

Barry Young

Barry Young has a Bachelors in Bible from Central Bible College and a Master’s in Pastoral Ministry from Christian Bible College and Seminary. He has served 8 years as a youth Pastor, 2 at First Assembly of God in Kirksville Missouri and 6 at Tiffany Fellowship AG in Kansas City, Missouri. For the last 2 years he has been the Associate Pastor at Crown Pointe Church in Lee’s Summit Missouri. He and his wife Kelly have been married since 2001.