Men’s Ministry Pioneer Ed Cole Remembered 10 Years Later
Ed Cole launched a global men’s movement that has lived well beyond him. And leaders from around the world gathered to celebrate that movement this past weekend at an event called “Meet Me at the Jetty” in Newport Beach, Calif.
Cole’s Christian Men’s Network (CMN), a global men’s movement that trained more than 1 million men in more than 100 nations, just celebrated 35 years of ministry. Attendees also commemorated the 10-year mark of Cole’s passing and his book, Maximized Manhood.
James O. Davis, founder of the Billion Soul Network with more than 400,000 churches worldwide; Robert Barriger of Camino de Vida in Lima, Peru; and Doug Stringer, founder of Somebody Cares International, were among the speakers.
“The legacy of our future is connected to the foundations laid, sacrifices made and price paid for us to build upon. The 10-year anniversary of Dr. Edwin Louis Cole’s heaven going and the 35th anniversary of CMN during ‘Meet Me at the Jetty’ will prove to be far more significant than we may realize,” says Stringer.
“To whom much has been given, much is required. There is a sobering sense of greater responsibility as we enter into the next season of ministry. With this we recognize that with every new level of God’s commissioning there also comes a need for higher expectation in the Lord with a deeper personal consecration.”
The Newport Beach ocean jetty was the location where Cole walked, prayed and launched the vision of the CMN. During the three-day commemoration, attending supporters and friends of Cole followed in his footsteps by praying for men around the world each morning at the jetty.
“The principles of Ed Cole are not just defined by the length of his life, but they continue to impact the world today,” said Glenn Burris, president of the Foursquare Church International, who joined other Christian leaders in Newport Beach. “He was an effective influencer and his teaching spoke to every area of life.”
Christian Men’s Network, led today by Cole’s son, Paul Cole, has facilitated and witnessed significant changes in men’s ministry over the past three decades. CMN has remained an expert on ministering to and building up men. Major denominations and church fellowships embrace the discipling resources of the network.
“Christian Men’s Network is not a ministry, it’s a discipling movement,” said Eddy Leo, pastor of the 250,000-member Abbalove Church in Jakarta, who brought his leaders from Indonesia to the commemoration. “When we mentor the next generation as fathers, we will see major change happen.”
As part of the commemoration, the ministry also celebrated the completion of a six-year project to compile more than 3,000 of Cole’s personal and ministry notes, sermons, DVDs and books into one compendium called “The Collection.”
“No person is dead as long as their name is mentioned and their story is being told,” said Jim Garlow, senior pastor of Skyline Church in La Mesa, Calif. “Dr. Cole has been and is still far ahead of our time.”
