Bishop Samuel McMahon

Bishop McMahon is no stranger to laboring to promote the work of the Church in the Northwest Region, as well as in other regions. That work, he says, has been a lifelong passion that he hopes to continue for many more years, until other workers who share the same passion and commitment can rise up and see the work through. He wants to still be working when the Lord comes.

“The Church of God has been my life,” Bishop McMahon says. “I was saved and joined the Church at the age of 13, and we [my family and I] have given everything we had, as far as money, to the work of the Church. It's the Old Ship of Zion, and I believe it's the vehicle that's going to take us above the tribulation to the marriage supper of the Lamb. It's the Lord's wife, the City that John saw coming down, and next to salvation, it has been the most important thing in my life.” 

Bishop McMahon has pastored for 37 consecutive years, occasionally pastoring two churches at the same time and having once pastored as many three churches. His first church, a work that he began at the urging of his former overseer, was in Davidson, AL, where he began his pastoral experience on the first Sunday of September in 1973. In four years time, the church had quadrupled its membership. 

He later pastored in Pheonix City, AL, before organizing and pastoring a new church in Eufaula, AL. He then moved to Kentucky, where pastored churches in Middlesborough, Black and Greensfork. Afterward, he pastored several other churches in Kentucky, including Russell Springs, London, Sewellton, Elizabethtown, Somerset and Montecello. By this time, he had been appointed district overseer, in addition to pastoring at Little Leatherwood, KY. 

Bro. McMahon then returned to Alabama, to pastor two churches, Fort Payne and Section, before pastoring a number of other churhes there. He pastored at Browntown, Dothan and Morganfield,  renewing his covenant with The Church of God in 1994 before his next big move in the ministry. 

With renewed zeal and inspiration, Bro. McMahon again moved to Kentucky, where he pastored The Church of God in Sturgis. He was soon appointed district overseer and field secretary, similtaneously pastoring churches at Science Hill and Russell Springs, KY. In the second year of his pastorate there, he  reopened a church at Pineville, KY and began to pastor there, as well. 

Bishop McMahon still had a few other large moves to undertake for the ministry. These included pastoring in Commerce and Millan, GA, before moving his family to Canada to pastor Vernon, BC,  and to serve as Regional Overseer for Western Canada. 

In August, 2008, Bishop McMahon was appointed by General Overseer Stephen Smith to serve as the Regional Overseer for the Northwest Region. Shortly thereafter, he reorganized The Church of God in Yakima, WA, and began to pastor there. He has since seen growth in the Yakima church and has also been preaching at the Naches Indepent Church, nearby, where he anticipates the start of an even greater work when the pastor there retires. Additionally, he has been working with possible mission churches  throughout the Northwest Region and hopes to see a significant increase, both spiritually and numerically in the near future.

“I would like to see us double our number of churches, as well as our membership,” Bro. McMahon asserts. “We have the opportunity to do that.”

Altogether, he counts eight new fields where The Church of God can and should begin works as soon as workers are available to labor in them. 

“I would like to see all of the members catch the excitement of evangelism,” he says. “I think that we've almost lost the evangelism part of our vision. It seems that no one is willing to go and do anymore—to, as we used to say, spend and be spent for the Lord—to be used by Him whenever and wherever they're needed. If everyone had that desire, and if everyone would win just one person, that would automatically double The Church of God in this region.”

Bishop McMahon says he considers pastoring to be one of the most important jobs in the Church. Although often far from being a prestigious position, it is the needs and demands of the position that make it so important. 

“I believe that working with the sheep, tending sheep, protecting the sheep and feeding the sheep is close to the top most important job in the Church,” he explains. However, he also encourages members to explore and abide in whatever calling God has upon their lives, because laborers are needed in every office and ministry of the Church.