HAPPY PENTECOST SUNDAY 2009
Archive for May, 2009
The genuine power of the Holy Spirit is not just about miracles—we must also embrace holiness.
Very few evangelical Christians today observe the traditional church calendar. Sure, we know when to celebrate Christmas and Easter, but more obscure holidays like Epiphany or All Saints Day have long been forgotten—usually because we consider them “too Catholic.”
But we have a strange way of treating Pentecost, which happens to fall this year on May 31. Even those of us who wear the Pentecostal label rarely commemorate it, either because we forget to count the weeks after Easter or because we don’t place any importance on a date that gets lost somewhere between Mother’s Day and Memorial Day.
That’s odd when you consider that the Apostle Paul and the early disciples attached great significance to Pentecost. During his third missionary journey, Paul hurried to reach Jerusalem in time for Pentecost (see Acts 20:16), and he told the Corinthians that he planned to stay in Ephesus until Pentecost (see 1 Cor. 16:8). Paul had Pentecost on his mind; he marked time with it; it provided a sacred rhythm for his spiritual life. He was, without a doubt, the ultimate Pentecostal.
Before the coming of Christ, Pentecost was a joyful Jewish festival celebrating the wheat harvest 50 days after the first fruits offering. But the Old Covenant version of this holiday was just a foreshadowing of the great spiritual ingathering that occurred after the dramatic outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the first followers of Jesus. Pentecost was heaven’s inauguration ceremony for the church, complete with rushing wind, flames of fire and an astounding display of glossalalia. In that moment the men and women gathered in the upper room were visibly endued with supernatural power—and 3,000 people were converted in response to Peter’s preaching.
Pentecost was no small miracle. The fire that’s described in the second chapter of Acts was not unlike the fire that fell on Mount Carmel during Elijah’s contest with the prophets of Baal. But the fire of Pentecost came not to consume Elijah’s soggy wood but to set surrendered hearts ablaze. It came to show us that in the era of grace, God fills frail human vessels with His powerful Spirit—and anoints a new priesthood that is not based on race, gender, age or economic status.
How desperately we need a fresh anointing of Pentecost today. But if we want it, we must go back to the original formula.
Before John the Baptist was beheaded he prophesied that God would endue His church with power. He announced that Jesus Christ would give His church a double portion of His Spirit. John said: “He [Jesus] will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matt. 3:11, NASB, emphasis added). When the day of Pentecost arrived, sure enough, both wind and fire were evident. True Pentecost has both.
We’ve known the wind during the past 40 years of the charismatic movement. We have felt “times of refreshing” in the Holy Spirit’s renewing presence. We’ve enjoyed His healing, learned about the gifts of the Spirit, claimed His prosperity and received His supernatural power.
Some of us have spent a lot of time on the floors of our churches, soaking in His miraculous anointing. We love to shake, bake, rattle and roll. We saturate and marinate in the anointing. We experience Holy Ghost goose bumps. And sometimes, because of our immaturity, we use the Holy Spirit’s power to feed selfish desires or meet emotional needs.
But genuine Pentecost does not consist of wind alone. It’s not just about noise or feelings. John said Jesus would baptize us in fire as well as power. What is the fire of the Spirit?
Fire has a refining element. John the Baptist said: “His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and he will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Matt. 3:12). When it comes to Pentecost, holiness is not a side issue. It is the essence of the Holy Spirit’s work. When He comes in power, He also comes to burn up the sin in our lives. He comes with conviction, searching our motives, uprooting our unforgiveness and shattering our pride.
Our problem is that we treat the whole scene in Acts 2 as if it were a party. We want hoopla instead of the fear of God. We spend all our time splashing in the shallow end of His river when He has deeper things for us. We are afraid to embrace Jesus’ winnowing fork, and we resist when the fire of His Spirit comes to burn up our selfishness.
My Bible says wind and fire appeared on the day of Pentecost. We will not see Pentecost-style harvest without both. I pray you will ask for the double portion.
J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma.
We will baptise you in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ!
You can get the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues!
All of this @ Atlanta West Pentecostal Church! Join us and experience true Pentecost.
Sunday School, 9:00 A.M., 3:00 P.M.
Sunday Worship, 10:15 A.M., 4:15 P.M.
Pentecost – not a denomination – but an experience thats “second to none”. Embrace the power of Pentecost in your life today!
May 31, 2009
Author’s note: A message I heard in the late 1990s was the “seed” for a message of my own. Thus I cannot take full credit for this one. This article is taken from my notes of that message.
“And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father’s house. And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons. In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the Lord hath spoken it” (Isaiah 22:23-25).
My boyhood home was 10 Prospect, Alexandria, Louisiana. Others live there now, but it will always be a special spot to me because that is where, as a ten-year-old boy, God called me to preach. In a utility room behind the house, my dad knocked around on one of the sheet rock walls and found a stud, the spot behind the wall where there was a strong two-by-four. He drove a sixteen-penny nail into the center of the stud. We could hang anything on that nail and the nail would hold it. Even today that nail still holds. Things of great value hang on a nail, and when it falls, everything hanging on it will fall as well.
If you are New Testament born-again saint, pastor, youth leader, evangelist, teacher, father, mother, confidante, friend, your one solitary life is that “nail.” Valuable things are hanging on to you. Isaiah said “the offspring” (your children) and the glory of your family are hanging on your life. All the lesser vessels, from the bowls to the jars, are hanging on you. You are the nail!
We are living in days when everything that can be shaken will be shaken “that those things which cannot be shaken may remain” (Hebrews 12:27). You must make sure that you are a nail in a sure place because valuable things are hanging on you. Satan knows his time is short. He is launching his most deadly weapons in his last ditch efforts against us. He is attacking God’s two most powerful institutions on the planet—the home and the church. It seems everything that can be torn is being ripped apart.
More than half of all marriages end in divorce court. Children, in the aftermath of divorce, are left bruised, confused, often deeply wounded. Our relationships with our spouses and children are being challenged, as every imaginable and unimaginable foe comes against us. Jesus said the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Satan is out to destroy our homes.
Satan is also coming against the church as never before. We know of Christians worldwide who are living with daily persecution. There are martyrs among us. The church is also being tested by apostasy and divisiveness. It seems that “every wind of doctrine” is blowing is taking those who have not been driven as nail into the sure place of His Word and His Spirit. The possibility of “the very elect” being deceived seems preposterous. Yet we hear this “word” and that “word” and I am reminded that the Word says, “Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many” (Matthew 24:4-5). Jesus told His disciples that these things were just the beginning. There is more to come. It is going to get worse. However, He encouraged them to not be troubled, shaken, disillusioned, and disappointed. Drive your nail into this Apostolic, Jesus Name, Acts 2:38 message and never pull it out.
Pastors have a double responsibility. First, we have a responsibility to our own family—our wife and children. Our households are hanging on us. Then, the churches we pastor—every saint, every staff member, every home, every family, everyone to whom we minister—are hanging on our leadership. I have a wife, children, grandchildren, as well as godly parents who would be destroyed if I were to be so foolish to bring a reproach on my family, this truth I love, and the great church I pastor. I must make sure that I am a nail in a sure place. Valuable things are hanging on me.
If you are a parent, let me remind you that your entire household hangs on you. Those precious children who call you Mom and Dad are hanging on you. If you are a youth pastor, young people are following you, imitating you, looking up to you. Be their nail in a sure place. If you are a minister of music, the choir and praise team are looking to you for music. They are also looking to your for spiritual direction and anointed worship. They are watching your lifestyle. Be a nail in a sure place. Sunday School teachers, every Sunday morning children are hanging on you. Some of them will only know the Jesus you teach them about and the Jesus you show them in how you treat them. Be a nail in a sure place.
When the prophet Eli fell, so did his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas. When Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom and pulled away from Abraham’s tent and Abraham’s altar, the nail began to loosen and finally fell. When it did, his household fell with him. He lost his family, and in an act of incest, two races were started (the Moabites and Ammonites). They became the fiercest enemies of the people of God. Lot was wishy-washy—a “fence-straddler.” He did not drive his nail into a solid, sure place as Abraham had done.
Manasseh was the king of Judah. The whole nation, including his family—all those hanging on his leadership—followed him into idolatry. The Assyrians came against them, wiped out his armies, put him in a Babylonian prison. Years passed and eventually he repented. God delivered him and allowed him to reign as king again. Manasseh made it back, but the nation did not, nor did his family.
Before you turn your back on biblical truth and walk away to pursue your own path, take a long, hard look at the consequences. You may be able to make it back, but your church may not make it back with you. Your family may not be able to make the trip. Be a nail in a sure place
A nail by itself cannot hold up anything. It does not matter if it is a big nail or a small nail. In and of itself it is incapable of holding anything until it is driven into wood that is solid and strong. Drive your nail into a strong and solid support, because valuable things—the eternal salvation of your entire household—are hanging on that nail. It is not the nail but what is nailed into and how far it is driven into it that matters. Drive your nail into the Word of God. The Word of God will last.
“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever” (Isaiah 40:8). “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). “For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89).
Nothing is truly settled unless it is settled in the Word of God. The Bible is our blueprint; it is also the yardstick by which everything—including church and family—is measured.
The Word of God opens the door to heaven and closes the gates of hell. Jesus Christ and His eternal purpose is its theme. The glory of God is its end. The Word of God is supernatural in origin, eternal in duration, divine in authorship, inexhaustible in meaning, perfect in precepts, powerful in effect. The Word is sharper than any two-edged sword. No blade can equal it. It will survive every attack. It will take on all challengers and always win. Drive your nail into the Word of God. Preach it. Teach it. Memorize it. Read it. Love it. Live in its pages. Then when everything is shaken that can be shaken your nail will still be holding as firmly as it was the day you nailed it in place.
Drive your life into an Apostolic, one-God, Jesus Name, Holy Ghost, soul-winning, praying, revival-minded church. Get involved in it. Belong to it. Support it with your tithes and offerings and faithful attendance. Be loyal to your pastor and his family. Put a prayer shield around them every day. There is nothing that can replace the church in your spiritual life. God has committed Himself to bless the church. Drive the nail of your life into the church.
Your pastor must give an account for you at the judgment seat of Christ. He preaches and teaches the truth to you and your children. He stands by you when no one else will. He also needs your prayers. Support him publicly. Allow him some private time. Remember him on special days. Love him and protect him. Do not expect his children to be perfect and do not put unnecessary pressure on his wife. It is not easy living in their glass house. Uphold the hands of your pastor. Drive your nail into your church and don’t pull it out. Every time you pull the nail out it becomes less and less secure. Be a nail in a sure place!
When Shebna the scribe fell valuable things fell with him. His father’s house—the name of the family and the honor of his family—fell. He was not a nail driven into a sure place. (See Isaiah 22.) Pastor, teacher, leader, parent, if you fall it crushes everything beneath you. When Shebna fell, the issue fell (the “details of the daily operation of the house”). There are some valuable “issues” hanging on us today.
Much hangs on the nail in a sure place for our younger generation of ministers. Many are at crossroads, trying to decide which road to take. Let me humbly beg you: before you walk away from our fundamental issues, remember the past examples. Manasseh made it back but his family and the nation did not. Young minister, be a nail in a sure place!
The revelation of the mighty God in Christ is an issue. The message of Acts 2:38 is an issue. Repentance is an issue. Water baptism by immersion for the remission of sin in the name of Jesus Christ is an issue. The absolute necessity of being filled with the Holy Ghost evidenced by speaking in other tongues is an issue. A consecrated and holy lifestyle is an issue. These issues are hanging on us. Be a nail in a sure place!
26
May
09
Day 26: The Truth
by Simeon Young Sr.
The truth. Whose truth? My truth? Or your truth? The truth—with the definite article. Truth without an expiration date. The timeless truth—unchanging and changeless. Timeless is an adjective severely limited in its application. No “private interpretation” of Scripture can be said to be timeless. (II Peter 1:20.) Ideas and trends are not timeless. Nor are fads or fashions. Nor are opinions or organizations. The seasons, the weather, and the economy change, but not the truth. Pictures from the past may evoke a chuckle or even cause us to blush. An article written twenty years ago is not likely to qualify as “timeless.”
Dr. Walter Stewart of Princeton asked several students coming out of a seminar, “How did it go?” One student answered, “Wonderful, everything we knew about physics last week isn’t true.”
Only the truth has survived the vicissitudes of time. The truth, though battered by the ceaseless winds of change, stands stark and lonely, un-eroded, in its complete and utter timelessness.
Men “repress the truth in unrighteousness” and they “[exchange] the truth of God for the lie” (Romans 1:18, 25, NKJV), but nothing and no one changes the truth.
Despite all the public debates and backroom discussions and classroom dissections, the truth remains pristine in its purity.
“What is truth?” (John 18:38). Pilate’s question is your question and my question and everyman’s question. Jesus Christ, who is “the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever,” (Hebrews 13:8) said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Timeless truth is more than an abstract or nebulous idea; it is embodied in the person of Jesus Christ who is the eternal I AM!
“Buy the truth, and sell it not” (Proverbs 23:23) is good advice for any time, but especially so during the current cultural meltdown when historical revisionists are rewriting history and religious libertines are re-interpreting biblical truth concerning everything from sexuality to marriage to morality.
Call it the big sell-out.
Satan, “with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness” is ensnaring millions of people “because they received not a love of the truth, that they might be saved” (II Thessalonians 2:9-10). Paul solemnly warned, “God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (II Thessalonians 2:11-12).
Love for the timeless truth is our only protection against deception in these bewildering and bewitching last days. Love for the truth brooks no deviation from truth regardless of conventional wisdom or political correctness or cultural considerations to the contrary. As the dark clouds of deception gather we must close our minds to error even as we open our hearts to receive a love for the truth. We must be receptive not only to the truth but also to “the love of the truth.”
Such was John’s love for the truth that he said about his children in the gospel, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (III John 1:4).
To know the truth and to love the truth and to walk in the truth are the essential elements of true religion. Without them everything else is false.
23
May
09
Happy Memorial Day Weekend
Happy Memorial Day Weekend. On vacation from blogging until Tuesday May 26th.
Jeremiah 20:9 But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones..
21
May
09
300,000+ Hits Today! WOW!!!!
Now, I know there are blogs out there that get hundreds of thousands (even millions) of hits per day, but I am so grateful to God that as of today the Pope Of Pentecost Blog has reached over 300,000 hits. To me, that means I am doing a job well done in spreading the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ over the internet. I may not know it now, but soon and very soon I am going to know how many people were saved because of reading this blog and its all to the glory of God.
3000,000 hits in less than 2 years! WOW! What a mighty God we serve!
This year, I boycotted American Idol because I felt there were so many more talented individual’s (like Danny Gokey and Jamar Rogers (whom by the way did not even make it to the top 13) ) but hey, its a done deal. I’m just personally glad that the Gothic boy Adam Lambert did NOT win.
Now, I personally don’t listen to secular music (only Christian / Gospel) however I can appreciate the wonderful talents God has given to those who do sing (such as some people on American Idol). Why? Well, lets turn to the Bible and see why. Ephesians 5:19 admonishes us that are Christian to “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;” With that in mind, I have relied on the Holy Ghost to interpret this scripture to mean that the only songs that are acceptable in the eyes of the Lord are songs that are directed to Him only. If you feel you can listen to rock, rap, R&B and hip hop and still please God, by all means, I’m not going to to stop. But what I am going to admonish you is to do that which pleaseth the Lord Jesus Christ.
Songs that don’t edify the Lord Jesus are not songs which will bring one into a more pleasing and acceptable relationship with the Lord Jesus. Its important to know that in this Christian race we are no longer a part of this world, but we have been transformed by the renewing of our mind through the Holy Ghost. And since we are no longer a slave to sin, we now are considered bondservants (or slaves) to God who gives us the very breath that we breath.
There are so many genres of Christian music out there, you dont just have to listen to hymns alone, you can listen to any type of genre of music so long as it glorifies and up lifts the Name of Jesus. Take time today to look into that CD collection of yours and begin to sort out the things which are not pleasing to God. If the lyrics do not gloryfy Him, you really need to ask yourself if you should be listening to it. And besides, music that is sung to the Lord ALONE will cause someone that is not saved to consider being saved by repenting of their sins, being baptised in water in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins, so that they can get the Holy Ghost with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues. (Acts 2:38)
Saints, we have ten more days until we get to Pentecost 2009! Are ya ready?
I was on youtube and had made a comment about a Seventh Day Adventist choir (which was really good by the way). Well, it started a discussion on why I am no longer Adventist and decided to become Apostolic. I wanted to share with you some scriptures concerning the Name of Jesus Christ. You see, trinitarians will tell you that they are being obedient to Jesus because they baptise in the titles Father, Son and Holy Ghost but I beg to differ. You see, further research (coupled with divine revelation) will show you that Jesus is the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Lets take our bibles out and find out exactly what I am talking about. Matthew 28:19 says Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Well, what is the NAME of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. I know and will be more than happy to tell you.
Father (John 10:30) I and my Father are one! So We find out that Jesus is not only claiming to be one with GOD but that He is GOD. So the Father’s Name is Jesus (since they are one).
Son (Matthew 1:22-23) Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. So, what was this Sons Name? JESUS! God with us!
Holy Ghost (John 14:26) But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. My Name? What Name? The Comforter, the Holy Ghost is sent in Jesus Name! Jesus is also the Holy Ghost!
So we see from the above scriptures that God chose to manifest Himself in forms known to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit but he has a Name and the Name of those titles of manifestation is JESUS! Remember, Acts 4:12 clearly says Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. That Name is JESUS!
Colossians 3:17 says And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. So that includes baptism. Why fight it. Be correct today. Make a conscience decision to be baptised in Jesus Name today and He promises you that you will receive the Holy Ghost (but first ya gotta repent). ACTS 2:38
With that said, this is what we the Oneness Pentecostal Apostolic church teach, believe and hold to be true. There is no way getting around this one. Granted, we (the Oneness Pentecostals) may be divided into different organizational names such as UPC or COOLJC or PAW, but we all teach the very same thing when its all said and done. Dont worry about the organization you are a part of (my dear watch tower readers……mmm hmmm, I know you read my blog too) worry about doing what the Bible says to do. In EVERYTHING you must do it in the Name of Jesus Christ.
…….and now, the anticipation fills the air as we all await the arrival of Pentecost 2009!
20
May
09
Day 20: Ye Shall Receive Power
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
No matter if you believe in earrings or not, pants or not, cotton stockings or no television, head coverings or long uncut hair, I can boldly proclaim and say that ALL true Apostolic Organizations believe in the same basic fundamental doctrine:
Our basic doctrine is found in Acts 2:38
Then Peter said unto them, “Repent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
and Deut. 6:4-7
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Join Me This Sunday @ Atlanta West Pentecostal Church
2960 Skyview Dr
Lithia Springs, GA 30122
(770) 944-3522
Sunday 10:15AM or 4:15PM
We would count it our honor for you to attend our church worship services. Our scheduled times are unique, leaving adequate time for families.
Classic Kevin Bond of Citadel of Praise and Worship “Praise Break”
The Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith is a Oneness Pentecostal church organized in 1919.
The Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ, as it is most commonly known, was organized by Robert C. Lawson. Lawson, a protégé of G.T. Haywood, claims to have received salvation and the baptism of the Holy Ghost in 1913. A year thereafter, Lawson was called to the ministry and soon began evangelizing, mainly in the Mid-West, and pastoring in Columbus, Ohio. When he found himself at odds with the leadership of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (PAW), Lawson resigned from that organization in 1919 and moved to New York City. That year Lawson founded another church, Refuge Church of Christ, after the members of a prayer band in Harlem welcomed him and turned their meetings over to him. That small church grew and became known as Refuge Temple. It was the hub of Lawson’s evangelistic efforts in the Northeast. Lawson’s field work took him up and down the East Coast, throughout the West Indies, and as far as West Africa, where Lawson appointed missionaries to carry on spiritual work.
The Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ has been very influential among African-American Pentecostal churches, and has given rise to several spin-off bodies. The first major break-away was in 1930, when Sherrod C. Johnson created a rival organization, the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, through which he challenged Lawson’s stance on practical holiness. The most important fracture in the church’s history, though, was when, in 1957, Smallwood E. Williams led about 70 churches out of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith to form the Bible Way Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Other organizations that were birthed from or splintered from this church body include Progressive Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Way of the Cross Church of Christ, the Yahweh Temple organization, the Evangelistic Churches of Christ, a host of small organizations, and independent churches of varying sizes. Furthermore, there have been splits in many of the off-shoot churches; for example, the church founded by Sherrod C. Johnson [today known as the Whole Truth Church of the Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith] has splintered and re-emerged as the Holy Temple Church of the Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith; the Apostolic Ministries of America; and the First Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ, all of which are actively evangelizing North America, the Caribbean, Europe, and West Africa. Thus, the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ is the mother of a family of predominantly African-American Pentecostal Apostolic organizations.
After Lawson’s death in 1961, a rising minister in the organization, William L. Bonner, proposed a change in the church’s governmental structure. Whereas Bishop Lawson, as founder, had been the sole governing prelate of the organization, Bonner suggested that there be a board of archbishops, or apostles, who would govern the churches. Two other groups, the Board of Bishops and the Board of Presbyters, both hold accountable and are held accountable by the Board of Apostles.
The Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ is, historically and doctrinally, a Oneness Pentecostal organization like the United Pentecostal Church and the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World. With roots in the earliest years of the American Pentecostalism, much of the culture of the church reflects the doctrine of the Holiness movement of the 1800s. Among the practices that separate it from other Pentecostal churches are its outspokenness on the significance of the name “Lord Jesus Christ” (especially as a baptismal formula); a very conservative dress code, which includes the wearing of hats or some other type of headcovering (e.g., prayer veil) by women during church services and excludes women’s pants; insistence on wine to be used during communion; strict interpretation of New Testament scriptures concerning divorce and remarriage; and the disallowance of women’s ordination and pastorship. (These last two were Lawson’s points of disagreement with the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World.)
In chronological order, the presiders of the organization have been: Robert C. Lawson, 1919-1961; Hubert J. Spencer, 1961-1973; William L. Bonner, 1973-1995; Gentle Groover, 1995-2001; James I. Clark, Jr., 2001-2007; and Matthew Norwood, 2007-Present. Governance of the church includes the Chief Apostle, the Presiding Apostle, the Board of Apostles, the Board of Bishops, the Board of Presbyters, the Executive Secretary, and the General Council.
Major laity-driven auxiliaries are Women’s Council; Ministers’ and Deacons’ Wives’ Guild; the International Sunday School Association and the Armor Bearers’ Young People’s Union, which together make up the International Congress; and the International Music Department. Though women are not ordained, they are licenced as social, senior, and field Missionaries through the organization’s International Missionary Department. There is also a Deacon’s Union.
In 1998 the church had about 30,000 members in 450 churches in the United States. In 2008, there are now 582 churches world-wide, including congregations in West Africa, Mexico, Canada, the British West Indies, the Dominican Republic, England, Haiti, and the Philippines. Its U.S. membership is predominantly African-American. Headquartered at Greater Refuge Temple in Harlem, New York City, the church operates W.L. Bonner College in Columbia, South Carolina and the Church of Christ Bible Institute in New York City.
The United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI) is a Pentecostal Christian denomination, headquartered in the St. Louis suburb of Hazelwood, Missouri. It is a part of the Oneness or “Apostolic” portion of the Pentecostal Movement, and was formed in 1945 by a merger of the former Pentecostal Church, Incorporated and the Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ. This church is especially distinguished by its adherence to Oneness theology, its use of baptism in Jesus’ name (as opposed to the Trinitarian formula), and an emphasis upon Holiness living in all aspects of one’s life.
The UPCI emerged out of the Pentecostal Movement, which traces its origins to the teachings of Charles Parham in Topeka, Kansas and the Azuza Street Revival led by William J. Seymour in 1906. Rejected by the mainline churches, Pentecostals began to form organizations of their own. One of these new groups was the Assemblies of God, which formed in 1914.
Some Pentecostal preachers and evangelists began to embrace and preach the doctrines of Oneness and Jesus’ Name baptism during this time, which led to friction within the new movement. When the Assemblies of God formally affirmed the traditional doctrine of the Trinity at its Fourth General Council in October 1916, Oneness Pentecostals were forced to withdraw. Two months later, several Oneness ministers met in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and on January 2, 1917, formed a Oneness Pentecostal organization called the General Assembly of the Apostolic Assemblies.
The General Assembly of the Apostolic Assemblies merged with another church, the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (PAW) and accepted the leadership of G. T. Haywood, an African-American. This group held the first meeting in Eureka Springs in 1918. This interracial organization adopted the PAW name and remained the only Oneness Pentecostal body until late 1924. Southern Jim Crow laws, together with other racial and cultural norms, resulted in many white leaders withdrawing from the PAW rather than remaining under African-American leadership. Many local congregations in the South, however, remained integrated while complying with local segregation laws.
In 1925, three new Oneness churches were formed: the Apostolic Churches of Jesus Christ, the Pentecostal Ministerial Alliance, and Emmanuel’s Church in Jesus Christ. In 1927, steps were taken toward reunifying these organizations. Meeting in a joint convention in Guthrie, Oklahoma, Emmanuel’s Church in Jesus Christ and the Apostolic Churches of Jesus Christ merged, taking the name the Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ. This merger united about 400 Oneness Pentecostal ministers. In 1931, a unity conference with representatives from four Oneness organizations met in Columbus, Ohio attempting to bring all Oneness Pentecostals together. The Pentecostal Ministerial Alliance voted to merge with the Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ, but the terms of the proposed merger were rejected by that body. Nevertheless, a union between the Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ and the PAW was consummated in November 1931. The new body retained the name of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World.
In 1932, the Pentecostal Ministerial Alliance changed its name to the Pentecostal Church, Incorporated to reflect its organizational structure. In 1936, Pentecostal Church, Incorporated ministers voted to work toward an amalgamation with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ. Final union, however, proved elusive until 1945 when these two Oneness Pentecostal organizations combined to form the United Pentecostal Church International. The merger of these two Oneness Pentecostal bodies brought together 1,838 ministers and approximately 900 churches.
In recent years, the UPCI has become more ethnically diverse. A number of African-American pastors, presbyters and district superintendents hold leadership positions in the UPCI today. The Hispanic community has its own UPC body called the Iglesia Pentecostal Unida Hispana Inc., with congregations located across the United States.
The basic governmental structure of the UPCI is congregational. Local churches are autonomous, electing their own pastors and other leaders, owning their own property, deciding their own budgets, establishing their membership, and conducting all necessary local business. The central organization embraces a modified presbyterian system: ministers meet in sectional, district, and general conferences to elect officers and to conduct the church’s affairs. The annual General Conference is the highest authority in the UPCI, with power to determine articles of faith, elect officers and determine policy. A General Superintendent is elected to preside over the church as a whole. In 2009, this office was held by Kenneth Haney.
The UPCI allows women to serve as pastors and to evangelize. Ministers at all levels are allowed to marry and have children, but homosexual marriage (and homosexuality in general) is forbidden.
According to the UPCI since its formation in 1945, it has been one of the fastest growing denominations in North America, growing from 617 member churches in 1946 to 4,358 churches in 2007 (which includes 4099 autonomous and 258 daughter works). The UPCI in North America has 9,085 ministers and reports a Sunday school attendance of around 650,000. The UPCI has a presence in 175 other nations with 22,881 licensed ministers, 28,351 churches and meeting places, 652 missionaries, and a foreign membership of over 3 million. Total worldwide membership, including North America, is listed at 4,036,945.
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he Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (PAW) is a Pentecostal Christian denomination. Founded in 1906, is the oldest Oneness Pentecostal organization in existence. Headquarters are in Indianapolis, Indiana, and The Christian Outlook is the church’s official publication. In 1998, it had a membership 1.5 million in the United States.
The PAW traces its origins to the Azusa Street Revival of Los Angeles, California which marked the beginning of the Pentecostal Movement. J.J. Frazee founded the PAW in 1906 and was its first General Superintendent. At its founding it was Trinitarian and had not yet adopted Oneness Pentecostal doctrine and liturgy of water baptism.
Controversy over the “new issue” arose. The “new issue would divide the Pentecostal Movement between the Trinitarians and the Oneness or Jesus’ Name believers. Oneness believers reached the conclusion that the singular name in Matthew 28:19 was Jesus Christ and that the one true God who revealed himself as the Father in creation, as the Son for redemption, and as the Holy Spirit in the church was none other than Jesus. Thousands of Pentecostals began to be rebaptized with the shorter formula “in Jesus’ name,” claiming baptisms under Matthew 28:19 were not biblically valid. This belief was based on interpretations of Acts 2:38, 8:16, 10:48. Those wanting to be baptized or were previously baptized under the threefold titles of “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” were admonished to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ according to those scriptures.
In 1916, the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World was reorganized in Indianapolis, Indiana, at the Christ Temple Assembly of the Apostolic Faith, where Bishop G. T. Haywood was the pastor. Bishop Haywood became the organization’s first Presiding Bishop at that meeting. During that meeting, the organization’s headquarters were established in Portland, Oregon.
In 1918, a merger between the PAW and the General Assembly of Apostolic Assemblies under the chairmanship of J.J. Frazee occurred in St. Louis, MO. This merger retained the name Pentecostal Assemblies of the World. Later that year, E.W. Doak became Chairman and W.E. Booth-Clibborn (son of Kate Booth-Clibborn and grandson of the Booths who founded the Salvation Army in London) became Secretary. At this time, the PAW was the largest Oneness Pentecostal organization.
On January 25, 1919, the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World headquarters moved from Portland to Indianapolis, and formally incorporated in the state of Indiana. The incorporators were E. W. Doak, G.T. Haywood, and D.C.O. Opperman.
In 1924, white leaders of the organization separated from the PAW. Their separation was the result of the enforcement of Jim Crow laws, racial segregation policies in the United States. The white leaders formed their own organization which subsequently became the United Pentecostal Church International.
The head of the organization held the title of General Elder or General Overseer until 1925, when it was changed to Presiding Bishop. At the same time, it established a Board of Bishops with five members. Of the five members, one of them, G. T. Haywood, was elected Presiding Bishop. Haywood was a real stabilizer for the organization. In the days of the separation of the Trinitarians from the Oneness, Haywood was a supporter of the Oneness message. In 1932, the PAW was reorganized.
The leadership of the PAW consists of a Presiding Bishop and a Board of Bishops consisting of 12 formal members. The board also includes lay-directors from various regions of the United States and emeritus bishops who once served but are either semi or fully retired.
Under the oversight of the Board of Bishops are geographical units called councils, which are similar to dioceses. Councils correspond to state or national boundaries and each council is headed by a diocesan bishop, who is appointed by the Board of Bishops. A diocesan bishop can have as many as three assistants, called suffragan bishops. These suffragan bishops hold only the authority given them by the diocesan bishop. Typically they will have authority over a region or part of a state. Reporting under the suffragan bishop are district elders, who oversee and assist the elders (pastors and their churches) in his district. A district can contain as few as three churches and with typically no more than 25.
In 1998, the number of PAW churches in the US was 1, 750 served by 4, 500 clergy.
The following is a list of Presiding Bishops:
- Garfield Thomas Haywood (1925-1931)
- Samuel Joshua Grimes (1932-1967)
- Ross Perry Paddock (1967-1974)
- Francis L. Smith (1974-1980)
- Lawrence E. Brisbin (1980-1986)
- James Archie Johnson (1986-1992)
- Paul A. Bowers (1992-1998)
- Norman L. Wagner (1998-2004)
- Horace E. Smith, M.D. (2004-Present)
Estimated to number around 115 million followers worldwide in 2000, Pentecostalism is sometimes referred to as the “third force of Christianity.” Pentecostal and Charismatic church growth is rapid in many parts of the world. The great majority of Pentecostals are to be found in developing countries although much of their international leadership is still in North America. The movement is enjoying its greatest surge today in the global South, which includes Africa, Latin America, and most of Asia. One reason for this growth is Pentecostalism’s appeal to the poor. According to a United Nations report, the movement has “been the most successful at recruiting its members from the poorest of the poor.”
In 1998, there were about 11,000 different Pentecostal or Charismatic
denominations worldwide. The largest Pentecostal denomination in the world, the Assemblies of God, claims approximately 57 million adherents worldwide. The Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) has a membership of over 6 million, the Church of God in Christ has a membership of 5.5 million, the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel has 5 million members, the United Pentecostal Church International has a membership of over 4 million, and the International Pentecostal Holiness Church has over 3 million members.
The largest single Pentecostal church in the world is the Yoido Full Gospel Church in South Korea. Founded and led by David Yonggi Cho since 1958, it had 780,000 members in 2003. Australia’s largest church, Hillsong, has a membership exceeding 19,000 and its songs are sung in churches around the world. (research can be attributed to Wikipedia)
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