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United Pentecostal Church International

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UPCI logo
UPCI logo

The United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI) is a Christian denomination of the Pentecostal movement. The UPCI is the largest Oneness Pentecostal organization in the world, and was formed by a 1945 merger of the Pentecostal Church, Incorporated, and the Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ. The UPCI is headquartered in Hazelwood, Missouri. The UPCI is one of the fastest growing denominations in North America since its formation, growing from 617 churches listed in 1946 to 4,142 churches currently. It also has locations in 170 other nations with 22,881 licensed ministers, 28,351 churches and meeting places, 571 missionaries, and a foreign constituency of around 3 million. It is one of the largest Pentecostal denominations on record and thrives worldwide as part of a 27,000,000 person body of Oneness Pentecostals.

History

When the Assemblies of God formally adopted the doctrine of the Trinity at its Fourth General Council in October 1916, the Oneness Pentecostals chose to withdraw from the organization. Two months later, in late December and early January, Oneness ministers met in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and on January 2, 1917, they formed a Oneness Pentecostal organization called The General Assembly of the Apostolic Assemblies.

In late 1917 or early 1918 The General Assemblies of the Apostolic Assemblies merged with the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World and then held its first meeting in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, later in the same year. This organization adopted the name of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World. In late 1924, a separation occurred mainly along racial lines. During 1925 three new organizations were formed: The Apostolic Churches of Jesus Christ, The Pentecostal Ministerial Alliance, and Emmanuel's Church in Jesus Christ. This organizational division among Oneness people was not desired, however, and in 1927 the first step was taken toward bringing them back together. Meeting in a joint convention in Guthrie, Oklahoma, Emmanuel's Church in Jesus Christ and The Apostolic Churches of Jesus Christ merged under the name The Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ. This merger, which united about 400 ministers, was consummated at the next General Convention held in Port Arthur, Texas, in October 1928.

In 1931, a unity conference with representatives from four Oneness organizations met in Columbus, Ohio, in an attempt to bring all Oneness people together. Unfortunately, this attempt was only partially successful. The Pentecostal Ministerial Alliance ministers voted to merge with The Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ, but the terms of the proposed merger was not accepted by the ministers in The Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ. However, a merger between The Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ and The Pentecostal Assemblies of the World was consummated in November 1931. The merger adopted the name of The Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ. In 1932, The Pentecostal Ministerial Alliance changed its name to The Pentecostal Church, Incorporated, reflecting its organizational structure. But no further attempt was made for a merger with The Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ until 1936, when The Pentecostal Church, Incorporated ministers voted to work toward an amalgamation of the two bodies. Once again no agreement could be found. The desire to be united remained alive and growing, and eight years later, in 1944, the first step was taken that led to the successful merger in 1945 of these two Oneness Pentecostal organizations to form the United Pentecostal Church International

UPCI Doctrinal Beliefs

Most of the UPCI's doctrinal views are reflective of the Holiness-Pentecostal movement, with the exception of the "second work of grace," the historic doctrine of the Trinity, and the traditional Trinitarian formula in water baptism, instead choosing to adhere to a strict literal interpretation of the baptismal accounts in the book of the Acts of the Apostles in the Bible which were recorded as having been performed "in the name of Jesus Christ," "in the name of the Lord Jesus," or "in the name of the Lord." The UPCI teaching interprets Jesus' instruction in Matthew 28:19 to baptize "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" as a commandment that was fulfilled by the apostles as demonstrated in the book of the Acts of the Apostles when they baptized converts using a Christological baptismal formula. It embraces the classical Pentecostal view that speaking in tongues is the initial sign of receiving the Holy Spirit. The UPCI claims to hold a fundamental view of the Bible: "The Bible is the only God-given authority which man possesses; therefore all doctrine, faith, hope, and all instructions for the church must be based upon and harmonize with the Bible" (Manual of the United Pentecostal Church, 19). The Bible is the Word of God, and therefore inerrant and infallible. The UPCI rejects all extrabiblical revelations and writings, and views church creeds and articles of faith only as the thinking of men.

While the UPCI holds that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not by works, it also enforces a strict code of conduct that one must adhere to in order to demonstrate commitment to Christ and to the organization.

Doctrinal Changes

In denying the doctrine of the Trinity, the UPCI holds a oneness view of God. It views the Trinitarian concept of God, that of God eternally existing as three persons, as inadequate and a departure from the biblical revelation of God being one. The UPCI further teaches that individuals must subscribe to an objective "holiness" standard. This includes the belief that women must not ever cut their hair and must always wear dresses or skirts below the knee. Men are not allowed to have hair over their collars or wear shorts. Facial hair on men is also discouraged.

Doctrinal Viewpoints of the UPCI

The United Pentecostal church believes that their doctrine (namely that speaking in tongues is the initial evidence of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, that baptism is necessary and can only be done in "Jesus' Name", and that observance of a strict set of standards is a necessary sign of one's dedication to Christ) is the only method of salvation. The UPCI has been accused of arrogance by other Pentecostal denominations (namely Trinitarian Pentecostal denominations) because the UPCI considers members of other churches to be their "mission field". The controversies have arisen because the UPCI targets mainstream denominations and considers members of non-Oneness Pentecostal organizations unsaved and ripe for witnessing.

UPCI Organization

The basic governmental structure of the UPCI is congregational with local churches being autonomous: the congregation elects its pastor and its leaders, owns its property, decides its budget, establishes its membership, and conducts all necessary business. The central organization embraces a modified presbyterian system in that ministers meet in sectional, district, and general conferences to elect officials and to conduct business of the organization. Districts are typically broken into individual states, however some include multiple states and some states have multiple districts. The UPCI headquarters building, located in Hazelwood, Missouri, houses offices for its general officials, the Pentecostal Publishing House, and a Christian bookstore. Among its endorsed institutions are seven Bible colleges, a children's home, a residency for troubled young men, ministries to those addicted to alcohol and other drugs, a chaplaincy for prisoners, and it endorses chaplains to the military.

UPCI-Affiliated Organizations

The UPCI at the national level supports eight educational institutions devoted to Apostolic instruction:

Many districts and churches also support educational institutions in their states and cities. The UPCI also operates the Pentecostal Publishing House, which is one of the largest Pentecostal publisher in the world. Ladies Ministry UPCI, founded in 1916, is an auxiliary to the United Pentecostal Church. Note: See the links at the end of this article for more information on these institutions.

Prominent People Within UPC

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