I Choose to
Serve
A Tribute to Simeon Young Sr. 861701 Jan Herald.indd 1
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EDITORIAL BY P. DANIEL BUFORD
A Willingness to Serve arly in their marriage my mother and dad were driving the gravel road from DeQuincy to Merryville and were passing through the community of Fields. Right in front of the United Pentecostal Church pastored by W. C. Young their big, black Buick had a flat tire. Dad sat a moment or two before getting out to change the tire, and in that span of time the four Young boys came swarming out of the parsonage next door to the church and proceeded to help my dad change his tire. Then my mother and dad drove on to Merryville, and the Young boys went back to their home. But Dad never forgot their willingness to help. Later in my life, when Dad would see a Young anywhere, he would remind my brother and me about the Young boys and their willingness to serve. And he would tell us the flat tire story. When I started dating a young lady from “The Victorious Church on Victoria Drive” pastored by Curtis Young, my dad was pleased. And he told me the flat tire story. When he read an editorial in the Pentecostal Herald, and he saw the picture of Simeon Young Sr. as the editor, he would smile. And he would tell me the flat tire story. When Dad heard that I had been asked to serve as the editor of the Pentecostal Herald upon the resignation of Simeon Young Sr., he was pleased. And he told me the flat tire story. And the story has not grown old; it still carries within it a truth and a promise of the character of a man that Young boy grew up to be. The flat tire incident is just the tip of the iceberg of a lifetime pattern of Simeon Young Sr.—he chose to serve. Not only did he choose to serve, he chose who to serve. And in his case, the who was the Who. He chose to serve Jesus Christ. Yes, he served his family, as the oldest of four brothers.
He served his three sisters and his parents. He served as the leader of the Young Evangelistic Trio. He served as husband to Janice and father to Simeon Jr. and Kerri. He successfully served as pastor of King’s Highway Tabernacle in Terre Haute, Indiana. He served as editor of several Apostolic magazines, bringing all of them up to his level of excellence. And most recently, for over ten years, he has served as the editor of the official publication of the United Pentecostal Church International. He has written doctrinally sound and edifying articles and editorials. He has lived out the theme of this issue, “I Choose to Serve.” And in addition to just choosing to serve, Simeon Young Sr. chose to serve with
excellence. Everything his hands found to do he did with excellence. And when he handed the editorial baton over to me, he did it with grace, purpose, and excellence. He didn’t transfer to my keeping something broken and struggling, but something healthy and vibrant. He stepped aside as editor in the same manner he served—with dignity, honor, and humility, seemingly unaware of the valuable service he has so faithfully offered to God and His church. And his readers rise up and call him blessed.
P. Daniel Buford is the editor of the Pentecostal Herald.
[NOTE FROM THE EDITOR IN CHIEF] Starting with this edition. P. D. Buford will serve as the editor of the Pentecostal Herald. He currently serves as the co-editor of The Forward and will add his Herald responsibilities to his portfolio. Daniel Buford is an ordained minister of the UPCI, and has served as music director and instructor at Texas Bible College and assistant pastor in several churches, including his home church, the First United Pentecostal Church of DeQuincy, Louisiana. In 1986 he became the associate editor of Word Aflame Publications. In the fall of 2013 he was appointed as the associate editor of the UPCI. As the associate editor his primary responsibilities include Word Aflame Press books and resources as well as the oversight of all periodicals published by the UPCI. He earned a ThB from Texas Bible College, an MA in Historical Theology from Concordia Seminary, an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Regent University. He is a PhD student at Regent University studying Counselor Education and Supervision. Daniel Buford is married to Jane (Mitchell) Buford. They have two God-fearing sons, two wonderful daughters-in-law, three handsome grandsons, and one beautiful granddaughter. Robin Johnston Editor in Chief and Publisher United Pentecostal Church International
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Fundamental Doctrine The basic and fundamental doctrine of this organization shall be the Bible standard of full salvation, which is repentance, baptism in water by immersion in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the initial sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance. We shall endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit until we all come into the unity of the faith, at the same time admonishing all brethren that they shall not contend for their different views to the disunity of the body.
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PRODUCTION MANAGER Larry Craig PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Jina Crain CREATIVE DIRECTOR Abraham LaVoi DESIGN SUPERVISOR Tim Cummings GRAPHIC DESIGN Dennis Fiorini, Tim Burk EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Kelly Middleton COPY EDITOR Patricia Bollmann
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P E N T E C O S TA L H E R A L D
PENTECOSTAL HERALD EDITOR P. Daniel Buford EDITOR IN CHIEF Robin Johnston ASSOCIATE EDITOR P. Daniel Buford ASSOCIATE EDITOR Lee Ann Alexander
VOL. 91, NO. 1.
We believe in the one ever-living, eternal God: infinite in power, holy in nature, attributes, and purpose; and possessing absolute, indivisible deity. This one true God has revealed Himself as Father; through His Son, in redemption; and as the Holy Spirit, by emanation (I Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 4:6; II Corinthians 5:19; Joel 2:28).
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GENERAL OFFICIALS
GENERAL EXECUTIVE PRESBYTERS
GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT David K. Bernard* ASSISTANT GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT Stan O. Gleason* ASSISTANT GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT Paul D. Mooney* GENERAL SECRETARY-TREASURER Jerry Jones* DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL MISSIONS Bruce A. Howell* DIRECTOR OF NORTH AMERICAN MISSIONS Carlton L. Coon Sr.* EDITOR IN CHIEF Robin Johnston GENERAL SUNDAY SCHOOL DIRECTOR Steve L. Cannon GENERAL YOUTH DIRECTOR Michael Ensey SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION Dan Batchelor
Gary Gleason* Aaron Soto* Kevin Borders* Kevin Cox* Keith Sjostrand* Philip Harrelson* Ronnie Mullings* Darrell Johns* Raymond Woodward*
GENERAL PRESBYTERS
J.R. Blackshear, Ernest Breithaupt, W.L. Clayton, B.S. Cole, Daniel Garlitz, Arless Glass, John Grant, Tommy Hudson, David Johnson, James Kelley, Carrol D. Kennedy, Carl Lagow, Roger Lewis, R.J. McIntyre, John D. Mean, James Merrick, Ronnie Mullings, Paul Price, Paul Reynolds, David Robinson, J.M. Russell, Harry Scism, Scotty Teets, T.F. Tenney, B.J. Thomas, Wayne Trout, G.L. Vittitow, Ted Wagner, David O. Walters, R.D. Whalen, Jack Yonts * Member of the Executive Board
Dennis L. Anderson, Elvin Anthony, G. Terry Brewer, Ronald L. Brown, Steven Carnahan, Steve D. Carrington, Brent Coltharp, Mike Conn, Carlton L. Coon Sr., Kevin Cox, Jack Cunningham, Steven D. D’Amico, J. Stanley Davidson, Devon Dawson, Dean M. Dickinson, Andrew Dillon, Daniel Fleming, Jesus B. Fortaleza, Edward Goddard, Scott Graham, Percel T. Graves, Ken Gurley, John W. Hanson, Arthur E. Hodges III, Gary Hogan, Jerry T. Holt, David Hudson, Wayne Huntley, Darrell Johns, J. Mark Jordan, Ron Lichtle, Arnold MacLauchlan, Daniel McAllister, Richard McGriffin, Scott D. Marshall, Matthew Martin, Mark Morgan, Arthur Naylor, Trevor Neil, Gordon Parrish, Kevin Prince, David D. Puckett, John E. Putnam, Stephen P. Spite, Jay Stirneman, Rick Stoops, Robert Stroup, David Tipton Jr., Jerry Tipton, David Trammell, Marney Turpin, C. Patton Williams, Raymond Woodson Sr., Chester Wright
HONORARY PRESBYTERS
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[I CHOOSE TO SERVE] A TRIBUTE TO SIMEON YOUNG SR. I Choose to Serve
Columns
26 The Great Adventure . . .
3 | Editorial
P. Daniel Buford
7 | The General Superintendent Speaks
David K. Bernard
25 | Worldline
Bruce A. Howell
43 | New Start
John Wolfram
Pentecostal
32
34 I Choose to Serve
Jonathan Parker
38 Shelby’s Story
Lee Ann Alexander
40 The Mark of a Servant
Micah Wisdom
44 Breaking the 80/20 Rule Eugene Wilson
48 When Ministry Comes Full Circle
47 | Feedback
Seneatha Clayton
Life
Doug Ellingsworth
48
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28 | With a Grateful Heart . . . Jerolyn Kelley
A Tribute to
Simeon Young Sr. 8 Simeon Young Sr.
Simeon Young Sr.
9 A Tribute to My Brother
14 Old Faith for a New Day
David K. Bernard Curtis Young
10 Hoosier Friends
Robert L. Stroup
11 Tribute to Dad
Kerri Wilson
12 Simeon Young Sr.
Pastoral Elder
Articles
16 The Evidence of
Forgiveness
20 I Haven’t Changed My
Mind . . .
22 God Is Amazing, But
Is He Incredible?
Richard W. Flowers
13 On Telling Our Story Well
Robin Johnston
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THE GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT SPEAKS BY DAVID K. BERNARD
Speaking Truth in a Postmodern World s Christians the truth of God’s Word separates us from the surrounding world. Jesus prayed for His disciples including us, “Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth” (John 17:17, 20). Yet we live in a culture that not only rejects truth but increasingly denies that there is such a thing as truth. How can we engage people in this culture? Although an oversimplification we can identify three historic approaches to truth, each of which has advantages and disadvantages. In the premodern era (prior to 1500), people typically based their lives on a belief in truth, including the supernatural. They accepted truth on the basis of revelation, authority, and tradition. While they typically believed in God, often their belief was flawed by superstition, faulty human authority, and unbiblical tradition. In the modern era, under the influence of the Renaissance and later the Enlightenment, people began to seek truth through empirical investigation, rationalism, and the scientific method. Human reason became the ultimate standard of truth. While this approach led to significant advances in science, technology, government, economics, and even theology, it also led many to abandon faith in God. Liberal theologians adapted Christianity to the demands of secular thought, while fundamentalists relied primarily on reason to refute their claims, with both minimizing the contemporary work of God’s Spirit. Influential thinkers sought to eliminate God’s role in biology (Darwin), history (Marx), and psychology (Freud). Many people believed human society was progressing toward a utopia in which reason would conquer evils such as poverty and war and eliminate the need for religion. Contrary to these expectations, the twentieth century brought unprecedented
disaster. The seemingly most advanced nations fought World War I, causing 16 million deaths. World War II, instigated by the atheistic fascism of Hitler, resulted in 48 million deaths. Under Lenin, Stalin, and Mao, communism, another atheistic philosophy, caused the deaths of an estimated 100 million people. It became increasingly evident that human reason did not have all the answers. Human needs, both individual and social, could not be met by rationalism alone. Consequently, the latter half of the twentieth century gave birth to postmodernism, which is skeptical of any universal truth claim. Postmodernism emphasizes that all human understanding is subjective, contingent, and culturally relative. It views truth claims as tools to persuade or to gain power. Thus it distrusts appeals to authority and to absolute truth but accepts everyone’s stories and opinions as valid in some way. While it undermines biblical authority, it opens people to new ideas, personal testimonies, and spiritual experiences. Postmodern thinkers typically are not persuaded by a logical argument based on Scripture alone. As Pentecostals, we have the resources to minister effectively in a postmodern world. Here are some ways we can do so. • Without compromising truth, be respectful of other views and be kind to those who disagree. • Be humble in presenting truth, acknowledging the sovereignty of God and the limits of our understanding. Avoid unnecessary generalization or dogmatism. • Accept and love people as they are even when we do not approve of their choices or behavior. • Build authentic relationships that incarnate truth. • Use the narratives of Scriptures to demonstrate truth.
• Use personal stories and testimonies to illustrate truth, including examples of God’s power working in human weakness. (See II Corinthians 12:9.) • Foster meaningful, genuine, participatory worship that transcends the intellect. Real worship is a balance of spirit and truth (John 4:24). • Rely upon the power of the Holy Spirit to transform attitudes, thinking, and behavior. • As people experience God’s presence and recognize its reality, lead them to the Bible as the source and explanation of this experience. • Point to Jesus as God manifested in the flesh and encourage a relationship with Him. People encounter ultimate truth not in abstract argument but in the person of Jesus Christ (John 14:6). • Appeal to biblical principles rather than traditional authority, strive to be consistent in following these principles, and acknowledge failures. • Give milk before meat. (See I Corinthians 3:2; Hebrews 5:12-13.) We must never be deceptive or insincere, but we should use wisdom and discernment in presenting truth and in leading converts to maturity. We can defer some doctrinal discussions while stressing the need to believe on Jesus, repent of sin, and be born again. • Focus on the main purpose, which is to communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ. The goal is to win a soul, not an argument; to lead people to Christ, not merely to a doctrinal position. Evaluate all communication based on its effectiveness in achieving the goal. Beware of terms and labels that tend to close minds, and avoid contentious debates. (See Titus 3:9.4
(continued on page 42)
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[TRIBUTE TO SIMEON YOUNG SR.]
Simeon Young Sr. DAV I D K . B E R N A R D
W
e are thankful for the ministry of Simeon Young Sr. and especially for his many years of service as editor of the Pentecostal Herald, the official periodical of the United Pentecostal Church International. Under his leadership, the magazine advanced significantly in both content and design. It more than doubled in size and acquired a new look for the twentyfirst century. It represents us well. As editor, Simeon Young ensured that the Pentecostal Herald strongly affirmed the Apostolic doctrine and the lifestyle of holiness. His columns were always timely, thought-provoking, and biblically sound. He sought out writers and articles that reflected the diversity of our world and our movement, that engaged contemporary culture, and that ministered to human needs. He featured stories of how local churches and believers engaged their communities in evangelism, discipleship, and service. Through the pages of our magazine he showed all of us how the Pentecostal message relates to our world and to our lives. Brother Young, thank you for a job well done, and we wish you many productive years ahead.
David K. Bernard is the general superintendent of the United Pentecostal Church International. 8
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[TRIBUTE TO SIMEON YOUNG SR.]
A Tribute to My Brother CURTIS YOUNG
M
y brother, Simeon Young Sr., has influenced my life and taught me much. We have been close since our childhood days. After graduating from high school, we began our ministry, preaching revival meetings in East Texas and Louisiana. Dorothy, our oldest sister, went along with us to play the accordion and sing. We were in our late teens. Simeon was our leader because he had spent a few months in Bible college and had also assisted an older evangelist in a revival effort. With the consent of our district superintendent, C. G. Weeks, we announced the beginning of our ministry with an ad in the Louisiana Challenger, stating that the Young Evangelistic Trio was open for calls. The response was very gracious. Some of the men who opened their doors to us in those early years were Eugene Briggs, Mervin Lee, J.B. Lambeth, J.W. Mason, J.J. Hennigan, N.J. Jones, Hubert McFarlin, James Kilgore, J.W. Garland, Fred Foster, John Kershaw, Paul Hosch, E.W. Caughron, J.H. Hawthorne, J.R. Weidner, J.W. Evans, and R.L. LaFleur. The pastors for whom we preached became our friends and comrades for life. Those were days and years of character development and spiritual growth. Simeon and I studied together and shared dreams, ideas, and sermon thoughts. We picked out theological subjects and conducted mock debates between ourselves to sharpen our knowledge and communication skills. We challenged one another to go beyond the ordinary. We read the Bible through together.
Most of the time Simeon and I alternated in our preaching. He would preach one night and I would preach the next. He set the daily example for me. On the days he was to preach, he fasted and used his time to prepare his heart for the service that night. He always had a message and it was well thought out and delivered with anointing. As I look back now, I recognize that he was beyond his years. Ultimately we moved forward in our own individual ministries. However we have remained close and continue to communicate on a regular basis. He is my best friend as well as my older brother. It is my personal observation that each of my brothers and sisters, Dorothy, Martha, Gerceil, Nathanael, and Frank feel the same as I do. Simeon is an anointed and respected preacher and expositor of the Scripture. He is also an avid reader and student. That being so, it stands to reason that he would develop a passion for writing. Perhaps his writings are his greatest contribution. The words which are spoken are soon forgotten. But the words that are written and preserved live on and continue to influence. The readers of the Pentecostal Herald are blessed to be recipients of his writings. Where to from here? The future for Simeon Young Sr. is bright, filled with memories of right choices and wise decisions. And these are memories that will continue to produce a harvest of new opportunity. Curtis Young is the brother of Simeon Young Sr. JANUARY 2015
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[TRIBUTE TO SIMEON YOUNG SR.]
Hoosier Friends ROBERT L. STROUP
S
hortly after my wife and I returned to my home state of Indiana to accept the pastorate in Gary in November of 1976, we became acquainted with Simeon and Janice Young. He was the pastor of King’s Highway Tabernacle in Terre Haute. We soon became close friends! A few years later, Diane and I along with some other close Indiana friends—Irvin and Judy Baxter, Jim and Wanda Fielder, and Dan and Joanne Mitchell—joined the Youngs in starting a tradition that has continued for approximately thirty years. Each year in early December we meet for some great fellowship. In the early years we gathered in our homes. Later, we started travelling to different locales—Chicago, Dallas, Branson, Pigeon Forge... These gatherings have become a highlight of the year for all of us. There are no friends like old friends! It was in Terre Haute, at Brother and Sister Young’s home—at one of the early get-togethers of our “Hoosier” friends—that we started talking about the need of a revival conference in the Midwest. The Mid America Revival Conference was birthed that night. MARC’s crowds increased every year. It was not long until it grew to the place that none of our churches could host it. Paul Mooney then graciously allowed us to bring MARC to Calvary Tabernacle. This great conference has now blessed the fellowship of the United Pentecostal Church for nearly three decades. In time, the Youngs and Baxters moved away from Indiana and the MARC committee has now evolved. It is gratifying to see this wonderful meeting that was born in the Young’s home continuing on. Brother Young served as chairman of the MARC steering committee for many years. It is said that the words influence and influenza come from the same root word. The people with whom we associate
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influence us. They are contagious, like the flu. Their attitudes and character rub off on us. That being the case, I have always hoped to “catch” whatever it is that Brother Young has. Here are some of the “symptoms” I have seen in him. He is meticulous! He not only gets things done, he gets them done well! He is detailed and thorough. During his thirty-five-year pastorate in Terre Haute, Brother Young was an attentive, caring shepherd who built a great church. Furthermore, he was very much involved in the Indiana District, most notably as the longtime editor of our district paper, The Indiana Apostolic Trumpet. Anyone who knows Brother Young was not surprised with the excellent job he has done as the editor of the Pentecostal Herald. Whatever responsibility he has ever undertaken has been with a firm resolve to give it his very best. What an incredible magazine! It is one of which we all can be very proud. I have also noticed a few other “symptoms” in Brother Young. He is an extremely gifted writer! He is intelligent, bright, and scholarly. He preaches impacting messages that are long remembered. And yet, in spite of these “ailments,” he maintains a great sense of humor! He is funny, witty, and quick with a smile. He loves to laugh! Both Brother and Sister Young are a joy to be around! Diane and I are honored to call Simeon and Janice Young our friends! As devoted Christians, they have had a tremendous impact on the lives of so many! We owe them a great debt of gratitude! Thank you, Brother and Sister Young! Robert Stroup is the district superintendent of the Indiana district.
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[TRIBUTE TO SIMEON YOUNG SR.]
Tribute to Dad KERRI WILSON
Dad, I’ve been issue. Thi collecting your P ent sc ministry, ollection is one of ecostal Heralds e ver since knowledg my most e I received , p and talen rized pos I am tha the first t you hav sessions. n k f u l f e W o you’re go r ne and c the opportunity left Simeon and m hat a legacy of an’t e! to many yea rs. You ha know it. Thank y tell you how I fe ou ve el for giving of yourse helped change ma for sharing out of about it before lf to help ny lives f your hear I love you m o t for r a k G e and am v ery proud my world and my od’s kingdom. Tha so n kids’ worl of you. d a bette k you r place. Love, Kerri
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[TRIBUTE TO SIMEON YOUNG SR.]
Simeon Young Sr. Pastoral Elder R I C H A R D W. F LO W E R S
“A
nd I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding” (Jeremiah 3:15).
When asked to write a tribute to Simeon Young, I readily agreed. Some subjects are easy about which to write. The quality of a church is determined by its passion, philosophy and personalities—passion being the driving force behind the philosophy, philosophy being the approach to those the church minsters to, and personalities being those who call that local assembly home which includes the congregation and the leadership. My invitation to Simeon Young Sr. to join our staff as its pastoral elder was due to his alignment of passion and philosophy. I have always kept a spiritual covering over my life. Having an elder watching over me and the church has been important to me. We had felt the spiritual influence of C.M. Becton’s life and ministry as our pastoral elder for twelve years prior to Simeon Young Sr. The year before C.M. Becton went to be with the Lord, Simeon and Janice Young came into our lives. I had admired him for many years without knowing him personally. All I knew of him was positive. His character as a preacher is among the best. He excelled as a pastor for more than thirty-five years serving King’s Highway Tabernacle in Terre Haute, Indiana. All of us have been eye-witness to his expertize as an editor who loves the English language and understands the power of words. The selection of the Youngs to fill the vacant role of pastoral elder in our congregation was a natural choice. We considered no one else. This selection has enjoyed God’s favor and approval. Perhaps Simeon Young Sr. has more to share at this phase of his life than at any other time. There is an amazing amount of knowledge and experience that an individual of his years brings with them. He ministers on a weekly basis, interacts with the congregation at his leisure, and provides counsel to the church staff and me when it is necessary. At a time when many of his generation have no voice calling for their wisdom, he is realizing a fresh opportunity to minister in a role
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that carries with it high respect and reverence. As our elder, Simeon Young Sr. ministers in a pulpit with a congregation that rallies around him with excitement and love. As the pastor of the church, and as his pastor, I am grateful that he accepted our invitation. Richard W. Flowers has been the pastor of Emmanuel Pentecostal Church in Mesquite, Texas, for thirty-three years. He also serves as a pastoral member of the Global Missions board.
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[TRIBUTE TO SIMEON YOUNG SR.]
On Telling Our Story Well ROBIN JOHNSTON
N
orth Americans have had a long love affair with bigger and better. If the collective wisdom of our marketing gurus can be trusted—and that’s a big if— bigger and better is right up there with new and improved. However, what may be true for the latest consumer gadget is not always the case for good writing. In my opinion, good writing harnesses the potential of every word. Good writers choose words carefully because they understand that more words does not necessarily equal better writing. Simeon Young knows the value of a single word. As the editor of the Pentecostal Herald he has helped countless writers discard the fluff and make their verbs carry the heavy load in each sentence. More than once I have heard him decry some writer’s affection for purple prose, which was his way of identifying their use of verbose and flowery language. Those writers seldom made it into the Pentecostal Herald. But he was more than an editor. Every month for more than a decade, he laid aside his editor’s pen and picked up his writer’s pen. Each month he crafted a column that was often
witty, but always insightful. He has demonstrated a lot can be said on a single page. He always remained a student of the writing craft, looking to improve his innate abilities. But he doesn’t write to practice a craft. He writes to communicate truth. For him, the Pentecostal Herald was serious business. He felt it was imperative that the official publication of the United Pentecostal Church International reflects well on the corporate church as well as on local congregations. He took great pride in making certain that it did. I would like to honor his commitment to excellence, his passion for Apostolic truth, and his love for the UPCI. During his decade-plus tenure as the editor of the Pentecostal Herald he told our story well. Robin Johnston is the editor in chief of the United Pentecostal Church International.
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[SIMEON YOUNG SR. ARTICLE]
Old Faith for a New Day SIMEON YOUNG SR.
he term “the faith” in Scripture refers to a system of Christianity as it is revealed in the gospel. Since faith is the primary element in Christianity, it follows that the combined doctrines of Christianity comprise “the faith.” Personal faith in Jesus should be vital, vibrant, growing, and renewing. The system of revealed truth, however, has never changed, and it never needs to be updated. Everything made by man needs to be modified. Midcourse corrections, for instance, are programmed into computers on space vehicles to compensate for earth-wobble, as well as for human error. Many academic disciplines are in constant flux. Dr. Walter Stewart of Princeton University asked several students coming out of a seminar, “How did it go?” One student replied, “Wonderful; everything we knew about physics last week isn’t true.” The gospel, however, is still true. It is also relevant and actionable—actionable in the sense that humans can act in obedient faith upon its requirements. The gospel is ever God’s powerful method of saving sinners. Nothing else works as well. Nothing else works at all. The gospel is unpopular with many. Paul said, “The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (I Corinthians 1:18). The gospel was regarded by the contemporaries of the apostles as weak and base and ineffective. But God chose the “foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in his presence” (I Corinthians 1:27-29). The gospel is too simple for some. They want a sophisticated system of salvation that challenges their intellect. Paul said these people are “ever learning, and never able to 14
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come to the knowledge of the truth” (II Timothy 3:7). They are unwilling to embrace God’s simple plan of salvation. They refuse to accept a theology that is defined with the word simplicity. Naaman the leper is the timeless archetype of all who reject the simple command to “wash, and be clean,” opting
Personal faith in Jesus should be vital, vibrant, growing, and renewing. The system of revealed truth, however, has never changed, and it never needs to be updated. instead for some so-called “great thing.” (See II Kings 5:13.) The gospel is unappealing to the “wise” and the “mighty.” God does not try to keep people out of Heaven. But He does insist that He get all the glory when a person is saved. Thus the gospel was made base and despicable to the “wise” and “mighty” so that no flesh should glory in His presence. The gospel is too demanding for some. The antinomians in Jude’s day played loose with grace and turned it into license for immorality. They wanted to relax the moral strictures of the gospel. They taught that “the faith” was too legalistic and that it held people in bondage. These people would make the gospel accommodating to their sinful lifestyles. They had insinuated themselves into the Christian church, at first unnoticed, but then their filthy behavior as well as their open contempt for all spiritual authority soon exposed them for what they really were—libertines of the darkest hue. Their presence in the church was likened to “spots in your feasts of charity” (Jude 12). Yet for all this, they sported outward appearances of Christianity. Jude’s withering denun-
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A Trilogy of Apostolic Anthems “And God Did” The Ministry of Wanda Potter The Conversion and Early Ministry of G.T. Haywood
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ciation was they were “trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots.” The antinomians of Jude’s day were the first in a long line of peddlers of cheap grace. Like their ancestral models, modern antinomians want the church to accommodate the world. Sadly, a growing chorus of evangelical voices is arguing for a salvation without repentance, discipleship, commitment, or separation. Zane Hodges writes in The Gospel Under Siege, “Christian conversion involves no commitment whatsoever.” Charles Ryrie says in Balancing the Christian Life that the Bible promises salvation to anyone who simply believes the facts about Jesus and claims eternal life. Ryrie also believes that it is “not necessary to turn from sin, that there is
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no need to change your lifestyle, and that no commitment or willingness to yield to the Lordship of Jesus is required.” James Boice responded to this heresy by saying in an article in Table Talk magazine, “It is time for we pastors to stop deluding people in order to keep unbelievers happy and augment church rolls. It is time for preachers to proclaim the whole gospel.” Pardon me, no-commitment Ryrie. Excuse me, no-repentance Hodges. I’m still proclaiming the timeless message of Acts 2:38. I am contending for the faith once and for all time delivered to the saints of the first century. Pentecostal Herald, July 2013
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[SIMEON YOUNG SR. ARTICLE]
The Evidence of Forgiveness SIMEON YOUNG SR.
t 5:45 on Sunday morning, July 1, 1990, I awoke with four words on my mind. By the time I was fully awake I knew God had awakened me to talk to me. The words of the incomplete sentence that I “heard” in my spirit were: “The evidence of forgiveness.” Everyone reading these words needs forgiveness. Paul said, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23; 5:12). Furthermore, forgiveness is not a onetime need. We need to be reminded often of our ongoing need of forgiveness. Sinners cannot be saved without forgiveness. Spirit-filled believers who have been baptized in the name of Jesus cannot be saved without forgiveness. Several years ago my brother-in-law, Randy Harper, set aside the first night of a prayer revival for repentance. A member of the church said she had never spent one hour praying for herself and repenting. She added that she felt like a new person and asked him to call the church to repentance from time to time. The godliest people in the Bible needed repentance. Abraham, the friend of God, needed God’s forgiveness both times he lied about his wife to save his own life. Moses, the meekest man in the world, needed to receive forgiveness because he struck the rock in anger. Joseph, perhaps the most beautiful type of Christ in the Old Testament, needed forgiveness for his youthful pride. David, the man after God’s own heart, needed forgiveness for adultery, lying, stealing, and murder. Simon Peter, the man with the keys to the kingdom, was forgiven for denying that he knew Jesus. John Mark, Paul’s assistant, was forgiven for desertion and backsliding. 16
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I shudder to think of what my own fate would be if forgiveness were withdrawn. If God decided He would not forgive after today, I would have to be absolutely perfect to be saved. One misstep would seal my doom. Tears of regret and repentance would be futile. Altars and altar calls would become religious relics of a bygone privilege. We should be thankful that the church is not a museum of haloed and hallowed paragons of perfection. We should thank God that the church is a testing ground where weaknesses are discovered—the place where Christians are repaired, improved, and put back on the road again. I stake my eternal destiny on the constant flow of God’s mercy and grace that issue in forgiveness. How can I know for sure that I am forgiven? What is the proof that God has forgiven me? What sign should I seek? What is the evidence that I am forgiven and cleansed? There are at least ten evidences of God’s indwelling Spirit. The initial evidence of the Holy Ghost is speaking in tongues. The nine fruits of the Spirit are ongoing evidences of the Holy Ghost. In light of the fact that there are at least ten evidences of the Holy Ghost and in light of the fact that without forgiveness we cannot be saved, it is not unreasonable to want evidence that God has forgiven us. That Sunday morning eighteen years ago I asked myself, “Is human forgiveness the evidence of forgiveness?” Thank God, the answer is no! It is much easier for humans to hold grudges than to forgive. We tend to want to get our pound of flesh. (In Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, Shylock insisted on the payment of Antonio’s flesh.) If someone hurts us, the human tendency is to want him to feel pain. Once, when I asked a man to forgive me for a perceived wrong, his clipped answer was, “The record speaks for itself.
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When we withhold forgiveness from someone God has forgiven, we assume a prerogative that is not ours. You can’t change the record.” I am not required to wait for humans to forgive me to know I am forgiven. Warning: we must be ready to forgive those who wrong us. When we withhold forgiveness from someone God has forgiven, we assume a prerogative that is not ours. We also destroy the bridge over which we ourselves must travel often. Jesus said that if we do not forgive each other God will not forgive us. We are dealing in vile treachery against our own souls if we refuse to forgive. The infamous Hatfield and McCoy feud lasted eighteen years and was responsible for several deaths. The feuding clans kept stirring the fires of revenge for almost two decades as anger and bitterness smoldered in the offspring who had forgotten why the feud started. The beautiful story of the forgiveness of the fallen woman is missing from some of the early manuscripts of the New Testament. It was deleted by religious power brokers who were afraid that its inclusion in the canon of Scripture would encourage loose living. Satan was actually behind the exclusion of this beautiful drama of forgiveness because he knew it would encourage repentance. The second question I asked myself that Sunday morning almost two decades ago was, “Are my feelings the evidence of forgiveness?” Again, the answer is no! “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). If we trust the misleading suggestions of our heart, we will be driven either to arrogant smugness or utter despair. Our feelings will lie to us. Our heart will tell us all is well when all is not well. Or it will condemn us when God has forgiven us. We tend to go to extremes and either are too easy or too hard on ourselves. Many of God’s people live under false condemnation for sins that are under the blood of Jesus. Many others are past feeling and in danger of being cut off by God. “If our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things” (I John 3:20). God is greater than the seat of our emotions and feelings. God knows our intentions, desires, and sincerity (or lack of it). Consider Saul and David—David’s sins seem more serious than Saul’s sins, but God knew their hearts. Consider Judas and Peter—God knew their hearts. After I eliminated both human forgiveness and our own feelings as the evidences of forgiveness, I experienced a moment of intuitive understanding, a flash of insight, an epiphany—I understood it! “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). That is a promise! The proof is the promise! We can stand on that promise when humans refuse forgiveness. We can 18
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cling to His promise even when we do not feel forgiven. Paul said, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:23-26). As you read this article, say aloud, “God is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse me from all unrighteousness.” If God’s forgiveness is capricious, we are all in serious trouble. If He forgives today but decides to withhold forgiveness tomorrow, we are doomed. God is faithful to forgive. We can count on it. Fifty-three days after Peter denied Jesus three times in one night, he preached the gospel. The spot where he stood up with the other apostles and preached on the Day of Pentecost is a ten-minute walk from where he told a girl that he did not know Jesus. What about the “ifs” in I John 1? “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. . . . If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (verses 8 and 10). We will never receive forgiveness as long as we lie to God and to ourselves. John said, “He is faithful and just to . . . cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (verse 9). A theology that teaches that only selected sins are covered by the blood of Jesus is worthless. A theology that teaches that the blood of Jesus covers lying and stealing, but not other sins, is worse than worthless—it is harmful. Wicked King Manesseh repented and God forgave him: “When he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication. . . . Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God” (II Chronicles 33:12-13). If God forgave Israel’s most wicked king when he repented, He will forgive you. Pope John Paul II walked into Rebibbia Prison on December 27, 1983, and said to Mehmet Ali Aca, the man who had tried to kill him, “I forgive you.” If the Pope (a professional forgiver) forgave Ali Aca, God will forgive you. The parents of a man who was killed in a bank robbery said to their son’s killer, “We love you and have come to tell you that we forgive you. And if you will, we want you to become our son and take the place of our dead son.” If those parents forgave their son’s killer, God will forgive you. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). The proof of forgiveness is the promise of forgiveness. Pentecostal Herald, August 2008
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Thank You We would like to thank the following writers for writing for the Pentecostal Herald in 2014. The list of 200 names below includes 25 duplications, but at least 175 dierent people wrote for the magazine this year. The contributions of our writers are invaluable. January 2014 Michael Williams John Hatch Stan Gleason Sylvia Clemons P. Daniel Buford Elijah Overman Anonymous Vicki Beck L.J. Harry Chantell Smith Cheri Grissom Chaela Jean Charla Mallicoat Paul Dennis Chad Flowers Arlo Moehlenpah R.L. Gilstrap February 2014 Jerry Dean Donald D. Hanscom Mark Johnson Jerry Staten Nadika Perara Samuel Zenobia Bill Hobson Donald D. Hanscom Liane R. Grant Scott Sistrunk Scott and Aimee Patterson Mark Brown Tim Bizelli Savannah Kolger Jacob Montag Donna Myre Lorin L. Bradbury March 2014 Gordon Mallory Gregg Joki Carla Gray Weiser Martyn Ballestero, Sr. Kerri Wilson Rhonda Hall Dolly McElhaney
Bennie DeMerchant Mark Hattabaugh Nate Turner Amy King Pamela Smoak Roger Buckland Richard W. Flowers Abraham Lavoi April 2014 Art Wilson Mark Johnson Benjamin D. Copple Kerri Wilson Cynthia A. Lovely Jonathan Painter Chad Flowers Brad D. Buford Daniel E. Dagan Gary Erickson Jeremy Painter Randal Hallford Kim Johnson Beth and Caleb Randol Rachel Coltharp Lorin L. Bradbury May 2014 Brent Barnes Brocc Chavis Ken Gurley Andrea Carver R.L. Gilstrap Curtiss White Delano Sherley Brad Fain L.J. Harry Gaylen Cantrell Richard Davis Ron Guidroz John Hopkins Jan Kilgore Madden June 2014 Thomas Crutchfield Saundra Hanscom
J.B. Sims Melissa Thomas Gregory and Dana Willis David A. Huston G. Keith and Janice Sjostrand Lyn St. John Rod and Nan Pamer Mitchell Bland Jill Fierge Wayne Huntley, Sr. Peggy Readout Martyn Ballestero, Sr. Anonymous Brook Rosser July 2014 Keith Porter Michael Williams Mark Johnson Chase Flowers R.L. Gilstrap Shauna Hord P. Daniel Buford Renee Toney T.F. Tenney Steve Willeford Everett Gossard Curtiss White Patricia Bollmann Dana Fee T.W. Bollmann August 2014 Ronald Rice Jack Cunningham Jody Wells R.L. Gilstrap Cindy Mayo Chase Flowers Martyn Ballestero, Sr. Jonathan Mohr Ginger Robinson Karen Jones Doug Klinedinst P. Daniel Buford
Chris Paris Lisa Reddy David L. Fauss Brandon P. Buford September 2014 Debbie Saiz Paul D. Mooney Brad Thompson Chase Flowers Stan Gleason Melissa Thomas R.L. Gilstrap Daniel J. Koren Roy A. Fisher Patrick Dotson P. Daniel Buford Eugene and Kerri Wilson Arthur Hodges, Jr. Talmadge L. French Jeremy Painter
December 2014 Stan Gleason Linda Gleason Russell Farmer Sam Black R.L. Gilstrap Chris Paris Stephanie Seniour Justin R. Craun Ann Gustafson Frake Brooke Holley Daniel Koren LaJoyce Martin Nate Turner Pamela Smoak Pete Martinez Jennie Russell Darrin Williams C. Patton Williams Paul D. Mooney Louis Jourden
October 2014 Joe Beardsley Mark Hattabaugh Jerry Dean Jacob Tapia David J. Sagil Martyn Ballestero, Sr. Thomas M. Velie Scotty Slaydon Stephen Drury Lisa Marshall Danny Smith Joshua B. Carson Jane M. Buford Nathan Reever
Regular Columnists Simeon Young, Sr. David K. Bernard Bruce A. Howell Eugene Wilson Steve L. Cannon Tiffini Countaway Carlton L. Coon, Sr.
November 2014 Mark Johnson Danny Smith Marvin Reyes Stanley Wilt J.R. Ensey Donald Bryan Georgene Shalm JANUARY 2015
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Chase Flowers Norman and Mary Alice Paslay Milissa Thomas R.L. Gilstrap Kerri Wilson Howard Pastorella Daniel L. Seagraves Scott Graham Alonzo Terry Aaron Soto Darrell Johns
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[SIMEON YOUNG SR. ARTICLE]
I Haven’t Changed My Mind . . . SIMEON YOUNG SR.
he ellipsis points in the title indicate that there is more to come. In fact, I have changed my mind many times. I have written things I wish could be unwritten. I have said things I wish could be unsaid. I have believed things I shouldn’t have believed. I have had (and won) some arguments I wish I hadn’t had (or won). I have taken positions on issues that now make me look foolish, even to myself. I have thought I understood things I really didn’t understand. I have been convinced of things that are not as clear to me as I once thought. I have been dogmatic when I should have been more open and questioning. It seems the older I get the less I know. I have been saying lately that I used to understand the Bible better than I understand it now. I’ve even considered writing an article titled “A Few Things I Have Learned Since I Thought I Knew It All.” The article would be too long to fit this page or even the fiftytwo pages of this magazine. And that is not false humility. So yes, I have actually changed my mind many times in my life. But I haven’t changed my mind about some things— many things in fact. I will give you in this article only a short list of all of my unchangeable and nonnegotiable core beliefs—beliefs I hold as dearly today as I ever did. Luke’s opening statement of the Gospel that bears his name includes these words: “. . . those things which are most surely believed among us” (Luke 1:1). I do not need a dictionary, concordance, another Bible translation, a paraphrase of the Bible, or a theology degree to understand those words. I know what “most” means. I know what “surely” means. And I know what “believed” means. Luke was saying the apostles and other followers of Jesus were absolutely and unequivocally certain about what they believed. I have a questioning mind, but being a critical thinker does not cause me to question the necessity of repentance, water baptism in the name of Jesus, and speaking in tongues as the initial evidence of the Holy Ghost. Those are some of the “things which are most surely believed” by me. That means I don’t need to go back and edit those core tenets of my faith. 20
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No, I haven’t changed my mind . . . about the new birth. I have a made-up mind about “follow[ing] peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). I understand that “true holiness” includes, among other things, “putting away lying” (Ephesians 4: 24-25) and cleans[ing] ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (II Corinthians 7:1). No, I haven’t changed my mind . . . about “true holiness.” After all these years, I still “most surely” believe and accept at face value the words of Jesus who said, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone” (Matthew 23:23). Mind you, these are not the words of a soft, teary-eyed, liberal theologian. And because it was none other than Jesus Himself who spoke those words, I don’t have to think about whether I believe them. I am convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that some things outweigh other things in God’s economy. No, I haven’t changed my mind . . . about the weightiness of judgment, mercy, and faith. After being a minister of the gospel who has preached the Acts 2:38 message for fifty-five years, I still believe “by grace are [we] saved through faith; and that not of [ourselves]: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). My mind is not muddled about salvation by faith that invariably issues in obedience to the Word of God. It is still easy for me to understand that faith does not cancel obedience. I know for sure that obedience is an active response of faith. So no, I haven’t changed my mind . . . about the biblical doctrine of salvation by grace through faith. In my years on this earth I have seen fads come and go. I have watched as people I admired and respected—some who helped form my belief system—radically changed their basic beliefs. I have watched with dismay as some walked away from truths they once embraced and defended. And so in light of all that, I say with gratitude and humility that I haven’t changed my mind . . . Pentecostal Herald, December 2012
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A Collection of thoughts by Simeon Young Sr.
A Piece of My Mind Simeon Young Sr.
Simeon Young Sr., the editor of the Pentecostal Herald, is more than an editor. Every month for more than a decade, he has laid aside his editor’s pen and picked up his writer’s pen. Each month he crafted a column that was often witty, but always insightful. This volume is a collection of his best editorials from his tenure as the editor of the Pentecostal Herald. They remain as relevant today as they were when month by month he worked with words to simply and clearly communicate a facet of truth. 26130
Paperback $13.99
26151
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$9.99
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[SIMEON YOUNG SR. ARTICLE]
God Is Amazing, But Is He SIMEON YOUNG SR.
Incredible?
ccuse me of being excessively concerned with details, but the word incredible is overused and mostly misused. The informal definition of the word, which according to the dictionary is “amazing,” has almost completely usurped its primary meaning, “impossible or difficult to believe.” It makes me come across as a grumpy nitpicker to say it, I know, but I refuse to say “incredible” when I mean “amazing” (another overused word). If I say something is incredible, I mean I do not believe it, or it is hard for me to believe. Incredible is not the adjective I use to describe the God of the Bible. The other gods are incredible, but the God of revelation is credible—He is believable! His grace is both amazing and credible. So is His infallible Word. And don’t forget to include His unfailing promises. We live in a dark age of skepticism, a time when many are unwilling or unable to believe anything positive about God. They are disinclined—or even refuse—to believe in miracles, the Resurrection, and Heaven. For them, the Bible is merely a collection of “incredible” stories that stretch the limits of belief. The doubt and outright disbelief and denial of millions today give up-to-date context to Jesus’ not-so rhetorical question: “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). Luke’s introduction to his Gospel speaks to the current culture of doubt: “Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and 22
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ministers of the word; it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, that thou mightiest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed” (Luke 1:1-4). Paul said, “By grace are ye saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8), and “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God” (Romans 5:1), and “We walk by faith” (II Corinthians 5:7). The writer of the Book of Hebrews in his definitive statement on faith said, “Without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). Thus, from start to finish, active and responsive faith plays an essential role in the lives of God’s people. Remove faith and everything that matters to the people of God, including our salvation, collapses. Paul expressed his faith in God’s ability with these ringing words: “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages” (Ephesians 3:20-21). Amazing? Yes! Incredible? No! Paul asked a skeptical King Agrippa, “Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?” (Acts 26:8). In view of God’s unfailing faithfulness, why should it be thought incredible by a skeptical world—or by us—that God is able and willing to do amazing things? Pentecostal Herald, April 2009
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925-1000 word article WORLDLINE INCLUDING THE BIO.
BY BRUCE A. HOWELL
General Conference Report e have a reason to rejoice! There are going to be names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. I want you to know that I am still celebrating with you the miracle that the Lord worked in the Global Missions service at General Conference. Norman Paslay and Scott Graham challenged us with their burden, and our speaker, Anthony Mangun, moved us with a passionate call to apostolic action. A tremendous spirit of giving swept through the conference center as God met with us. People responded sacrificially in a truly apostolic way, giving cash, land, and possessions for the work of the Lord. There was weeping and there was shouting. It was phenomenal. Let me just put the response into perspective for the historic outpouring that it was. Last year was incredible, with an enormous offering of over $479,000. This year, however, was absolutely stunning. Over $4.3 million was raised in cash and pledges. Just think about that for a moment! And this was before selling the stocks, houses, cars, and other items that were given in the offering. One businessman pledged the sale of his business, which he estimated at $150,000, saying the Lord had just confirmed what he was feeling when Pastor Mangun mentioned the very same figure. People were pledging money from the sale of classic cars, along with a boat and an all-terrain vehicle. One man pledged half of his paycheck for the rest of the year. There were even missionaries pledging as much as $10,000. As David K. Bernard, Stan Gleason, Paul Mooney, and others read from stacks of pledge cards, several wristwatches began appearing in the offering. Young people and Bible college students, who had already emptied their wallets, were removing their neckties and offering them on the altar for whatever amount they could be sold. One young lady came sobbing
to the altar with her father and gave one thousand dollars from her college savings in order to help shorten deputation for the missionaries. Folks, I cannot even describe to you how moving the whole scene was! Last year was amazing. We were able to send five missionaries back to the field and plant a whole list of new churches around the world. This year, however, shattered all the records. As a result of the overwhelming sacrifice, twenty-six missionaries will be sent to the field as the funds come into the office. On October 8, 2014 we called the first six and they are on their way back!
Let me mention again: Missionaries will still do some deputation; we still will need you to take on PIMs for the missionaries. This is a new additional way to allow people to have a choice of how they would like to support our missionaries. The PIM program is a good one and we still need many to support through that venue. There is more to celebrate on top of all of this. Global Missions has doubled in the last eleven years! We doubled from 1.3 to 2.7 million constituents. We doubled from 11,000 to 22,000 ministers. We roughly doubled from 18,000 to 35,500 churches overseas. We are reaching into 206 nations now, and the gospel is moving forward and gaining momentum. To caption could Even go here,in if GodA photo be the glory! needed. Can be changed to white the most diffi cult areas, even and placed over a dark image. design. amidst Just thedepesnds moston the resistant cultures, even in places that have been closed in the past to our efforts, revival is spreading. Thank you pastors, churches, and individuals who are sending the Word to the world through Global Missions! Your sacrificial giving moves me to tears, and those of you who were with us at General Conference were undoubtedly moved in the same way. It was unforgettable. Bless you! There is much work left to be done, and there are billions of people who need to hear the truth, so this is not a time to sit back; however, this is a time to rejoice. The vision of generations is coming to pass. The prophecies of end-time revival are being fulfilled in more and more places. God is allowing us to participate with Him in the tremendous task of sending the light of the gospel to the ends of the earth, and this General Conference was a giant leap forward in the means of doing this.
Over $4.3 million was raised in cash and pledges. Just think about that for a moment! And this was before selling the stocks, houses, cars, and other items that were given in the offering. We will evaluate the funds every two weeks as the pledges come in and send the missionaries back accordingly. There will be at least twenty-six, and if all of the funds come in, it will be more than that! The pastors and saints of our fellowship answered the challenge with a clear show of support. As a result, we were able to launch a parallel paradigm that will run alongside the Partners in Missions paradigm, in order to shorten deputation to six months as the fellowship catches on to this additional way to give. Rather than churches and missionaries spending money for many more months at a time on fuel, accommodations, and meals, those of you at the service opted to bypass the extra months and send the missionaries back to their fields. Instead of gas stations, hotels, and restaurants absorbing more of the UPCI’s generosity, you put the savings into the missionaries’ PIM accounts and brought their half-finished deputations to a screeching halt! This required nothing short of a miracle. God be glorified!
Bruce Howell is the general director of Global Missions.
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[I CHOOSE TO SERVE]
The Great Adventure . . . General Youth Division S E N E AT H A C L AY T O N
postolic Youth Corps (AYC) is a ministry of the General Youth Division and facilitates the pairing of ministry-minded Pentecostal students with North American and international sites which need and desire evangelism assistance. That is our mission. However, AYC is more than 227 characters. It is an adventure that allows you to be a part of something bigger. So why AYC? AYC allows you to fulfill the Great Commission. Jesus commanded us to “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations. . . .” As you travel the streets of India, you are face to face with a hunger for God that is impossible to ignore. You are challenged to share truth with any and all who will listen. Millions of miles from home you realize the world starts at your doorstep. The Great Commission becomes my commission. It allows you to grasp the truth of Nehemiah 8:10: “neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” You watch fearless Botswanan saints dancing before the Lord. You catch a glimpse of one; she has nothing while giving God everything. Her face glows. Her smile is naturally contagious. She has unexplainable joy that gives her strength to face tomorrow, a joy that doesn’t give room for worry. It is a joy that challenges you to overcome your fears and grab hold of an unexplainable peace from God. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). You meet people for the first time and instantly become kindred spirits. You create a bond with people in a few short days, and that bond will last a lifetime. At the end, you leave a part of yourself with them, never to return the same. A part of your heart will always be elsewhere. That is a price you pay for AYC. It is a price you would eagerly pay again and again. AYC allows you to realize the importance of Matthew 26
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16:24: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” You see Nicaraguans travel four to five hours by foot to have church in a thick, hot, concrete building. They worship Jesus like it is their last chance to be in His presence. Then it clicks; you begin to see the big picture. Life isn’t about you; your selfish desires seem to vanish. You are saturated with an overwhelming desire to deny your wants and dreams to follow only after Him. You begin to see His will through His eyes and not your own. It has been said many times that AYC is life changing. You come home with a clear vision, heavy burden, and enough passion to change your world. You are forever changed. Your Great Adventure ends with this thought, “I needed Botswana, Nicaragua, or India more than it needed me.” I speak from experience. My Great Adventure began on foreign soil. It happened at an altar, in a foreign country. God broke me out of my perfectly square box, a box that I had put myself in; I even made God share that box with me. I limited myself to others’ thoughts, labels, and success stories. Thankfully, Jesus had a different view. He changed my perspective and my direction. I left that country seeing God’s will through His eyes and not my own. I was a blank canvas. God, not me, began to write my story. To this day, my Great Adventure continues. . . . Seneatha Clayton is the promotions coordinator for Apostolic Youth Corps. She is a travel enthusiast with a love for numbers. She is involved in youth ministry at West Point UPC in Doniphan, Missouri, pastored by Chuck Carr. She handles administrative tasks and leads the Senior Bible Quizzing program for Epoch Youth.
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[ P E N T E CO S TA L L I F E ]
With a
Grateful Heart...
J E R O LY N K E L L E Y
t was one of those rare Fridays when I actually got to come home in the early afternoon and stay home for the rest of the day. My husband was driving our Sheaves for Christ car to take a group of young people for a weekend of evangelism in Edinburgh, our capital city. I came home and washed a load of linens in our Mothers Memorial washing machine. I decided that since I had some time, I would start my Christmas bread baking, so I turned on the oven Mothers Memorial had purchased. The laundry finished and I popped the items into our Mothers’ Memorial tumble dryer. In the course of my baking, I decided to tune into the General Youth Division service that was taking place at the 2014 General Conference. It had been a week of late nights due to the time difference, but thanks to the Ladies Ministry Division, we had been able to watch the services without cost. What a tremendous blessing it was to be able to feel a part of this outstanding conference. The supernatural move of God in the Global Missions service that sparked sacrificial giving was a reminder of how missions services used to be when I was young. As the youth service proceeded that Friday afternoon, I was overwhelmed with the presentation about Sheaves for Christ. Young people who had given sacrificially were able to meet representatives from various divisions who benefit from Sheaves for Christ. Tears began streaming down my face as I was overwhelmed with the generosity of the United Pen28
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tecostal Church International and the heritage of giving it is passing on to our young people. I tend to think that missionaries know more than most people about the sacrificial and unselfish giving of this great organization. After six deputations, we can honestly say that the unified effort of the United Pentecostal Church is something that money can’t buy. We could never reach the nations of Northern Europe without the unselfish giving of so many churches across our fellowship. On behalf of churches in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Republic of
I tend to think that missionaries know more than most people about the sacrificial and unselfish giving of this great organization. Ireland, the Isle of Man, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Norway we say a very heartfelt thank you. On behalf of the other three nations in Northern Europe who do not have a United Pentecostal Church we say, in faith, thank you for praying and giving that these nations might be opened up—Iceland, Greenland, and the Channel Islands. Memories of times I had worked hard as a young person for Sheaves for Christ came to mind. I remembered walking twenty miles to raise money for the Youth Division’s “March
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925-1000 word article INCLUDING THE BIO.
A photo caption could go here, if needed. Can be changed to white and placed over a dark image. Just depesnds on the design.
for Missions.” It was also a privilege to give to Mothers’ Memorial when we pastored in North America. Memories of giving sacrificially to the cause of global missions were brought to mind. I’m so glad I gave to these great ministries. It has been a very humbling experience to be on the receiving end of this generosity for the past thirty-one years of our missionary service. Words are inadequate to express my appreciation. I also think missionaries are in the unique position to appreciate more than others the fantastic fellowship of the United Pentecostal Church. Both my husband and I were born and raised in the UPCI and our roots are very deep. My par-
ents were at the Merger conference in 1945 and have given their lives to the work of God and this organization. Attending General Conference was the highlight of each year in my formative years. During our years of missionary service this has not usually been possible for us, so to be a part of the live streaming means so much to me. I also want to express appreciation on behalf of the dozens of Sunday school teachers in this part of the world who have been blessed by the generosity of the Sunday School Division in years past as surplus Word Aflame literature was passed on to missionaries. Even better, now we can get it all digitally and have current and up to date materials. This has JANUARY 2015
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been a huge blessing to numerous churches in our area. We are grateful to the churches, Sunday school classes, and Christian schools who are faithful to remember our birthdays, anniversary, and Christmas and just to send words of encouragement. Others take the time to send us emails periodically. Thank you for taking time to let us know you are thinking of us and praying for us. A huge part of our ministry has been Harvest Bible College. These words of thanksgiving would not be complete without an expression of our gratefulness to the dozens of teachers who have come to teach in this full time Bible college since it was established in 2002. Thank you to so many who have given of their time, knowledge, and finance to make this school a success in the lives of so many students. It has been an awesome privilege for the students of Harvest Bible College to rub shoulders and be influenced by some of the greatest Bible teachers in our movement. During our accreditation process, so many people prayed and stood with us in moral support. What a surprise it was when we got the accreditation to receive the kindest video clip of congratulation messages from the Global Missions office staff. The executives and office staff in Global Missions are such wonderful people who have done so much to help our ministry. We have been privileged to work under various administrations and three regional directors as well as numerous office staff. All have been so kind and supportive of our ministry and many have become our friends. Friendship is one of God’s priceless treasures and our friends and family in the United Pentecostal Church mean more to us than words can say. Fellowship is one of the best gifts this organization has to offer. So, as my heart is overwhelmed with the greatness of God and the goodness of His people, I just want to pause to say, “Thank you, United Pentecostal Church.” Thank you for making the life of missionaries so much easier and efficient. Thank you for helping to keep Harvest Bible College, the national Bible school for the United Kingdom, in operation. Thank you for your generosity that makes our ministry in Northern Europe possible. The ministers and saints in this part of the world love the United Pentecos-
tal Church International and are grateful to be a part of it. Thank you for all the missionaries, Associate Missionaries and A.I.M. workers you have supported to work in these countries. Thank you to the hundreds of Partners in Missions who have supported us for many years. Some of you have supported us throughout our entire thirty-one years as missionaries in Scotland. Many of you have been faithful to pay your Partners in Missions pledge, even when times were tough and money was scarce. Also, I must mention that these words of thanksgiving would not be complete without expressing gratitude for the thousands of prayers that have gone up for us and to the Northern Europe Prayer Force who faithfully prays for this corner of the Kingdom. What a privilege it has been to raise our children in this great church. Traveling on deputation gave them a first-hand appreciation of the generosity of so many churches. Thank you, Ladies Ministries, for always remembering their birthdays when they were young. Thank you for always making our Christmas extra special with your Christmas cheer offering. In our household it has always been used to buy all the extra special and favorite foods that we have only at Christmas. Today our children are both involved in the ministry—one in Scotland and one in Illinois. Thank you, United Pentecostal Church, for loving them and giving them roots in this great body of believers. They in turn are passing on to our four grandchildren the truths and holiness lifestyle that has been instilled in our family for five generations. Rare and precious are the treasures we have. To be part of God’s family is something we will always cherish. We don’t deserve anything and no one owes us a thing. Everything we have is an undeserved blessing from God and His church. This is one missionary family that will always be grateful and will always love the United Pentecostal Church. Jerolyn Kelley, along with her husband, Robert, are missionaries to United Kingdom/Ireland/Channel Islands. Jerolyn is also the prayer coordinator for Europe and the Middle East.
R We are grateful to the churches, Sunday school classes, and Christian schools who are faithful to remember our birthdays, anniversary, and Christmas and just to send words of encouragement. Others take the time to send us emails periodically. Thank you for taking time to let us know you are thinking of us and praying for us.
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MM Than
Top Twenty Church Offerings
for giving to Mothers Memorial 2014! Offering total: $2,391,194.91 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.
1st Pentecostal Church/Pensacola, FL–Brian Kinsey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $26,379.73 Calvary Tabernacle/Indianapolis, IN–Paul Mooney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25,800.00 Pentecostals of Alexandria/Alexandria, LA–Anthony Mangun/Terry Shock . . . . . . . . . 25,000.30 1st Pentecostal Church/Panama City, FL–Allen Crabtree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24,009.59 Apostolic Faith/Racine, WI–James Schumacher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,872.32 Pentecostal Assembly/Eau Claire, WI–Paul Bennett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,137.95 1st Apostolic Church/White Hall, AR–Chris Dixon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,620.00 1st UPC/Leesville, LA–Mark Christian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16,568.80 South Flint Tabernacle/Flint, MI–Robert Henson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16,506.01 United Pentecostal Church/Klamath Falls, OR–Randy Langley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15,093.50 Calvary Tabernacle/Tampa, FL–James Wolfe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,150.00 Harvest Temple/Jacksonville, IL–Archie Beavers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13,054.25 Calvary Gospel Church/Madison, WI–John Grant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,600.00 Apostolic Faith Tabernacle/Pearcy, AR–Dennis Anderson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,400.54 United Pentecostal Church/Ripples, NB–Don McCarty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,552.50 1st Pentecostal Church/Bossier City, LA–Jerry Dean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,212.07 United Pentecostal Church/Bourbon, IN–Mark Cottrill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,111.14 Parkway Apostolic Church/Oak Creek, WI–Anthony Tamel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,593.00 United Pentecostal Church/Oregon City, OR–Gary Gleason. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,492.00 Apostolic Worship Center/Gresham, OR–Ted Graves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,428.00
Top Ten District Offerings 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Louisiana Florida Arkansas Wisconsin Illinois Indiana Texas South Texas Ohio Mississippi
Resources from Ladies Ministries: The Girl in the Dress Covered by Love Unmasked The Pure Life For more information or to purchase, call Ladies Ministries at 314.837.7304 ext. 412. www.ladiesministries.org J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 5 | P E N T E C O S TA L
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Management’s Discussion and Analysis August 2014 Board of General Presbyters Annual General Conference United Pentecostal Church International St. Louis, MO Dear Fellow Laborers: We continue to be thankful to the Lord for His great provision to the United Pentecostal Church in 2014. That provision has been a wonderful blessing to us this year as the Church’s financial performance has been sustained at a solid profitability for the fifth consecutive year. This performance reflects the continuation of careful expense monitoring and control by each Division of the United Pentecostal Church International and Affiliates. In addition, for the second year, the ministry has experienced a solid increase in all categories of revenue. As a result, we have seen a record profitable year for the year ending June 30, 2014. In this annual report you will find the results of our annual audit in great detail. In this analysis, we will give you a brief overview. Consolidated Statement of Activity: Revenue and Support: Contributions $ Sales of Literature and Material Budget Fees and Affiliations All Other Total Expenses: Missionary and Ministry Projects Cost of Sales Salaries, Payroll Taxes and Emp. Benefits All Other Total Total Consolidated Change in Net Assets
2014
Years Ended June 30, 2013
Inc/Dec
35,859,062 $ 7,676,175 3,633,029 6,310,959 53,479,225
33,638,886 7,212,593 3,512,218 5,122,690 49,486,387
$ 2,220,176 463,582 120,811 1,188,269 3,992,838
22,643,324 5,353,788 8,369,809 12,468,540 48,835,461 $ 4,643,764
22,659,755 4,913,126 8,674,556 9,714,669 45,962,106 $ 3,524,281
(16,431) (440,662) (304,747) 2,753,871 2,873,355 $ 1,119,483
Here are some notable matters that occurred with our finances for UPCI and Affiliates in 2014:
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1.
Our total 2014 contributions were approximately $2,220,000, or 6.6% greater than in 2013.
2.
Conference registrations income was approximately $661,000 greater in 2014 than in 2013 primarily due to the absence of the Youth Conference in 2013. Investment income also increased approximately $358,000, primarily due to the Development Fund.
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Board of General Presbyters Page Two 3.
To keep our expenses in line with contributions, missionary and ministry project expenses continued to be carefully monitored to match requested needs. Such missionary expenditure activity was approximately the same in 2014 as in 2013.
4.
The Division of Publications continued its profitability for the fourth straight year, achieving a 6.4% increase in 2014 sales. Much of the increase in sales is attributed to the new Apostolic Study Bible. The Division produced a profit of approximately $697,000 for the year ended June 30, 2014. During the year, the Division of Publications took over the majority of the inventory and related activity that in past years was accounted for and tracked by individual division.
5.
Approximate increases in expenses were seen in other divisional ministry projects ($218,000), travel ($617,000), professional and consulting fees ($340,000), insurance ($246,000) and conferences ($270,000). In addition, the Ministry recognized a loss on value of private company stock, which was gifted to the Ministry in 2012, in the amount of $750,000.
6.
As a result, the Church experienced a positive change in net assets of $4,643,764 for the 2014 fiscal year.
In the stewardship of our resources, we continue to closely monitor the ratio between what we spend on administration, fund raising, and the ministry programs of the Church. Our breakdown of these expenses on a consolidated basis for 2014 is as follows: % Ministry Programs $ 40,177,974 82.3 General Management 7,125,246 14.6 Fundraising 1,532,080 3.1 $ 48,835,300 100.0 We continue to be pleased with the fact that in 2014, the work of WEC was done with general administration overhead and fundraising of only 17.7% (or 16.4% excluding the $750,000 loss on value of the private company stock) of total expenses. These percentages continue to place the UPCI among the upper levels of organizations in the Christian community sector with respect to the proportion of our funds that go directly to our ministry programs, which is 82.3% (or 83.6% excluding the $750,000 loss on value of the private company stock). Finally, as you can see elsewhere in this annual report, our consolidated statement of financial position at June 30, 2014 continues to be strong with our cash position increasing approximately $941,000 to approximately $10.8 million (for UPCI only). As a result, we have continued to fund our operations without resorting to borrowing or otherwise straining our overall financial position. Certainly, we have much for which to be thankful. However, we are committed to a continual careful managing of our financial operations in the forthcoming fiscal year. Thanks to all of you for your faithfulness in serving the Lord and for granting us all at the World Evangelism Center the privilege of serving you. Sincerely,
Jerry Jones General Secretary-Treasurer United Pentecostal Church International
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[I CHOOSE TO SERVE]
I Choose to Serve
J O N AT H A N PA R K E R
y wife, Monica, watched the sun rise over the Philippine Islands aboard a Boeing 747. It was the morning of April 22, 2010, and her first time outside of North America. In my attempts to reassure her about our adventure I had told her about my 2007 trip to Manila, Philippines. I explained that the Philippines was a third-world country with modern amenities; Starbucks, McDonald’s, Chili’s, and many other American establishments. As our plane made its final descent into Davao City, Philippines, my wife noticed we were not landing in a place like I described. All I could think of was that I had detailed the Manhattan of the Philippines to my wife and God had sent us to the jungle. We disembarked, gathered our luggage, and walked outside to meet our ride. After waiting forty-five minutes surrounded by taxis eager to get us in their cabs, our ride arrived and took us to the Apostolic Institute of Ministries campus. 34
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It all started June of 2004. I had just graduated from high school and was given the opportunity to travel with my father to the West African country of Liberia. Something happened to me in Liberia. God steered my heart in a direction I had never imagined. The hours listening to Missionary Albert Stewart tell how God had been faithful to him and provided miracle after miracle during Liberia’s civil war gripped my heart. God began to place a burden for missions on my heart. After two years of college in Oklahoma City I felt the need to attend Indiana Bible College. During my time at IBC I grew spiritually, met and married my wife, got our first dog, and made some of our closest friends. All throughout my three years at IBC my burden for missions never left. I knew the purpose God had for me would be fulfilled overseas. One evening in February 2010, Missionaries David and Kathy Brott called my father and said that they were traveling through Oklahoma City. My whole family met the Brotts for dinner. During the course of the meal Missionary Brott asked me about our plans. I explained that my wife and I felt drawn to work for God on foreign soil. David Brott said, “I know
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exactly what you need to do. You should go to Davao City and work in the Bible school with Missionary John Cogan. I will see him in a few days and will mention you to him.” About three weeks later my father received a call from Missionaries David and Kelley Dibble. They happened to be traveling through OKC and wanted to meet for dinner. During this meal David Dibble asked me what direction God was taking me. I told him exactly what I told David Brott. Missionary Dibble’s answer was exactly the same. At the beginning of March I received an email from Missionary Cogan officially inviting us to teach at the Apostolic Institute of Ministries beginning at the end of April. We immediately put in our application to become Associate in Missions missionaries. We spent the 2010 school year in Davao City teaching each day, preaching on the weekends, and ministering at various conferences on the island of Mindanao. Our time was fruitful as we endeavored to serve in God’s will. The day we left for home was the same day the Cogan’s returned stateside for deputation. 2011 was a hard year. I felt like we should be in the Philippines even though it wasn’t possible at that time. We added another dog to our family to keep our first dog company. At the end of 2011 the Cogans finished deputation and invited us back. We accepted and began preparing for our trip back to Davao. A problem arose. Someone took care of our dog during our 2010 trip, but no one would “dog-sit” our two dogs. We made the hard decision and sold them. My wife and I had been trying to have a child for over two years. Monica had gone to fertility doctors and was told that it was highly unlikely that we would ever be able to conceive. Our two dogs were our kids and now we had to give them up. We told God that we were willing to do anything and give up whatever God required no matter the sacrifice. God showed Himself faithful time and time again and in July of 2012, while on our second term as AIMers, God rewarded our sacrifices. Monica was pregnant. Our second trip was very different than the first. God was showing us the good and the bad. Our first trip was incredible in every way but our second was the opposite. My wife dealt with extreme morning sickness, a student coup tried to have Brother Cogan removed from the school, and the entire staff felt like they weren’t getting through to the students. Brother Cogan said it was the most difficult year of his thirty-plus 36
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years laboring in the Bible schools of the Philippines. God was showing us that it isn’t always blissful working for Him. When we returned stateside at the end of 2012, we felt pressure from many to apply for missionary appointment. The Cogans were nearing retirement and hoped we could replace them in Davao City. We were uncertain. Roger Buckland, the regional director of the Pacific Region, called in the summer of 2013. He asked me to consider applying for appointment. I told him we would prayerfully consider his request. I wanted to make sure God was calling me and we weren’t just filling a void in the region. We prayed but didn’t receive God’s direction. In August my wife and I were chaperones to the North American Youth Congress held in Louisville, Kentucky. During the Friday night service a fellow minister from Oklahoma prayed with our youth. He then prayed for me and began speaking in tongues and gave the interpretation. God said, “I am the one who has called you, not man. I am the one who opens doors, not man.” This was the confirmation I needed. After talking to my wife and pastor we called Roger Buckland and told him God had confirmed His will for us. We needed to apply for missionary appointment. In January of 2014 my wife, my son Liam, and I went on our third AIM trip. This time to Manila, Philippines. We spent over two months with Missionaries David and Donna Flowers learning Bible school administration. During the 2014 UPCI General Conference we were appointed as intermediate missionaries. We are currently expecting our second child and awaiting deputation. Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Often we quote this verse regarding financial giving but it also applies to ourselves. I choose to serve; it’s the least I can do. Jesus gave His all; why shouldn’t we do the same? To follow Christ is to offer ourselves completely to Him no matter where He calls us. I never imagined God would send me to the Philippines, but I have assurance He is the one who has called me, not man. He is the one who has opened the door, not man. He chose to call; I choose to serve. Jonathan Parker is a member of the ministerial staff at Southern Oaks United Pentecostal Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He is appointed as an Intermediate Missionary to the Republic of the Philippines and will reside in Davao city, Mindanao, Philippines.
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[I CHOOSE TO SERVE]
Shelby’s Story: Shown God’s Love through Service LEE ANN ALEXANDER
helby was desperate—numb, but desperate for help. She sat surrounded by an apartment full of belongings that had to be moved and a four-year-old son who needed her attention. Everywhere around her were reminders of Araya, her thirteen-month-old daughter she had buried weeks before due to complications from Trisomy, a chromosomal defect. The family had moved from their home in Springfield to St. Louis to be near the children’s hospital, and now with Araya’s passing, it was time to return to their home and family. Shelby’s husband had already moved back to Springfield for work, and in the dark journey of Araya’s final few months, Shelby had not really had time nor the emotional energy to build a new support group of friends. So she found herself alone, grieving, and faced with the task of packing their belongings to make the trek back to Springfield. In desperation, Shelby posted a classified ad on the Florissant Buy, Sell, and Trade Facebook page, blindly asking for help from anyone in the community who might be able to assist that weekend with packing the moving truck and clearing out her apartment. A member of The Sanctuary, Tonya Gastineau, saw the ad and immediately thought of the church’s newly formed community outreach team. She knew the group had been conducting a number of projects such as school supply drives where backpacks were filled with supplies and information about the church and given to families of bus children in the church and families from the community 38
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teachers from the church knew were in need. Shelby sounded like someone this group might want to help. Tonya connected with Alisha Dugas, the group’s leader, and the pastoral staff, and soon the community outreach team and volunteers from the youth group were gearing up to reach out to Shelby and her family. On a sunny Saturday in November, the group showed up at Shelby’s apartment to find a half-filled moving truck and a mountain of belongings that logic suggested couldn’t possibly fit in the truck. To Shelby’s grateful relief, a volunteer named Patrick had previously worked for a moving company. As one crew began to tackle the big job of cleanup in Shelby’s apartment, Patrick and another crew unloaded and reloaded the moving truck, resulting in all of Shelby’s belongings being squeezed in without her having to leave anything behind. After several hours of elbow grease, the team finished the job. Though still a bit numb, Shelby expressed her thanks, somewhat overwhelmed that a group of strangers would be willing to be so giving. The outreach team then asked if they could have prayer with Shelby, and she accepted their offer. As the team circled Shelby and her son and began to pray, a sweet presence of the Lord began to move. The group left encouraged that Shelby was touched by the presence of God. They also were encouraged in their mission to open up doors to reach people’s spiritual needs by showing them the love of God. Lee Ann Alexander is an associate editor of the United Pentecostal Church International.
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Alisha Dugas (AD), the coordinator of the community outreach team at The Sanctuary in Hazelwood, Missouri, shared some information about this ministry with the Pentecostal Herald (PH): PH: Tell us about the community outreach team and what inspired you to start it. AD: As part of our outreach efforts, we find people who are hurting and show them we love and care about them to help lead them to Jesus Christ. My desire is to let our community know The Sanctuary exists and that we are a group of people genuinely concerned about them and their families. I truly believe that if we love our community, then when God starts speaking to their hearts and they begin looking for a church, they will know where to go. I really want The Sanctuary to be a “sanctuary” for those in our community. PH: What are some of the projects the team has conducted? AD: Before Thanksgiving we check on our bus families and review our visitor cards for families who indicated a financial need in the “prayer request” section on the card. We contact them to see if they would like groceries donated for their Thanksgiving meal. We also routinely send a tray of baked treats to our local schools’ staff and to EMS teams with a card from The Sanctuary. Additionally we set up a booth with information about our church at our fall community children’s event and our quarterly truckload sales to connect with people about our church. PH: What have you found to be the most rewarding part of community outreach? AD: My favorite part is when we are able to do things for others to show we care about them. Sometimes it actually shocks the person that we would go out of our way to let them know we care. I love that! It is very rewarding to be part of something that is impacting lives for eternity. PH: How do you envision Shelby’s life being impacted by how God led The Sanctuary’s team to help her? AD: I really think that in a few weeks from now when things start to settle down for her and she starts reflecting over all the recent events, she will realize that people she didn’t even know stepped up to help her in her time of need. I feel that we touched her life in a positive way, and I believe it will leave a lasting impact. Alisha Dugas is the coordinator of the community outreach team at The Sanctuary in Hazelwood, Missouri. Tim Dugas and Scott Graham are the pastors. JANUARY 2015
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[I CHOOSE TO SERVE]
The Mark of a Servant MICAH WISDOM
Bonds
The chains that bound my feet and hands Now lay broken on the floor I step out of the darkness of my prison Into the light of the day My first taste of true freedom My slate has been wiped clean After years of bondage, I am completely free Free to decide which way to take Free to choose which life to live What I do may surprise some I decide to put on a new set of bonds
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ne of the best things about surrendering our lives to Jesus is the freedom that we feel. The Bible tells us “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). When Jesus sets us free, we are free indeed. This means we are free from the chains of sin. We are free from the bonds of this world. We are free from being slaves of the flesh. Plain and simple, when we receive the Spirit of God, we are set free! Our chains are completely broken and our bonds are destroyed, making us slaves no more. The Bible also reminds us that there is liberty in the Spirit. “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (II Corinthians 3:17). Likewise, the Book of Romans says, “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15). The Holy Ghost is not bondage, but it is freedom. It is a freedom that we could never experience on our own. It is odd that the person in the poem at the beginning of this article was set free, but decided to put on a new set of bonds. Logic would tell us that the last thing a slave would want to do is put on a new set of chains. After feeling pure liberty and release from chains, why would one voluntarily succumb to shackles once again? However, Paul affirms this idea when he writes, “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life” (Romans 6:22). My story, along with countless others, mirrors the words of Paul. I still remember kneeling at an Apostolic altar, and God setting me free from the power of sin in my life. He broke my chains of bondage. I vividly remember my instant break from the prison of sin, feeling such freedom and expectation. And yet my first choice, my first decision as a free man, was to become a servant to God. I am hardly the only one. All over the world people are being set free from the bondage of sin and deciding to put on a new set of bonds to become servants of God. This same type of loyalty is found in the fifteenth chapter of Deuteronomy where Moses outlined how masters should treat their servants. One thing that was commanded of the Israelites was that if they owned a slave, they had to release that slave at the end of the sixth year. Verse twelve clearly explains this: “And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee” (Deuteronomy 15:12). Just for a moment try and imagine yourself in the place of that slave. For six long, hard years you have served. You have worked at this difficult and demanding job, toiling day
and night. You were at the beck and call of another, at the mercy of the master. But there is a ray of hope. You are nearing the end of the sixth year. On the last day of your sixth year, you watch as the sun sets and then you realize that you are free! One minute an indebted slave, the next minute, completely free. Oh what joy! You taste liberty for the first time as the shackles of servitude are opened. Not only did this release bring complete freedom to these slaves; in addition, their owners were required to give them generous farewell gifts from their flocks, threshing floors, and winepresses. The slave not only had freedom, but he also had a financial head start on a new life. He could start a career, buy some land, and start a family. Or maybe he could just travel, truly enjoying and experiencing this newfound freedom. The truth is that the slave, after years of bondage, was now free to do whatever he chose. However, the chapter does not stop there. The Lord puts in an exception clause: “And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee” (Deuteronomy 15:16). This verse seems to be a little unnecessary. Who would not want freedom? Who would choose to stay a slave? Who would stay in such bondage?
If the slave chose to surrender his freedom, the Lord instructed the slave owner to take a piercing tool called an awl, and put a hole in the lobe of the servant’s ear, signifying that he or she was choosing to become a servant for life. It is hard to imagine a slave who is free to go and loaded down with gifts, but decides to stay. But if this happened and the slave chose to surrender his freedom, the Lord instructed the slave owner to take a piercing tool called an awl, and put a hole in the lobe of the servant’s ear, signifying that he or she was choosing to become a servant for life. Under the law of God, the slave was free. He was free to go anywhere he chose and do whatever he wanted to do. Yet the slave decided not to leave but to stay and serve the master forever. It was no longer bonds holding the slave. It was no longer chains of iron and steel restraining him. It was no longer a debt that must be repaid keeping the slave. Instead, the slave stayed out of love for his master. The slave’s pierced ear became a sign of devotion, a sign of love, a mark of a servant that would let everyone know he was making a choice to serve his master. There is something intriguing and inspiring about a slave that serves not because he has to, but because he chooses his master. A person chooses to take a master’s mark, making him different from all of the others. While some may think of all JANUARY 2015
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of the freedoms and riches the slave was losing by not accepting freedom, that was not the case. Instead, by choosing this mark of the master, the slave was gaining the protection and care of his master. No one should feel sorry for him. Do not pity him for what one perceives him to have lost. While the other slaves are bound, the one with the hole in his ear is truly free. We have the same opportunity as those slaves in the book of Deuteronomy. We have the opportunity to be free. We are free to choose whatever we want. God never forced or made us serve Him. We are free to make our own choices without any limitations. But what a wonderful thing, to take that freedom and the conceptions of what that freedom offers, such as fortune and fame, and lay it before the Master, asking for His
mark, and to become His servant forever. There are no chains or bonds keeping us here, but we want to be His servants out of pure love. Don’t feel sorry for us, we choose to serve. We asked for this mark, we asked for these bonds, because we love the Master. And oh the joy in being a servant to this Master because it is through these bonds we are truly free! Micah Wisdom, a first generation Apostolic and an ordained minister, is privileged to pastor the United Pentecostal Church in Wagoner, Oklahoma. His favorite thing to do is spend time with his wife, Pebble, and their four children.
Speaking Truth in a Postmodern World (continued from page 7) people to Christ, not merely to a doctrinal position. Evaluate all communication based on its effectiveness in achieving the goal. Beware of terms and labels that tend to close minds, and avoid contentious debates. (See Titus 3:9.) • Speak to people where they are, find common ground, and lead them from the known to the unknown. In preaching to Jewish audiences the apostles used facts from Jewish history and
prophecies from the Old Testament. (See Acts 2; 13.) When Paul preached to pagan audiences he employed experience, reason, and relevant cultural expressions. He appealed to creation and conscience, and he quoted from Greek philosophers and poets. Ultimately, he drew their attention to the power of God and proclaimed the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (See Acts 14; 17.)
The gospel works in every age and culture. Through the Word and the Spirit we have the resources to present truth in our day and experience Apostolic revival.
David K. Bernard is the general superintendent of the United Pentecostal Church International.
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NEW START BY JOHN WOLFRAM
Boots on the Ground hen I was a new convert I heard a missionary ask the question, “Where in the world is the world?” Then he answered, “You’re standing on it.” Yes, our world is where we live, and Jesus needs boots on the ground to fulfill the Great Commission. Boots on the ground is a term used to convey the belief that military success can only be achieved through the direct physical presence of troops in a conflict area. The spiritual parallels are obvious: Boots on the ground means success can only come through direct physical presence of believers on site, in this world. Jesus taught this, and his disciples obeyed. With our new appointment as coordinator of Vietnamese Ministries in North America, we are here to assist you in reaching the Vietnamese people in your communities. Like it or not, the world we live in is changing dramatically. In my lifetime we have gone from Elvis to Justin Bieber, from Hank Aaron to Barry Bonds, from the Chevy to Toyota, and from telegrams to emails. The “all-American” diet is a thing of the past, and it is reflected in our fast food chains. We can order burritos for breakfast, sushi for lunch, and curry for dinner. Our changing culture has brought the mission field to our front door. In the late 1800s D. L. Moody said, “Reach the big cities, and you will reach the nation.” If he were alive today, he would say, “Reach the cities, and you will reach the world!” More than eighty languages are spoken in Los Angeles on a daily basis. In cities like San Francisco and New York a Chinese person can go to school, marry, and live most of his or her life with little or no interaction with a non-Chinese. Many immigrants are diverse, educated, and have an aggressive entrepreneurial spirit that is reshaping America. The fields are white and ready to harvest. Jesus needs boots on the ground. My introduction to Vietnam came through Uncle Sam. Twice I was sent to fight
while serving with the Underwater Demolition/SEAL teams—first in 1968 and then in 1970. I lost eight friends and teammates and was wounded myself during those years. I had just turned twenty-one. During my last tour, while high on LSD, I came close to ending my life in a Saigon hotel. However, God graciously intervened. Soon after, God led me to a United Pentecostal church after I saw a revival notice in a local paper. On my first visit, I was filled with the Holy Spirit and baptized in the name of Jesus. Shortly thereafter, God called me into the ministry. Little did I know then that God had plans for me to return to Vietnam—this time carrying a Bible, not an M-16 rifle. His call came unexpectedly while visiting a refugee camp in the Philippines, full of boat people escaping oppression in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. I had never felt anything so compelling before. God filled me with an insatiable passion to join Him in reaching this nation. It took a few more years of wrestling with the Lord before my size eleven boots stepped once again on Vietnam soil in 1993. In a country with more than 93 million people who are predominantly Buddhists, with less than 2 percent of the population claiming to be Christians, the challenge is great. However, following the Lord’s leading has paid off. The events that occurred after I obeyed the Lord were nothing short of miraculous. Those early days were filled with much suspense. Clandestine evangelism while evading the ever-watchful eyes of the police was nerve racking. But God protected us as we sowed much seed, and hundreds were baptized in the name of Jesus and filled with the Holy Ghost as a result. Our persistence has paid off. Another huge breakthrough came about recently through the assistance of several young Vietnamese students we brought to ACTS Bible School in the Philippines to train and disciple. More than 580 pastors, evangelists, and church workers have been converted as a result. God has also
given me favor with a Vietnamese leader to whom I first ministered nineteen years ago. He has been operating a Bible school for many years and is in the process of building a second. He is allowing our converts to teach Apostolic doctrine to all of his students! Global Missions has encouraged us to continue making trips to establish this new group. The future for Vietnam is bright. While revival is taking place abroad, let’s not forget the one and a half million Vietnamese who live in the United States and Canada. We are praying to connect Oneness Vietnamese leaders in North America with our new converts in Vietnam. Asia needs to reach Asia. But we need more boots on the ground at home to accomplish this. Please consider this challenge, and ask God to help you become more sensitive to your surroundings. Join us in prayer that God will raise up soul winners to reach into the Vietnamese community—in North America and in Vietnam. With God all things are possible. Remember, the Lord is the true soul winner. If we do our part, He will do His. Jesus needs boots on the ground! For assistance reaching the Vietnamese community please contact the Wolframs at johnwolfram@me.com or their website johnwolfram.com. They have Vietnamese doctrinal tools that can help you. They are also available to minister to your church. For more information on Vietnamese Evangelism in the United States and Canada, please contact the director of Multicultural Ministries Don Hanscom at dhanscom@upci.org.
John Wolfram joined the US Navy in 1967, assisted in the Apollo 10 astronaut and space recovery, and was the first frogman in the water to rescue Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins after their historical moon landing. John is the author of Splashdown, The Rescue of a Navy Frogman, published in 2007. JANUARY 2015
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[I CHOOSE TO SERVE]
Breaking the 80/20 Rule EUGENE WILSON
he Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 Rule, is named after Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. In the early 1900s, Pareto, having observed the unequal distribution of wealth in his country, in which 20 percent of the people owned 80 percent of the country’s wealth, created a mathematical formula to describe it. In the late 1940s, Dr. Joseph M. Juran, recognizing Pareto’s Principle was universal, referred to it as “vital few and trivial many”—in which 20 percent of something is always responsible for 80 percent of the results. The Pareto Principle, applied within the context of the church, suggests that 20 percent of church members do 80 percent of the work of ministry. Unfortunately, this is often the norm. Eighty percent of the people, in most churches, are beneficiaries of 20 percent of the congregation who is doing 80 percent of the work. However, not all churches are like this. Some are breaking the 80/20 Rule.
Serving Others Versus Being Served
Recently, I visited one of the fastest growing churches in America. I wanted to see first hand what the church was doing. The most impactful thing I discovered was this—a tremendous focus was placed on serving. At this church members are regularly encouraged to attend one service and serve in another, and many are doing so. Some serve as parking lot attendants, and some as greeters. Some offer donuts and something to drink, while others serve at the guest information kiosk. Many assist in the set 44
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up and tear down that occurs between the multiple services. Young people, including the pastor’s teenage son, assist in the children ministry on a monthly basis. And many serve outside the four walls of the church in community projects and evangelism events. This is the life Christ envisioned us living—one of serving others; this is also the life He lived. In Mark 10:45 (NKJV), Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
The Pareto Principle, applied within the context of the church, suggests that 20 percent of church members do 80 percent of the work of ministry. Jesus presented Himself as a model that should be followed. He did not think of himself as being too good to serve. Paul wrote, in Philippians 2:7-8 (NKJV), “But made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Jesus expects us to get involved in serving. After serving
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But made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:7-8, NKJV) His disciples by washing their feet, Jesus said, in John 13:15 (NKJV), “For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” Rather than expect others to serve us, we should serve others. Paul is another biblical example. Paul describes himself in a number of ways—apostle, teacher, etc.—but most importunately as a “servant” (I Corinthians 3:5; II Corinthians 6:4; 11:23; Colossians 1:23, 25; Ephesians 3:7) and “slave” (Romans 1:1; Galatians 1:10; Philippians 1:1; Titus 1:1). Paul was intent on serving, not on being served.
Growing and Serving
The importance of serving is emphasized throughout Scripture. Likewise, growth and development is emphasized. Interestingly, serving impacts growth, and growth impacts serving. Ephesians 4:11-12 states that the fivefold ministry was given for the equipping of the saints for their work of ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ. This verse suggests that we grow, or become equipped, to serve; it also implies that people who are not serving are not growing. Consider Joshua. Exodus 24:13 states, “And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God.” Paul Chappell, in Leaders Who Make a Difference: Leadership Lessons from Three Great Bible Leaders, notes, “The word minister in this verse means servant. Joshua, a man who would later lead the conquest of the Promised Land, did not think it beneath him to be the servant, the burden bearer, of Moses.” Joshua developed as a leader while serving.
Serving and Growing
An interesting phenomenon occurs when people grow— become equipped and empowered for ministry and get involved in serving—the church grows. Lives are changed. Communities are transformed. Churches grow. Good things happen when people serve. Consider the following churches that have broken the 80/20 Rule: The Pentecostals of Goodlettsville, Pastor Tim Zungia, where 41 percent of the members thirteen-years-old and older are involved in some capacity of serving; The Pentecostals of Titusville, Pastor Jody Wells, where 46 percent of the church is involved in serving; and Faith Tabernacle,
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Pastor Kent Elliot, in which approximately 48 percent of the people are involved in serving. These churches are experiencing growth. As more people get involved in serving, churches grow numerically. Conversely, growing churches place intentional focus on getting people involved in serving. Why? One reason is because people grow while serving. By helping people discover their gift and calling, and by giving place for involvement, the churches are growing people and, consequently, experiencing church growth. Take Faith Tabernacle, for example. An essential element in the developing of people at Faith Tabernacle is getting people involved in serving. The church has three different levels of involvement. An example of first-level serving occurs every Sunday evening at the homeless shelter. An example of second-level serving is that of greeters. There are some basic requirements, which include, but are not limited to, water baptism, receiving the Holy Spirit, and attending The Forum (discipleship classes). However, the requirements are not as restricting as those who serve in teaching or platform ministries, which is third-level serving. But regardless of where a person may be on his or her spiritual journey, everyone is encouraged to serve.
Impacting Our World through Serving
The Bible reveals that the queen of Sheba was greatly impressed with Solomon’s servants. She was awestruck with the joy exhibited by those who were serving. (See II Chronicles 9:1-9.) One sure way to make a lasting impression on others is through the act of serving. You do not have to have a position, title, be on the platform, or in the microphone to impact people. You can impact others by serving and serving with joy. The need of the hour is for great people, but not great in the way most people think. Jesus said the greatest of all is the one who serves. (See Matthew 23:11–12.) The need is one of servants. Eugene Wilson is an ordained minister and founder of Equipping Leaders, a leadership consulting and coaching organization. He and his wife live in Dallas, Texas.
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[FEEDBACK] What God commands, He enables November 2014
I very much enjoyed the November issue of the Pentecostal Herald where you examined various societal issues through scriptural eyes. One thing that stands salient in my mind is a phrase I found both in Brother Bernard’s article on “Moral Values in a Postmodern World” and Brother Segraves’ article on “Marriage and Society.” The phrase simply states, “What God commands, He enables.” What a great truth! —Dorion Norton
God’s Eternal Nature & God’s Eternal Love August 2014
Dear Pentecostal Herald, Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for that most wonderful, excellent article by the general superintendent, Dr. David K. Bernard, entitled “God’s Eternal Nature and God’s Eternal Love” in the August 2014 copy! I am an African-American lady who is also Oneness. I heard a Trinitarian man on the radio saying the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were three “persons” loving and interacting with one another. I knew in my spirit that this was not right but at the same time I did not know what type of refute could be given to this outlandish notion. But then something wonderful happened! My pastor handed me a copy of the 2014 August Herald and the article was in there! I had not spoken to the pastor about it. It seems to me as if God Himself wanted me to see this article. I have read it many times over and will read it some more. Again, thank you and keep up the good work! Love-in-Christ, Shirley Samuel Taylor Tuscaloosa, Alabama
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Send letters for possible publication to: pbuford@upci.org or kmiddleton@upci.org, or Pentecostal Herald 8855 Dunn Road / Hazelwood, MO 63042-2299. Letters may be edited for style, grammar, punctuation, or length. JANUARY 2015
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[I CHOOSE TO SERVE]
When Ministry Comes Full Circle DOUG ELLINGSWORTH
obody in the audience noticed what happened in the closing moments of the ordination service at this year’s district conference except for April. She saw it first. But, then, she is one of the few who know this story. Many years ago, a young man named Dennis Ploch had a burden to minister to children. His desire to see children saved compelled him to get involved in bus ministry. So every weekend found him and his wife, Mary, knocking on doors and inviting people to ride their bus to church. Behind one of those doors lived a boy named Curtis. He began riding Dennis Ploch’s bus to church. It wasn’t long until Curtis responded to God’s tug upon his heart, and he gave his life to the Lord. As the years went by, Curtis continued to walk with God. Along the way, God called him to preach. He studied and prepared and began helping in church wherever he could. As a young man, he served as assistant pastor to Travis Grimsley at New Life Tabernacle in Jackson, Tennessee. He eventually became pastor of a United Pentecostal Church in Beech Bluff, Tennessee. As the years passed, Curtis’ passion for ministry caught the attention of others. He was asked by his ministry peers to fill various leadership roles and in February 2011, Curtis was elected presbyter of his section. Dennis Ploch, meanwhile, kept driving his bus and bringing kids to church. He and Mary were teaching Sunday school and started helping children get the Holy Ghost by conducting 48
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children’s church services. In order to create more excitement among the children to whom they were ministering, Dennis Ploch created a country bumpkin character he named Brother Goober. The Ploch’s vision for children’s ministry caught the attention of others and they began receiving invitations to conduct kids’ crusades and teachers’ seminars. They used their summer vacation days to help in youth camps all across the United States. For years they led children’s ministry at their home church and traveled whenever their jobs and schedule would allow. Their burden for children’s ministry, however, would continue to drive them until they resigned all their positions and became fulltime children’s evangelists. Now that they were preaching in so many different places, Dennis Ploch decided to become a licensed minister with the United Pentecostal Church. To become an ordained minister takes several years, and he was starting the process later in life than most. After traveling fulltime for a few years, the Plochs were asked to move to Memphis to direct the children’s ministry at The Pentecostal Church. For the past several years now, that has been their home. Having completed all the requirements for becoming an ordained minister, Dennis Ploch was approved by the Tennessee District Board at this year’s district conference. He and his wife joined the approved ministers for a special ordination service. At the conclusion of the service, the district leaders, presbyters from each section of Tennessee, gathered around the newly ordained ministers and laid hands upon them in prayer. Nobody was assigned to pray for any specific cou-
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ple—the leaders just gathered around in a circle and prayed for those near them. That’s when April, the Ploch’s daughter, saw it. The preacher—the district leader—that had his hand on her father’s shoulder praying for God’s anointing upon his ministry, was the little boy, Curtis, who first came to know God because her daddy had knocked on his door and brought him to church on his bus. What a special affirmation of these two ministries! How incredible is our God who quietly arranged these events to remind two ministering families of His faithfulness.
And how wonderful that He would share with us this story to motivate us to keep knocking on doors, keep driving those buses, and keep reaching for every soul. Don’t grow weary in well doing. Those you bless today will be the ones blessing you tomorrow. This article is adapted from an article that originally appeared in the Pentecostal Voice of Tennessee in May 2011. Used with permission.
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