Wisconsin District neWs May 2013
Wisconsin District News WDN EDITOR Craig Lundt PO Box 688 Beloit, WI 53512 wdn@wisconsinupci.org WDN SECTIONAL REPS Section 1: Loretta Lundt Section 2: Carole Keller Section 3: - Open Section 4: April Peckham Section 5: Kathy Fry WDN Proofreader: Dede Sharp DISTRICT OFFICERS Superintendent: Rev. John E. Putnam Secretary-Treasurer: Rev. E.A. Kaske Honorary Board Member: Rev. John Grant PRESBYTERS Section 1: Rev. Charles Welch Section 2: Rev. James Booker Section 3: Rev. Ed Herman Section 4: Rev. Rufus Parker Section 5: Rev. Paul Bennett DEPARTMENTS Foreign Missions: Rev. M.W. Rogers Home Missions: Rev. Rick Keilley Deaf Ministry: Renee Strand Ladies Ministries: Sis. Barb Hilderbrand Sunday School: Rev. Dale Pace Youth Ministries: Rev. Tim Vik Revival Commission: Rev. Michael Hook Multimedia Ministry: Rev. Scott Jacobs Men’s Ministry: Rev. Steve Rogers Music Ministry: Sis. Darlene Boyte Purpose Institute: Rev. J.D. Putnam Prayer Force: Rev. Don Rogers 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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BRO. J. E. PUTNAM
WI District Superintendent
GALATIANS 4:22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. 24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. 25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem, which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. During this month of May we all celebrate the wonder and kindness of motherhood. All of us have a mother - a woman who went to death’s door to bring you and me life as we entered this world.
Having watched all three of our own children being born, it certainly gave me a tremendous respect for my wife, and for that matter, all women who endure the pregnancy, labor and birth of a child. I recognize that all births are not alike; some births are more intense than others, sometimes there are unforeseen complications, and sometimes there is a complete sacrifice made in the death of the mother, giving life to her child. Being a good mother is a tough job! It is not for the fainthearted, but it is for those who recognize responsibility and are committed to the service of seeing their children grow and prosper in life. Mothers are responsible to teach by example, and to give willingly and unselfishly for the cause of instructing a life to be productive and generous to others, as they grow and become an adult themselves. These same characteristics should also be made manifest in the “church” of Jesus Christ. Paul, writing to the Galatians, spoke of the Jerusalem that is geographically defined in Israel. Paul made a distinction between that Jerusalem, walled by stone and mortar, and the Jerusalem that is above. He equates these with the
PAUL BENNETT - Section 5 two sons of Abraham. One was born after the flesh…that being Ishmael, and the other born as the fulfillment of a promise…Isaac. Paul points out that these two brothers represent the two covenants of God with His people. Ishmael represented the law, and Isaac, the result of a promise made by God. These two brothers had the same father, but they did not have the same mother. Ishmael’s mother was a bondwoman, and Isaac’s mother a free woman, able to make a choice either to believe God’s sovereign promise to her, or doubt that she even knew what He was talking about. Paul typified the bondwoman to represent the law of Moses…and he typified the free woman to represent THE CHURCH, that came out of the very side of Jesus Christ himself. The law will take man no further than to Jerusalem that now is. But the promise of God, fulfilled in the lives of His children, will take God’s children to heaven itself, as she manifests the same characteristics and qualities that every good mother would do for her offspring. The Church of promise…through the power of the Holy Ghost, is the “Mother of Us All”! How fitting, during this special month of recognition, that we all who are born again of water and Spirit take time out and show appreciation to God for the Church, our spiritual Mother. Thank you, Moms, for all that you do and have done on our behalf, but we should all lift up our voices and hands and thank the Lord for the privilege of having a “mother” that constantly is interested in our eternal welfare and productivity during our time on earth. Happy Mother’s Day!
WDN: Tell us about your background. BRO. BENNETT: I was born in a Christian (Pentecostal) home in 1957 in St. Paul, MN. My family attended Midway Tabernacle on the corner of Victoria and Hague in St. Paul. S.G. Norris was my pastor. When I was in grade school, my family moved to Knoxville, a small community in southern Iowa. It was a wonderful time to grow up with my siblings and friends and I was blessed to have several great pastors and leaders who had a positive influence on my life: James Lumpkin, Don Deck, C.E. Gustafson, Dan Smith, Ronald L. Brown. I received the gift of the Holy Ghost on July 26, 1974 in Bloomington, IL, where Sam Latta was pastoring at that time. I attended Apostolic Bible Institute in St. Paul, MN, 1975-1977. The summer of 1976 was an exciting summer for me. I spent that summer with my grandparents in Chico, CA. My grandfather was a church planter and pastor in Chico. He was a spiritual mentor, and exampled to me Christian disciplines. It was there that God began to deal with my heart regarding ministry.
After our marriage, my wife and I spent two years in my home church as youth leaders. In 1981, we came to Eau Claire and worked under Bro. John Tandberg, where we served as youth pastor and assistant pastor for 16 years. I have been blessed to be in full-time ministry since 1981. In 1997, we were elected pastor of Lighthouse Pentecostal Church in Wausau, WI. While in Wausau, we experienced a continual powerful move of God’s Spirit, saw many souls saved, and lives transformed during eight years of revival! In July 2005, I was elected as Pastor of Pentecostal Assembly Church in Eau Claire. We are blessed to serve God with the great people of PAC! We have ministered in several churches over the years throughout the country, in various preaching and seminar venues. I have been privileged to have served the Wisconsin District over the years as: District Youth Secretary, Director of Revival Commission, Coordinator of Purpose Institute, Presbyter in Section 4, and currently serving as Presbyter of Section 5. WDN: Tell us about your family. BRO. BENNETT: In 1976, I met my beautiful wife, Julie. We were married on May 20, 1978, and are celebrating 35 years of marriage this year! We have three daughters: Rachelle – married to Levi Kruit, and they have two sons: Judah Austin, age eight, and Reagan Maxwell, age six. To them, we are “Buppa and Nanna.” My wife would argue that they are the best boys ever. She’s pretty close to right on that. Our son-in-law, Levi, ministers in our church in the pulpit, is our head usher, and teaches home Bible studies. Rachelle works with the bus ministry Continued on page 14
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BY SIMON CHAPPELL
This is the first level of training required to achieve chapPastor John David Putlain certification within our nam and the congregation organization. In the class, we of the Pentecostals of Shewere introduced to the role boygan County (POSC) in of a chaplain and the differSheboygan Falls, WI were ent types of chaplaincy that the gracious hosts of the can be pursued. These varietfirst chaplain training course ies include hospital, law and held in the Wisconsin Dis- fire, prison, vocational and trict. The sponsor of the military. We were blessed to event was Purpose Institute. have several guest speakers The training took place on describe their chaplain role the evening of Friday, April - one a chaplain in the Min12th, and the day of Sat- nesota State Government, urday, the 13th. Dr. Sidney one a prison chaplain, and Poe, a chaplain and trainer one a chaplain for a sheriffs with the UPCI Division of department. We also got to Education, led the sessions. see a sheriff ’s vehicle, but for The class was “Essen- some reason, no one took tial Ministry and Mission the officer up on the offer to of Community Chaplaincy.” sit in the back of it!
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A chaplain is one who looks out for the spiritual needs of those within their responsibility. To this end, a hospital chaplain would not only visit and minister to the patients of the hospital, but also the staff. A chaplain must be prepared to minister in a pluralistic setting. Many of the people you come into contact with will not be of your exact same beliefs, but they need your help and compassion anyway. Another large part of a chaplain’s life is dealing with death, dying, and grief. The death notification is a huge part of this. Disaster and crisis intervention round out the basic chaplain skill set.
Approximately 60 students attended the class. The attendees were a good mix of ministers and involved saints, with about ten pastors present. The class went well, aided by generous supplies of coffee and sugar-filled snacks, and a delicious lunch cooked right at the church by POSC volunteers. Plans are already being worked on to offer this class again in the future, as a number of interested parties were unable to make it this time. The follow-up class, or part 2, is also planned for next year. Watch the WDN for announcements and details as the time approaches.
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BY APRIL PECKHAM
and turn from their wicked ways…” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Spring has sprung in There are things we’ve alcentral Wisconsin and lives lowed to come into our lives are being refreshed, renewed, and God will not heal our and restored in Christ! On land, will not bring revival to April 26th and 27th, Riv- our land, until those things erside Apostolic UPCI in are removed. We need to deMarshfield hosted a Section stroy the thing that brought 4 Rally and Men’s/Ladies’ idolatry into our home. God Bible Study Session. wants us to yield 100% to Evangelist Tim Greene His prophetic promise in our spoke a powerful word at lives, but how much we yield the Friday night rally, “Now is determined by our reFaith.” 2013 is the year sponse to His prophecy. We for revival if “…my people, let life and circumstances get which are called by my name, in the way and reduce our shall humble themselves, ability to yield. We need to and pray, and seek my face, respond to the Word we’ve
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heard and believed on in our hearts. On Saturday morning, Bro. Rufus and Sis. Pamela Parker taught the Men’s and Ladies’ split session. Sis. Parker taught on how to become the perfect woman… by implementing James 3:2 in our lives. Often women try to be refined in their appearance, but need to spend more time refining their speech. The first impression may be our appearance, but the lasting impression is what comes out of our mouths. Things may lose value in our lives, but the words we speak never lose their value. Wise women do not use their words to tear down or demolish. They know there is power in the words they speak to their children and husbands. It may be years before we reap the fruit of the words we spoke to our children. The world tells us that we speak positive or negative words, but the Bible teaches us that we speak good or evil words…so why would we want to speak evil into the lives of people we love? We are accountable for every idle word spoken; our words can affect where we spend eternity. Jesus taught us that our words can move mountains, but our words can also build mountains! We need to stop, listen, and think before we speak, so our words do not create mountains out of molehills.
Bro Parker taught on being a real man…everything a man is flows from these two things: knowing who God is, and knowing who you are in God. If a man pitches his tent toward the world, he will become part of the world, just as Lot did. Abraham had to save Lot from the world twice! God wants a man who knows how to love and how to be loved. A man has to be able to get himself delivered from situations through praise and putting God first in everything. True men have joy. True men are longsuffering. True men understand that God wants every soul to come to repentance. A true man must be patient and not go into debt just to obtain things. A true man needs to be meek, gentle, polite, and display ethics. A true man’s faith is revealed by where he goes or doesn’t go, by what he does or doesn’t do. A true man knows that meekness is not a weakness, but a sign of strength. Jesus is the epitome of what every woman desires in a man: honest, protector, provider, leader, trustworthy, God-fearing. Every man should aspire to be a real man! If anyone is interested in hearing the Rejuvenate sessions, please visit Riverside Apostolic’s website: http:// www.r iversideupci.com/ streamingmedia.htm
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BY LORETTA LUNDT Youth Week, Ignite Rally, special guest speaker, fun décor, and props all add up to an exciting week at The Pentecostals of the Fox Cities in Menasha! Bro. Maurice Rodriguez from Florida joined us for three evenings and Sunday morning, the last week of April. The theme for the week was “REDEFINED.” Are you defined by the world or by Jesus and His Word?
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Wednesday and Thursday, Bro. Rodriguez spoke to the English and Spanish Righteous Alternative youth groups respectively. He taught on the rich young ruler and habits. Friday, he was the main speaker for the Ignite Rally, which was followed by a great time of roller-skating. “You’re Not That Cool” was his message Friday evening. Trends come and go…and come back. You may think that if you look cool, you’ve got it going on, but no matter what, you’re not so cool you can change what is already written. I Kings 1 tells the story of Adonijah, one of King David’s sons. He was handsome
and he had a following of people, but he could not change the plan of God. He was not meant to be king like he thought. Solomon was. Don’t carry an Adonijah mentality: I’m going to live the way I want to live. The Word of God is established and never-changing. The Word of God doesn’t care how cool you are. It is the standard! This is where you start. It is not about your feelings or what you think. It is about what He has done and already settled in His Word. Concluding our weekend, Sunday morning, Bro. Rodriguez taught “Redefined/Consecrated.” God is always chasing you. You need to allow Him to catch you. We are saturated by our world, but God wants to saturate us with His presence. Don’t let all that is going on around you, engulf you. Instead, let the fire of the Holy Ghost that is in us affect, “scorch,” those who “mess” with you. He took his text from Leviticus 20 where God gave the Israelites the rules – ahead of time. We are sanctified, special, only after we make a decision to consecrate ourselves to God. The special feeling you get from God is dependent on your decision to serve Him. Choose wisely.
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BY LORETTA LUNDT If you didn’t go, you missed it! That is stating the obvious, I realize, but the importance of the music ministry to your local assembly should not be overlooked. The musical training and talent squeezed into one day of seminars blessed all who attended. Apostolic Truth Church hosted the annual music conference on Saturday, April 27, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Each presenter did a professional and excellent job sharing about his/her respective area
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of expertise, giving practical guidelines to assist with a specific area of music ministry. Best of all, God joined us and moved in a powerful way during our time of worship. The breakout sessions consisted of Worship Leading/Stage Presence, Acoustic/Electric Guitar Technique, Piano/ Keyboarding, Sound Board Technique, Percussion Technique, Vocal Development, Conducting Vocal Practice, and Conducting Band Practice. Presenters included WI District Music Director, Dar-
lene Boyte, and Sectional Reps, Liberty Solberg and Bethany Hilderbrand. Other presenters included Corey, Danielle, and Seth Boyte, Dustin Hoffman, and the ATC Sound Booth Team. For the low cost of $15, we received excellent training, breakfast, lunch, and music sampler discs with audio clips and PDFs of 26 different songs to take home with us. If you are involved in the music ministry at your church and were not able to attend this year, make plans to set aside this day next year and learn more about how to have an effective music ministry for your church.
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Author SP
TLIGHT
MARK SHOWALTER Mark grew up right here in the state of Wisconsin and has been a licensed minister since 1999. He has been on the pastoral staff in five different churches; two of which he started from the ground up. Mark has taught classes at Purpose Institute in Chicago, IL. He is currently a full-time evangelist, speaking in churches all over the country. You can also see more of his writings on his blog at mshowalter. wordpress.com Single copy $12.50 Two or more copies $10 ea. (+$1.50 S&H) The book can be purchased on my website at www.messageofhopeministries.com or by emailing me a quantity request and shipping address at themessageofhope@ gmail.com. Check or money order, if paid by mail, can be made out to Mark Showalter.
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The Journey of a Thousand Miles is a compilation of blog posts written on a variety of different subjects. They were written to draw the reader to a deeper relationship with God through a simple understanding of who He is. Some of the topics covered in this book are: • Why must I suffer as a Christian? • Four Common Tricks of the Devil. • Failing While at Your Spiritual Best.
“Happy Birthday, Esther Haskins!�
WI Dist. Supt. John Putnam and his wife, Joanne, congratulate Sis. Haskins.
A bouquet of beautiful flowers presented to Sis. Haskins by WI Dist. Supt. John Putnam, his wife, Joanne Putnam, WI Dist. Sec. Emmett Kaske, and his wife, Mary Kaske.
This certificate, honoring Sis. Haskins for 90 years of serving the Lord, is signed by UPCI Gen. Supt. David K. Bernard & WI Dist. Supt. John Putnam.
(All photos were taken by Sandra Runkle in Fond du Lac, WI on Jan 19, 2013) May 2013
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Meet Your Presbyter recreational target shooting, around the sanctuary. Soon They are unique in their Continued from page 3
and photo team. Camilla – married to Adam Stine. Our son-inlaw, Adam, ministers in preaching and teaching at PAC. Camilla organizes our church decorating and interior design. Alisha – works full-time and attends UWEC. She is on our praise team. WDN: Do you have any interests/hobbies? BRO. BENNETT: We like to take walks together. I ride bicycle, play tennis, enjoy
and motorcycling. Occasionally they invite me to join in with the praise team, sing a solo, or play saxophone.
WDN: Have you ever witnessed a miracle? Please tell us about it. BRO. BENNETT: When I was a boy, I witnessed my first miracle. A boy in our church was born unable to walk. During a prayer meeting, saints began to gather around him in his wheelchair (he was about seven years old); while praying, several lifted him to his feet and began walking him
he was walking on his own, and even running! Another time, during a revival at our church, my youngest sister, who was born deaf, began praying during the altar service. She was miraculously filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues! I have witnessed several miracles of healing over the years, but none so great as the miracle of transformed lives as individuals repent, are baptized, and filled with the precious Holy Ghost.
WDN: What do you enjoy about being presbyter? BRO. BENNETT: It is a genuine honor to serve on the District Board of the great Wisconsin District. The men on our board are men of wisdom and vision. We have many great leaders in our District, and the ministers of Section 5 are a wonderful group of faithful men. It is a tremendous blessing to be part of such a great fellowship of men and women for the past 30 years. WDN: What is your vision for Wisconsin? BRO. BENNETT: I see Wisconsin continuing to grow in strength, both spiritually and numerically. We all must catch the vision of souls and reaching our unchurched communities with the Gospel. WDN: Please share with our readers a nugget of wisdom. BRO. BENNETT: Not everyone is the same. People do not grow in every area at the same rate. Churches and ministries are autonomous.
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own geographical location, and personalities. We should never judge people (even in the family of God) who differ from us in their understanding or perspective. This includes pastors and church leaders. I have learned over the years that “growth” is not only about numbers. In the local church; we should strive for unity and being a “healthy church,” fearing God as we go. The letters to the churches in Revelation 2 and 3 show this very clearly. “Church health” is far greater than “how many we had in church on Sunday.” When people begin to personally grow, understanding that they accomplish far more together than individually, the natural and spiritual result will be church growth. Years ago, our former District Superintendent, Bro. John Grant, taught at a district meeting: It is not so important where you are, rather the direction you are going. He stated, “I would rather be one foot from hell, headed toward heaven, than one foot from heaven, headed toward hell. Our direction is the most important. We all have heaven to gain.” At one point, Jesus spoke to Peter, and said, “When you are converted, strengthen the brethren.” (Luke 22:32) We care for people, no matter where they are in their spiritual journey, but loving them, encouraging them, and then “expounding to them the Word of God more perfectly.” (Acts 18:26). Interview conducted by April Peckham, WDN Representative Section 4
SPEAKER:
J immy K e l l y
A C T I VAT E WISCONSIN YOUTH CAMP
( f r om T N )
ACTS 1:8 JUNE 24TH - 28TH
F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N :
www.wisconsinupci.org/youth
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