[Sam]

Originally Posted by tv1a

I wish my father was alive. I'd pick his brain on this topic. I believe the upci mindset is more concerned about outer appearances than attitudes of the heart. Jesus spoke more about repentance than he did about baptism and speaking in tongues. Haven't heard a biblically based message on repentance in 35 years in the upci. Basically repentance is taught as something you go through before being pressured into speaking in tongues. If you don't speak in tongues, it may be that you haven't truly repented. You know all the crup that goes with altar coaching.
The upci emphasizes water baptism more than repentance.

The dress codes get more attention in pentecostal churches than repentance. Can't tell me something isn't out of whack there.

The upci brags about being the largest Oneness pentecostal organization and fastest growing oneness organization with 20-30 year old statistics.

History shows us the upci of today is nothing like the upci of the founding fathers of the movement. The people who shed blood, sweat, and tears over the organization were marginalized and maligned by the hardcore element.

It is difficult to respect the organization heiarchy when they rewrite history to fit their agenda.

btw, When I went to the Joel Osteen service in Cleveland, he raised over $50,000 without saying a word. His brother spoke about 5 minutes about their desire to feed starving children and share the gospel of Jesus with them. Meanwhile earlier that year in Columbus, Oh, general conference looked like a slave auction trying to get sponsors for missionaries. We stayed 45 minutes at the slave auction then left.

The problem with the upci is they want to be known as something that really isn't that important to God, and they want to use methods that have never worked before, but because someone thought it was a good idea, it was set in stone as gospel truth and by gawd forever it shall stand.

uh-oh

more UPCI bashing?

or a pretty good assessment of a dying religious/political organization?