Can someone please tell me...?!

[Barb]

I am almost 56 years old and was brought to the house of God and dedicated when I was a month old. So, though I have not always lived the saved and sanctified life, I am not a novice to the Apostolic Church.

In my youth, I learned about the Church and it's birth on the Day of Pentecost. They taught me about Topeka, Kansas, and the Azuza Revival. I knew about the withdrawl from the AG in 1916 and the formation of the different Apostolic organizations. I knew that the UPCI was the result of a merger in 1945...the complete details I did not know until recent years, but the merger I was aware of.

I grew up hearing and knowing the names of Brothers Goss, Vouga, Haywood, Urshan, Witherspoon, Cook, Ewart, Durham, Parham, Seymour. They were as familiar to me as my own name.

But can someone tell me WHY I never heard of the men listed below who ALSO were pioneers of the gospel?!

Brother WM Greer

Brother Earl L. Jacques

Brother EP Wickens

Brother John H. Dearing

Brother Wynn T. Stairs

Brother Raymond Beesley

I have read countless books on this subject...so why are their names foreign to me?! What impact did they have on this gospel message being spread in the last century?! How come important details and names were omitted from my Apostolic education?!

Or am I the only ignorant soul in the bunch?!

[Jesuswins]

Originally Posted by Barb

I am almost 56 years old and was brought to the house of God and dedicated when I was a month old. So, though I have not always lived the saved and sanctified life, I am not a novice to the Apostolic Church.

In my youth, I learned about the Church and it's birth on the Day of Pentecost. They taught me about Topeka, Kansas, and the Azuza Revival. I knew about the withdrawl from the AG in 1916 and the formation of the different Apostolic organizations. I knew that the UPCI was the result of a merger in 1945...the complete details I did not know until recent years, but the merger I was aware of.

I grew up hearing and knowing the names of Brothers Goss, Vouga, Haywood, Urshan, Witherspoon, Cook, Ewart, Durham, Parham, Seymour. They were as familiar to me as my own name.

But can someone tell me WHY I never heard of the men listed below who ALSO were pioneers of the gospel?!

Brother WM Greer

Brother Earl L. Jacques

Brother EP Wickens

Brother John H. Dearing

Brother Wynn T. Stairs

Brother Raymond Beesley

I have read countless books on this subject...so why are their names foreign to me?! What impact did they have on this gospel message being spread in the last century?! How come important details and names were omitted from my Apostolic education?!

Or am I the only ignorant soul in the bunch?!

I have never heard of these men either.

[Barb]

Originally Posted by Jesuswins

I have never heard of these men either.

Thank you...at least I don't stand alone in my ignorance of these men...

[Malvaro]

the current generation, and the generation before (mine) knows even less about it's Pentecostal roots....

[Barb]

Originally Posted by Malvaro

the current generation, and the generation before (mine) knows even less about it's Pentecostal roots....

And this makes me weep, Mal...

[Malvaro]

Originally Posted by Barb

And this makes me weep, Mal...

I doubt some have even heard of Bro Pugh, Bro Becton, Bro Cole, etc the oldest living generation of preachers.... they would know of Bro J. Jones, Bro Mangun, Bro Stoneking, Bro Williams, Bro Arnold, Bro Maddix, etc though.... because they would have seen or heard them during their lifetimes....

[Barb]

Originally Posted by Malvaro

I doubt some have even heard of Bro Pugh, Bro Becton, Bro Cole, etc the oldest living generation of preachers.... they would know of Bro J. Jones, Bro Mangun, Bro Stoneking, Bro Williams, Bro Arnold, Bro Maddix, etc though.... because they would have seen or heard them during their lifetimes....

This is true...

You know, I feel as if I was stunted in my growth somehow. Was my Apostolic education edited for a reason?!

It disturbs me...

[Malvaro]

Originally Posted by Barb

This is true...

You know, I feel as if I was stunted in my growth somehow. Was my Apostolic education edited for a reason?!

It disturbs me...

I was never taught about my Pentecostal roots in SSchool.... all the knowledge I currently have is from stories I've heard in sermons and/or books that I've heard regarding the topic....

An interesting question to ask would be, Do churchs teach about our 1900+ Pentecostal history in SSchool classes? I wasn't aware they did....

[Sam]

It is my understanding that all of the men listed in Barb's post were what we refer to as PCI one-steppers. In other words, they believed that a person was saved/regenerated at repentance and then that person was expected to go on and submit to water baptism in Jesus' name and to receive the Holy Ghost Baptism.

We don't really know how many ministers were one-steppers and how many were three steppers when the UPC was formed in 1945. I think people have been less than truthful when they have quoted numbers. Maybe they just didn't know or maybe they wanted to show that those of their particular viewpoint were more numerous than the others.

It is my understanding that when the UPC was formed the following were one-steppers:
Howard Goss, Gen. Supt.
E.E. McNatt, Sunday School Director
Wynn Stairs, Foreign Missionary Director
plus some of the district overseers, elders, or supts (whatever they were called) like Bro. Greer, Bro. Yadon and maybe more.

When the first issue of the Pentecostal Herald came out in 1945 it stated that articles presenting either opinion on the new birth were acceptable as long as they were not written in an argumentative way.

As far as I understand, in the new UPC organization the Bible Schools in Tupelo and Portland were one-stepper in doctrine, the schools in St. Paul and Tulsa were three-stepper in doctrine, and the school in Stockton was open to either opinion.

It is my understanding that over the years the one-steppers were minimized, trivialized, ostracized, demonized, marginalized and generally just plain despised by the three-steppers. As the three-steppers gained more political clout the one-steppers were pretty well pushed out. The Fundamental Doctrine Statement was modified in 1972 in an attempt to oust them. Then the Affirmation Statement was pushed through based on lies, deception, bullying, intimidation and disregarding the rules set forth in the bylaws to further remove these folks from the UPC.

A sad commentary on the situation is that an otherwise respected elder like Bro K. would lie like he did to get that AF through, thus silencing many good men and women in the faith.

[Bishop1]

Here Are Some Of Them -

W M GREER

J T PAYNE

A D GURLEY

A W POST