Big Brother's Syndrome: They Shall Know You By ...

[DAII]

OUR NAME.

The following article was written by Thomas Wynn Drost ... UPCI missionary to Mexico and General Superintendent of the IPUM ... the United Pentecostal Church of Mexico, which is affiliated with the United Pentecostal Church, International. He is the son of Canadian missionary, Bill Drost.

The following is the his bio from the UPCI's Foreign Missions Division:

Born to missionary parents in Cali, Colombia, Brother T. Wynn Drost has spent all of his life on the mission field. He has been an appointed missionary since April 1969. During that time, he has served as a missionary in six different countries: Spain, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Belize, and Mexico. In January 2001 Brother Drost lost his wife (Wanda) of 30 years to cancer. They have three sons two of whom are also UPCI appointed Missionaries to Mexico, and the third one (Mark) Pastors in Dallas, Texas. Brother Drost founded the UPC of El Salvador in 1975, and the UPC of Belize in 1984. In 1981 he assumed the oversight of both Guatemala and Nicaragua. In 1986 the Foreign Missions Board added Mexico to his portfolio. Since 1991 Brother Drost has lived in Mexico City. Today he Pastors a growing Church in the heart of Mexico City. Brother Drost is presently the elected Superintendent of the United Pentecostal Church of Mexico. The UPC of Mexico is experiencing great revival.

It was written in May of 2009 but only in the last few months has it become controversial when various Apostolic pastors and ministers got to read it and took serous offense to the harsh nature of what is said in the article.

I have translated it into English. It can be found here, at the IPUM's official site, in Spanish:
http://www.ipumex.net/mensajero-mayo09.html

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Iglesia Pentecostal Unida - The United Pentecostal Church
by Thomas Drost

The name in which a group identifies itself is very important. We know names like Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Ford, Apple, New York, etc. are rapidly identified and bring to mind what they are. Even at times just seeing their logo, their emblem, their symbol, you think about them and images come to mind as to what that emblem represents.

In a world where piracy has become something so common, it's as if we don't appreciate all that goes behind a name and the effort, time, and money that has been invested in making that name respected. Realistically, it is an ingratitude to people who procure to produce and give services of excellence and benefit the customer or client as well. For this reason, if you are satisfied, be loyal to them so they will keep on giving. Names, emblems, are important.

For this reason, we should be interested in the name of the religious institution we belong to: The United Pentecostal Church

That name came about in the United States of American as the best option in 1945, when two organizations, realizing they had a lot in common – in regards to doctrine, practice, customs and background – decided to unite and form one: United Pentecostal Church

Many ministers “of the Name” had wished and waited for this moment for more than 30 years. Why? Because in 1914, when a group of pioneer Pentecostals formed the first pentecostal organization – which became the Assemblies of God – a group of “the Name” felt betrayed and left, two years later, when they adopted the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity as part of their Creed. The Oneness group, which included leaders who had convocated the first assembly, felt like they were “expelled” in a religious ambush.

In effect, this delayed the development and growth of Oneness Pentecostal for more than 30 years. But God has blessed the United Pentecostal Church and it has grown greatly to the being present in over in over 183 countries of the world. One of the primordial purposes in its formation was to bring “the Gospel to the whole world” And that remains being its first priority just as been preserving the Doctrine. This passion and missionary burden has been the cause for why God has blessed us; and because we are fulfilling what is close to God's heart which is: reaching souls with the Gospel.

And what is this doctrine? The religiously passionate belief that (1) there is only One God who was manifest in the flesh in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ; (2) that the plan of salvation is found in Acts 2:38; emphasizing baptism in water in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, with the receipt of the Holy Ghost, with the initial sign of speaking in another tongue; (3) and that we must live a life of holiness, separated from the world (not so much from our communities, but in obedience) and dedicated to the Lord.

Yes, when someone hears the name “United Pentecostal Church”, these three things come to mind. It has now attained its space in the religious world with this mark, distinction or identity.