UPC Resolution to Remove TV from Manual

[ILG]

Originally Posted by Carpenter

#3...You fell into your own traditional pile of leaves there...holy doesn't have a look, the UPC culture only thinks it does.

Hey! I haven't seen you for eons!

[AreYouReady?]

I just find it sad that they did not need the "membership" when they put people out or caused them to hide/lie over the tee-vee issue.

[Hoovie]

Originally Posted by deacon blues

From two separate sources connected to WEC and the General Board I've been told that last week's GB meetings produced a resolution for this year's General Conference to remove all references to TV from the manual. For some time there has been a committee researching the subject and the relevance of the wording of the manual in regard to television ownership among ministers. David Bernard realized that modern technology had made the wording of the manual irrelevant and obsolete.

The word I received was 75% of the Board members were in favor of it. This is a giant shift in policy. It has been a wedge issue for years between conservative and moderate/liberals. The WPF exists today because of the 2007 decision to allow TV advertising at the GC in Tampa. Should the GC pass this resolution, this could push more conservatives out of the door.

To the man on the street this debate is a no brainer. To ban the traditional TV from preacher's homes while phones, computers, notebooks and other devices can access almost all of the same content of television is nonsensical. A majority of UPC churches have members who own TVs. Many preachers have TVs and have been making the choice to lie on their affirmation statements they are required to sign every other year. Many preachers have left because they could no longer sign it dishonestly. 30% of new applications for ministerial licenses in the UPC had the statement about TV ownership struck through, which automatically canceled the applications validity.

With the numbers in the UPC declining, in numbers of churches, numbers of veteran ministers and numbers of young men applying for license, the UPC cant afford to turn away 30% of new applicants. I believe that with the short term losses of conservatives leaving it's ranks the long term benefits will outweigh the losses.

Then there's the dress code and hair issues...

I have heard this as well.

I disagree with the premise in bold - don't think they are declining, in churches or ministers.

[Jermyn Davidson]

Originally Posted by AreYouReady?

I just find it sad that they did not need the "membership" when they put people out or caused them to hide/lie over the tee-vee issue.

Maybe the mindset back then had nothing to do with membership, but everything to do with preserving their idea of holiness.

[AreYouReady?]

Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson

Maybe the mindset back then had nothing to do with membership, but everything to do with preserving their idea of holiness.

So what changed then? Let's just say...for discussion sake only, that their membership is declining because of the t.v. issue. Are they compromising their idea of holiness to bring up the membership? If it was so very wrong then, why is it ok now? The explanation seems to be in one word. "Obsolete". To that I say a big HMMMMMMMM.

I am just mildly curious though. I've been done with UPC and similar organizations for a long time. I only raise an eyebrow when I see the P.K.s doing the same thing without reprimand that their daddies and granddaddies sat other women down for.

And you know what? I don't feel bad for the P.Ks...just that I think it is hypocrisy for the pain and hurt that was heaped upon women of the prior generation, but love and acceptance when their children do the same.

That's all.

[KeptByTheWord]

The problem with the OP churches is that they have set standards based on current cultural events (starting back in the 1950s-1960s) ... instead of biblical principles.

IF they had taught and stood on biblical principles, which live forever, instead of trying to fine tune those biblical principles and turn them into man-made traditions (think Pharisees), they wouldn't have the problem they have today.

I believe with all my heart, more now than ever before, that personal holiness unto the Lord is absolutely necessary. But HOW that personal holiness is applied in my life can be much different than how it is applied in someone else's life. I am not to judge others for their convictions, nor judge others based on my OWN convictions... I am to produce the fruit of the spirit as the Holy Ghost works on me from the inside out.

When ANYONE... any person, preacher, or organization... begins to demand of others a set of holiness traditions based on their own convictions, they effectively take away the work of the Holy Ghost out of a person's life, and transfer that authority to a man.

That is Pharisaical - a condition Jesus spoke out against constantly.

However, when you begin to teach personal holiness as unto the Lord, teaching fruit of the spirit ... love, joy, peace... those kinds of things... and when you teach and then begin to allow the Holy Spirit to do its job in a believer's life... if they desire to truly allow Jesus to change their hearts, they WILL produce fruits of the spirit, and they WILL have personal holiness standards that will be evident for all to see.

When you start to put the cart ahead of the horse... as these OP organizations have done... and demand all these certain and varied standards that are a preacher or an organizational favorite... then you begin to limit the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer's life...

Since our family has stepped away from the traditional OP churches... our personal holiness standard has undergone deep inspection from the Holy Spirit. Now, we have personal holiness standards in our home that the Holy Ghost... the Spirit of Jesus living in us... and teaching us, and now... I want nothing in my life that would be in any way displeasing to the Lord!

I believe with all my heart that if biblical PRINCIPLES of personal holiness were taught, instead of man-made standards and laws... there would be a huge wave of revival with people throwing out their TVs (like Dord) and giving up things they never would've considered giving up before... because the work of the SPIRIT is more powerful than any law that man can come up with.

[AreYouReady?]

Well said KBTW.

[Cindy]

Amen

[Blubayou]

KBTW well said!

[Steve Epley]

Sad day.