I don't know if this is something that is unique to my area or not, but the Pentecostals here are so hateful!
There is no love. If you don't go to their church (literally their 4 walls) you are shunned, ignored, etc. They won't even "fellowship" with other Pentecostal churches in the city. Or even family, unless they attend the same church.
I do not get this. What happed to loving others? What happened to banding together with our Christian brothers and sisters and helping each other along the way?
And if they think people who go to other churches aren't saved (not their call, but just for argument sake), wouldn't that be MORE reason to be salt and light and help lead them in what they consider to be the right direction?
I have even heard people close to me say they "don't care what happens to that church or anyone in it" when their own siblings and parents go to "that" church, not to mention people they literally grew up with.
How in the world can you love on and minister to a lost and dying world if you can't love other Christians or even your own family??
The "United" part in the "United Pentecostal Church" is kind of a nebulous concept...
__________________
When a newspaper posed the question, "What's Wrong with the World?" G. K. Chesterton reputedly wrote a brief letter in response: "Dear Sirs: I am. Sincerely Yours, G. K. Chesterton." That is the attitude of someone who has grasped the message of Jesus.
I never experience the lack of fellowship that I've experienced since I've been in the UPC out here in the southwest. I think it's less of an organizational issue and more of a regional issue. The UPC churches I knew of in Maryland had no problem fellowshipping even outside of the UPC. I know in the PAW and PCAF we fellowshipped almost every week. It seemed like we were at another church every other Friday. I remember being young and single, being with the other you and single saints in our district council and and literally going to Friday night youth service at our church, going to hear the preaching at a revival service at someone else's church and then going to all night prayer and someone else's church. I absolutely loved it. Unfortunately when I moved out here, that's not the case at all. No fellowship, which I find annoying, of course, they find it annoying when I keep asking why they don't fellowship. Hehehe
We have great fellowship with other churches in our area.
And there are others that will not fellowship with us.
We are UPC so we are a little to liberal for them.
I don't think its a "love fest" for church.
but a "love fest" for being in fellowship and spending time with God in His presence.
__________________ You can't reach the world with your talents. People are sick and tired of religious talents. People need a Holy Ghost annointed church with real fruits to reach out and touch their lives. ~ Pastor Burrell Crabtree
In fact I think that the insinuation of "hateful" Pentecostals is coming mostly from the fertile imaginations of bitter, backslidden ex Apostolics who are constantly trying to find a way to justify their actions. ~ strait shooter
I think its a problem that you find a lot in the south or the bible belt regions simply because there are so many churches, and the reason there are generally so many churches is in part because of church splits... therefore the reason why they won't fellowship each other, because they couldn't get along with the same people in a church in the first place, and they sure aren't going to fellowship them when they start a church across town...
I think its a problem that you find a lot in the south or the bible belt regions simply because there are so many churches, and the reason there are generally so many churches is in part because of church splits... therefore the reason why they won't fellowship each other, because they couldn't get along with the same people in a church in the first place, and they sure aren't going to fellowship them when they start a church across town...
You probably nailed a majority of the problems, at least in the areas where, like you said, have a extra high density of churches.
Linear Mode
