Biggest UPC church in the US???

[Praxeas]

You have to forgive us progessives on the west coast, but it's just not happening enough to take notice out here...Maybe there are some hold outs in places like Bakersfield...I dunno.

Our church is mostly hispanic/white...if we had a bunch of blacks come in and get that Holy Ghost we'd be overjoyed

[deadeye]

Originally Posted by Apocrypha

It is said differently today. But I have seen it in four seperate UPCI churches. It is usually expressed as a feeling that church doesnt feel like a "family" anymore.

Hmmm...maybe that is how it is in South Florida...and some other places in the deep south...but that is certainly not the way it is here.

[oletime]

Originally Posted by Apocrypha

It happens today too. Tim Downs came to our church and the local church folks freaked out it was 50-60% black new visitors... this was 2 years ago.

Another guy who had Tim had a high black turnout because he believes that the poor are more open to the gospel (he is 100% correct) and they went to the HUD complexes which were mostly poor black/latino in that community.

In fact Tim wrote a good article about it called "Those kind of people" that is really moving. Sadly passive racism is still strong in many churches because that defines many Apostolics social circle more so than work or actual outside activities.

I posted it here on AFF some time ago, ill dig it out.

True, my daughter and son in law moved from our state (less than one half of 1 percent black) to a large city in Ohio ,their upc church goes right into the ghettos, where in one complex their is a stabbing or murder every night ,and hold cookouts, handing out a burger or what ever.and those people flock to their church.One said" no one comes in here like you do" as soon as one guy from the church (white middle age) drives in ,they recognize his car and the kids just come running screaming his name.they have driven into some bad situations un knowingly and immediately everything comes to a halt until they leave and then whatever was happening probably gets settled, but not while they are there, poor people are very receptive .Its my daughter assignment to go in the morning to these areas and just get the children up and dressed for sunday school, then the bus comes along and gets them .One little girl said to her one morning on the way to sunday school will you take me to see my mommy after ? My daughter said sure, not knowing anything. After sunday school she tried to get her in her car with her and the little girl was unconsolable, crying hysterically, they finally got her back to the complex and said to the lady who answered the door, we want to take her to see her mom but we dont know where to go. She said you dont understand honey, she left in the night a while ago and we dont know where she is either.When you have little the church is everything to you.

[Jermyn Davidson]

Originally Posted by deadeye

For goodness sake!!!!
That was the early '70's....has no bearing on things today...almost everybody said idiotic things like that back then....times, people, churches, organizations change.

Really?

Almost everybody?

I really don't think so.

Or maybe you are right and I am giving the white Holy-Ghost filled people I know today who were alive back then too much credit.


What a nasty and terrible attittude!


If God doesn't change and if these white folks were filled with the Holy Ghost back then, how could something like that EVER have been in their hearts?

Another question, if any of them had died with that kind of attitdue, the attitude that only certain people count for Kingdom of God, could they have possible been saved?


Or is this kind of deception more acceptable to GOD than being baptized in the titles, "Father, Son and Holy Ghost...."


More and more, everyday, I am glad that I am at peace with my view of the Gospel.




IF God moved on these people who thought like that, used people who really believed like that, then I KNOW BEYOND A SHADOW OF A DOUBT THAT GOD CAN USE SOMEONE LIKE ME-- ISSUES AND ALL!!!


I would be even more disgusted, if not for the pile of stinking poo that the Lord is bringing me out of!



You know, so much had already happened in America by the EARLY 70's.

To think that Holy Ghost filled people, "People Of the Name", "People In the Truth", "God's ONLY Remnant In These Last Days"-- the juxtoposition of that terrible attitude against their views only exposes the pride and arrogance---


My stomanch is twisting in knots and I'm really getting ready to throw up!!!

Makes me almost want to curse-- but I won't.

God forbid that I behave like their heart had once saw people like me.


But they have the truth and everyone else is lost.....

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Apocrypha

That is a great article by Tim.

I agree.

Since when have we been called to be an exclusive country club?

[Sam]

While looking through an old Bible I came across this article that I had cut out years ago and had placed in there.

You Have Done It Unto Me”

I was hungry
And you formed a club
And discussed my hunger.
Thank you.

I was imprisoned
And you crept off quietly
To pray for my release.

I was naked,
And in your mind
You debated the morality
Of my appearance.

I was sick
And you thanked God
For your health.

I was homeless
And you preached to me
Of the spiritual shelter
Of God’s love.

You seem so holy:
So close to God,
But I’m still very
Hungry, and lonely and cold.

Author unknown.


Of course, I thought about these words that Jesus spoke so many years ago:

31-33"When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.

34-36"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why:

....I was hungry and you fed me,
....I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
....I was homeless and you gave me a room,
....I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
....I was sick and you stopped to visit,
....I was in prison and you came to me.'

37-40"Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'
Matthew 25:31-40 from The Message

[deadeye]

Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson

Really?

Almost everybody?

I really don't think so.

Or maybe you are right and I am giving the white Holy-Ghost filled people I know today who were alive back then too much credit.


What a nasty and terrible attittude!


If God doesn't change and if these white folks were filled with the Holy Ghost back then, how could something like that EVER have been in their hearts?

Another question, if any of them had died with that kind of attitdue, the attitude that only certain people count for Kingdom of God, could they have possible been saved?


Or is this kind of deception more acceptable to GOD than being baptized in the titles, "Father, Son and Holy Ghost...."


More and more, everyday, I am glad that I am at peace with my view of the Gospel.




IF God moved on these people who thought like that, used people who really believed like that, then I KNOW BEYOND A SHADOW OF A DOUBT THAT GOD CAN USE SOMEONE LIKE ME-- ISSUES AND ALL!!!


I would be even more disgusted, if not for the pile of stinking poo that the Lord is bringing me out of!



You know, so much had already happened in America by the EARLY 70's.

To think that Holy Ghost filled people, "People Of the Name", "People In the Truth", "God's ONLY Remnant In These Last Days"-- the juxtoposition of that terrible attitude against their views only exposes the pride and arrogance---


My stomanch is twisting in knots and I'm really getting ready to throw up!!!

Makes me almost want to curse-- but I won't.

God forbid that I behave like their heart had once saw people like me.


But they have the truth and everyone else is lost.....

let me rephrase that...a lot of folks said stupid stuff like that....and a lot of folks who used to think that way...because of their upbringing....have seen the light and changed thier way of thinking. (Thank God...that sort of stuff has no place in the Kingdom)
The Holy Ghost is a powerful force, and a life changing power....but sometimes it takes even the Holy Ghost a while to clean that old bias out.....but it does it and folks change.
And the UPC is not as a whole a bigoted org.....it is reaching out to all races.

[Jermyn Davidson]

Originally Posted by deadeye

let me rephrase that...a lot of folks said stupid stuff like that....and a lot of folks who used to think that way...because of their upbringing....have seen the light and changed thier way of thinking. (Thank God...that sort of stuff has no place in the Kingdom)
The Holy Ghost is a powerful force, and a life changing power....but sometimes it takes even the Holy Ghost a while to clean that old bias out.....but it does it and folks change.
And the UPC is not as a whole a bigoted org.....it is reaching out to all races.

I know this from personal experience.

I love my Pastor, a middle aged white man born and raised in NC.



Fact is, that is a part of history that I seldom think about EVER spilling over into the church in such a hateful way.



It was a deception of place and time, just as forgivable as baptizing someone the "wrong way", is it not?

[Apocrypha]

Originally Posted by deadeye

Hmmm...maybe that is how it is in South Florida...and some other places in the deep south...but that is certainly not the way it is here.

South Florida is a metroplex from West Palm Beach down to Homestead south of Miami. It is a diverse population of 4+ million folks.

I was referrings to some place in LA, TX, IN, MO that I have seen. I have experienced it before.

[Cindy]

Bigger doesn't always equal best.