Looking for info about Mark Hanby or Verbal Bean?

[Steve Epley]

Originally Posted by CC1

I am very aware of the entire MH situation and if by mothership you mean the UPC org your statement makes no sense.

I will not rehash MH's moral failures here but they had nothing to do with any organization. They were the failures of a man who at some point became a shell of his former self as his considerable charisma and speaking ability took over.

I think from an early age he knew the power of his oratory skill and it must have been a constant battle to remain submitted in every way to the Lord. He could move an audience like no other preacher I have ever heard. In my opinion he was the most powerful oneness pentecostal preacher of the 20th century (at least the most powerful I have ever heard).

At its peak his church, Truth Church, in Ft. Worth was an amazing place. I can remember going to see their TV program taped around 1978 when he had his program on CBN and also had a small Bible College. Hundreds of people were in the prayer room before service and when you walked in the air was electric.

I remember people talking back then about how you could not have a service with TV cameras going (just about every church has them now for video recording) but even stopping several times to redo things for mistakes (they were taping three 30 minute shows the service I was in) the congregation maintained an attitude of praise and worship. I believe the excitement of bringing the Jesus name message to thousands who had never had a chance to hear it before highly motivated the congregatoin.

Of course keep in mind this was before the 500 channel universe we have today. Back then being on CBN insured a much larger viewing audience than being on a religious network today. You were only competing with a handful of local and cable stations in your time slot.

The night I was there I was with the son of a visiting preacher who was a guest speaker so we were ushered into MH's office before service where he was very kind to a 19 year old Bible College student. He invited us to his ranch the next today to spend time with his son which we did.

I think MH was the best chance Oneness Pentecost had of an amazing breakthrough preacher who could have introduced Jesus name baptism to a large number of people. Since MH's fall we have seen this same pattern of failure among many successful preachers featured on mass media. Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart, the guy in Colorado, etc, etc. While I still think mass media is a good way to reach people it is clear the same talents and personality traits that make a person a good media preacher also makes them susceptible to failure. As my pastor said a few months ago "human beings were not designed to be worshipped". That is why so many celebrities who seem to have it all (money, fame, adoratoin) are drug addicts or alcoholics.

I was also impressed. It was my opinion if he could not do it then forget it. He had the talent and the means. The church was very impressive. A very strong holiness church at that time. His failure or anyone else's is nothing to rejoice about. The wise man said "Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall." It would not be easy to maintain your humility being idolized as he was. He was a tremendous preacher I loved hearing him and was i many services with him in his prime. He was charisma personified. Never forgot a face or name. It was a sad day in Pentecost when he failed. By the way I never did believe television broadcasting was the reason they wanted him out. Him and Phillips became to big and powerful and were not going to be controled by organizational men. My thoughts.

[Jay]

I believe that he was also very close during that time to Bro. Tommy Craft. Did he not leave when the UPCI went on record against advertising and ministering on it in the late 70s? I heard a message that Bro. Booker preached when he mentioned this, but I have not listened to it again recently. I do not believe that he would have been as likely to fall had he not been on television. However, I had a great uncle who fell during the time that he was on the radio during the 50s. The problem is that when a man starts to feel that he is invincible, he is truly standing unclad and unarmed.

[Sister Alvear]

How the mighty are fallen...

[crossroad]

Have we forgotten what the Bible says in Proverbs about a just man falling 7 times and rises up again etc. I kept reading the post about the fallen Mark Hanby. Who are we to judge. We ALL have sinned and come short. Even if our sin in gossip it is SIN. Which SIN is called for us to be fallen???Just saying. O by the way the last I heard, he is preaching the word!!!

[CC1]

Originally Posted by Jay

I believe that he was also very close during that time to Bro. Tommy Craft. Did he not leave when the UPCI went on record against advertising and ministering on it in the late 70s? I heard a message that Bro. Booker preached when he mentioned this, but I have not listened to it again recently. I do not believe that he would have been as likely to fall had he not been on television. However, I had a great uncle who fell during the time that he was on the radio during the 50s. The problem is that when a man starts to feel that he is invincible, he is truly standing unclad and unarmed.

Jay,

Kenneth Phillips and MH were both friends with TLC. I believe KP more than MH. In either 1977 or 1978 (I forget which although I was at the business meeting) the UPC's debate over whether or not to allow licensed ministers to preach on TV came to a head at GC and was voted on. A resolution to ban using TV in ministry was passed and as a result both KP and MH left the UPC. At the time not only were both pastoring some of the largest churches in the UPC but both were the most sought after speakers in the UPC for revivals and campmeetings.

[Sister Alvear]

I do not mean to judge...

[Truthseeker]

Originally Posted by crossroad

Have we forgotten what the Bible says in Proverbs about a just man falling 7 times and rises up again etc. I kept reading the post about the fallen Mark Hanby. Who are we to judge. We ALL have sinned and come short. Even if our sin in gossip it is SIN. Which SIN is called for us to be fallen???Just saying. O by the way the last I heard, he is preaching the word!!!

Not judging is such a misconception. We all judge, you judge when tell someone they are jbudging. Righteous judgement is the key

[RandyWayne]

Originally Posted by Truthseeker

Not judging is such a misconception. We all judge, you judge when tell someone they are jbudging. Righteous judgement is the key

[Jay]

Originally Posted by CC1

Jay,

Kenneth Phillips and MH were both friends with TLC. I believe KP more than MH. In either 1977 or 1978 (I forget which although I was at the business meeting) the UPC's debate over whether or not to allow licensed ministers to preach on TV came to a head at GC and was voted on. A resolution to ban using TV in ministry was passed and as a result both KP and MH left the UPC. At the time not only were both pastoring some of the largest churches in the UPC but both were the most sought after speakers in the UPC for revivals and campmeetings.

That was the way that I had understood it, and if I remember correctly, KP and MH were no longer close to TLC. That was the way I understood the issue. Because he rose and took a stand against their position on the issue.

[Sam]

Originally Posted by CC1

Jay,

Kenneth Phillips and MH were both friends with TLC. I believe KP more than MH. In either 1977 or 1978 (I forget which although I was at the business meeting) the UPC's debate over whether or not to allow licensed ministers to preach on TV came to a head at GC and was voted on. A resolution to ban using TV in ministry was passed and as a result both KP and MH left the UPC. At the time not only were both pastoring some of the largest churches in the UPC but both were the most sought after speakers in the UPC for revivals and campmeetings.

It is my understanding that KP and MH were both mightily used by God and had very successful ministries but were too progressive for some. They could not allow their ministries to be hindered by UPC rules so there had to be a parting of the ways.