This is the first of a series.
It appears that one of the greatest temptations facing the ministry is sex. How does sexual purity relate to God’s requirements? Sexual immorality is clearly excluded by the requirements of ‘blameless, good report, good behaviour, just, holy, and husband of one wife.’ Again, a sexual sin is an obvious disqualification in light of all the Scriptures. ‘But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away’ (Proverbs 6:32-33). Even our sinful society acknowledges the truth in this verse to some degree, as exemplified by the public reaction to the Gary Hart and Jim Bakker scandals. Even people guilty of sexual sins often expect their leaders to uphold moral standards publicly, particularly religious leaders who claim to be morally pure. – David Bernard, January-March 1988 Forward (an exclusive publication for UPCI licensed ministers)
I am saddened once again as I continue to discover instances of wrongful sexual actions, committed against children and adults, by people in the United Pentecostal Church and elsewhere. My heart is grieved upon learning how some pastors failed to report cases to the police. In their attempts to handle these ‘in house’ and muzzle the victims, it has allowed people to continue molesting, causing untold damage and anguish to others. (One case in California, involving two UPC ministers who are still licensed, George Nobbs and Art Hodges, with the latter now serving as a General Executive Presbyter, prompted legislative changes.)
Through the years I have also heard stories of children of preachers never facing the consequences of sexual sins as their parent(s) covered it up and some were even later awarded ministerial license in the United Pentecostal Church. There have been ministers who have had affairs, leaving their spouse and children in their wake, trying to pick up the pieces of their once normal lives. There have been men and women who have suffered agonizing horror and shame as it is discovered that a spouse is a pedophile. Church members have had their faith shaken when light is shone upon a pastor’s sexual crimes, while others refuse to believe what they did. There have been victims of sexual violence who have been shamed, avoided, blamed and even kicked out of their church by fellow UPC members. They are told to forgive and to keep their mouths shut. Should they muster the courage to speak out, they are sometimes disbelieved and their character assassinated. It is all so very heartbreaking.
According to I Corinthians 6:15-18, sexual sins are against one’s own body. God has ordained that husband and wife become one flesh. Marriage is a holy institution and a type of Christ and the church. Sexual infidelity is a violation of the most basic, sacred, and intimate covenant that two people can make. Far from being a temporary lapse or indiscretion, it signals a fundamental breakdown of spirituality, character, and integrity- in relation to God, one’s closest loved ones, and oneself. The offender has broken faith and trust in the most important stewardship he has. This is doubly true when this sin has been committed repeatedly, as it often is. – David Bernard, January-March 1988 Forward
Before someone shouts that the United Pentecostal Church isn’t the only religious group where sexual abuse occurs or is covered up, I would have to have my head in the sand to be unaware of this. I also realize that their offenses are less in number than the Catholic church. I know that there are some ministers and churches that properly handle instances of sexual abuse. These facts, however, should never preclude the matter from being exposed and addressed. These facts can never diminish the devastation and life-long effects that the victims endure.
There is a focus on this particular organization as it is the one in which I used to belong. I personally know four men from the United Pentecostal Church, two of whom were licensed ministers, who were convicted of sexual related charges. In addition, there hasn’t been as much written about this group, or other Oneness Pentecostals, as has been with some other groups when it comes to sexual abuse. When some cases do hit the news, it isn’t always shown or openly known that someone in the UPCI is involved, even though their Manual stipulates any of their churches are to be clearly marked as such. (Article XVIII, Section 4:1 Identification “Each church that is either affiliated with the United Pentecostal Church International or is pastored by a minister who holds license or credentials with the United Pentecostal Church International shall identify by sign or otherwise on the outside of its church building that it is associated with the United Pentecostal Church International.” 2018 UPCI Manual)
A preacher may fall into sin, be forgiven by God, be restored to the church, and even be restored to many areas of service, but this does not automatically entitle him to his former position of leadership. He must once again meet the qualifications of being blameless, having a good report, and so on. This takes much time, and in some cases total restoration may never be possible. As an analogy, God will forgive a church treasurer who embezzles, but it may never be wise for him to fill that office again, for his sake and for others’ sake. The same is true of a Boy Scout leader who falls into homosexuality or a youth teacher who divorces his wife and marries one of his students. Moreover, some sins-such as child molestation, incest, and rape-may indicate deep personality problems that would permanently disqualify someone from many leadership positions. – David Bernard, January-March 1988 Forward
You may be surprised to realize that there is a very good chance that there are people in your church who have been molested at some point in their lives. Your closest friend, a co-worker, even your spouse or child may have never shared and could be suffering in silence. Some have been told by pastors to never speak about it and they feel they must be obedient. One must protect the church’s reputation. Some remain silent as they have seen how mistreated another was when they disclosed what happened. Due to how they were raised and/or what they were taught in church, they may at least partially blame themselves. They may have relationship, marital or sexual issues. And all this time they fight, struggle and suffer alone, right beside others, while most are oblivious to their pain. Sometimes they push through and openly share what happened. To me, that takes strength and courage, especially since there will always be those who dismiss or attempt to discredit the accounts, make excuses for the perpetrators, or make ignorant statements, such as questioning why they took so long to speak up.
Just as the church has authority to examine and approve ministerial candidates, so it has authority to remove someone from a ministerial position if he no longer meets God’s requirements. Actually the person disqualifies himself by his actions, and the church simply recognizes this fact. Solomon permanently removed Abiathar from the high priesthood, a hereditary role explicitly ordained by God, because of his rebellion (I Kings 2:26-27). – David Bernard, January-March 1988 Forward
There are questions in all of this that cry out to be addressed. If what David Bernard wrote is the official position of the United Pentecostal Church (and it should be as he has since become their General Superintendent), then why have certain things happened in some of their churches and ministers have obtained or retained their licenses?
How has anyone convicted of sexual crimes been allowed to participate in certain church activities and leadership has not informed the church members?
Why would any church that operates a school or daycare not tell the parents when one of their workers, past or present, has been arrested on charges of having thousands of images and videos of child pornography?
Why have pastors made the decision to handle any of these ‘in house,’ failed to report them to police, told church members not to go to the police, or covered them up?
Why have some pastors and District Superintendents not taken proper action when informed of such things? Shouldn’t a minister who fails to report sexual abuse lose their license as their actions allow a perpetrator to continue- are they not complicit in future assaults?
When a church has an atmosphere where some of the men had inappropriate interest in much younger female children, such as at Calvary Gospel Church in Madison, Wisconsin, how could this have continued for years and why have these children who were sexually assaulted received no justice?
Some may argue argue that Bernard didn’t say anything about taking church matters to the police or the courts. There is a mindset with many of these churches/ministers that believes these matters should be handled ‘in house’ – we don’t want to make the church look bad and we need to protect ‘the truth.’ The mission of the United Pentecostal Church in part is to carry “the whole gospel to the whole world.” They truly believe they have ‘the truth’ and that the vast majority of Christians do not have it and are not saved.
So I pose this thought: Shouldn’t an organization that believes they have the ‘whole gospel’ and ‘the truth’ conduct themselves better than other church groups? Shouldn’t they hold themselves to a higher standard than others? Shouldn’t they do whatever they can to protect and bring justice to those who have been sexually assaulted?
You will find a complete list of articles in this series by clicking here.
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Thank you for speaking out. It happened to me in the UPCI. And several others I grew up with.
I am so very sorry that it did. I hope you and the others find healing.
This happened to my son in California and several others in Bellflower California . Since 1999 and on till the pastor Died two years ago. Stories are coming out about this pedophile . They denied it and covered it up
It will come out to light.
The shame is not that these events occurred, but that they were NOT properly and fully addressed reflective of Biblical moral standards. I’m in my 60’s, a third generation UPCer, who still has friends there, but haven’t been affiliated for several years. My father, a pastor who was part of the 1945 merger, finally left due to what he perceived as new policies not founded in scriptural doctrine, and the failure of the organization to deal with matters such as these.
For me, the final straw was the 2003 arrest of Sunday School Director Rev. Oree Nation was arrested in a “sting’. If there is not enough discernment at the highest level of the UPCI to be aware of this behavior, then they have, indeed lost the faith that was once delivered unto the saints.
As I have worked on this series of articles, I have to take breaks and step back as it can readily become overwhelming. I continue to hear of more victims, more cases where pastors failed to report sexual abuse, more cases of victims not receiving help and/or being wrongly treated, and awful attitudes from some current members when these are exposed. The organization needs to address sexual abuse in their churches and the utter failure of some of their licensed ministers to properly handle them….as well as there being licensed ministers who have committed sexual sins and crimes.
I was born into an Apostolic/UPC church in TX, and moved to a “sister” church in CA when I was very young. The abuses were rampant in BOTH churches, including very horrible physical abuses that no one talked about and covered up, as well as sexual abuse. I was not only horribly physically abused by my mother, but I was also sexually abused to varying degrees by three men in those churches (three that I can remember… I’ve blocked some of it out, because the trauma was just too much to handle for me as a child). One was my step-grandfather, one was my stepfather, and the other was my stepfather’s best buddy. Not to mention my two stepfather’s sons…. There were other abusive people in my life, too, but those three men in particular were associated with those “churches” (cults).
But I wasn’t the only one. I didn’t know ANY child who wasn’t physically abused, some of us from the time that we were just very small babies! It was just our “way of life,” and we didn’t know any differently. It also came to light several years ago that many of the young boys were sexually abused by some of the “leadership” in those churches, too. But what happened to the perps? Nothing. Except… well, at least one of them that I know of got promoted to associate pastor. So much for consequences, huh?
The real kicker? The pastor KNEW what was going on and did nothing. Even my own mother knew what was going on, and she did nothing. Which isn’t surprising, really, considering how abusive she was, anyway. She just didn’t care. None of them cared. They covered it all up and stood silent as children’s lives were being torn apart, one bloody piece of their soul at a time.
Oh… and another kicker? My mother pretended to be a good little “UPC lady,” secretary at the church-school, and piano/organ player extraordinaire. Hair done up just right, long skirts, and all. But she was Luciferian. (And BTW, MANY Luciferians don’t claim the title of Luciferian, but rather, describe themselves to be whatever religious title of the churches they are infiltrating, so this isn’t anything unusual, actually.) And my stepfather pretended to be a good “UPC man,” speaking in tongues, dancing in the aisles, and the whole nine yards, but he was actually a Satanist. Those things brought in a whole OTHER level of awful abuses that is off topic. The layers of abuse and lies ran deep, and I’ll just leave it at that.
Anyhoo. I don’t know if I’m in a safe emotional/mental state right now to be able to read the rest of the articles in this series (just writing down this much is giving me anxiety), but I just want to take the time to say “thank you” for at least having the guts to open this conversation. 🙂
Loren
Thank you for speaking out, and I want to hear more of your story, especially how it has affected your faith.
I’m sorry you had that experience. My kids went thru it as well. As for the Luciferian part. That has nothing to do with luciferianism on the abuse. Honestly as now a member , we care more about humanity and charity than can imagine and we don’t hurt our kids. It’s in our bylaws that we hold sacred to ourselves. I know it’s easy to blame a religious group but with grown people. They are accountable for their actions and their mind.
Healing taken a long time for me and my family but we have become stronger and fight others we found on the way
I was raised in The Church of God and was abused. It is so hard to understand the effect that has on the rest of your life and even harder to understand the churches attacks on you when you speak out.
Can anyone tell me how to report a pastor! Is there a board — a district Superintendent I should be looking for ?
Thanks
I plan to write an article about this. You must be sure to follow their judicial procedure (which the vast majority of members know nothing about because they don’t have access to the UPCI Manual) to have any chance of them acting on your complaint. You would write the District Superintendent that the minister is part of. Be sure to include everything they ask for and send it certified mail, return receipt requested so you have proof they received it. If it happens to be a DS you are complaining about, then go directly to David Bernard. You can read about the procedure at http://www.spiritualabuse.org/issues/position/judicial.html and go to the link in that post as it spells out what is needed and what is supposed to happen. It’s from an older version of their Manual and I haven’t checked it for any changes. But you can see the 2017 version at http://www.pentecostalsofdadeville.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/2017upcimanual.pdf – just look for the section on the judicial procedure.
it almost happened to me last weekend here in sault ste marie ontario canada this old man gave me a ride home from camp very sick guy i am mentally handicapped but i am very smart i already told my whole family about this i am going to talk to my church this wednesday when i go than i am calling the cops on him i told lots of my friends here in the sault so he is already exposed to the world he will be going to jail very soon i can not wait he is in very big trouble 70 years hopefully
expose whoever hurt you to the world and have him locked up for life one old guy tried to do that to me last weekend from church camp i been telling all my family and friends here in sault ste marie ontario canada i am 34 and mentally handicapped but i am smart please do not try to hide anything ok my friend open up and report them to the police ok God bless
me i go to the penecostal church here in sault ste marie ontario canada on peoples road i went to church camp last weekend and this creepy old man gave my a ride home and he was asking me to go for a ride with him in the middle of the bush i am 34 mentally handicapped and i almost felt like brutally hurting the guy very badly i told him to take me straight home i might have a disability but i do have a good brain i am not that stupid i am going to report this son of a bitch pardon my language i never sweared in a long time but i am very angry with him and he was telling me how he liked children stuff like that very sick bastard and i want him out of my church i do not want him around me or any kids that go to church and when i do go to camp especially if there is kids there i am going to watch that greasy guy like a hawk that is for sure his name is finnish i do not quite remember his name i will find out his name when i go to bible study on wednesday and have him locked up for life who knows how many kids he hurt in that church it makes me puke
I’m researching the constant demographical moves and victims of a current active Pentecostal minister singer. Seems by all accounts is a serial pedophile and adulator with multiple marriages.
I endured a lifetime of abuse in the UPC. I currently opened a page as Pentecostal Survivor to address the life long trauma. I have been diagnosed with PTSD related to the abuse. My page is attacked every time I make a post. No matter how far away you get from them they will still do their very best to silence you. I was even told that to speak about the abuse is blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. Still trying to use eternal damnation to try to shut me up. Wow. 2 hours on the internet researching and I do not feel so alone.
I’m an attorney in California and I have been attempting to research information about an abuser associated with the UPCI in the Southern California area in the late 1980s. I know this is a total shot in the dark, but my client is an abuse survivor and I owe a duty to find any information I can that could be helpful to the case. If you’d be willing to cross reference dates and locations with me, I would truly appreciate it.
Hi Michael…I was a victim in the late 70s and early 80s of sexual abuse in the United Pentecostal Church and Apostolic Ministerial Fellowship (unsure that is the exact name of the association). I have been struggling with this situation for many years and have finally been through a lot of therapy and am able to move forward with my life at 56 years old. I would love to be able to do something to stop this from effecting others lives. Let me know if there is anything I can do to assist other victims.
A little information…my abuse started when I was around 8 years old and continued for years. One of the men sexually molested myself and my brother. The church authorities and my mother were aware and handled it “inside” without getting law enforcement involved…meaning no punishment. Many years later, I learned that this man went on to abuse another little girl so badly she had to have surgery. This man went to jail after 30 years, but who knows how many other victims were harmed during that time. This perpetrator is now dead. The authorities of the church never got law enforcement involved, it was the private parties who had to deal with it due to the extent of injury to the little girl. I have much more to say but it is too much to say here.
It always grieves me to read about this. I also know someone from UPC who did the unthinkable to 12 year old girls in his youth ministry. He is the son of a pastor as well, and no one would believe that he had such an abusive pattern of behavior. My closest friend married him and he continued his debauchery, finally being convicted and sent to prison. Our pastor asked me to please try to talk some sense into her before she married him, but she wouldn’t listen. Then, after she moved there I became persona no grata at their church when I came to visit her before the wedding. People were angry at me for ‘assassinating’ him. There is also the Roman Catholic Church. I know of more than one from Assemblies of God- one who gave me a long look up and down when I met him and who was later dismissed for sexual abuse of a divorced parishioner. I also see other denominations mentioned here. I think it would be wrong to paint this as a United Pentecostal Church problem, only, overlooking all the others. This is sin- a pervasive problem in Fallen Man, and sadly these ‘ministers’ act as though the Lord has not touched them. These ‘ministers’ know the truth and knowingly produce bad fruit: “by their fruit ye shall know them.” I hear so many Christians say not to judge people because we are all equal in our fallenness. I agree; but I tell them always that the fruit is meant to be judged so that we know to stay away from those who produce bad fruit. People refuse to look at questionable behavior until it has already become criminal and abusive.
Of course sexual abuse happens elsewhere- that is a given and it has never been painted otherwise. Since its inception, this website has had a secondary focus on the United Pentecostal Church. That is why my series on sexual abuse pertains solely to this organization. People need to get a glimpse of how prevalent this is in the UPCI, how numerous ministers there have mishandled abuse cases, and how the organization itself has allowed people to retain their license or be licensed after either mishandling or committing such acts themselves. I know of no other place where the UPCI is being called out for sexual abuse. We will do so here.
We had an elder in the church who felt called to mentor young men. He would be our surrogate father. All the affection and attention we needed growing up would now be given us. I remember him saying that he had a special relationship with a young man in the church and that they would hold each other and kiss on the mouth. Very confusing for a new convert, especially after being told God disagrees with the natural world and its sexuality. He told me he was A-sexual and then explained what that meant as to remove the actions from being defined as the molestation that it was. Many of us would lay in the dark with him after removing our shirts. At times he would have me take my belt off so he could rub his hands on my waistline. Was this the laying on of hands spoken of in the Bible? These meetings took place in his car or at his work office in the evenings. No-one knew?
I knew someone in the church receiving therapy from the licensed counselor operating out of one of the church offices. They would hold each other and pray behind the closed door. She stopped seeking his council when this married practitioner and man of God started to ask her for dinner dates.
Its disappointing to me that the omniscient God never seems to spill the beans or tattletale. The powerful seem to stick together in their perpetrations against the innocent. Things happened in Oak Creek, Wisconsin at Parkway Church that will remain hidden in the hurt and confused hearts and minds of some for years to come. Being separate from the world should never become the individuals mind being separated from reason and critical thought. I truly hope all those who had their innocents and trust violated understand it was never you at fault. Any shame and guilt or insecurity you felt was put upon you by a soulless and apathetic criminal. Its perfectly acceptable and healthy to focus on the beauty and comfort of a flowers fragrance and a sunrise rather than the textbook admonishment to forgive. An asshole is an asshole even if the church considers them a person of god.
Is there any way a list of these people can be created and posted online so that when we see these people scheduled to preach somewhere we can run for our lives? The problem is without exposure these creeps will continue to do what they do and people will continue to schedule them and protect them. Reading through all these articles is emotionally exhausting.
On the Facebook Page for this website, the cover picture lists UPC ministers who have been convicted of sexual crimes (or made a plea deal) or failed to report. It’s not an exhaustive list because there are many names that will never be there as their crimes were not reported to police. It also doesn’t include those who did not hold license, but were active in a UPCI church.
At this time, we do not have a list such as you desire.
Hi! I’m currently in a custody battle with my ex who just recently began taking my 4 and 5 year old children to a Pentecostal Church (Crossroads) in northern VA. I am extremely concerned my children are in danger. Does ANYONE have ANY information about this area or reports of abuse, etc. that can help me keep my children safe?