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United Pentecostal Church Manual Part 6

Please note that there have been many edits made to this article since it was originally published in 2017 as I wanted to bring it up to date. Because of this, the article is somewhat messy. The edits in bold show the 2023 costs.

In my last post in this series, I covered the basic cost of being licensed in the United Pentecostal Church. We discovered that besides the yearly national fees of $374.00, $386.00 or $398.00, each minister must also pay money to the district in which they live. Using Indiana as an example for 2023, if one held local license it would cost them a minimum of an additional $660.00, making the total cost per year of their license $1,034.00 and it could rise to $1,454.00 depending on their age. Using South Carolina as an example, if one held local license it would cost them an additional $960.00, making the total cost per year of their license $1,334.00.

In addition to the above, the UPCI approved a change in processing payments of membership fees at the 2014 General Conference as mentioned by David Bernard in the October-December 2014 Forward magazine. This started to be implemented in December 2015 for the first quarter of 2016. If a minister does not pay annually, but pays quarterly or monthly, a small fee is now added to each payment. This will cost some ministers additional money, though it isn’t significant. This was also explained in the same issue of the Forward as seen in this screenshot.

We will now look at the expense of purchasing books and videos in order to obtain an initial license or to move up to the next level. (There are three levels: local, general and ordained.) Note that in addition to the prices listed below, there is also a $25.00 application fee for each level of licensing.

As of January 2017, a new reading list was released as well as implementing video requirements. Each video course costs $35.00 and ten are required per each ministerial level, thus increasing the initial licensing cost to at least $350.00. (You will find the cost and list here. A prior updated edition with all but one book price is here.) Not only does this increase the initial licensing cost, but since it also applies to each level, if an already licensed minister wishes to move up to a general or ordained license, it will cost them at least $350.00. It should be noted that these are not yearly costs, but one-time charges. [2023 Edit: Starting at some point after March 2023, the cost for each video course rose to $40.00, thus increasing the initial licensing cost to at least $400.00.]

The reading requirements are nothing new, though they periodically changed the list. In their earlier days, book reading was not always required as is evidenced in the 1969 UPCI Manual where nothing was listed, not even reading through the Bible. However, for those seeking ordination, they were required to read the Bible, “at least one church history book and at least one grammar book.” This was waived if they had completed three years in a UPCI Bible school. By 1975, a very limited reading list was mandated: The Pentecostal Home Bible Study Course, Magnifying The Ministry, United We Stand and For Preacher’s Only.

By at least 1981, reading the Bible in at least year was required, as well as at least one year in a UPCI endorsed Bible College. If the candidate did not attend a Bible college, then they had to read the same books as mentioned in 1975. The same held true through 1989. Starting in 1989 they stated that the UPCI Manual must be read. Regardless of whether a person had attended a UPCI endorsed Bible college, they had to read through the Bible and the Manual at each level of licensing.

On January 1, 1990, a new reading list was made where the specific books were no longer listed in each Manual. From here they periodically changed.

In February 2010, a new list of reading requirements was in force. You may view that here.

You may compare the current reading requirement with what was required starting in 2012. Without considering the cost of the Manual, it was $157.41 for a local license, $143.94 for general and $112.44 for ordination. So with this new change in 2017, the UPCI more than doubled the cost for each level.

One thing that has now changed is that all the reading material is produced by the UPCI and their authors, whereas years back they would include something written by those outside their group and even by non-Apostolics. The Words and Works of Jesus Christ by J. Dwight Pentecost used to be one of them. For years they also let you choose one book out of several in a category (see the 2010 requirements). With them requiring only their books and videos, one gets fully indoctrinated by the UPCI. Consider that for a local license, four of the ten courses are all the thoughts of David Bernard, the current UPCI General Superintendent. The organization also makes more money by keeping everything in house.

Each video course comes with an ebook. If someone cannot or does not wish to read books in digital format, it would cost $157.90 to purchase all the books for a local license. For a general license it is $161.90 and for ordination it would be more than $155.91 (after more than a year, one book price was still pending). [2023 Edit: You will see that they no longer show the paperback editions prices in their list of required reading. As of November 1, 2023, if you did not purchase any book on sale, it would cost $180.90 to purchase the books for a local license. For a general license it is $182.90 and for ordination it would be $200.90.]

If the individual wanted to purchase physical copies of the books, the total initial cost to attempt to receive a license would be $507.90 for a local, $511.90 for a general and more than $505.91 for ordination. Otherwise each level would be $350.00. These figures are in addition to the yearly national and district fees should the individual be granted license. They also do not include the cost of the United Pentecostal Church Manual, which must be read at the cost of $10.00 [2018 paperback price]. In addition, applicants must read the Bible through once for each level of license. [2023 Edit: If the individual wanted to purchase physical copies of the books in 2023, the total initial cost to attempt to receive a license would be $580.90 for a local, $582.90 for a general and $600.90 for ordination. There could be an additional charge for a printed copy of the Manual. If one is fine with digital copies, each level would be $400.00. In addition at each level there is the $25.00 application fee.)

What does this all mean? The applicant from Indiana going for a local license, would expect to pay $1,204.00 or $1,361.90 (if paperback books are purchased) for their first year and to satisfy the reading requirements. Ouch. [2023 Edit: The applicant from Indiana going for a local license, would expect to pay at least $1434.00 or $1614.90 (if paperback books are purchased) for their first year and to satisfy the reading requirements. South Carolina would be higher. Prices do not include the application fee.]

There is good news for the applicant who has completed at least one year of a UPCI endorsed Bible college (they only endorse their own). They do not need to complete the reading requirements, according to the 2017 UPCI Manual (Article VII, Section 2, #9). They would have already spent well over $350.00 at the college. For instance, at Indiana Bible College, tuition and activity fees for one year (without room and board) cost more than $4,000.00. [2023 Edit: The 2019 Manual removed this mention of a UPCI endorsed Bible college and it now states, “All applicants must have completed the required reading and training program established by the General Board. The reading and training requirements may be obtained from the District Board or from the office of the General Secretary-Treasurer. At each level of credentialing, all applicants must read the Bible through and must read the current Manual of the UPCI.”]

All of this can become a little more complex as each district is at liberty to impose additional requirements of any kind in order to be considered for licensing.

While the requirements and fees have changed for those whose language is English, they did not change in 2017 for those seeking a Spanish license. The reading requirements are fewer and are considerably cheaper for those who speak Spanish, plus they do not have to view videos and take the accompanying tests. The present costs are $76.01 for local, $37.53 for general and $24.30 for ordination. Compare those with it costing at least $350.00 for those whose language is English. That is not very balanced. [2023 Edit: On January 1, 2019 this changed and they now have reading and video requirements, with some differences in the material. The speakers are different since the lessons are in Spanish. See here.]

Should a minister fall behind in payment of either national or district fees, their license will be suspended or revoked and they may need to reapply and meet with the District Board to get it back.

Please note that in all of the requirements, there appears to be no mandated training on the issue of sexual abuse. This is troubling since the organization has had problems with their ministers failing to report these cases, as well as ministers and members being arrested, charged and convicted of various types of sexual crimes. [2023 Edit: There is currently available a series of ten videos that address various aspects of abuse and sexual abuse. They are listed on Ministry Central under SafeChurch. However, these are not mandated for licensing. Anyone may sign up to watch these at no charge.] Some may want to read our ongoing series of articles on sexual abuse in the United Pentecostal Church.

United Pentecostal Church Manual Part 5
United Pentecostal Church Manual Part 4
United Pentecostal Church Manual Part 3
United Pentecostal Church Manual Part 2
United Pentecostal Church Manual Part 1

Is Your Pastor Ruinous To Your Spiritual Life?

…it was not just the Pharisees’ false authority that made them dangerous but also their false teaching. They taught a false view of God and a false way of serving him. They pictured God as a legalistic judge, favoring those who kept his religious rules and despising those who did not. Modern preachers who make God’s acceptance contingent upon religious performance are the Pharisees of today. Jesus says, in effect, that high-sounding religious lies spoken by respected leaders are ruinous to spiritual life.

The quote is from Ken Blue in his book, Healing Spiritual Abuse. It is a good book on spiritual abuse and this ministry has given away many copies over the years.

I have been posting quotes on the Facebook Page that are from books on spiritual abuse. This one stood out due to the last sentence. Some people do not take spiritual abuse seriously. They have this misguided thought that people are just crying about things that do not really matter and that they should be able to easily set aside. Some believe people only have hurt feelings and need to develop some thick skin and just get over whatever it was that happened. And, of course, others think we were foolish for remaining as long as we did. We weren’t held captive in our former churches.

What these uninformed people do not realize is that while there are more minor cases of spiritual abuse, where some people escape mostly unscathed, there are thousands and thousands of other cases where people have been severely harmed, some irreparably. There are people who can no longer read their Bibles. There are people who cannot attend a church. There are people who cringe and have panic attacks when certain things happen which remind them of their former churches. Some are scared to death of taking communion.

There are people who are confused, who do not yet know what to believe. Many have developed trust issues. There are people who suffer in silence because previous attempts to share how they were sexually abused were not believed or they were told to keep their mouth shut for the good of the church. There are families who have been torn apart due to interference from church leadership and doctrines that teach shunning. There are people who developed PTSD and CPTSD. There are those who can no longer pray. There are others who believe they will be cast into hell because they left ‘the truth’ and cannot live up to the expectations of their former group. Yet others cannot get past the warped view of God they developed due to their former church involvement. There are so many things that can be added to this list.

Yes, a pastor can be ruinous to your spiritual life. Some do not speak words of life, but of death. Some are building their own kingdoms instead of following God. Some only care about themselves and will do whatever they have to in order to keep everyone doing what they demand. They do not serve, but wish to sit in the honored places and be served. They have not the heart of a servant, but rather are harsh taskmasters and lords over people. They can leave your spiritual life in shambles, creating in your mind a distorted view of God and his love for you.

United Pentecostal Church Manual Part 5

This is a continuation of the rules regarding licensed ministers in the United Pentecostal Church. (There are three levels: local, general and ordained.) This covers the very basic cost of holding license and does not include the expense of purchasing books and videos in order to obtain the initial license or to move up to the next level. Those costs greatly increased in 2017 by requiring videos and charging to watch. A former UPC minister friend of mine would sometimes joke that UPC stood for “U pay cash.”

In addition to the yearly national dues, United Pentecostal Church ministers also must abide by the financial requirements of the District in which they reside. Each District sets their own fees.

As an example, the 2014 edition of the Indiana District Manual stipulates that “Each minister in the District shall send 50% or more of his ministerial tithes to the District Secretary-Treasurer on a monthly or at least a quarterly basis.” If a minister does not receive tithes, then a “minimum fee of $35.00 per month shall be sent to the District Secretary by all ministers (except honorary members) who have no ministerial tithe, or whose 50% tithe is less than $35.00. This $35.00 fee is in addition to tithing to the local church.” On top of that, “Each minister …shall pay a sectional fee to his sectional secretary in the amount of $5.00 per month to be paid in advance on at least a quarterly basis.” In Indiana it would cost a minister a minimum of $480 per year to the District, causing their license to cost at least $854.00 per year if they hold a local license.

[2023 Edit: The above fees from Indiana have changed since this article was written. Since January 1, 2022, sectional dues remain the same at $60 per year. District dues are $50 per month for ministers up to age 30, $85 for those age 31 through 69 and $50 per month for ministers who are 70 years and up. It would cost a minister a minimum of $660 per year to the District, causing their license to cost at least $1,034.00 per year if they held a local license. For those having to pay $85 per month, it would cost a minister $1,080 per year to the District, for a total of $1,454 if they held a local license. Screenshot from 10-7-2023.]

[October 18, 2023 Edit: For another example, the fees for ministers in South Carolina are higher than Indiana, at least as of June 13, 2022. Local license is $80 per month, general is $90 and ordained is $100. It would cost a minister a minimum of $960.00 per year to the District, causing their license to cost at least $1,334.00 per year if they held a local license. For the ordained minister, it would cost $1,200.00 to the District, for a total of $1,598.00 per year. Screenshot from 10-18-23.]

For their financial investment, a licensed minister in the United Pentecostal Church receives a digital copy of the Manual and Directory every year and subscriptions to their two main publications, one being a minister’s only quarterly. The only item of any substance, but which most likely will never be used, is the life insurance policy which would provide very little to the minister’s family in a time of need. (They used to send actual paperback book copies of the Manual and Directory. Then they changed to sending them on a CD. Since 2016 they do not even do that, but want the minister to access it online, where they may download it, or pay for physical copies.)

Here is what was stated in 2014 under Article VII, Section 7 under Obligations and Rules:

8. Each minister holding a Local License is required to pay $374 annually into a budget fund, which will entitle said minister to a Manual, a Ministerial and Church Directory, a subscription to the Forward, a subscription to the Pentecostal Herald, and a ten-thousand-dollar group life insurance policy with double indemnity and dismemberment provisions as specified.
9. Each minister holding a General License is required to pay $386 annually into a budget fund, which will entitle said minister to a Manual, a Ministerial and Church Directory, a subscription to the Forward, a subscription to the Pentecostal Herald, and a ten-thousand-dollar group life insurance policy with double indemnity and dismemberment provisions as specified.
10. Each minister holding a Certificate of Ordination is required to pay $398 annually into a budget fund, which will entitle said minister to a Manual, a Ministerial and Church Directory, a subscription to the Forward, a subscription to the Pentecostal Herald, and a ten-thousand-dollar group life insurance policy with double indemnity and dismemberment provisions as specified.

In 2015, numbers 8-10 were condensed and changed and it now reads as follows in 2017:

8. Each minister is required to pay annual membership dues which will entitle the minister to a Manual, a Ministerial and Church Directory, a subscription to the minister’s [In 2018 the word minister’s is removed.] Forward, a subscription to the Pentecostal Herald [In 2018 Herald is changed to Life as they changed the name of the magazine.], and $10,000.00 given to stated recipient at his or her death from a benevolent fund or a group life insurance policy. Membership dues and processing fees are set by the General Conference and cannot be changed without a proper resolution being presented to and adopted by the Conference.

[Starting in the 2021 Manual, this is now found in the same article and section but is listed under “3. Dues (a). The wording has changed to: “Each credentialed UPCI minister is required to pay annual membership dues. They will receive access to a ministers website, a downloadable Manual, and Ministerial and Church Directory, subscriptions to the Forward and the Pentecostal Life, and $10,000.00 given to the minister’s stated recipient at his or her death from a benevolent fund or a group life insurance policy. Membership dues and processing fees are governed and adjusted by the General Conference and cannot be changed without a proper resolution being presented to and adopted by said Conference.” It appears the same through the 2023 Manual.]

How do the costs today compare with the past? Way back in 1952, it was only $6.00, $12.00 or $18.00 to hold license. In 1957, those fees were still the same. By 1965 or earlier, they had increased to $18.00, $24.00 or $30.00. In 1988 licenses cost $204.00, $216.00 or $228.00. In 1989 they increased to $220.00, $232.00 or $244.00 and stayed at that rate through at least 1991. By 2002 or prior, the cost was $291.60, $303.60 or $315.80. In 2003 they changed to $326.00, $338.00 or $350.00. In 2007 the fees increased to their present rate. Some have wondered if they will rise again, now that they relocated to a nicer and more expensive building. [2023 edit: It appears that the national fees have remained at $374, $386 & $398.]

How does this compare to some other Oneness Pentecostal groups? The ALJC, who have the same licensing levels, charge $384.00, $396.00 and $408.00. [2023 Edit: These are now $504, $516 and $528.] Like the UPCI, they also have District dues which vary. Licensing with the Worldwide Pentecostal Fellowship (started due to some ministers leaving the UPCI) is $720.00 per year. Though not comprised of only Oneness Pentecostals, the Global Network of Christian Ministries only charges $250.00 per year. A number of ministers who left the UPCI have held membership with them. [EDIT: Global is no longer in operation.]

In the next installment I will cover the initial costs to apply for licensing.

United Pentecostal Church Manual Part 6
United Pentecostal Church Manual Part 5
United Pentecostal Church Manual Part 4
United Pentecostal Church Manual Part 3
United Pentecostal Church Manual Part 2
United Pentecostal Church Manual Part 1

Return to the Body of Christ?

Every so often I check Amazon to see if they have new material related to spiritual abuse for sale. I did so this week and became irritated when I saw the write up for the book, Spiritual Abuse in the Church, by Angela R. Williams.

This book was written to invite all who have left a church or an abusive Christian group to return to the body of Christ. Stop blaming God for what people did. You can then share the freedom experience with others through testimonies of forgiveness, grace, and love provided by the Savior; as you move forward in your walk with Christ.

Did you catch that? Leaving an unhealthy church does not mean we left the body of Christ. Since the Holy Spirit has placed believers into one body, leaving any church or religious group does not change our place in the body of Christ. We have been born from above and not by any church or group. One can never set foot inside a church building and still be in the body of Christ. While there are those who leave and are afraid that they are lost (due to the fear permeated teachings of their former churches), this has no bearing on whether or not they are in the body.

Second, not everyone who leaves blames God for what people did. Yes, some have difficulty separating the two, especially at first. However, not all who exit spiritually abusive churches go through this. I am one who did not. Those who do experience this need time to sort through their experience and the teachings. Telling them to just stop blaming God does not accomplish this.

I have to say I wasn’t surprised when I looked into the author of this book and discovered they are a pastor in a Pentecostal type church and believe in coverings (another church is their alleged covering). Too many of these churches place the blame on you when things happen (or don’t happen). Too many of these stress the thought that not attending their church services is “forsaking the assembling” of believers.

We don’t need books on spiritual abuse which pressure people to become involved in another church or equate their leaving an unhealthy one to leaving the body of Christ. People need time to start healing and recovering and sort through the myriad of issues involved. If they jump right into another church, before getting to a certain place in their recovery, they may find themselves in another unhealthy group.

There may be some helpful things in this book but I won’t be discovering them due to the paragraph quoted, which is from the back cover. It doesn’t cause me to be hopeful that it would be very helpful.

When A Pastor Morally Fails

A pastor/minister morally fails. People are devastated, hurt, confused, angry, sad and their faith is shaken. The church is thrown into turmoil. This appears to be happening more frequently in our present time.

Are there signs we can watch for, that something is seriously wrong in the life of a minister? We continually see headlines of ministers and church leaders committing sex crimes as well as other criminal activity. They involve various groups across denominational boundaries.

For instance, it was reported that this is what Edwin Young, a Oneness Pentecostal minister, did for years and years. If similar things happened in a healthy church, the pastor’s wrong behavior would have been addressed when it happened or soon after. But at this church, it wasn’t. It was tolerated, allowed, and even thought to be proper conduct. Many ‘amened’ and cheered him on when he did these things. It isn’t proper behavior. It is far, far from how a minister is to act.

This is a huge problem in unhealthy churches and is often a gradual process. When it gets to this point, the people have been conditioned through previous teachings and incidents, to accept what is happening. The pastor is ‘the man of God.’ You don’t ‘touch God’s anointed.’ The pastor ‘watches for your soul and has to give account of you.’ The pastor knows more than you and what is best. If the pastor is wrong, all we can do is ‘pray about it and let God correct him.’ So when people have this type of mindset, it opens the door for abuse and other wrong actions.

Learn how a pastor is supposed to be. Go to your Bible and search this out. A main characteristic of a minister is they are not to be lords over people, but rather they are to have the heart of a servant. A servant doesn’t call the women in the church heifers. A servant doesn’t point people out in service and berate them and tear them to shreds. A servant doesn’t make up lies and call people who leave the church homosexuals or fornicators or drug addicts. This is NOT what a real minister does. This is NOT what one who is acting through love does.

It is no surprise to me when pastors such as the one referenced have fallen. Too often those who teach and do things without love as the motivating factor, have something in their life that they are hiding. It is interesting that when they are caught and exposed, they don’t want the same treatment they gave many others who did far less than themselves.