Category: United Pentecostal Church | Page 16

Labeling and shaming

As a teen, before I ever went to a Pentecostal church, it started. I even remember where it started, outside my immediate family, and who it started with.

“Mary, look at his butt on the court!”
“Umm… OK”
“Don’t you think that’s sexy?!?!”
“Not particularly. He’s just a guy in shorts.”
“What, are you gay?”

Actually, I seriously doubt my response had anything to do with being gay. It was a bunch of scrawny teen boys on a court. We were in the balcony. We saw them every day, and I simply had no interest in them in general because I DID know them. The same ones who threw snowballs with rocks in them at me. The same ones who followed me down the halls trying to grab me inappropriately. No, why would anyone be interested in that?

The girl who asked was supposed to be my friend, but she was a bully… and she had a strong influence from Pentecostal churches herself. She treated me incredibly poorly throughout junior high and high school. And no one really noticed. Definitely no one, to my knowledge, ever tried to stop her.

I didn’t have but one boyfriend in high school, and he was a jerk. I enjoyed going out alone much more than being with a guy who snapped his fingers and pointed to the ground behind him, expecting me to follow him. And so the questions continued in my small school. Usually quietly, but always from the same group when they arose, and generally at times when everything seemed to be going well for me otherwise.

I didn’t associate it with church or religion at the time.

In college, I joined a United Pentecostal church. Before I was even a member, the comments started.

“We wouldn’t have even known you were a girl, your hair short and you wearing pants like that.”
“Maybe you should wear a padded bra.”
“You just look so much like a boy!”

They’d tell me that I should spend more time with the ladies, but the ladies wouldn’t accept me and I didn’t relate well to their gender-divided culture. My parents and grandparents all shared work for the most part and interests and clothing colors weren’t divided by gender. I’d never been discouraged for learning to use hand tools or helping Dad work on the car (well, except maybe by Dad since my help usually led to extra work!) or playing cards “with the guys” rather than sitting in the living room “with the women.” We could choose what we wanted to do and who we wanted to be. We played with toy cars sometimes as well as dolls. There weren’t ‘boy colors’ and ‘girl colors’. (A church would later preach that if a man wore pink he was effeminate.) I wasn’t allowed to wear makeup or get my hair done or go on shopping trips; my parents often told those things were too expensive or I didn’t need them.

But at church… around these new friends, there was ‘something wrong’ with me if I didn’t fall right in line with a very different culture, one where women separated from the men and kept to themselves, where hair and clothes were a really big deal and actually part of identity, and shopping trips were not just a thing to do once in a while, but actual events. Big events. Out of town, overnight, look-forward-to-this events. I didn’t get it then and I don’t get it now. And yet repeatedly I was labeled or shamed because I didn’t conform. And often my sexuality or sexual orientation were questioned.

I never married and people now ask why. I never met a man in church who could look past the labels and see me, respect me, and love me. And so being single became a very good thing, because who’d want to marry someone who couldn’t?

Did their labels or shaming change me? Yes, but I believe for the better. The labels didn’t change who I was, nor did they force me to conform, but in time they did increase my empathy and acceptance of others. I guess all their efforts backfired on them. And I’m glad.

Shaming and labeling… the tools of any unhealthy group to force conformity and/or to dehumanize those who are different in order to isolate them. It’s easier to hurt “the gay” or “the Jezebel” or “sinners” of whatever sort than it is to hurt “Mary” or “Joe” or “Jane.” Mary and Joe and Jane are people with their own lives and stories, but “sinners” are “bad people”. And so, they shame to try to force conformity and when that doesn’t work, it’s a short jump to labeling… and it is much easier to bully, to shame, to isolate and mistreat “those bad people” than a human being. It is also easier to label them “bad” than to consider there might be another way than their own to exist. And sometimes… sometimes they’re simply jealous. After all, it must be frustrating and even frightening to think that the people they’ve labeled “bad” are happy, free, and confident individuals, especially if they are freer, happier, and more confident than those who are doing the labeling.

If you’ve been shamed or labeled, be encouraged. Don’t accept the labels and don’t try to conform. Instead, simply become a better person as a result of them, and keep being the wonderful individual you are meant to be. God made you YOU. And even if you are the girl who likes the pixie cut or the guy who enjoys wearing pink, be you. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with you. You’re exactly who God made you to be.

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Colorado United Pentecostal Sex Abuse Cases Part 4

After reading my last post about the unreported sexual abuse of several minor boys involving a former Youth Pastor at a United Pentecostal Church in Colorado, one person shared with me the following:

I came to this church right after this youth pastor left. No one said anything even to this day. Yes, this person still is a pastor and is friends with former members of this church. I met them once at the church in May 2000 and by at least in September 2000 they were gone and new youth pastors were in. Something happened with him as well, and he left and became a pastor in California for awhile and he is currently a UPCI minister in another state.

The history of youth pastors is true and the list continues on. What I witnessed there was that most sins went unannounced and were swept under the rug. It’s not only sexual abuse at this church, but emotional/verbal abuse from the senior pastor’s wife and the present pastor’s wife.

This is part 35 of a series of articles and part four involving a United Pentecostal Church in Colorado that allegedly failed to report cases of child sexual abuse. (Some statements in this article are what have been alleged by more than one individual. There have been no convictions as the cases mentioned were not reported to the police at the time and to my knowledge, the alleged perpetrator has not admitted guilt.)

In the last article, it was shared how the United Pentecostal Church has had a long-standing rule that any minister who has committed sexual sins/crimes is to forfeit their ministerial license. This is nothing new and is printed every January in their yearly Manual which is distributed to every licensed minister. District officials are supposed to uphold this rule. If a minister is suspected of sexual wrongdoing, it should be reported to their District and the officials should investigate, abiding by their Judicial Procedures. The District has the authority to rescind their license if charges are proven guilty, whether it be a sin or criminal act. Any licensed minister should be well aware that any sexual crime, or suspected sexual crime, is to be reported to the police.

[2024 Note: Since this article was written, the UPCI added a new policy in their judicial procedure where the districts will no longer handle sexual abuse cases of a minor as these will be handled at the regional level.]

It is reprehensible that this doesn’t always occur in the United Pentecostal Church and there are men licensed today who should not hold license based upon the UPCI stand against sexual sins/crimes. Unfortunately, if a case even reaches a District Board and isn’t covered up or handled ‘in house’ by individual pastors, District Superintendents are granted some wiggle room in following UPCI written policies. I don’t know how many cases I have heard over the years where the son, or other relative, of a UPCI minister has been sexually immoral and yet gone on to be granted license. Written policies have no real meaning when things like this happen. They are empty words and quite hurtful to victims and their families.

Last fall, at the UPCI’s annual General Conference, almost two years after I started this series about sexual abuse and five years after our first individual article, the General Board adopted a new position paper regarding Abuse and Sexual Misconduct. While we applaud them for making a more detailed stand, we are also hesitant in believing it will make a difference. Actions always speak louder than words. If they are now committed to doing what is right, they need to look into the cases we, and others, have already documented and remove the licenses of ministers who are guilty. (You may want to read what I previously wrote about this position paper and what I feel the organization needs to do in my coverage of UPCI pastor Howard Wayne Geck failing to report child sexual abuse committed by Dexter Hensley.)

In addition, we believe that they should also revoke the licenses of those ministers who fail to report any alleged or known instances of child sexual abuse to the proper authorities. It is my firm opinion that any minister who handles instances of sexual abuse ‘in house’ is negligent, irresponsible and unethical, and should the perpetrator assault anyone in the future because they chose to not report it to police, that they are partly to blame.

Thankfully, one man who had been licensed in Wisconsin, Glenn Uselmann, who never should have been considered to be a minister, either had his license revoked or he turned it in sometime last year.

I have a collection of UPCI Directories, which are released in January of each year and the following information comes from them. Unfortunately, I only have some of the 1980s and 1990s. I believe the licensed Youth Pastor I wrote about in the last article might first appear in the 1988 and 1989 editions under his first name instead of how he was later listed by his middle name. He is noted as holding a general license in 1988 in a Northwestern state, followed by Colorado in 1989. There is no listing for him in the 1987 or 1981 editions. (I do not have Directories from 1982-1986 or 1993-1998.)

Starting in 1990, he is seen listed by his middle name and is likewise seen in 1992 and 1993. By the 1999 edition or before, he is no longer listed, but is seen once again in the 2000 Directory, still in Colorado with a general license. The 2001 Directory is the last one showing him as being in Colorado.

It is important to understand that because these directories were compiled near the end of the previous year, they are more reflective of the year prior to their publication. Because of this, it shows that he was in Colorado for at least some of 2000 but could have left the state prior to 2001. According to one witness quoted above, he was no longer the Youth Pastor by at least September 2000. He continued to hold license until either 2010 or 2011. He was not listed in the 2012 edition.

Let’s look at what happens in a case like this, when a licensed minister, who had also been the Colorado District Youth Secretary and then the District Youth President the following year, is alleged to have sexually abused multiple minor boys. Instead of taking appropriate action, where he should have been made to forfeit his license and been reported to the police, he is permitted to retain his UPCI license for at least ten more years.

He gets to move to an unsuspecting state in the north Midwest followed by another in the Gulf Coast.
By 2003, he rises from a general license to being an ordained minister in the UPCI. This is their highest level of licensing. (To learn about the levels of licensing see this article.)
By 2004, or possibly 2003, he establishes a new non-affiliated UPCI church in New Jersey. (Any church whose pastor is licensed by the UPCI is considered a UPCI church. They can go a step further and have a legal affiliation with the organization. He did not.)
By 2006, he gets elected to serve as a District Presbyter, a position he holds until 2009 or 2010. He and the church are last seen in the 2011 edition, which could mean he was still UPC that year or may have left the prior year.
As of the writing of this article in June 2020, he is yet a pastor, approximately two decades after leaving Colorado. Are there other victims? How many could there be over a twenty year period and three states?

Now read what another former member of this church shared with me near the beginning of last November. It has been edited to remove names and the edits are in brackets.

I was a member of [a UPCI church in] Denver, Colorado. A few years ago there was a church break up and chaos. Many old members were told they were going Hell by the Bishop and Pastor [last name removed] as well as [the pastor’s wife], who was the cause of much chaos and lies. I left the church awhile after the 1st break up. There have been three as of today. We left due to a cover up of several young boys being sexually abused. It was covered up and the Youth Pastor was then asked to leave. During that time [the pastor’s wife] never spoke to us, but continued to tell people to stay away from us, don’t talk to them. Even a few months ago one of her entourage told a good friend she wasn’t to speak to me… it’s been almost two years. But she continues… Last night I attended a District event with friends where [the Bishop’s wife] was speaking. She had [the pastor’s wife] and [her granddaughter] testify. They both quoted this scripture, Psalms 119:165. When the event ended [the pastor’s wife] grabbed me by the arm. I thought she was going to be genuine and talk BUT… I hugged her and told her we need to talk. She then turned vicious, angry and pointed a finger and said, “If you ever speak of my father, the man of God he is, or ruin his integrity you will pay! You will pay! Stay away from my people!” Really her people, in my mind, her cult. Her daughter [who testified] came in and chimed in Psalm 119:165, “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” Really. Really. As we stood in the church. I am so furious upset and last night [was] my breaking point of [these leaders and this church]!! The ABUSE, ACCUSATIONS, THREATS OF GOING TO HELL has to STOP !!!

[Because there may be other sexual abuse victims from Colorado reading this, some may wish to review this PDF document, which covers the law, statutes of limitations and potential sentences and was valid as of at least 2015. In 2020 Colorado officials have been working on eliminating the statute of limitation for civil lawsuits for sexual abuse crimes. The bill was postponed in June 2020. You may also wish to read this article of why it is important to report possible cases of sexual assault. Never assume a pastor has reported child sexual abuse, especially in a state like Colorado or Wisconsin where children are not fully protected by the law due to clergy privilege.]

You will find a complete list of articles in this series by clicking here.

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Colorado United Pentecostal Sex Abuse Cases Part 3

This is part 34 of a series of articles and part three involving a United Pentecostal Church in Colorado.

(Some statements in this article are what have been alleged by one witness, though there are several others which have corroborated various aspects of the account given below. There have been no convictions as the cases mentioned were not reported to the police at the time and to my knowledge, the alleged perpetrator has not admitted guilt.)

In writing these articles, people have contacted me about additional instances of both proven and alleged sexual abuse in the United Pentecostal Church. This installment will cover a second alleged situation that involves this same well-known church in Colorado. (See Part 1 and Part 2 for information.) Between the two sets of asterisks below is one person’s account of cases that involve the alleged sexual assault of minor boys- yes, plural- by a man who was given the position of Youth Pastor. It appears these crimes may have occurred between 1999 and 2000. During 1999 the alleged perpetrator would have turned 35. He is currently the pastor at a church in New Jersey, where he has been since the early 2000s, and no longer holds license with the UPCI.

In looking into this situation, I conversed with several people, including eyewitnesses to the service described in this report, and based upon their accounts I do not doubt this meeting took place, nor do I doubt that more than one boy was sexually abused. There will be at least one additional article about this.

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For a few months, we didn’t have a youth pastor. Numbers dropped, many young people stopped coming to youth services altogether. Our pastor and his wife took on the role of youth pastor for awhile until things started dwindling down and we rarely had a youth service anymore.

Then one Sunday it was announced that we had a new youth pastor and family coming in! I was so excited, this was the BEST news. They weren’t as smooth or polished as the previous youth pastor, but the guy, whom I will call Youth Pastor Z, was so down to earth and genuine. From the moment I met him and his wife, I was smitten. They were charismatic and instantly made you feel like family. Their adorable baby girl was so sweet and full of life and laughter. What a refreshment!

Nearly a year went by and I couldn’t imagine ever having been without these amazing people. Youth Pastor Z was an incredible mentor and he seemed to really take it upon himself to reach out to the “unpopular” young men that other youth pastors never paid any attention to. He included the ones from single mother homes, those who came to church without parents, etc. He was known for having youth sleepovers with some of the boys in the group and then taking them all fishing or camping or hiking.

As a young girl, I was a little jealous of this, because I didn’t know why he seemed to only cater to the boys. Why didn’t his wife do a girls sleepover once in awhile?

Then…it happened again. It almost felt like a horrible déjà vu. A Sunday night service came and went without Youth Pastor Z one Sunday…and again the visitors were asked to leave the service because of an “all church meeting.”

Youth Pastor Z was asked to resign and we were not allowed to have any contact with them. They were also leaving the state immediately. No details were given.

I was so sick to my stomach. What happened this time? Why is our youth group cursed?

This time, I didn’t hear for years whatever happened with Youth Pastor Z. This story was kept under wraps for a long time. He moved away and has since pastored a church in another state.

The Truth Comes Out
About a year or so ago, I reconnected with someone I had grown up with in this UPC church via Facebook. As we talked and complained about the PTSD we still experienced from time to time after being a part of this cult, it came out that he had been molested by Youth Pastor Z.

As it turns out, Youth Pastor Z was asked to leave his position and the state of Colorado because he had been molesting young boys in the church. Instantly, those youth sleepovers came to my mind and I wanted to vomit.

Yet again, no charges were filed. Youth Pastor Z was allowed to leave with his reputation intact.

I have found out from a couple of the victims that after everything came out, the church pastor asked to meet with them and their parent/guardians. They were instructed not to involve the authorities in both of these cases because it wasn’t “biblical.” The pastor said that he wanted to allow God to deal with them and that God’s punishment would be far greater than anything the law could ever do to them.

You may be shaking your head at this and saying, “what parent in their right mind would agree to this?” A church member never went against the pastor. Ever.

I cannot fathom how a pastor would ever think that not reporting sexual abuse under his own roof is acceptable.

Wait. Yes, I can.

Why Weren’t the Victims Protected?
I have asked myself over and over…why wasn’t anyone protected? What was the reasoning?

The only conclusion I can come to is that this prominent and well-known pastor didn’t want his name dragged through the mud. He didn’t want to lose church members. He didn’t want the UPC to think less of him. So, he hid it. He allowed sex offenders to go free. He never defended the innocent children. He even allowed them to take blame. To save his name and his reputation.

I wonder if this had happened to one of his grandchildren if he would have allowed the child molester to go free? Me thinks not.

As I mentioned in both above stories [NOTE: See Part 1 for the first story], each youth pastor has moved on to pastor churches in other states. Which begs me to wonder, how many others have there been? How many more children were subjected to sexual abuse because these men were allowed to go free “in the name of the LORD” and His justice?

How many more?

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The rules in the UPCI Manual are clear- if one has been sexually immoral, they are not qualified to hold license, nor to minister in a United Pentecostal Church. It appears that at the time of these alleged crimes, this Youth Pastor held license and was able to retain it after leaving this church. Meanwhile, the victims received no justice and were made to suffer in silence. Their lives would be forever changed, while the pastor of this church gave the pedophile his freedom, and with that freedom enabled him to potentially harm others.

You will find a complete list of articles in this series by clicking here.

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Confusion About United Pentecostal Churches?

The following is a guest post from one of our readers who wishes to remain anonymous, with a some comments added by me. It is a response to a public Facebook post (he has removed the post) by a young man named Westley Ellis, who is the son of Jeremy Ellis (He removed that profile and is now found here), a United Pentecostal Church pastor in Saint Joe, Arkansas. (See the church.)

Westley’s writing will appear in black, with the rebuttal comments in red. My comments will be in green.

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This rebuttal is based on the firsthand experience of a former UPC member (22 years) who served in multiple leadership capacities, paid my tithes faithfully, adhered to all standards, and was viewed as a model “saint” by nearly everyone who knows me. During my 22 years in the UPC, I attended four churches (leaving each one after severe pastoral abuse), and visited many others, where I met many, many people who also suffered abuse at the hands of UPC leadership. This represents the reality experienced by those who chose to leave the UPC. (Rebuttal comments marked by a dash (-).

——

There seems to be some confusion about Pentecostal churches, so I figured I should clarify.

People tend to get us mixed up with other churches that are “Pentecostal” only by name. [Note: Many Oneness Pentecostals believe they are the only ones who are saved. Some even go to the extent of claiming that other Pentecostals who speak in tongues don’t really have the Holy Spirit as they believe in the Trinity and haven’t been water baptized only in the name of Jesus. Many OPs believe they are the ‘originals’ going back to the day of Pentecost. Their teachings view the vast majority of Christians as not saved.] Many times friends of mine have invited friends over to church, and they would tell them no because they instantly think of these churches. A lot of these churches spread hatred and negativity and do not exemplify Jesus in any way. [Through the years there have been many Oneness Pentecostal ministers and churches that have spread hatred and negativity.]

—-

So without further ado, allow me to throw some rumors that go around about real Pentecostal churches out the window:

1. We don’t handle snakes.
– But they do speak in tongues, run, jump, scream, dance, shake, fall down, and wail.

[There are Oneness Pentecostal churches that handle snakes. Allow me to remind people of ‘Snake Salvation‘ from National Geographic, the TV show which featured a couple of these. Jamie Coots, one of the featured pastors, died after being bitten. At least one book has been written about Oneness Pentecostal snake handling churches.]

2. We don’t kick people out because they don’t dress like us. That’s prejudice, and it’s a sin.
– But most positions on the platform (singing, preaching, etc.) or in church leadership are off-limits to people who don’t adhere to the dress standards.

3. We don’t stop women from engaging in ministry. In fact, there’s been tons of encouragement toward women in the Pentecostal community in recent years.
– But women are commanded to be in submission to men and are not allowed to “usurp” authority.

[In their beginnings, the United Pentecostal Church had a higher percentage of women ministers than they appear to have now. They exclude women from many positions. Women cannot be a District Superintendent, a District Secretary-Treasurer, a District Presbyter or a District Global Missions Director. The chances of a woman ever becoming the General Superintendent are quite slim. Some may be interested in reading Janet Trout’s 2014 dissertation, “A Study of Attitudes toward Women Serving in Any Office if Elected by the Ministerial Constituency of the United Pentecostal Church International” or Cindy Miller’s 2015 dissertation, “What Are United Pentecostal Church International Women Pastors Experiencing: A Qualitative Inquiry.”]

4. We aren’t a cult. We don’t force you to do anything. If you don’t want to pray, that’s fine. If you don’t want to be prayed for, that’s fine.
– But if you go to their churches, you may be strongly pressured to go to the altar. People will likely put their hands on you, scream in your ear, and pressure you to speak in tongues. They don’t believe you can be saved without speaking in tongues, and their #1 goal is to get you to do it.

5. We don’t handle snakes. (did I already say that?)
– See above.

6. We don’t spread rumors or hate about people that decide to leave the church. That is gossip, and that is a sin.
– This is completely, 100% false. Chester Wright, a revered bishop in the UPC, compares those who leave the church to a “bowel movement” in a videotaped sermon. This sentiment is repeated by many UPC pastors and leaders. UPC pastors often launch full-fledged character assassinations against those who leave, calling them bitter, rebellious, mentally unstable, and backslidden. Current members are encouraged to distance themselves from those who left. In addition, when you leave, your former pastor and your new pastor will have a meeting about you before you’re “permitted” to transition to the new church. The purpose of this meeting is for the former pastor to warn the new pastor about the level of threat you pose to the new church. This is standard practice.

7. We don’t baptize babies. You have to be old enough to comprehend the meaning of baptism, and decide in your own free will if you want to be baptized.
– But they will baptize a 3-year-old if the 3-year-old has spoken in tongues.

[I personally witnessed a four-year-old get baptized after supposedly speaking in tongues. Some will also baptize a child without the permission of the parents. This happened to the child of a friend of mine, who was not a member of the UPCI church.]

8. We don’t look you in the eye and call you a sinner. In fact, it’s common sense to NOT name names, or point fingers when preaching because that’s just plain rude.
– Also 100% false. Sure, the polite UPC members may not say it directly to your face, but preachers will remind you of your sinful state repeatedly from the pulpit in their sermons. Make no mistake: if you are not UPC and adhering to all standards, you ARE a sinner in their opinion.

[My former UPCI pastor did indeed name names during sermons.]

9. You don’t have to practice speaking in tongues before you get baptized… Speaking in tongues is something that just happens, you can’t really learn it.
– But they will encourage you to mimic others who are speaking in tongues, say “hallelujah” or “Jesus” over and over until you’re tongue-tied, and they may touch or jiggle your chin to try to “help” you.

10. This isn’t based off emotion. This one is up to you to decide. I can tell you it’s not, and you don’t have to believe me. But I guarantee you once you’ve been in a Pentecostal service and felt the love of Jesus sweep over you, it’s a feeling like no other. While there most definitely is emotion involved, there’s a whole lot more to it. A whole lot more…
– The emotional highs experienced in UPC services can be experienced in secular ball games and concerts, or even concerts by non-UPC Christian artists, who the UPC believes are unsaved.

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Alright, now I’m going to tell you some things that we do and stand for so that you have a reference:

1. We love everybody. It doesn’t matter if you’re black or white, gay or straight, drug addict or clean, drunk or sober. We will welcome you into church with open arms. God loves everyone, and wants everyone to be set free.
– Yes, you will be welcomed into the church with open arms (and love bombing). But if you’re gay, the UPC does not believe you can remain gay and be saved. They claim to accept you as you are, but what they don’t tell you is that they will expect you to drastically change in order to earn their version of salvation. If you’re a woman, you will have to stop cutting your hair, stop coloring your hair (Westley removed this post), stop wearing makeup, stop wearing jewelry, stop wearing nail polish, stop wearing pants or shorts (dresses and skirts only), and stop wearing sleeveless or low-cut tops. If you’re a man, you will have to stop wearing shorts and shave your beard. Both sexes will have to stop drinking, smoking, going to movies, and a long list of other activities. [For some of these, see this.]

[To see how some Oneness Pentecostals are toward homosexuals, see this article. As to racism, the UPCI used to have a separate section in their yearly Directories where they listed ‘colored’ ministers. Even in recent years, they have had problems with racism among their ministers and churches. See this article.]

2. Salvation is for EVERYONE! Nobody is predestined to hell, I don’t care what some people tell you. Everyone has to opportunity to be saved, and we believe the Acts 2:38 message is the way to get it.
– But only if you obey the Acts 2:38 message will you go to heaven (according to the UPC). No one else will go.

[The United Pentecostal Church believes that unless one repents, is water baptized by immersion in the name of Jesus, and speaks in tongues, which they claim is the ‘initial evidence’ of receiving God’s Spirit, you are not and will not be saved. You are also to reject the Trinity belief and believe in the Oneness of God. Read what Westley himself says about people who leave. (He has removed this post.)]

3. Come as you are. You don’t have to dress like a Pentecostal to come to a Pentecostal church. We won’t look down on you at all. You can come wearing whatever you’re comfortable in.
– Yes, you can come as you are, but you will be pressured not to stay that way. See #1.

4. You get to choose. We aren’t going to force our beliefs on you, or shove anything down your throat. You get to make the decision on your own. Free will is one of God’s most beautiful creations.
– But you will be told repeatedly that there is no other way to salvation besides the UPC plan of salvation.

5. We’re always praying for you. Whether you’ve left the church, or are curious about it, we’re always praying for you. We want you to experience the joy of Christ. We want you experience the Holy Ghost. It’s a liberating and beautiful experience.
– If you leave, they will never, ever accept that you’ve found salvation or peace any other way. They will continue to pressure you to return, and when dramatic events happen in the news, they will send you tearful messages about how they’re concerned for your soul because the return of Jesus is imminent. If you don’t respond to their pressure, after some time passes, you won’t hear from them at all, except for the occasional “I have a burden for you” fear mongering. Lasting, true friendship with most people in the UPC is contingent upon you remaining in the UPC.

I hope this cleared up some confusion about Pentecostal churches. If you’re curious about this Pentecost thing, and want to know more, I highly recommend checking out a Pentecostal church service. It’s completely up to you, but I guarantee you won’t regret it!

If you don’t know where to find a real Pentecostal church, I highly recommend you use this tool here: upci . org/resources/locate-a-church
(the spaces are there because people were having trouble sharing)

All you have to do is type in your city, and it will locate a church nearby!

Remember, Jesus loves you. Have a blessed day/night/whenever you’re reading this. God bless!

[Some current United Pentecostal Church members might want to venture outside of their approved books and literature and seek out material that shows aspects of their history they often leave out or don’t openly share, as well as what thousands of former members have shared about their experiences. It’s not the bed of roses that some would have you believe. Here’s just a handful who have shared how they have been harmed. There’s also our series on sexual abuse and the United Pentecostal Church.]

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When Legacy And Sexual Abuse Collide in the United Pentecostal Church

Teach your church that any form of abuse is NEVER acceptable to God no matter who does it or how important the abuser is. – Diane Langberg, PhD on Twitter, March 7, 2020

I have been writing about sexual abuse in the United Pentecostal Church for awhile now and I am overwhelmed at the number of cases. There is an incredible number of women, men and children who have been sexually abused and I don’t know that I will ever be able to cover all of the stories- it is a daunting task and one which I’ve found to be quite draining. There are cases which hit the news, as well as an innumerable number that never did because they were not reported to police and therefore never prosecuted. There’s still more to write regarding all the unreported cases of child sexual abuse at Calvary Gospel Church in Madison, Wisconsin. There’s still more to write regarding reported and unreported cases of child sexual abuse at Landmark Tabernacle in Denver, Colorado. Both of these churches allegedly have cases spanning many years and both involve pastors that some would consider to be legacy names.

Back in August 2019 I wrote, “The United Pentecostal Church makes it quite clear in their yearly Manuals that if a person is guilty of committing immoral conduct regarding sexual matters, that they are not eligible to be licensed. If such happens while they hold license with them, their license is to be revoked and never reinstated. In addition, such people are not supposed to be ministering in any of their churches, whether or not they hold license. Yet despite what appears to be very clear directives, one discovers that for years there have been men holding license who have been immoral, as well as people preaching in their churches who have been immoral.”

(Some statements in this article are what have been alleged by others. The allegations all appear to be involving adults and not children. There have been no convictions or criminal arrests as the situations mentioned here appear to not have been reported to the police, or not reported while the statute of limitations was open, and to my knowledge, the alleged perpetrator has not admitted guilt. I have withheld sharing the man’s name at this point, until at least one victim comes forward publicly and names him. This is Part 33 of an ongoing series.)

And now since 2019, there have been murmurings as well as cryptic messages left on Facebook (see some of these below) that show there has been serious trouble brewing in the Western District of the United Pentecostal Church. Apparently, one of their licensed ministers, who is a pastor that married into a family whose name is a legacy in the organization, has been accused of multiple instances of sexually related charges. From the messages circulating on Facebook, people are tired of not seeing justice- they know that the UPCI is well aware of the charges and yet this man is permitted to retain his license and still delivers sermons. There are allegations of cover-ups by legacy family members, lying, deception and more.

When your husband had been proven guilty of sexual assault and sexual harassment, and has been unfaithful to you numerous times, has been forced to resign from his church by his organization for conduct unbecoming a minister and sexual misconduct, and you insist on staying at the church in a position of perceived authority so that you can continue to lie, cover-up and deceive the congregation, because you are desperate to protect your family name, the truth about your husbands resignation, and your paycheck.- February 12, 2020 Amber’s public Facebook post

When it comes to scandal in the church, which sadly does happen, it’s amazing the extent folks will do to cover things up. The real victims are maligned, God and His name is misused to claim spiritual authority. People that know better will change alliances to protect the guilty and the guilty will make themselves the victim. Watching it happen in real time is a learning experience. Legacies will crumble when it becomes about man/woman than it does God and people. – March 2, 2020 Randy’s public Facebook post

Yes sir and the sad part of all of it is that the people that are covering KNOW they hurting people. The ones who cry submission to authority are the very ones refusing to submit to THIER authority. Amazing that sometime district boards give deadlines for people to correct the lies, but even the district boards are defied. And the amazing thing is that instead of people gossiping and assuming pick up the phone and call the Western District board. How hard is that? Are they scared of truth? Aren’t you glad there a God that knows all and is the ultimate record keeper? – March 2, 2020 Daniel’s public Facebook comment in reply to Randy

There are some in the office because of their family name, they should not be in the position they are in. They misuse the authority they have been given and make the kingdom lose its appeal and taste. Though God will defend himself, it still angers me when there is such blatant lies and scandal. The scars and hurt that will be left will be there for years. I have seen many times churches having to shut down so that a renewal and time of healing can take place. – March 2, 2020 Robert’s public Facebook comment in reply to Randy

It is alleged that this minister from California was told to resign from the church (he is listed as pastor of more than one) by the Western District officials, who, after a trial in 2019, found him guilty of several sexually related charges. Yet as of the 2020 UPCI Directory, which was printed in January, as well as the UPCI online church locator in March, he is shown as a licensed ordained minister with his name listed as the pastor, though he is no longer mentioned as a District Presbyter, a position which was held for years.

If the information is accurate, I find this to be totally unacceptable due to the clearly stated rules in the UPCI Manual regarding ministers and sexual immorality. Let’s take a look at what it states. Under Article VII, Section 9 it says, “For the purpose of ministerial membership in the United Pentecostal Church International or for ministering in a United Pentecostal Church International church, immoral conduct shall be defined as adultery, fornication, homosexuality, incest, and/or any other sexual acts determined by the District Board to be perverted or immoral (Matthew 5:32; Matthew 19:9; I Corinthians 6:9; Romans 1:24-28). 2. Any minister affiliated with our organization proven guilty of adultery or fornication, or committing any other immoral offense, shall forfeit his or her papers immediately. Immoral offense shall include sexual molestation of minors.”

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. – David Bernard, January-March 1988 Forward (an exclusive magazine for UPCI licensed ministers)

Unfortunately, this isn’t the only case in the UPCI where a minister has retained, or later received, license after immoral conduct. Is this man permitted to retain his license because he married into a well-known ‘name’ in the organization? Should ministers be treated with kid gloves because of their pedigree or how much money the church may contribute? Rather, shouldn’t those with a legacy be expected to be held to a high standard, considering how organizations tend to place these people on a pedestal and parade them around as examples to be followed? What does this legacy even mean when people discover abuses or cover-ups? Would it not be best to openly and properly handle any legacy case, considering that much more harm is caused to any legacy by not doing so, because at some point the truth will be discovered and made known? And what does this say to other former ministers whose licenses were properly revoked due to immorality?

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. – David Bernard, January-March 1988 Forward

It wasn’t too difficult to determine the name of this pastor and it appears there are many within the United Pentecostal Church who know, including licensed ministers and their spouses, some of whom have spoken up about what is happening. There is no way in which this news didn’t go all the way up the chain of command in the organization. General Superintendent David Bernard, it appears that you may need to intervene and do what is right and in accordance with your Manual, and strip this individual of their license, not allowing the legacy family he married into sway you in your decision. People ARE watching.

August 6, 2020 Note: Now that it has been publicly posted by one of the alleged victims, I can share that this article is about John Shivers, who is married to one of the daughters of the late Kenneth Haney. See Part 2 & Part 3.

August 24, 2022 edit: Today the Stockton Record released an article about John Shivers. You must have a digital subscription to read it. See https://www.recordnet.com/story/news/2022/08/24/pastor-john-shivers-accused-sexual-assault-preaching-stockton-centro-vida-pentecostal-church/5695797001/

You will find a complete list of articles in this series by clicking here.

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