Category: United Pentecostal Church | Page 4

Giveaway: Women and Worship at Corinth by Lucy Peppiatt

I apologize for not getting to our monthly giveaways that I intended to do earlier in the year. We had three so far in 2025, and I’m now trying to make up for not posting these earlier. There are going to be a number of them posted in a short amount of time.

This is only open to those with a USA mailing address. There is absolutely no cost to enter.

This is your chance to receive a new copy of Women and Worship at Corinth: Paul’s Rhetorical Arguments in 1 Corinthians by Lucy Peppiatt.

This is a more academic version of Unveiling Paul’s Women: Making Sense of 1 Corinthians 11:2–16 by the author and covers additional issues.

“Making sense of Paul’s arguments in 1 Corinthians 11-14 regarding both the role of women in public worship and the value of tongues and prophecy for the unbeliever has long posed challenges for any lay reader or scholar. Despite numerous explanations offered over the years, these passages remain marked by inconsistencies, contradictions, and puzzles. Lucy Peppiatt offers a reading of 1 Corinthians 11-14 in which she proposes that Paul is in conversation with the Corinthian male leadership regarding their domineering, superior, and selfish practices, including coercing the women to wear head coverings, lording it over the ‘have-nots’ at the Lord’s Supper, speaking in tongues all at once, and ordering married women to keep quiet in church. Through careful exegesis and theological comment this reading not only brings internal coherence to the text, but paints a picture of the apostle gripped by a vision for a new humanity ‘in the Lord’ resulting in his refusal to compromise with the traditional views of his own society. Instead, as those who should identify with the crucified Christ, he exhorts the Corinthians to make ‘love’ their aim, and thus to restore dignity and honor to women, the outsider, and the poor.”

This giveaway is a drawing. To enter, just leave a comment to show you wish to be included. The drawing will close on November 22, 2025 at 6pm eastern time, after which I will draw a winner.

Be sure to check back to see if you have won as in the past some people have not responded after winning and so a new winner had to be drawn. You will then need to email me your mailing address if I do not already have it, so be sure to watch your email and check the spam folder. If I know your Facebook profile, I will message you there.

Don’t be alarmed if your comment does not immediately show as it may require approval.

You may want to subscribe to the email notifications of new blog posts in order to not miss these. While we try to share about our giveaways on social media, those platforms often do not show the posts to many people.

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Giveaway: Unveiling Paul’s Women by Lucy Peppiatt

This is only open to those with a USA mailing address. There is absolutely no cost to enter.

This is your chance to receive a new copy of Unveiling Paul’s Women: Making Sense of 1 Corinthians 11:2–16 by Lucy Peppiatt.

As many of our readers know, this section of 1 Corinthians has been used to teach that women must wear a head covering when in church, as well as that women must never cut their hair (as taught in the United Pentecostal Church). It’s also been used to teach that women are somewhat less than men.

I found it very interesting how Lucy Peppiatt puts forth the thought that in these passages Paul is repeating some things that the Corinthian believers had written to him. In other words, she believes that in verses 4-5 and 7-10, Paul was repeating what the Corinthians had previously shared with him. Verse 16 is then saying that there is no such custom of wearing head coverings.

We do know that Paul was responding to a letter he had received from this group of believers, so this thought is not unreasonable. We also know that the Corinthians were very messed up and carnal, and Paul had to correct them on numerous issues.

The author also covers various aspects and views on this section of scripture. I found her view of the passages to be plausible and that they made more sense that way. I don’t believe Paul was anti-women and have never liked when people attempt to portray Paul in a negative light. There are actually those who hate Paul, I believe due to a misunderstanding or misinterpretation of certain passages. Perhaps this book will help someone who feels this way.

This giveaway is a drawing. To enter, just leave a comment to show you wish to be included. The drawing will close on November 22, 2024 at 6pm eastern time, after which I will draw a winner.

Don’t be alarmed if your comment does not immediately show as it may require approval.

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Why Has The United Pentecostal Manual Grown So Much In Size?

On September 18, 2025, United Pentecostal Church pastor Steve Waldron made a brief video comparing the size of the 1990 edition of the UPCI’s Manual and the 2024 edition. He shared that the 2024 edition was 309 pages and the 1990 was 136. As an added note, the 2025 edition has 319 pages.

He questioned why there was such a difference in size, wondering if it could be a change in the print size and mentioned there being more position papers and very little changes in the Articles of Faith. He also mentioned that a person doesn’t “ever want to see your walk with the Lord replaced by the rules of men.”

He shared how he preferred a hard copy of the Manual and that the UPCI used to send one every year to their ministers, but stopped that around about 15 years ago. If a minister wants a physical copy, they now must order and pay for one. Waldron mentioned that he is more prone to read it if he has a copy in his hands as compared to a digital copy.

I applaud him for reading all or part of the Manual each year as my guess is that the majority of UPCI ministers do not do this. I’ve known this from conversing with some of them, who were unaware of something mentioned in a Manual. For instance, I’ve heard their ministers erroneously claim that the UPCI is only a ministerial organization, when from their inception their Manuals have clearly stated otherwise at the beginning of their General Constitution.

The last hard copy of the Manual I have is from 2018 and it’s 215 pages. I also have the 1990 edition and it’s 143 pages. (Waldron gave the page number for when it ends, but didn’t include the mostly blank pages after that. If we do the same for 2018, it has 211.)

I recently was able to obtain the first UPCI Manual from when Howard Goss was the General Superintendent and it has 88 pages, though it ends at 86, and the dimensions are noticeably smaller. For awhile they used to combine the Manual and Directories into one publication and in the 1952 edition, which is very close to the dimensions of the first Manual, there were 248/246 pages.

So why is there such a difference between 86 pages in the beginning to 309 in 2024? (Almost 100 more pages from 2018 till 2024.) Part of the reason is because as time went on, more sections were included. They didn’t use to include their position papers and judicial procedure. Then they added the General Board Policies section, which brought more than 30 pages, and later added a section that includes resources for local churches, which added about 30 more pages. These four additions are positive ones.

Besides the above, as the UPCI has grown, they have added departments and positions and this requires changes to the Manual that spell out the purpose, officers and their duties and qualifications, finances and more. In addition to this, every year there are changes to the Manual. Sometimes sections are removed or clarified and others are added. These often come from resolutions which are voted upon at General Conference.

The Manual also underwent a much needed revision in recent years, though I’m unsure how this impacted the size.

If you wish to watch Steve Waldron’s video, go here.

United Pentecostal Pastor Audley Castro Resigns Part 3

This is a continuation of our coverage on United Pentecostal Church minister Audley F. Castro, who was the long-term pastor of the Apostolic Pentecostal Church Of Pickering (APC) in Ontario, a legally affiliated UPCI church. It appears to be one of the largest UPCI churches in Ontario. (See Part One and Part Two.) Audley Castro resigned on July 9, 2025 amidst allegations of sexual misconduct allegedly spanning years.

This is the second part of our July 23 post where we shared two letters that had been released by the church in late 2021. In one letter it was stated that, “Between August 14, 2021 and November 7, 2021, former members of our congregation published a series of videos on YouTube making several statements about the Apostolic Pentecostal Church of Pickering (‘APC’) and Reverend Audley Castro (‘Rev. Castro’).”

Looking for the videos on YouTube brought up nothing and it was subsequently learned that they were removed due to a court order. However, they are still available on Rumble at The House of Prayer’s channel, which started on January 12, 2021. Four of their eleven videos address Audley Castro and the Apostolic Pentecostal Church of Pickering.

The first video, released on August 14, 2021 and lasting just one minute and 42 seconds, has no sound and is simply written statements accusing Audley Castro of adultery. Dean Delpeache, a former UPCI minister, is listed under the video. His name is seen under all four. Joel Woodburn is the one bringing the accusations, though this isn’t disclosed until the final video.

It alleged that, “Many ministers and leaders at APC are also involved in this adulterous and other wicked sexual activity who God will shortly expose.”

Continuing on, they name one of Castro’s alleged “partners” and shares she was 55 years old and pregnant, claiming it happened ten years after menopause, which is a wild claim, something which is not possible except potentially through IVF. They end with some additional claims regarding the mark of the beast.

The second video from August 16, 2021 is shorter than the first and again has no sound. Here it is stated that the adultery mentioned in the first video was with a minister’s wife, meaning Joel Woodburn.

The third is undated, even shorter and again has no sound. It stated that “As a public confession or denial was not given after I released this information on August 14, 2021, I am disclosing additional information to further clarify the truth.” It is then alleged that the woman is this person’s ex-wife and that the baby was aborted.

The fourth, released on November 7, 2021, is 14 minutes long, and there is finally sound and we see Joel Woodburn’s daughter, Rachel, narrating it. The names of Arnold MacLauchlan and David Bernard are shared underneath the video. Rachel states her family served in the church for almost a decade and that she had a series of dreams showing her that God is going to take down the church. She says to ask God to show you in a dream that these accusations are true. There are some other wild claims.

Returning to the letters released by the church, they also claimed, “At this time, the Board is seeking legal counsel about the best path forward.”

What many members of the Apostolic Pentecostal Church Of Pickering may not know is that a lawsuit was filed on April 5, 2022 by the church and Audley Castro against Joel and Rachel Woodburn. This was case CV2200679382000 in Ontario. They were suing for $165,000 and were represented by Gwendolyn Adrian.

Joel and Rachel Woodburn did not respond to the lawsuit, so a default judgement was entered against them in 2023. Because of this, as evidence was not presented in the case, it is unknown what accusations in the videos, if any, were true. As far as the Court is concerned, it was all defamation.

According to a court document posted by the attorney, Audley Castro was awarded $60,000 and the church $15,000. In addition, $13,130 was awarded for partial indemnity fees and disbursements. Whether Castro or APC received any money is unknown. Some may be unaware that when money is awarded in a lawsuit, it does not mean it will be able to be collected. Some have to go through a separate process to see if a defendant’s wages can be garnished, which can be an ongoing difficulty, and there are times that a plaintiff never receives anything.

The judge stated that the awards were on a joint and several basis, which means that both Joel and Rachel Woodburn are fully responsible for the entire debt. This allows the a plaintiffs to collect the full amount from any one of the parties.

I will mention that sometimes churches and ministers will file a lawsuit in an attempt to silence someone who speaks out about them. I have seen this happen. Here in the USA, some states have anti-SLAPP laws that protect individuals from SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation). Those laws can shut down frivolous and silencing lawsuits and that can be very costly for a plaintiff as they could be liable for the attorney fees of any defendants.

Attached are some screenshots from the lawsuit, a document which was posted on LinkedIn by the attorney, and two screenshots from the church’s Facebook Page showing that Joel Woodburn was an important part of the church for years.

More will be shared in the future in regard to the member only meeting that was held at the church on July 14, 2025.

I originally posted about this on August 22, 2025 on our Facebook Page.

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

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Former United Pentecostal Pastor Robert Anthony “Tony” Langston Arrested on CSA Charges Part 4

This is a continuation of our coverage on former United Pentecostal Church pastor and presbyter, Robert Anthony “Tony” Langston, born November 9, 1964, who has been charged with sexual crimes against a minor in Colorado. Langston also had been the Colorado District Youth Secretary and the District Youth President. This is case number 25CR03894 in Denver County.

The alleged crimes happened while Tony Langston was the youth pastor of Landmark Tabernacle, a UPCI church in Denver, Colorado. The pastor was Billy Hale, now considered the bishop, who was also the Colorado District Superintendent at the time. Hale’s son-in-law, Dannie Hood, is the current senior pastor.

Back in 2000, we made two blogs about this, though no names were mentioned at the time as no arrests or charges had been made. You may want to read Colorado United Pentecostal Sex Abuse Cases Part 3 and Colorado United Pentecostal Sex Abuse Cases Part 4 for additional information. See also Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of our recent posts.

In our previous posts, we shared the charges, bond, and a basic summary of what has happened from July 10 through July 24, 2025, as well as a rundown of his UPCI licensing and positions from 1987 through 2011. We also shared the four page supporting affidavit for his warrant, which gives more insight into the charges.

There was a prior case in Montgomery County, Texas in 2005

Thanks to the investigative work of Reggie Love on Facebook, it has been discovered that 2025 is not the first time CSA charges were filed against Robert Anthony Langston.

In 2005 in Montgomery County, Texas, there was an indecency with a child case, Statute 21.11(a)(1) a 2nd degree felony, against Anthony Langston which was filed on August 2, 2005. This is case 05-08-06814.

It is with a very heavy heart that I share with you the information in this post. I will refrain from saying everything I would like to say.

A grand jury heard testimony against Tony Langston and on August 2, 2005, an indictment was filed against him for an incident which happened on or about June 27, 2005. It states that Langston engaged “in sexual contact with [name redacted], a child younger than 17 years and not the spouse of the Defendant, by having said child touch the Defendant’s genitals.”

Tony was living in Jersey City, New Jersey and was pastor of Tapestry Church, now Freedom Church Jersey City, which was called the International Christian Center at the time. The following year he was voted in as a presbyter of the New Jersey Metro District of the UPCI.

On August 8, 2005, bond was set at $15,000. It appears it was paid on September 3, 2005. He retained Gilbert G. Garcia to represent him.

On December 8, 2005, a motion was made for DNA testing and it was granted the same day. Anthony Langston was given until January 13, 2006 to provide this. Prior to this on November 8, 2005, another order for DNA testing was made, as well as him needing to be tested for AIDS/HIV and STDs. I have not included the first order in the attachments.

Here is where my heart sank. On January 12, 2006, a motion to dismiss was filed and marked “in the interest of justice.” Just below that, the reason given was that “The victim is Deceased.” This happened in just a few short months.

Langston may have never submitted his DNA as the deadline happened after the victim died. Had the right thing been done when things came to light at Landmark Tabernacle, this alleged crime probably would never have occurred. That teenager might still be alive.

Attached are the indictment, bond, motion and order for DNA testing, the order of dismissal and the judge’s docket sheet. I redacted the victim’s name from the indictment and the personal info on the bond record.

I originally posted about this on July 31, 2025 and August 1, 2025 on our Facebook Page.

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

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