My very first "Apostolic" Conference was at Pastor Billy Adams church in Pensacola, FL. I would say it was about 1982 - 83. I had no idea what an AMF was and I took my youth pastor with me and we showed up in SHORT SLEEVES!
I had NEVER heard it was something we should not do!!!!!!!! It was funny when I found out that they did not believe in short sleeves or SUNGLASSES!!!!! We could not get over them actually believing this!
We went to a day service where Pastor James Varnum (in his Independent days) of Bellview, FL spoke on Soul winning and called the message "Perfect Love". He shared how that his people were teaching HBS and a 12 year old boy had taught a HBS and won a whole family to Souls Harbor. We thought it was so great - we were actually there from his invitation to attend. It was a very edifying message to win the lost!
Well - Pastor Varnum sat down and a Brother "C" got up and said - well, we have heard about this PERFECT LOVE - but today I am gonna preach on
"PERFECT HATE". He got all wound up - being so critical of Pastor Varnum and his "big house" and "big fine car" and ranting and raving and said - there is no such thing as Home Bible Studies in the Bible and he had never heard the such of a 12 year old boy teaching anybody anything. He lam blasted everything and everybody there and then started pounding the pulpit - screaming - PERFECT HATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I HATE SINNERS - You may say - Oh NO - Brother "C" - You don't hate the sinners - you hate the sin! He then screamed LOUDER than ever - "I HATE THE NASTY FILTHY ROTTEN UNGODLY SINNERS - GOD HATES THEM AND SO DO I"!!!!
At that - I got up and said to the young man with me - "I have heard enough of this - Let's Go!" We got up - picked up our Bibles and walked out and never went back.
I walked out and would walk out again.