Is the UPC a Den of Incest (Growth Within)?

[SDG]

Originally Posted by CC1

I object to the title of the thread. It is not clear it is speaking of spiritual incest. It insinuates the UPC if full of sexual peversion.

I am sure that is not the intent of the threads author but that is the inference. I wish the thread title had been more descriptive of the actual subject.

The subject is an appropriate one. I have long contended that the UPC's tepid growth over the last generation has been due to most new members being either born into the org. or married into it. The actual rate of new converts doesn't even keep pace with the population growth each year.

Then Destined to Double is code for a the org pushing a UPCI baby boom?

[TRFrance]

Originally Posted by vrblackwell

Its funny you said this. I was just getting a drink and thinking about this. There are many people being saved in our churches. What I have seen is that many will receive the HG and have trouble with the standards. Therefore, they find churches that believe in the infilling of the HG but do not have a strict standard and go to them. This happens a lot.

What I found in pastoring was that it was very hard for a women who grew up wearing and believing that there was such a thing as women's pants to be told that there is no such thing. Or to be told that they cannot cut their hair and so on.

I don't think sometimes that we who grew up in this belief really understand how much a typical woman must change to fit into a typical UPC church. We really don't understand how dramatic this can be to a women who has never lived this way.

Indeed. And many times, the new churches they end up choosing are not Oneness/Acts 2:38 churches.

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Stephen Hoover

I have heard this before too. Problem is most all conservative women I know are married to husbands that are at least a bit more liberal....

Mine isn't. He was raised Church of God and they had the same standards as the UPC, he tells me.

[vrblackwell]

Originally Posted by CC1

I object to the title of the thread. It is not clear it is speaking of spiritual incest. It insinuates the UPC if full of sexual peversion.I am sure that is not the intent of the threads author but that is the inference. I wish the thread title had been more descriptive of the actual subject.

The subject is an appropriate one. I have long contended that the UPC's tepid growth over the last generation has been due to most new members being either born into the org. or married into it. The actual rate of new converts doesn't even keep pace with the population growth each year.

I agree very much with you here.

[Hoovie]

Originally Posted by Daniel Alicea

Then Destined to Double is code for a the org pushing a UPCI baby boom?

I have the burden and am doing all I can.

[SDG]

Originally Posted by Stephen Hoover

I have the burden and am doing all I can.

Now that thar was funny ...

The workers are few ...

[ManOfWord]

Originally Posted by Daniel Alicea

What does sharing common spiritual DNA do to the offspring?

Can you say,

BILLY BOB

[SDG]

Originally Posted by ManOfWord

Can you say,

BILLY BOB

Ever been to Appalachia?

[Joie]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

What do I think? I think that was the most ridiculous thing I've heard a grown man say.

This is an outrageous thread. Incest, did you say??? Unlawful incest? Incest is not promoting from within... it is far worse.
The UPC may be may be many things but intentional incest is Not one of them. Seems to me in years past the kids were meeting friends at camp that many end up married who had nothing to do w/ their own home church.

No, I did not grow up UPC and do not attend a UPC church

....... I must say the kindest, sweetest, best folks I have ever met are in or came out of the UPC.

[James Griffin]

Originally Posted by James Griffin

Perhaps this is what MOW meant, an inbreeding of spiritual DNA leading to retarded growth.

Without "new blood" there is no fresh perspective.

The challenge is perhaps in having an infusion of new blood without losing sight of the original vision of the house.

And to that unfortunately I am not sure there is a pat one-size-fits-all answer.

It is a constant balancing act to infuse new without betraying what should be immutable.

BUMP for Dan, and the horse's mouth MOW. LOL