Where are They?
 

From Wikipedia:

"According to the UPCI, it has grown from 617 member churches in 1946 to 4,358 churches in 2007 (which includes 4099 autonomous and 258 daughter works).[23] The UPCI in North America has 9,085 ministers and reports a Sunday school attendance of around 650,000. The UPCI has a presence in 175 other nations with 22,881 licensed ministers, 28,351 churches and meeting places, 652 missionaries, and a foreign membership of over 3 million. Total worldwide membership, including North America, is listed at 4,036,945."

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From "The Future of Pentecostalism in the United States" Patterson, Eric; Rybarczyk, Edmund (2007).

"Oneness Pentecostalism (also known as Jesus Name or Apostolic Pentecostalism) refers to a grouping of denominations and believers within Pentecostal Christianity, all of whom subscribe to the theological doctrine of Oneness. This movement claims an estimated 24 million adherents today."

Of 24 million Oneness believers, 20 million belong to something other than the United Pentecostal Church. Where are they, and what criterion do we use to determine if someone qualifies as "Oneness Pentecostal?"

Re: Where are They?
 

Most of them left and joined Global ...the rest just went independent ;-)

Re: Where are They?
 

We do cycle through a lot of people. There's a lot of "churn" as they say in marketing.

Could it be our bait and switch tactics? We tell folks, "Jesus takes you just as you are... !!!"

Then a couple of months later we tell the same folks, "Unless your wife stops trimming her hair and you get rid of that hellivision Jesus won't take you at all!!!"

Re: Where are They?
 

:ursofunny You do know how to kill a thread! :smack

Re: Where are They?
 

That number is based off Talmadge French's Masters thesis for his M. Theology from Wheaton Seminary... which later became the book Our God is One.

I was at IBC when he was finishing it and released it. He includes anyone who baptizes in Jesus name. The number is not "oneness pentecostal" in the strict sense... just those that baptize in Jesus name specifically as a doctrinal point.

Re: Where are They?
 

I am here in Eubank Ky. Have never been UPC. My criteria of Oneness Pentecostal deals with two subjects only. The doctrine of Oneness that is that Jesus is both Father and Son.

Pentecostal doctrine is relating to tongues following the Holy Spirit baptism. In those two things I could be considered a Oneness Pentecostal.

So I am one of "them".

Re: Where are They?
 

Hey, nice to see you!!

Re: Where are They?
 

Various Trinity groups baptize in Jesus name. James Lee Beals followers. The followers of Hobart Freeman. The International House Of Prayer also.

Re: Where are They?
 

Amazing how wide the road gets when we need to prove our impact, isn't it?

Re: Where are They?
 

Do OP churches, when they report numbers, report by average Sunday morning attendance, or do they count by membership? My former church kept saying how many they baptized, but few ever came back more than a few times. They also talked about growth in terms of Sunday School attendance (when it looked good). Neither of these shows true effectiveness. These truly only show initial impact.

Re: Where are They?
 

Over two million in Ethiopia alone

Re: Where are They?
 

Using that criteria, I too am a OP (Oneness Pentecostal) although some of them might not claim me.

Re: Where are They?
 

you gotta remember that these numbers might be "evangelistically speaking"

Re: Where are They?
 

Actually I think they report Easter Sunday morning attendance.

We went to a church that ran about 800. It was listed as 2000. The only time they had 2000 was for their Easter play.

Re: Where are They?
 

Quote=Edward Anglin
Amazing how wide the road gets when we need to prove our impact, isn't it?
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I suspect that SS numbers are used alot and this would include those with large bus ministries.
A few years ago many districts put lots of emphasis on SS attendance and your "status". Some churches included "total Sunday attendence" to get their numbers up.

>> I was always amused with our SS as child...big deal about being on time or you wouldn't be counted in daily SS total. Then as I lived in many other cities and attended other churches I discovered that they counted anyone breathing that made it in the door on the given date :ursofunny>>

Re: Where are They?
 

And of course all pregnant ladies were automatically counted as two.