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Originally Posted by iceniez
I did not realize that it went that far back, I know I could not sign it in conscience myself. I am shocked that They disfellowshiped you after they said No One would come after you. WOW I am deeply saddened to hear this . What kind of message does this send to the ranks?
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It is my understanding that MOW received the left foot of disfellowship because he would not sign the affirmation statement, not for what he was preaching and practicing.
Brothers Becton and Urshan wrote a letter to the UPC ministers dated January 18, 1993 after the annual mid-winter board meeting. It discussed the conviction on "the matter of our doctrinal position on full salvation and our stand on holiness."
Ministers were encouraged to sign the AS with the promise that if they signed "no official can take any action against him, except under the provisions of our Constitution and Judicial Procedure that does not already exist. There is no provision for contesting a signed statement."
The letter states that the resolution "does not give any added powers to officials..." It also says that "The resolution does not allow officials to impose private interpretations of holiness standards. The only person who interprets the statement is the minister himself."
The letter continues. "Some people have argued that the resolution will impose controversial views on subjects such as long sleeves, wedding rings, hair arrangement, church softball games, facial hair, skating rinks and so on. Neither the resolution nor the statement, nor the Articles of Faith mention these subjects. The Articles of Faith mention matters such as immodest dress, worldly sports, and unwholesome music, but the specific definition and application of these principles have always been left to the individual pastor and saint. Moreover, the methods by which a pastor seeks to convert and discipline people who attend his church is in his discretion. Nothing in the resolution changes these prerogatives."
Some people objected to the AS because it requires a pledge to believe the plan of salvation and the holiness standards but only requires the preaching of the holiness standards. I don't know if that is true because I have never been licensed/ordained in the UPC and have never received a copy of the AS from them.
What is really important is to get a signature on the AS from each minister. Who actually put the signature there or whatever is crossed out or added is not important --just as long as there is a signature. So, some have held their nose and signed so they can keep their license. Others have had someone else sign it for them. Others have crossed out words about the standards and added "the Bible" instead. Others have just gone ahead and signed with the thought that nobody really believe those silly rules anyway so it doesn't matter what they say.