I was told that and was very surprised. Why do they want these teeny tiny districts???
BTW your story about Bro. Oggs and FC in the elevator was funny.
you do realize that the three Texas Districts are still larger than most of the rest of the Texas dristicts right?
well the first Texas split peeled South Texas off of the East/North areas. (Texico District has been in place for a long time combining West Texas and New Mexico)
At that time there were people driving 10+ hours to attend district events.
Right now, you have people in the North Texas area that drive more than 8 hours to Lufikin. My drive is about 4 hours.
By contrast Louisiana is one of the larger more robust dristicts and one of the longest drives is New Orleans to Alex. and that takes about 3.5 hours.
Just from geographical perspective this split will get more people and more churches involved in district events. This helps drive UPCI culture to the local church.
(all you libs might want to freak out now... that sound you hear is my evil laugh hahaha)
ALSO and no less important is a very simple reality that Texas regions as you know have very different cultural constructs and mentalities.
both areas are going to be more reflective of the people in their areas than they were before.
As Districts, East Texas, South Texas and North Texas are still among the larger districts in the UPCI.
__________________ If I do something stupid blame the Lortab!
Just from geographical perspective this split will get more people and more churches involved in district events. This helps drive UPCI culture to the local church.
(all you libs might want to freak out now... that sound you hear is my evil laugh hahaha)
ALSO and no less important is a very simple reality that Texas regions as you know have very different cultural constructs and mentalities.
Ferdinand,
Can you elaborate on what you mean regarding your statements I have highlighted?
__________________ "I think some people love spiritual bondage just the way some people love physical bondage. It makes them feel secure. In the end though it is not healthy for the one who is lost over it or the one who is lives under the oppression even if by their own choice"
Titus2woman on AFF
"We did not wear uniforms. The lady workers dressed in the current fashions of the day, ...silks...satins...jewels or whatever they happened to possess. They were very smartly turned out, so that they made an impressive appearance on the streets where a large part of our work was conducted in the early years.
"It was not until long after, when former Holiness preachers had become part of us, that strict plainness of dress began to be taught.
"Although Entire Sanctification was preached at the beginning of the Movement, it was from a Wesleyan viewpoint, and had in it very little of the later Holiness Movement characteristics. Nothing was ever said about apparel, for everyone was so taken up with the Lord that mode of dress seemingly never occurred to any of us."
Quote from Ethel Goss (widow of 1st UPC Gen Supt. Howard Goss) book "The Winds of God"
Can you elaborate on what you mean regarding your statements I have highlighted?
sure. in Texas Lufkin is many hours from most Pentecostals.
for instance, the exposure of our church people to the UPCI organization consists of some (not all) of our kids going to youth camp.
that's about it. we have in the last couple of years had a few ladies go to Ladies conference but we are talking less than 15 out of a church of 230 people. That is it. its too far, it costs too much. its not feasible.
with a smaller footprint and an organization centered geographically near our our churches, there is a far greater capacity for churches to push for involvement at the district level, thus exposing the people to the UPCI at a deeper level.
You see this in Louisiana. Everybody from all over the state goes in large numbers to district events. As I pointed out, New Orleans is about as far from Alexandria as you get in the state. its 3.5 hours away. its doable. it isn't when your district events are 8+hours away.
with the split of Texas into the 3 separate regions, we have driven the districts down to where the people are.
__________________ If I do something stupid blame the Lortab!
Can you elaborate on what you mean regarding your statements I have highlighted?
As it relates to regional differences. This is very simple.
North Texas is nearly all Metropolitian. DFW itself is a huge geographic area.
The attitudes here, the pressures of life and the general culture are impacted by that reality.
East Texas is the exact opposite. It is rural. Even its towns/cities like Tyler, Jacksonville, Marshall, Lufkin etc are more rural-Texan.
so the things that make the church work there aren't the same things that make the church work in North Texas. Its just different.
by the way, all of this was also true about the California district that split into two districts. these are massive areas far from each other with different cultural drivers.
Both Cali districts have done better since the split.
South Texas district has also done well being separate.
__________________ If I do something stupid blame the Lortab!
As it relates to regional differences. This is very simple.
North Texas is nearly all Metropolitian. DFW itself is a huge geographic area.
The attitudes here, the pressures of life and the general culture are impacted by that reality.
East Texas is the exact opposite. It is rural. Even its towns/cities like Tyler, Jacksonville, Marshall, Lufkin etc are more rural-Texan.
so the things that make the church work there aren't the same things that make the church work in North Texas. Its just different.
by the way, all of this was also true about the California district that split into two districts. these are massive areas far from each other with different cultural drivers.
Both Cali districts have done better since the split.
South Texas district has also done well being separate.
Now if Texas could just stop losing its biggest churches! (Rex, Jimbo, the one in Ft. Worth area recently and in the past the Jones in Humble and Green also in the Houston area.)
__________________ "I think some people love spiritual bondage just the way some people love physical bondage. It makes them feel secure. In the end though it is not healthy for the one who is lost over it or the one who is lives under the oppression even if by their own choice"
Titus2woman on AFF
"We did not wear uniforms. The lady workers dressed in the current fashions of the day, ...silks...satins...jewels or whatever they happened to possess. They were very smartly turned out, so that they made an impressive appearance on the streets where a large part of our work was conducted in the early years.
"It was not until long after, when former Holiness preachers had become part of us, that strict plainness of dress began to be taught.
"Although Entire Sanctification was preached at the beginning of the Movement, it was from a Wesleyan viewpoint, and had in it very little of the later Holiness Movement characteristics. Nothing was ever said about apparel, for everyone was so taken up with the Lord that mode of dress seemingly never occurred to any of us."
Quote from Ethel Goss (widow of 1st UPC Gen Supt. Howard Goss) book "The Winds of God"
Now if Texas could just stop losing its biggest churches! (Rex, Jimbo, the one in Ft. Worth area recently and in the past the Jones in Humble and Green also in the Houston area.)
some of those guys were going to leave because they made the business decision that they would have more people if they didn't push baptism and the HG.
don't mean to be crass but that's what it was. Some of them left because the org was doing the wrong thing.
not gonna rehash all that but I am very happy with the restructuring.
__________________ If I do something stupid blame the Lortab!
These were pastors that made the decision to not teach baptism and the Holy Ghost? This is heartbreaking to me. They might get more people, but those people need to be taught the truth! Will be a sad day when those 'leaders' stand before God...
These were pastors that made the decision to not teach baptism and the Holy Ghost? This is heartbreaking to me. They might get more people, but those people need to be taught the truth! Will be a sad day when those 'leaders' stand before God...
pastors of the largest churches in texas... not all but more than a few.
__________________ If I do something stupid blame the Lortab!
These were pastors that made the decision to not teach baptism and the Holy Ghost? This is heartbreaking to me. They might get more people, but those people need to be taught the truth! Will be a sad day when those 'leaders' stand before God...
It is not accurate to say they do not teach baptism and the Holy Ghost and Ferd knows it.
__________________ "I think some people love spiritual bondage just the way some people love physical bondage. It makes them feel secure. In the end though it is not healthy for the one who is lost over it or the one who is lives under the oppression even if by their own choice"
Titus2woman on AFF
"We did not wear uniforms. The lady workers dressed in the current fashions of the day, ...silks...satins...jewels or whatever they happened to possess. They were very smartly turned out, so that they made an impressive appearance on the streets where a large part of our work was conducted in the early years.
"It was not until long after, when former Holiness preachers had become part of us, that strict plainness of dress began to be taught.
"Although Entire Sanctification was preached at the beginning of the Movement, it was from a Wesleyan viewpoint, and had in it very little of the later Holiness Movement characteristics. Nothing was ever said about apparel, for everyone was so taken up with the Lord that mode of dress seemingly never occurred to any of us."
Quote from Ethel Goss (widow of 1st UPC Gen Supt. Howard Goss) book "The Winds of God"
Hybrid Mode
