District Puts WPF on Notice

[triumphant1]

Originally Posted by scotty

Who is "they"?

Who are you talking to?

Who's paradigm?

My UPC church has one with facial hair that runs the sound booth.

We have a lady that wears a little foundation and color, and some hair color who sits on the platform and signs for our deaf members.

I am afraid to judge, but the credibility of some that I read on here is waning. Seems I see just as many on here saying these things are not true of UPC as there are saying UPC is guilty of them.

Are both right?

I have refrained from commenting on this matter but feel I should perhaps offer a perspective from one who was very much a part of the UPC both through evangelizing for almost 9 years full time to pastoring for 8 more....

Your perspective seems to show that you have not widely travelled the UPC...because if you had you'd surely know that the issue of "standard emphasis" varies widely from district to district--and sometimes even from section to section in a district.

The church you describe attending would find it hard pressed to be used on any level in some districts...truly, a man being used with facial hair and a lady on the platform with dyed hair and make-up would constitute an issue of little or no fellowship...you would also find these topics being mentioned AT EVERY district event including youth camps, men's and ladies retreats, and camp meeting....I know this because I lived it. Even at sectional youth rallies remarks were made that were obviously critical of certain ways of operating youth ministry....and you know they are talking about you when you are the only church that is doing it that way...

Ultimately...our church was removed from the section meeting schedule all together--without my knowledge beforehand and although we had the biggest facilities to accommodate the meeting--while still both affiliated with the UPC and pastored by a UPC ordained minister....

At my last district men's meeting a local UPC peer went on a standard rampage--basically describing our church--with the heading, "I want to preach to the preachers for a moment". I was the only preacher in the room that his words applied to, and the men from our church were the only men not standing in rabid "amening"....

Would this be the case in some of the districts I preached in? Absolutely not. My church would have been considered moderate conservative (at the time) in those districts...

Would this have been the case in some of the other districts I used to preach in? Absolutely yes---my church would have been considered "backslide" in those...and would have been a target for pulpit "standards" preaching...

Sorry for the long explanation...but two more things: The fact of the matter is that there are plenty of UPC churches that DON'T constantly harp on the standard issues... but it still remains that in some parts of the country you are not considered "preaching" until you've covered the "apostolic identity" standards...

Second thing: I have been told that when we made the decision to move away from the dress and stuff issues, the amount of "standards" preaching rose in the area--especially in churches that I used to preach in or was "known" in...pastors started harping on things from the pulpit that they hadn't harped on in years...There were family members in my church that received phone calls after said pastors called special "Holiness meetings" to reinforce what they practiced--and even called me by name as being in error...

In closing--I am trying to say that how much these things are mentioned depends on the area--and on the particular circumstance--surrounding the churches in question. And I can attest to the fact that there are UPC churches in my area that harp on it constantly and will "disfellowship" other UPC (and non-upc) churches and people who do not practice it to the letter--to the point of actually dividing families for the sake of their definition of holiness...while at the same time there are some who don't...so, "Yes"...both can be right...(FMPOV)...