When You Got Saved in a Baptist Church ...

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Ichthus

I know this is an old thread,but I am new here and this is extremely interesting to me. This is the way I believe, but I didn't know there were Apostolics that believe this. Isn't this belief rather anathema in the UPC? Are there Apostolic orgs that hold to this? I think the ACOPOC holds to this, but they also allow both oneness and trinity views.
I did not stay in the UPC because it just didn't jive with what God did in me. Never could accept the idea that one isn't saved until water baptism and they speak in tongues and that you are going to hell if you don't speak in tongues or aren't baptized. I got saved 2 years before Holy Ghost baptism, and my Baptism in the Holy Ghost was 4 years before water baptism. I mean when you really know Jesus and are on fire for Him and have the witness of the Spirit in your heart that you are a child of God and are born again, someone arguing that you are not just falls flat.

When the UPC was formed in 1945, two organizations merged. One was the PCI (Pentecostal Church Inc) and the other was the PAJC (Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ). The PCI was chaired by Howard Goss who believed that a person was saved/born again at faith/repentance and that water baptism and Spirit baptism were experiences available to Christians after salvation. The PAJC was chaired by Bro. Witherspoon who believed that a person was not really saved or born again until completion of repentance, water baptism and Spirit baptism. No body really knows how many people believed the way Bro. Goss did or how many people believed the way Bro. Witherspoon did but I think we usually agree that the predominant view in the PAJC was the three-step view and the predominant view in the PCI was the one-step view.

Because of the differing views among the brethren, the fundamental doctrine statement was written ambiguously enough that those of both views could accept it and the merger went forward.

The first General Superintendent (Bro. Goss), first Foreign Missions director (Wynn Stairs), first Sunday School director (Bro. E.E. McNatt) and at least 2 of the district superintendents (Bro.Greer and Bro. Yadon) were one-steppers. The first issue of the Pentecostal Herald (the new magazine for the new organization) stated that articles would be accepted for publication with either view.

Over the years those who believed in the one-step plan of salvation have been demonized, ostracized, and squeezed out. We don't know how many ministers in the UPC still believe in the one-step view because they are afraid to be public about it.

I don't know of any organization that has the official one-step view.

I personally believe in the one-step view so I have no problem accepting people from other churches as brothers and sisters and believing as Bro. Goss (first UPC Gen. Supt.) that Baptists will be in the rapture. That's how I can be ordained in a oneness organization and attend a trinity church where I am also ordained.