Will you join the UPC NOW ????

[scotty]

Originally Posted by Sam

"godly living and christian ethics" would be in the eye of the beholder (the minister that went there to preach). In other words, a preacher can preach for whomever he thinks it's OK to preach for. It's up to him/her to decide, not an organizational official/bureaucrat.

Would you not be afraid that some of the sheep would end up dettermining the direction of the flock instead of the pastor whom God sent ? Or did I not understand what your saying ?

[Sam]

Originally Posted by scotty

Would you not be afraid that some of the sheep would end up dettermining the direction of the flock instead of the pastor whom God sent ? Or did I not understand what your saying ?

The ALJC manual says:
1. Our ministers may conduct meetings in any city and for any
church, regardless of its organizational ties, in the Oneness movement,
as long as the conduct of both the church and its pastor is in
harmony with godly living and Christian ethics.

The way I read that, it is up to the minister whom he/she goes to preach for.
Actually, I think they should drop the words "in the Oneness movement" and leave it up to the preacher's discretion as to where he/she would go and for whom he/she would preach.

[scotty]

Originally Posted by Sam

The ALJC manual says:
1. Our ministers may conduct meetings in any city and for any
church, regardless of its organizational ties, in the Oneness movement,
as long as the conduct of both the church and its pastor is in
harmony with godly living and Christian ethics.

The way I read that, it is up to the minister whom he/she goes to preach for.
Actually, I think they should drop the words "in the Oneness movement" and leave it up to the preacher's discretion as to where he/she would go and for whom he/she would preach.

So then basicly ALJC is an org of independants ?

[Sam]

Originally Posted by scotty

So then basicly ALJC is an org of independants ?

no

they have affiliated and non affiliated churches.
Each local assembly is sovereign.

they just don't require their ministers to get permission to preach for someone (a Oneness pastor) who is not in their organization.

I've only been in two ALJC business meetings. The first was when they voted/appointed me as a sectional youth leader. That meeting was before a scheduled Youth Rally and the Dist. Supt. and sectional Presbyter and some other ministers were there. I had been acting in that position for some time and they made it official. The only requirement was that I had to take out license with the ALJC. The Dist. Supt. recommended I not schedule a Youth Rally in a church not pastored by an ALJC minister but I ignored the suggestion.

The other business meeting I was in was a district conference. One order of business was to pull the license/credentials of a pastor who had allowed a Church of God minister to preach in his church. That pastor was not present in the meeting but I guess someone had told him not to do that. It sounded like he had done it after being told not to. I was a kid (under 40) with a local license so I did not say anything in the meeting but I did not like an organization telling a pastor who he could have preach at his church. In my opinion, that should be up to the pastor. Just like, in my opinion, an organization should not tell me who to preach for.

[Sherri]

I really don't think there's anything they could do to make us join back up. We feel like God spoke to us to leave, so I doubt that He would change His mind.

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Sherri

I really don't think there's anything they could do to make us join back up. We feel like God spoke to us to leave, so I doubt that He would change His mind.

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Gal 5:1 KJtPV (King James the Pervert Version)

[RandyWayne]

For me it is about the individual church. The UPC could rewrite it's articles of faith, but I would not rush to "join" it no matter what it does. Now if I feel led to join an church that may/or may not be, UPC, that is its own matter.

[jaxfam6]

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

For me it is about the individual church. The UPC could rewrite it's articles of faith, but I would not rush to "join" it no matter what it does. Now if I feel led to join an church that may/or may not be, UPC, that is its own matter.

I agree with that. We have been in an AMF, ALJC, UPC, and AAFJC church. I know that the ALJC would be no problem to go back to. They feel a lot like we do. The AMF, HAHAHAHA, sorry, no not some place we could go back to. UPC, well the only UPC church we ever attended as members is NOT a place I would really recommend to anyone. There is a UPC church in NY state that I truly love and would go to in a moment if I lived near. I love when we go visit. GREAT people and pastor.

[Stephanas]

Originally Posted by freeatlast

Yes, pastor has a UPC ordination/card. We are 50 miles from our closet other upc church in our state.

We are a district that exercises tolerance, but we really don't do much with other upc churches.

We have sectional rallies but no one goes, hardly.

We do realize that we are "talked about" within the district because we no longer teach or enforce the upc tradional dress/hair standards.

How does your pastor retain his credentials without signing the "Affirmation Statement?" (The affirmation statement specifically addresses traditional standards and requires members to pledge to practice, preach, and teach the standards spelled out in the Manual.)

[Jack Shephard]

I wouldn't want to join something that would want me as a memeber! I would however appreciate the gesture.