Historic General Conference 2013

I came away from the 2013 UPCI General Conference breathing the fresh air of progress and invigorated by unprecedented dynamic preaching.  The clear sound from our General Superintendent, David Bernard, the revelatory and anointed message by Raymond Woodward, the passionate preaching of Anthony Mangun and the unique exhortation by Sam Emory that hit us all at street level combined to make this an awesome event.  I am confident that the impact of this conference will be far reaching.

As far as Resolution #2 goes, I believe we have finally arrived at an honest, workable formula for the UPCI ministers who have struggled with marrying technology to righteousness for decades.  The status quo with which we came to conference had been awkward and, frankly, disengenuous for too long.  Some who were adamantly opposed to television had no such restrictions for computer hardware; others who were permissive with television were on the vanguard against internet filth.  The bottom line is that our real position against television from the very beginning has always been content-based, not hardware-based.  Our manual even stated it in these terms in the preambles to restrictions.  In recent years, television hardware has become so integrated with computer hardware that to own a computer with internet access was tantamount to owning a television.  This blurring and blending of technology made our former position so far out of date that it could not be explained without contorting and distorting the language and denying common sense.  Many preachers who have joined us or who have considered joining us have been frustrated by the inconsistency in our position.

Now, it is possible to preach against programming and content regardless of the device or technology that brings it to our eyes and ears.  It is a much more effective route for us to take in continuing to proclaim righteousness and holiness to the world.  Our thanks to the General Board and our General Superintendent, David Bernard, for taking the lead in this vastly improved position. 

The United Pentecostal Church, International is in better shape than it has ever been.  We give glory to God for his help through the last few years of setbacks and deficits.  Today, we have more churches, more preachers, more funds in the black and more global initiatives than ever in our history.  What a wonderful way to begin our second century of the revelation of the oneness of God and baptism in Jesus’ name!  I have never been happier and more excited to be a part of the UPCI.