Our Beliefs
What does our church believe?
Our core beliefs are that there is salvation through Jesus Christ, healings are possible through Him, and He is returning soon. We believe that God is one, not three separate entities. We believe in speaking in tongues and divine gifts of the Spirit. These gifts can be divine healings, which anyone in our church can testify to. We believe the Bible is meant to be interpreted literally, and we only preach from the Word. We are not afraid to worship our God, and we demonstrate this though speaking in tongues, dancing, clapping, and shouting to our Lord.
To learn more about our beliefs, visit https://www.upci.org/about/our-beliefs or https://www.upci.org/about/about-oneness-pentecostalism
Being Pentecostal
In the scriptures.
The book of Acts is where Pentecostalism is derived from. We find in Acts 2 it says, “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.” Our most prominent belief is found in Acts 2:38, where it says, “And Peter said unto them, repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins. And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Our God is one, as is said in Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” These scriptures are a few of the bases that uphold our doctrine and beliefs in Jesus Christ.
Where Modern Pentecost Began
The Children of Azusa Street.
The Pentecostal movement began in 1906 with the Azusa Street Revival. Evangelist William J. Seymour preached about baptism in Jesus Name and receiving the Holy Ghost by the gift of speaking in tongues. This revival lasted almost ten years, and ended in 1915. What began with Seymour speaking in tongues after prayer and fasting, led to an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon those who believed. Thousands of people flocked to Azusa Street to hear about this preaching. One observer said after attending a service, “No instruments of music are used. None are needed. No choir- the angels have been heard by some in the spirit. No collections are taken. No bills have been posted to advertise the meetings. No church organization is back of it. All who are in touch with God realize as soon as they enter the meetings that the Holy Ghost is the leader.” While there was no music, singing a cappella happened sporadically, often in tongues. This revival involving a few thousand people led to hundreds of millions of people experiencing the same thing today.
Pentecost Today
Over 100 years since Azusa Street Revival.
Pentecostals are one of the fastest growing religious groups in the world. In a Pew Research Center Study, it was found that out of the 2 billion Christians in the world, about a quarter of those are Pentecostal. The United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI) has nearly 700 missionaries currently spreading the gospel to 225 countries and territories in the world right now, with only 17 countries waiting to be reached by the Pentecostal church. The UPCI also established the Apostolic Youth Corps (AYC) to send young people on mission trips all around the world. The UPCI also sponsors Campus Ministry International to bring the Pentecostal beliefs and teachings to college campuses all around the United States. The biggest event held by the UPCI is North American Youth Congress, where tens of thousands of young Apostolic youth groups come together for three days of worship services. In 2019, 36,000 young people from all over the world attended NAYC in St. Louis, MO at the Dome at America’s Center. In five years, NAYC went from being sold out in basketball arenas to being held in football arenas, that shows how God is moving and young people are hungry for Him. Become part of this by visiting us at our next service.