The United Pentecostal Church International
By Nathaniel A. Urshan
Previous General Superintendent
The United Pentecostal Church International headquarters is known as the World Evangelism Center. It is located at 8855 Dunn Road, Hazelwood, Missouri 63042. The commodious and beautiful building stands as a beacon light at the site of Interstate Route 270 between Lindbergh Boulevard and Graham Road, on Dunn Road. It houses the many-faceted endeavors of the international fellowship of the United Pentecostal Church. It is the spiritual center of some 3,728 churches and 7,612 ministers in the United States and Canada and 14,638 churches and preaching points and 7,274 ministers outside North America. The United Pentecostal Church International is represented in 125 nations of the world by 446 missionary personnel directly related to the international body.
The organization dates its origin from the biblical account of Acts the second chapter, where the apostles’ doctrine was practiced. In modern history, its roots began in 1916. Its predecessor was known as the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, but through a merger process, it became the United Pentecostal Church International in l945.
Under the approval and auspices of this ministerial fellowship, there are nine Bible colleges located in various parts of North America, namely, St. Paul, Minnesota; St. Louis, Missouri; Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada; Oshawa, Ontario, Canada; Houston, Texas; Stockton, California; Dover, Delaware; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Jackson, Mississippi. These colleges are training centers for the development of ministers of the gospel.
The United Pentecostal Church takes a strong stand for the preservation of family life. The people who participate in the fellowship of this thriving, growing body of Christian believers also take a strong stand obedience to the laws of the land.
There are 49 districts of the United Pentecostal Church in the United States and Canada. Each district is headed by a district superintendent and a board of presbyters. The district superintendents of these 49 districts, which in the majority of cases represent an individual state, make up the General Board, which is the ruling body of the United Pentecostal Church International. The General Board also consists of executive officials, including the general superintendent, two assistant general superintendents, the general secretary-treasurer, editor n chief, Sunday school director, Youth Division president, general director of Foreign Missions, director of Home Missions, and executive presbyters elected at large from seven regions.
About 800,000 people in the United States and Canada call the United Pentecostal Church their ecclesiastical fellowship. Outside of North America there are about 1,238,000 people who are related to the United Pentecostal Church.
This movement is not to be misconstrued with recent cultic emergencies of law-breaking and authority-defying individuals. Because of serious reflection on wholesome Christian principles, members of the United Pentecostal Church are strong supporters of the Constitution and strong believers in patriotism; they strongly oppose violence of any kind and take a strong stand against the perverted morality that has become a part of our times.
The United Pentecostal Church is recognized by the United States government, not only in the educational field but as a bona fide church organization, with all the favor that is granted by the government for church bodies to exist and to fulfill their obligations to society as religious movements. We are registered as a tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) organization under Group Exemption Number 1411 with the Internal Revenue Service.
The United States government also recognizes us as a patriotic, spiritual, ecclesiastical body by giving approval to ten United Pentecostal Church chaplains, who serve in all branches of the military and are considered to be some of the finest to fulfill the duty of military chaplains.
If any further information is needed about the United Pentecostal Church International, feel free to write to: David K. Bernard, General Superintendent, United Pentecostal Church International, 36 Research Park Court, Weldon Spring, MO 63304
(The above information was published by FORWARD, October/December 1993)
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