United Pentecostal Church International
| United Pentecostal Church International | |
|---|---|
| Orientation | Oneness Pentecostal/Holiness |
| Polity | Congregational & Presbyterian |
| Region | Worldwide |
| Origin | 1945 |
| Merger of | Pentecostal Church, Incorporated and Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ |
| Separations | Worldwide Pentecostal Fellowship |
| Congregations | 40,341 |
| Members | 3,000,000 |
| Official website | upci.org |
The United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI) is a Pentecostal Christian denomination, headquartered in the St. Louis suburb of Hazelwood, Missouri. It is a part of the non-trinity belief system or "Apostolic" portion of the Pentecostal Movement, and was formed in 1945 by a merger of the former Pentecostal Church, Incorporated and the Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ. The denomination also emphasizes holy living in all aspects of one's life.
The UPCI has been among the fastest-growing church organizations since it was formed in 1945. From 521 churches in 1945, the UPCI in the United States and Canada grew to 4,602 churches (including daughter works and preaching points) and 9,746 ministers in 2015. In the same year it reported works in 212 nations and territories outside the U.S. and Canada with 35,739 churches and preaching points, 23,401 licensed ministers, 886 missionaries, and a constituency of 2.7 million. The international fellowship consists of national organizations that are united as the Global Council of the UPCI, which is chaired by the general superintendent of the UPCI. Total constituency is estimated at 3 million.
The UPCI emerged from the Pentecostal Movement, which traces its origins to the teachings of Charles Parham in Topeka, Kansas, and the Azusa Street Revival led by William J. Seymour in 1906. The UPCI traces its organizational roots to 1916, when a large group of Pentecostal ministers began to unite around the teaching of the oneness of God and water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ. Several Oneness ministers met in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and on January 2, 1917, formed a Oneness Pentecostal organization called the General Assembly of the Apostolic Assemblies.
The General Assembly of the Apostolic Assemblies merged with another church, the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (PAW) and accepted the leadership of G. T. Haywood, an African-American. This group held the first meeting in Eureka Springs in 1918. This interracial organization adopted the PAW name and remained the only Oneness Pentecostal body until late 1924. Southern Jim Crow laws and racial hatred resulted in many white leaders withdrawing from the PAW rather than remaining under African-American leadership. Many local congregations in the South, however, remained integrated while attempting to comply with local segregation laws.
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