40 Years of Ministry | West Coast Women’s Conference | A Battle with the Superficial | Family Conference Photos
The Official Magazine of the Oregon District UPCI
accent
September 2014
Editors Note
Oregon District Apostolic Accent Volume 50, Number 8
www.ORUPC.com Editor……………………..........…………….Kassie Meyer kassiemeyer@hotmail.com (503) 689-3589 District Officials Superintendent……………......……………Ted Graves Secretary/Treasurer……..........……..Dan Sargeant Presbyters Section 1…………………......…..…………Gary Gleason Section 2……………………........…M. Dennis Johnson Section 3………………………......……..Kevin Goodwin Section 4…………………………......Steven L. Johnson Honorary Board Member M. David Johnson North American Missions Director…………………………….......…..Steve Hanson Secretary…………………….……….....…Virgil Alldritt Global Missions Director…………………………….......David Reynolds Apostolic Man Director……………………………..……......Mark Edday Ladies Ministries Director…………………………......….Geanice Langley Secretary…………………...…….....…….Rachel Sparks Sunday School Director………………………….…......…Darrell Sparks Secretary…………....………………….....…..Joe Higgins Oregon Youth President…………………………..........…Shane Graves Secretary……………………………….....Jordan Orazio Spanish Ministries Director……………………………………......Fito Avenia Life in Focus Coordinator…........... Prison Ministry Coordinator….....….Doug Lethin Media Missions Director……......David P. Johnson A.C.T.S. President………...….......M. Dennis Johnson Senior Quiz Coordinator.…......…..Brian Huffman Junior Quiz Coordinator.…......…Jonathan Toews
Just some thoughts as I begin my journey in Romans... I’m amazed just reading Romans 1:1. Ha! I find it funny that such a Scripture could intrigue me however, there is more to it than just a description. There is a meaning behind it as well. Here Paul is described as a bondservant…not a Rabbi, as the Jews would call a great honor but a bondservant of Jesus Christ. I see this as a great honor because Jesus came to earth and served others. He was a servant. Many people desire to have a grand title and think that with that title they should be treated with high regard however, Jesus was “King of the Jews,” He was the “Son of God,” yet, in all His glory, He did not have a grand entrance into this world but one that so many can relate to in the sense that their lives were not born into riches and fame but Jesus’ birth is one that tells a story and sets the example of what we should pattern our lives after. He was a servant throughout His time on earth and He did not have or desire that finer things in life but He desired to reach this world and to train others to spread the gospel after His death. In Matthew 21:2, we read that Jesus sent two disciples to find a donkey and a colt for the Lord to ride on. He did not ask for something grand and amazing that would show the world He was this great king. And his exit sure was not one a king would endure. His life exemplified one that our hearts can relate to. So back to Paul, I’m excited for Paul in that he was being called a bondservant of Christ…this is an amazing honor because his life portrays what God desires in us…to be servants of the Most High and to serve as Jesus served. Not only that, but Paul gave his life completely to the ministry of Christ. I want to be called a servant of the Most High! Then when you jump down to Romans 1:8 where Paul is talking about the christians in Rome and he says, “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.” Wow! Their faith must have been pretty great if it’s being spoken of throughout the whole world! If all our churches would have the faith that would cause it to be mentioned throughout the whole world we could turn this world upside down. Let our churches be called churches of faith that everyone knows about!!
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Kassie Meyer
Inside this Issue Articles/Columns 2 Editors Note KASSIE MEYER 4 40 Years M. DAVID JOHNSON 12 A Battle with the Superficial PHILIP HARRELSON 16 Destroying Intimacy in Marrieage by Wounding the Spirit DAVID REYNOLDS
OREGON LADIES MINISTRIES PRESENTS
West Coast Women s Conference ’
Promotions/Photos
6 Gleason Celebration Photos OREGON CITY CHURCH 8 West Coast Women’s Conference LADIES MINISTRY 9 Upcoming Dates OR DISTRICT
OCTOBER 9–11, 2014 SEASIDE, OREGON Conference Location
Featured Ministries:
SEASIDE CONVENTION CENTER 415 FIRST AVENUE SEASIDE, OR 97138 WWW.SEASIDECONVENTION.COM
Jelaine Lumpkin LITTLE ROCK, AR
Rachel Coltharp AURORA, IL
Headquarters Hotel RIVERTIDE SUITES HOTEL 102 NORTH HOLLADAY SEASIDE, OR 97138
PH: (877) 871-8433 WWW.RIVERTIDESUITES.COM
Conference Schedule
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9 5:00PM CHECK-IN/REGISTER: SEASIDE CONV. CENTER 7:00PM EVENING SERVICE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10 10:00AM MORNING SERVICE 7:00PM EVENING SERVICE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11 10:00AM MORNING SERVICE 12:30PM DRAWINGS/DISMISS
Remember
Craft Consign Table & ment Sh Forms are On op line
Sign up To day!
Registration & Fees
$3500 REGISTER BY SEPT. 11 $4500 REGISTER AFTER
Register and Pay Online:
SCAN: MORE INFO
WWW.ORLADIESMINISTRIES.COM WWW.ORLADIESMINISTRIES.COM OR DOWNLOAD THE REGISTRATION FORM AND MAIL TO: RACHEL SPARKS, 6720 SW 198TH, ALOHA, OR 97007.
9 Recommended Read 10 Family Conference Photos
JASON DISENSO
14 Missionaries in September
GLOBAL MISSIONS
18 NAM Giving NORTH AMERICAN MISSIONS
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By M. David Johnson
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Forty Years
By M. David Johnson
Pastor & Mrs. Gary Gleason Celebrate Forty Years of Ministry in Oregon City On July the 27th the Oregon City United Pentecostal Church celebrated the fortieth anniversary of the Gleason’s arrival in Oregon City to assume the pastorate of the church there. Not surprisingly, the church prepared a major celebration for this landmark occasion. It was a very special time for the Gleason family and friends. Some family members from out of state were able to be there, and they, along with the local church family and some members of the District team that had worked with the Gleason’s through the years, made for a full house. Members of the church expressed deep, heartfelt thanks to Pastor and Sister Gleason for the strong ministry, special pastoral leadership, and personal care they had given to them through the years. The King’s and Langley’s expressed
deep appreciation and brought back special memories—some quite humorous--of events shared in the District work, and
Sister Paulene Johnson gave a very vivid description of Sister Gleason’s ministry, paraphrasing the description of the woman portrayed in Proverbs 31. Brother Gleason has served the United Pentecostal Church in many roles, among them Youth President, Presbyter, and District Superintendent. In all of these tasks his service has been noble,
excellent and characterized by his efforts to push others to the front, and, whenever he could, just work in the background, making sure all needs were met. Both he and Sister Gleason are examples of true servants of God. They have blessed us all through their spiritual leadership, their sacrificial giving and their musical contribution to our gatherings. On behalf of the church and the District we are blessed to be workers together with this family, and we join with the Oregon City church in looking forward to celebrating their 50th anniversary! ____________________________ M. David Johnson pastored for many years and now serves as an honorary board member to the Oregon District. August 2014 APOSTOLIC ACCENT 5
Celebrat ing
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40 Years
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OREGON LADIES MINISTRIES PRESENTS
West Coast Women s Conference ’
OCTOBER 9–11, 2014 SEASIDE, OREGON Conference Location
Featured Ministries:
SEASIDE CONVENTION CENTER 415 FIRST AVENUE SEASIDE, OR 97138 WWW.SEASIDECONVENTION.COM
Jelaine Lumpkin LITTLE ROCK, AR
Rachel Coltharp AURORA, IL
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9 5:00PM CHECK-IN/REGISTER: SEASIDE CONV. CENTER 7:00PM EVENING SERVICE
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11 10:00AM MORNING SERVICE 12:30PM DRAWINGS/DISMISS
RIVERTIDE SUITES HOTEL 102 NORTH HOLLADAY SEASIDE, OR 97138
PH: (877) 871-8433 WWW.RIVERTIDESUITES.COM
Conference Schedule
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10 10:00AM MORNING SERVICE 7:00PM EVENING SERVICE
Headquarters Hotel
Remember
Craft Consig Table & nment Sh Forms are On op line
Sign up T oday!
Registration & Fees
$3500 REGISTER BY SEPT. 11 $4500 REGISTER AFTER
Register and Pay Online:
WWW.ORLADIESMINISTRIES.COM WWW.ORLADIESMINISTRIES.COM OR DOWNLOAD THE REGISTRATION FORM AND MAIL TO: RACHEL SPARKS, 6720 SW 198TH, ALOHA, OR 97007.
SCAN: MORE INFO
Upcoming Calendar of Events September 7th: SFC Offering Due Date September 11th-13th: Hyphen Conference September 19th: Section 2 Bilingual Fellowship Meeting September 20th: Section 4 Fellowship Meeting September 21st: Section 3 Rally September 30th- Oct. 3rd: General Conference Recommended Read-
Leading on Empty is an amazing book. It talks about a pastor who burnt the candle at both ends and was depleted physically, spiritually and mentally. He had been in the ministry for 30 years and found himself empty. This book is not just about helping pastor’s or ministers who may be experiencing burnout. It is also for those who are going into the ministry or leaders and what they can do to prevent burnout, pastor’s wives who would like to better understand what their spouses are going through or for saints to understand what their pastor or leader may go through in their ministry. You gain knowledge to handle situations like this and understand what others may be going through. It is a story of revived joy and a revived spirit to continue working for the kingdom of heaven! This is a must read! August 2014 APOSTOLIC ACCENT 9
Family Conference
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A Battle with the Superficial
By Philip Harrelson
A recent conversation with an evangelist friend of mine has left me greatly grieved at the state of the American church. So harrowing was his account that last evening I was troubled to an extent that it gave me a bit of insomnia. He opened up his soul to me as he told me of the superficial spirituality that marks many of our churches these days. This superficiality is marked with a “hurry up and let’s get this over with” mentality. Worship is rushed and has little depth because of the desire to hurry and get to the next thing. There is pressure to hurry and get to the restaurants, the game on television, the shopping excursion or some other endeavor that seeks to satiate the entertainment factor in our soul. I was appalled when he told me that several of the churches he went to, pastors had informed him before he ever started to preach that they did not care for any sermons on hell, judgment, or any kind of conviction. One pastor gave the recommendation that he ought to read three or four Scriptures and tell four or
five stories and then conclude the sermon. Another place he went to, he found out that the pastor was opposed to altar services that brought people to the “mourner’s bench” and was marked by tears and confession of sin. He was told that the people needed to be given a “joyful” and “exciting” worship experience so that they could go home “happy.” Music has also become a bit of a beast in that he noted that at multiple places, the music would get people whipped into a superficial, psychological frenzy. The music would go on for a lengthy period of time and the preaching of the Word would be limited to a fifteen to twenty minute time slot. Although the church I pastor thankfully has not fallen into this sort of thing, there was something that rose up in me that determined not to fall into the trap of superficiality. In fact, I routinely tell our guests who come that my job is to preach “long sermons.” While I am smiling and lighthearted when I say it, I am deadly serious about it. When we lose our ability to preach Word-centered,
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Word-forced, Word-provoking messages, we have entered into a phase of church death. It might take years for it to finally take place but at some point, the church that caves into superficiality will die. fter hearing this yesterday afternoon, I revolted last night in our church. One of the reasons for my revolt was because I had to drive a little over two hours after this conversation with this evangelist. Instead of praying for the situation he told me about, I prayed for myself. I prayed that I would be a man of God. I prayed that I would be a man of prayer. I pleaded with the Lord for Him to let me see the priority of prayer and preaching like I never have seen it before. As this was taking place, the Lord prompted multiple points from Scripture about what it meant to really be a clean, pure servant of the Lord. Much of this poured out of me last evening as I preached
without notes. In fact, I rarely preach without notes because I place value on what I dig out in the study during the week. However, on this night all of the study that had filled the reservoir in the past came roaring out with a vengeance. If you are a pastor and you are reading this on Monday, you might give consideration to understanding that you are accomplishing far more than you might guess. The scary part is that if you are negligent but think all is well, you are adding to the lukewarmness that is gripping the American church. On the other hand, if you are faithfully expounding the Word (even in a Pentecostal setting), you are accomplishing far more than you can imagine. I can tell you what superficiality does to churches. It allows the unconverted to remain in their unconverted state but really believe that all is well with their soul. It allows fleshly carnality to reign which will stifle any and all of the convicting work of the Spirit. Superficiality causes men to believe the lies that their heart continually tells them (Jer. 17:9). It will cause all men to flatter themselves concerning the true condition of their soul. Self-flattery is a high form
of self-deception that has been mixed with self-worship. Superficiality causes men to buy into the idea that they are a “good person” and that the Lord will give them a pass at the judgment. When this kind of attitude sits in the pews and is never confronted, the power of the church slowly weakens. Years ago, I was involved in the care of a woman who had been stricken by Gullian-Barre Syndrome. I have only seen two cases of this in my almost 30 year medical career. It is one of the most chilling and scary medical conditions you have ever witnessed. It starts with a muscle weakness that soon turns into paralysis. It starts in the lower extremities and ascends up the body until the patient is totally paralyzed. There is no cure or medicine that has been found to stop it. Various treatments like high doses of steroids and occasionally plasmapheresis will be used to slow its upward progress. As it progresses upward over a period of about a week, the patient soon gets to a place that they cannot breathe and mechanical ventilation is required for survival. This one lady was in this state for 120 days before the paralysis began to recede downward. All-in-all she was the whole process of the sickness, recovery, and rehabilitation lasted about 18 months. Churches that allow superficiality to take hold rarely recovery from their spiritual paralysis. I came to an understanding yesterday about standing against superficiality. If I am to win the battle against superficiality, then I will have to embrace the Cross. My life, my calling, my public min-
istry and my private devotion will have to be Cross-centered. Dietrich Bonhoeffer—When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die. . . because only the man who is dead to his own will can follow Christ. In fact every command of Jesus is a call to die, with all our affections and lusts. Thomas a’ Kempis—Christ’s whole life was a Cross and Martydom: and thou seek rest and joy for thyself? Thou art deceived. . .” A.W. Tozer—The cross will cut into our lives where it hurts worst, sparing neither us nor our carefully cultivated reputations. Cecil B. Knight—Those looking for the deluxe brand of salvation without a Cross are more in search of salve than salvation. You can have a religion without crucifixion—but not Christianity. Life in Christ begins with the death of Self. The Cross shoves superficiality out of your life. It pushes it from the ministry and it expels it from the church. However, when superficiality makes its exit there is an inherent and resident force of holy anointing like we long for. We must take up our cross and follow the Lord no matter how difficult the path may seem to be. There are rewards awaiting those who are faithful to the calling! ____________________________ Philip Harrelson pastor’s Apostolic Fatth UPC in Dothan, Alabama. He also serves as a presbyter for the Alabama District.
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In Oregon September 16th - 21st
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In Oregon September 23rd - 28th
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By David Reynolds
“ Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.” Ephesians 5:31
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Destroying Intimacy In Marriage by Wounding the Spirit By David Reynold
M
arriage is more than a union of the physical and the mental -it is also a union of the spirit. True intimacy happens in the realm of the spirit. “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of a man which is in him?” I Corinthians 2:11 “... Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.” Malachi 2:16 We can permanently damage the relationship within our marriage by not being sensitive to our partner’s spiritual and emotional needs. Our partner may be ‘wounded’ due to a sick and crying child or, maybe from an unreasonable boss or a customer. If we are not sensitive and add criticism or unwanted advice while they are unable or unwilling to receive it -they can become resistant in their spirit. When our partner lets us know by the tone of his/ her voice that our advice is not wanted –we in turn become ‘hurt’ and we reply in kind. Harsh words promote harsh words, which often result in the closing of both partner’s spirits and a tightening of their emotions. In this condition we are unable to give and receive love. A hurt and bruised spirit soon turns to anger. If not dealt with –it will turn to bitterness, a closed spirit, tied up emotions and a set will.
Know your mate. 2. Don’t give unwanted advice at a time when he/ she is unable to receive it. 3. Don’t give ‘constructive criticism’ in front of others. 4. Don’t criticize your wife’s appearance, cooking or housekeeping. These are sensitive areas for her. 5. Don’t question your husband’s manhood, income or occupation. These areas determine his ego. 6. Don’t use, “foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient” -at your partner’s expense. 7. Don’t cause your partner to ‘lose’ -so you can ‘‘win’. Remember, with every problem within a marriage there are the ‘issues’ and there are the ‘feelings’. Make sure you are attacking the problem or issue -and not attacking the ‘person’. “Take heed to your spirit…” “Be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32◊ ___________________________________________ David Reynolds has been the Minister of Discipleship at Portland Pentecostals since 2007. He is a graduate of Conquerors Bible College, Cascade College, Portland State University and post graduate work at the University of Oregon. He served as a teacher, assistant Principle & Principle. Since retiring from public education he has traveled extensively to over 37 countries preaching & teaching in Bible Schools and has written several books on Education, The Family & Parenting.
How can we keep from destroying intimacy when our partner is wounded in their spirit? 1. Do, be sensitive to the spirit of your spouse. August 2014 APOSTOLIC ACCENT 17
North American Missions Oregon’s July Giving to North American Missions Apostolic Worship Center $50.00 Apostolics of Portland - Alldritt $50.00 Bend, True Gospel U.P.C. $90.00 Corvallis, United Pentecostal Church $25.00 Cottage Grove, Hope Fellowship UPC $25.00 Grace Point Ministries $25.00 Klamath Falls, United Pentecostal Church $50.00 Redmond, Heights Pentecostals $50.00 Springfield, United Pentecostal Church $20.00 TOTAL $385.00
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