An Apostolic Declaration for the Third Millenium 1

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An Apostolic Declaration for the Third Millenium

The dawning of a new millennium is a momentous occasion which beckons
Apostolics to reaffirm their unique Christian heritage, faith, life, and
ministry  that they might seize the opportunities and meet the
challenges of a new era.  The Apostolic Declaration for the Third
Millennium is a reaffirmation of Apostolic Pentecostal Christian
distinctives and a call for  Apostolic Pentecostals to retain their
Apostolic Pentecostal identity as Christendom enters the third
millennium.  Please read the Declaration and covenant with Apostolics
throughout the world to make the third millennium an era in which
Christendom is reformed according to an apostolic norm and the world is
evangelized according to the apostolic gospel.

An Affirmation of our Apostolic Heritage

Tradition is the dead faith of the living.  Heritage is the living faith
of our forefathers, the Apostolics who have proceeded us and bequeathed
to us the legacy of Apostolic faith.  The Apostolic heritage is very
rich and diverse.   An understanding of this heritage is essential if
one is to understand the Apostolic movement as it exists today.   

Our Apostolic forefathers were Christians in another way before they
became Apostolic Pentecostals.  They believed that they were saved and
were living for God to the best of their knowledge.  They possessed an
openness to hear from God.  They did not believe they possessed all of
God's truth and were willing to abandon cherished beliefs as guided by
the Spirit.

Upon receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit, understanding the
fullness of God in Christ, and discovering the importance of being
baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, our forefathers did not want to
separate from their Trinitarian brethren.  The first Apostolics only 
left the Assemblies of God when conditions were created that prohibited
them from proclaiming the message  which God had revealed to them.  Even
after the forced separation Apostolics and Trinitarian Pentecostals
continued to fellowship and to acknowledge each other as Christians.

Apostolics are in agreement on what constitutes the Apostolic faith.
They have never been in agreement on how to express this faith
theologically.  The merger of the two organizations to form the United
Pentecostal Church is a good example of the doctrinal diversity present
in the Apostolic movement.  Many ministers in the Pentecostal Church
Inc. believed that water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ and the
baptism in the Holy Spirit were events subsequent to faith and to
salvation.  Most ministers in the Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ
believed that Acts 2:38 was the New Birth.  In the midst of these
doctrinal differences these two organizations merged so that "The Whole
Gospel" could be proclaimed to "The Whole World".  The Fundamental
Statement of Faith of the United Pentecostal Church, if interpreted
according to the original intention of its authors, allows for
Apostolics to believe that Acts 2:38 is not the New Birth.  These two
organizations also did not agree on an explicit definition of Biblical
Holiness.

Finally,  it  should be noted that Howard Goss, the first General
Superintendent of the United Pentecostal Church, made several attempts
to gain membership for the UPC in the Pentecostal Fellowship of North
American. Howard Goss was not reluctant to seek fellowship with
Trinitarians while maintaining his distinctive Apostolic beliefs.

As Apostolics entering the third millennium we affirm our Apostolic
heritage.  We affirm that God spoke to our Apostolic forefathers and
revealed to them the fullness of God in Jesus Christ and the importance
of water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ.  We affirm that the first
Apostolics were Christians in another way before they became Apostolics.
We affirm that it is consistent with our Apostolic heritage to:  1)
fellowship with Trinitarians while retaining our Apostolic beliefs;  2)
acknowledge others as Christians while maintaining that they should all
embrace and obey the Apostolic gospel;  3) allow Apostolics to interpret
the New Birth, Acts 2:38, in different ways;  4)  practice different
forms of holiness ; and 5)  believe that Apostolic doctrines are not the
final and infallible formulation of the Christian faith. We affirm that
this is our Apostolic heritage and that those who embrace it in no way
compromise the Apostolic faith.

An Apostolic Declaration for the Third Millenium
Copyright 1999, Steven A. Starcher