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| PentecostalTheology.com
Is There an Oath to Become a Pentecostal
Religious leadership is about more than employment. As a Pentecostal reverend, you are tasked with exemplifying spiritual beliefs and moral standards. Church leaders vow a commitment to the faith and roles of the ministry. The specific oath varies among the various Pentecostal subgroups, but the pledge of service is generally the same.
Ministerial Applications
Becoming a Pentecostal reverend involves numerous steps, in addition to the oath of service. Church leaders must be granted credentials by a governing body and request recertification on a yearly basis. The process begins with an application, where you are asked to provide information about your spiritual journey, as well as your personal life. You also list your church leadership positions and provide references from within your church. Some Pentecostal subgroups, like the United Pentecostal Church International, require applicants to be mentored by elder members of the ministry. The oath of service is generally included within the application.
United Pentecostal Church
The UPCI publishes the “Ministry Assessment Path,” which guides potential ministers through the credentialing process. The application contains a commitment statement, which you must sign before you are considered for service. Under the oath, you strive to reach your ministerial potential using prayer, Bible studies and fasting. You also commit to personal evangelism and growing the ministry as a whole. The pledge also includes an agreement to receive and provide mentoring among other ministers.
International Pentecostal Church Of Christ
The International Pentecostal Church of Christ is another subgroup of the Pentecostal church. The IPCC has a detailed statement of faith, which church leaders must sign. The statement identifies the scriptural basis for the ministry’s beliefs and covenants. There are also provisions about general church practices and a statement against racism. Applicants are asked to fully subscribe to the tenets of the document by signing the agreement. Though there is no verbal oath required for credentialing, the written agreement holds the same weight.
Assembly Of God
The Assembly of God branch of the Pentecostal church is governed by a set of written bylaws. Under Article VII, Section 2, of the bylaws, a minister must be in “agreement with our doctrinal position as Contained in the Statement of Fundamental Truths.” This statement is a list of 16 doctrines that all Assembly of God churches must follow and teach. Each of the tenants contain Bible verses in support of the individual statement. The church bylaws also require commitment to the ministry’s fellowship. As a minister, you make an oath to follow these guidelines by signing a written agreement.
Anonymous
talked w/ Bill @ OUR
have NEW details for
you buddy Link
Anonymous
I’ll bite. What did he say? Do they still require the oath?
I got to thinking about the trustee thing. I don’t know how private Christian schools go for governance, but other universities have to have trustees sign off on certain changes.
Anonymous
Link Hudson not @ liberty to discuss
but it was mentioned ANY school nowadays require you to sign their Student Handbook/Catalog as part of your adherence to their policy. It is presumable that you have also signed upon contract – every school covers their behind with one such solemn document – or more than one seemingly
Anonymous
basically Link Hudson it was said that refusal to document partnership is rarely the ONLY thing the committee looks into You already know the rest?
Anonymous
Troy Day I don’t know what you are talking about. Documented partnership? I’ve had business classified as a sole proprietership and when I did business with someone besides my wife it was an LLC.
When I was offered a job at ORUI was just supposed to sign and would have had a contract. I already was vetted by the committee and the president. But the ageeement included a vow to the Lord, so I declined to sign. I had been given the paperwork just recently, after the job offer.
ORU people were very kind and understanding. They kept us up at the next to top floor of the old City of Faith tower, across tge hall from Vincent Synan, who tried to interceed on my behalf on the oath issue.
The COGOP doctrinal statement on their website forbids swearing oaths, based on the words of Christ in Matthew and on the book of James, stating that an affirmation in court is sufficient. Their president was with COGOP.
I thought the vow thing might be influenced by WOFers out there in Tulsa. I remember being appalled in the ’80’s by Tilton (out of Texas) pushing the vow to God thing.
This is a bigger deal for compromise for a Pentecostal than particulars about ‘initial evidence’ ir pretrib rapture since ‘Swear not at all’ are actual teachings of Christ that are in the Bible. You seem to think it a big deal to be a member or even attend a church if you disagree over the minor issues
Anonymous
What a weirdly written article. It looks like something written by AI, but I think I have seen it elsewhere, and I am guessing it is sloppily generated content to attract people to web pages to see adds.
What Pentecostal denomination actually requires ‘vows’ or ‘oaths’– or uses that language to get ordained? I’ve never heard of that. Signing to agree is more of a let your yea be ye type approach.
Anonymous
Link Hudson well lets start with ORU – what was required there?
Anonymous
Link Hudson Is There an Oath to Become a Pentecostal Reverend?
By Erika Winston
Anonymous
John Mushenhouse but there is MORE
Pentecostals take oaths is ALL different ways
When minor children get passports both parents must swear
if foreign wife or husband they take OATH of allegiance
When any Christian liberal arts college hires they require some sort of faith commitment and adherence
BTW same goes for just about any school job out there – you MUST sign their school book of conduct and this is an OATH signed with your own hand
Anonymous
I go by God’s call and not man’s oaths. Submission and subjection under the one greater than ourselves.
Anonymous
Troy Day no it isn’t. Agrering is not the same as an oath.
The law can be sloppy with this. Georgia calls an either swearing OR affirming one is a citizen an ‘oath’ in the law, but the form gives the option to affirm. Their overseas form requires swearing.
Protestant ‘marriage vows’ may not require an actual vow, though Roman Catholics may swear in the ceremony.
Anonymous
Troy Day ORU required solemly vowing to the Lord to obey the administration as it changed the rules, not breaking the law, not missing chapel, keeping the exercise program, and lots of other things.
Anonymous
Link Hudson so does any other school out there – the problem is in the personal preference NOT in the school handbook that protects the school from lawsuits
Anonymous
Troy Day I suspect you do not make a distinction between swearing a vow and just making an agreement, which is an important distinction when it comes to this topic. I’ve never seen any documents at any university elsewhere that required students or faculty to swear to God to be a student or employee. I’ve taken classes at four and worked for four universities and a college.
Anonymous
Link Hudson is it swearing a vow and just making an agreement
WHEN
– you swear for minor children to receive US passports? – both parents
– take public oath to become US citizen
and so on SO many govt. examples
Anonymous
John Mushenhouse perhaps you can give a more theological meaning to what the author of the article is saying in regard of all this
Anonymous
Troy Day i read a passport application a few months ago and do not recall a requirement to swear. The constitution provides for the choice of affirming, and this is typical of federal documents. Pennsylvania (especially) had Quakers and various German Brethren type groups from colonial times. There is a long history of this.
Anonymous
Link Hudson either you did not do what you just claimed OR you do not know how to read BUT it cannot be BOTH
p.2 OATH: I declare under penalty of perjury that all statements made in this supporting document are true and correct.
https://eforms.state.gov/Forms/ds3053.pdf
Anonymous
Troy Day I would question your ability to read and comprehend, or your peculiar understanding of vocabulary. Affirming or declaring is not swearing oaths. I would not consider making a statement or affirmation under penalty of perjury to be an oath/vow/swearing/making an oath in the Biblical sense unless other language were used to indicate an oath was being made. Legally, it might be referred to as an ‘oath’ in some document.
And this doesn’t require swearing to God or swearing by God.
Anonymous
Link Hudson how would you get passports for your minor children ?
Anonymous
Troy Day one can fill out a paper midifying the oath. They even allow it for naturalization.
Anonymous
Link Hudson swearing is necessary only in a society where truth is not reverenced.