derkrash-at-yahoo-dot-com
I took these notes during a Oneness Pentecostal (Apostolic) church service:
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February 1, 2004
Church: [deleted]
City: [deleted]
Pastor: [deleted]
Writer’s Notes in brackets: “[Notes...]”
7:03 PM. Singers start slow ballad, “At Your Feet.” People stand, sing along, and raise hands. The lead singer attempts to get the crowd in worship mode.
7:07 PM. Song ends. Worship leader says, “Let’s clap our hands,” etc.
7:08 PM. Worship leader calls everyone to the front of the church. They linger and “entertain the presence of God.” Leader manipulates the emotions of the crowd with speech and chord progressions from the musicians. They try to pump up the crowd. Leader says, “Grab someone by the hands and pray.”
7:14 PM. Everyone is still in the front – maybe 95% of those present. New Song: “Falling in love with Jesus.” Slow ballad style.
7:18 PM. New song: “[deleted].” Singers go back to the previous song for this song’s ending.
7:23 PM. People go back to the pews.
7:24 PM. The music leader pumps up the crowd, and builds them up to an emotional high. There are some running in the aisles.
7:25 PM. Fast beat music starts – very fast with no singing for some time. There is vigorous clapping to this fast beat.
7:26 PM. No words to the music yet. There are some that are jumping up and down to the beat. Music kicks in at 7:27 PM. There is sometimes just the beat here and sometimes accompanied with bass and keyboard.
7:27 PM. Music stops briefly. Fast beat then starts again. There is jumping up and down to the beat.
7:28 PM. Song begins: “Dance All Night.” Very fast song with strong, fast beat. There is speech synchronous with the singing. There is jumping up and down and possibly a few abreactions, or paroxysms.
7:31 PM. Song starts again. Song ends at 7:31 PM. Fast beat starts again with fast bass drum.
7:33 PM. New beat – classic rock and roll beat in 6/8 time akin to “Kansas City” style.
7:34 PM. Music ends, and pastor introduced. The worship leader says, “Thank God for our Pastor!” Pastor calls a man forward to testify. Man has six types of tumors and went to the doctor and to the hospital. A week after the hospital and doctor visits, he was back to normal. Upon hearing this report, the people shout, run in the aisles, reach emotional paroxysms, and things get quite wild.
7:37 PM. Things settle down. Pastor speaks about bags stolen from him and other preachers. Someone recovered the bags in a dumpster for them. Praises God about this, etc. There is some talk about children, an altar worker’s seminar [trained manipulators?] and other things. Praises a few people for working long hours for the church. Speaks of plans for a tent revival. Says that this is “revival time,” and that “we” can fill up a local convention center. Pastor calls for painters to help paint something – possibly a local church. Speaks of grand plans and “making lots of noise” for revival.
Pastor calls up speaker for Kid’s Church. Guy calls several kids to the front of the church. Tells stories of kids “praying each other through.” He read an essay written by one of the kids about a hero. There were cheers for the kids. He then played some recording and the kids in the front sang along, and acted with strange movements of their hands and arms to the music.
7:55 PM. Kids go back to the pews. More talk of Kid’s Church, and that they are bringing them to heaven.
7:56. Pastor takes pulpit again. Spend, spend, spend money on new buildings for Kid’s Church, etc. More speaking about Kid’s Church, revival, etc.
7:59 PM. “Let’s sing!” Song: “I Stand in awe of You my Lord.” Song ends 8:01 PM. Pastor speaks and says something about “Thank God for our assistant pastor.” [Note: assistant pastor is pastor’s son recently relocated to this church.]
8:04 PM. Calls for offering. Choir called up. Speaks about “Prayer and Fast Day.” For fast, people should only drink water for three days. [deleted – very popular UPC preacher ] is involved in this program. Ensemble Sings: “Lord you are good and mercy endureth forever” and “We worship you for who you are.” People then stand, strong beat starts along with the bass guitar.
There is an abrupt stop with some guy wanting to speak. He says he will give $1,000 to Kid’s Church and call other to “pledge to give.” Pastor calls for $1,000 donors to come up front, or raise hand. At least $5,000 was pledged. [Note: Possibly $7,000 – maybe, no count given from pulpit.]. After pledges, there are cheers from the crowd.
8:11 PM. Choir sings with young girl soloist. Slow ballad style song. Song ends at 8:16 PM.
Pastor returns, says, “God has his hand on this church.” He speaks of the final push and the final thrust before the rapture. Pastor introduces visiting minister, [Name deleted].
8:20 PM. People stand for the visiting minister as he takes the pulpit.
8:21 PM. Visiting preacher takes pulpit. Preacher speaks of a revival among “backsliders.” Scripture text: Mark 5:22. Speaks of the story of Jarius, and the woman with the issue of blood. Focus verse: 36. “Be not afraid, only believe.”
8:25 PM. Prayer, begin sermon, everyone then sits. Spoke about 24 people “got the Holy Ghost” since last Sunday. Says that people will spend money one way or another; it might as well be spent on God. Rambles about “$50 Million.” He asks, “How many children’s churches can we build with that?” [This sounds strange.]. Speaks of the assistant pastor. Asks for “those without the Holy Ghost” to raise their hand. He then asks, “Everybody is saved tonight?” He then says that he wants to “stir you up about backsliders.” He asks, “Can I stir you up?”
8:35 PM. He wants to “bring the prodicals home.” He goes to the story about the woman with the issue of blood. He says that the disease was gone, but the scars remained until Jesus said, “to be whole.” Jarius supposedly watched all this with the woman with the issue of blood. “Be not afraid; only believe.” There will be fields trips, distractions, and one will get frustrated with God, and also deadlines. Jarius response: “Just Hurry!” Preacher claims that the paid weepers were hired before girl died. He said that Jarius was in the corner “talking to Sister Jarius.” [!!] He then tells “Sister Jarius” about the woman with the issue of blood. [?] He then goes to a story about people dropping $200 into the offering plate and then get a job offer the next day. [???!!!] He talks of people walking out of wheelchairs for apostolic revival. Cheers from the crowd.
He tells is stories of preaching the sticks. He (preacher) had hepatitis B, the doctor told him. It was an incurable and terminal disease. A doctor infected him from a previous surgery from a cut on the doctor’s hand. Doctor told him he would die. [deleted – famous UPC preacher] heard about this and prayed for him at the [State deleted] Campmeeting.
9:03 PM. The preacher told the devil, “You’re gonna regret this!” He made plans to preach.
9:07 PM. He told the doctors there would be no virus or antibodies for the next tests. The crowd then gets rowdy at this story. The blood tests come back a week later and the white blood count was normal, and the doctors could not find the disease. It was as if he never had the disease. The crowd gets rowdy again. The doctors want more blood tests. Preacher asks for documentation and letter of healing if they take another blood test. A week later, he gets letter of healing. The crowd goes wild. Preacher shouts, “He is a healer!”
9:11 PM. Crowd is wild. People lift up hands, and calm down a little in reverent fashion.
9:12 PM. More stories. Preacher shouts, “There is a miracle in this house!” People lift hands and worship. I heard some speaking in tongues.
9:14 PM. Preacher asks for those with “pain in your body” to stand in the aisles. He says if you don’t get in the aisles, you won’t get healed. [??] He shouts, “Somebody is going to get healed!” He then mentions, “with this anointing.” Organ gets loud. There are tongues and shouts of “Glory!” “Hallelujah!” There are tongues: “Sanda la da dada mah siah” [I transcribed it as best as possible from my listening.] The preacher then says that someone here with lumps God will heal. He prays for those in the aisles that have pain. More prayer, etc. “I rebuke ever pain, infirmity, physical discomfort...I curse it in Jesus name...command it to disappear by the authority of the Word of God...
9:18 PM. Preacher speaks in tongues: “ee la dee ma ta so la da mo high.” Preacher calls those healed to the front. He asks if pain is gone to “wave your hands.” There are cheers, and clapping. He says he is looking for someone with a tumor. A woman comes up front. He asks, “Is it gone?” She says she has huge hernia, etc, and will trust in the Lord. There are cheers from the crowd.
Left church at 9:22 PM.
JP Istre
