{"id":84,"date":"2021-01-04T12:06:06","date_gmt":"2021-01-04T12:06:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/demo.theimran.com\/faith\/?page_id=417"},"modified":"2026-02-16T08:57:27","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T08:57:27","slug":"about-me","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.upci.sk\/","title":{"rendered":"About Us"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI): Global Mission & History<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI)<\/strong> is a premier Oneness Pentecostal organization with a global reach, encompassing ministers, churches, and members dedicated to the Apostolic faith. Our mission is clear: to carry the whole gospel to the whole world<\/strong> by the whole church.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Roots of the Pentecostal Movement<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The UPCI emerged from the modern Pentecostal revival that began at a Bible school in Topeka, Kansas (1901)<\/strong> and gained global momentum during the Azusa Street Revival (1906)<\/strong> in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our organizational identity was forged in 1916 when ministers united around two core biblical pillars:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. The Oneness of God:<\/strong> The revelation of God in Jesus Christ.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Water Baptism:<\/strong> Performed by immersion in the name of Jesus Christ<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Explosive Global Growth<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Since the landmark merger of the Pentecostal Church Incorporated<\/em> and the Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ<\/em> in 1945<\/strong>, the UPCI has become one of the world’s fastest-growing denominations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    • Presence:<\/strong> 200+ nations and territories.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Community:<\/strong> 5.8 million constituents.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Leadership:<\/strong> 45,000 credentialed ministers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      \u2022 \u2022 Churches:<\/strong> Over 45,000 congregations and preaching points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      What is Oneness Pentecostalism?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      For many, the term “Pentecostal” is a reference to the biblical Day of Pentecost (Acts 2)<\/strong>. Oneness Pentecostals look to the Book of Acts<\/strong> as the definitive guide for Christian living and worship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      We believe that the early apostles\u2014as eyewitnesses to Jesus\u2019 teachings\u2014offered the clearest insight into salvation. This includes the infilling of the Holy Spirit<\/strong> (evidenced by speaking in tongues) and a life dedicated to biblical holiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      History of the Apostolic Movement in Slovakia<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      The story of the UPCI in Slovakia is a powerful testament to faith surviving migration, war, and political oppression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      From American Coal Mines to Slovak Villages (1913\u20131920)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      In 1913, Slovak immigrants like Jan Ondrasik<\/strong> and Ondrej Husarcik<\/strong> moved to Pennsylvania for work. Through Bible study, they embraced the truths of Apostolic salvation, stepping away from traditional roots to follow a biblical path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      By 1917, a thriving Slovak community in Akron, Ohio<\/strong>, was baptized in Jesus’ name according to Acts 2:38<\/strong>. In 1919, Jan Banas<\/strong> returned to his homeland, followed by Ondrasik and Steve Kurpas<\/strong>, establishing the first official Apostolic group, the “Church of God,”<\/strong> in Liptovska Luzna<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Survival Under Communism (1950\u20131989)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The movement faced its greatest trial in 1950 when the Communist government seized the church building in Liptovska Luzna, converting it into a warehouse for 40 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Despite being “underground,” the faith thrived:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      • Secret Worship:<\/strong> Believers met in private homes, notably that of Brother Emil Vesely<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        \u2022 \u2022 Iron Curtain Missionaries:<\/strong> Brave missionaries from the USA secretly visited Czechoslovakia during the Cold War to encourage those behind the Iron Curtain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Restoration and Modern Expansion<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        Following the fall of Communism in 1989, the church building was legally returned and rededicated in 1992. In the 1990s, UPCI missionaries Steven and Jean Tir<\/strong> officially arrived, expanding the work into Eastern Slovakia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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        • Ko\u0161ice & Michalovce:<\/strong> Major hubs for modern Apostolic ministry.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Micha\u013eany (2022):<\/strong> Construction of a new facility serving believers from By\u0161ta, Kazim\u00edr, and \u010cerhov.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • ABI Bible School (est. 2018):<\/strong> Located in Michalovce, the Apostolic Bible Institute (ABI)<\/strong> continues to train the next generation of leaders.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          “Planting Seeds”<\/strong> (Luke 8:11) remains our motto. From the coal mines of Pennsylvania to the villages of Slovakia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          His Truth is marching on!<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
          \"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI): Global Mission & History The United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI) is a premier Oneness Pentecostal organization with a global reach, encompassing [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":255,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-84","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.upci.sk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/84","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.upci.sk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.upci.sk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.upci.sk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.upci.sk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=84"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/www.upci.sk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/84\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":403,"href":"https:\/\/www.upci.sk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/84\/revisions\/403"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.upci.sk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=84"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}