The United Pentecostal Church International emerged from
Pentecostalism, which traces its origins to the teachings of
Charles Parham in
Topeka, Kansas, and the
Azusa Street Revival led by
William J. Seymour in 1906. The UPCI traces its organizational roots to 1916, when a large group of Pentecostal ministers within the
Assemblies of God USA began to unite around
Modalistic Monarchianism, the oneness of God, and
baptism in the name of Jesus. Several Oneness ministers met in
Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and on January 2, 1917, formed a Oneness Pentecostal organization called the General Assembly of the Apostolic Assemblies. The General Assembly of the Apostolic Assemblies merged with another group—the
Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (PAW)—and accepted the leadership of
Garfield Thomas Haywood, an African American. The group held its first meeting in Eureka Springs in 1918. This interracial organization adopted the PAW name and remained the only Oneness Pentecostal body until late 1924. Southern
Jim Crow laws and racist hatred resulted in many white leaders withdrawing from the PAW rather than remaining under African American leadership. Many local congregations in the
Southern United States, however, remained
integrated while attempting to comply with local segregation laws. In 1925, three new Oneness denominations were formed: the Apostolic Churches of Jesus Christ, the Pentecostal Ministerial Alliance, and Emmanuel's Church in Jesus Christ. In 1927, steps were taken toward reunifying these organizations. Meeting in a joint convention in
Guthrie, Oklahoma, Emmanuel's Church in Jesus Christ and the Apostolic Churches of Jesus Christ merged, taking the name the Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ. This merger united about 400 Oneness Pentecostal ministers. In 1931, a unity conference with representatives from four Oneness organizations met in
Columbus, Ohio, attempting to bring all Oneness Pentecostals together. The Pentecostal Ministerial Alliance voted to merge with the Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ, but that body rejected the terms of the proposed merger. Nevertheless, a union between the Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ and the PAW was consummated in November 1931. The new body retained the name of the
Pentecostal Assemblies of the World. In 1932, the Pentecostal Ministerial Alliance changed its name to the Pentecostal Church, Incorporated, to reflect its organizational structure. In 1936, the Pentecostal Church, Incorporated, ministers voted to pursue an amalgamation with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ. Final union, however, proved elusive until September 25, 1945, when these two Oneness Pentecostal organizations voted in
St. Louis to merge and form the United Pentecostal Church International. The merger of these two Oneness Pentecostal bodies brought together 521 churches. In the U.S. and
Canada, the newly formed United Pentecostal Church International traditionally reflected the surrounding demographics, with the majority of its constituency being White and
Anglo-American. In the last quarter of the twentieth century, however, the United Pentecostal Church International attempted to shift its doctrines to include people of every race and culture in
North America. In 2008, the United Pentecostal Church International published a statement against racism, stating that it affirms the worth and dignity of every human being, regardless of race or ethnicity, and consequently opposes bigotry and hatred. ==Beliefs==