United Gospel Tabernacles
Encyclopedia
United Gospel Tabernacles is a non-denominational fellowship, most closely associated with the Pentecostal
faith of the Christian religion
. It is a missions based fellowship, currently operating in North America, South America
, Europe, and Africa. The most prominent of these nations are: the United States of America
, Mexico, Italy, and Nigeria.
United Gospel Tabernacles does not keep church rolls, but estimated attendance as of their 2006 business meeting in June, was over 2,000,000 worldwide. The exact number of churches in the United States is not certain, but estimates are over fifty, nationwide. United Gospel Tabernacles is also closely affiliated with International Bible Center, an unaccredited school of Biblical studies, in San Antonio, Texas
.
by Rev. Harry Hodge, an evangelist. Rev. Hodge continued to hold revivals all across Texas, eventually establishing many churches across the state.
As these churches had been founded independently of any current denominations, Rev. Hodge felt it necessary to bind these churches together under a common banner. And with the help of his good friend, the Texas Secretary of State
, Rev. Hodge organized one of the first tax-exempt
religious organization
of its kind in the state. He named the organization, the United Gospel Tabernacles.
as the sole authority or Sola Scriptura
. Ordinances recognized by the denomination are Baptism
and Communion
. Baptism is to be administered by a licensed or ordained minister of the Gospel, by full immersion, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Communion is practiced as an act of remembrance. Being Protestants they reject the notion of infant baptism and real presence of the Eucharist.
Also significant to their doctrine is the belief in the gifts of the Holy Spirit evidenced with speaking in tongues. Among the gifts of the Spirit are included tongues, interpretation of tongues, prophecy
, and divine healing.
Each year a convention is attended by all the pastors within the denomination. It is during this convention that all matters concerning the denomination are voted upon. A simple two-thirds majority decides any decisions upon the voting table. Every fourth convention, a vote is cast for who will serve as President and Vice-President of the denomination for the next term, as well as District Superintendents. There are no limit to the amount of terms that may be served.
Pentecostalism
Pentecostalism is a diverse and complex movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, has an eschatological focus, and is an experiential religion. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, the Greek...
faith of the Christian religion
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. It is a missions based fellowship, currently operating in North America, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, Europe, and Africa. The most prominent of these nations are: the United States of America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Mexico, Italy, and Nigeria.
United Gospel Tabernacles does not keep church rolls, but estimated attendance as of their 2006 business meeting in June, was over 2,000,000 worldwide. The exact number of churches in the United States is not certain, but estimates are over fifty, nationwide. United Gospel Tabernacles is also closely affiliated with International Bible Center, an unaccredited school of Biblical studies, in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
.
History
The United Gospel Tabernacles has its roots in a group of fundamentalist style revivals in Texas in the early 1930s. The first of these revivals was held in Beaumont, TexasBeaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
by Rev. Harry Hodge, an evangelist. Rev. Hodge continued to hold revivals all across Texas, eventually establishing many churches across the state.
As these churches had been founded independently of any current denominations, Rev. Hodge felt it necessary to bind these churches together under a common banner. And with the help of his good friend, the Texas Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
, Rev. Hodge organized one of the first tax-exempt
Tax exemption
Various tax systems grant a tax exemption to certain organizations, persons, income, property or other items taxable under the system. Tax exemption may also refer to a personal allowance or specific monetary exemption which may be claimed by an individual to reduce taxable income under some...
religious organization
Religion-supporting organization
Religious activities generally need some infrastructure to be conducted. For this reason, there generally exist religion-supporting organizations, which are some form of organization that manage:* the upkeep of places of worship, e.g...
of its kind in the state. He named the organization, the United Gospel Tabernacles.
Doctrine
The United Gospel Tabernacles hold to classic Pentecostal doctrines. UGT is a Trinitarian denomination that holds the BibleBible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
as the sole authority or Sola Scriptura
Sola scriptura
Sola scriptura is the doctrine that the Bible contains all knowledge necessary for salvation and holiness. Consequently, sola scriptura demands that only those doctrines are to be admitted or confessed that are found directly within or indirectly by using valid logical deduction or valid...
. Ordinances recognized by the denomination are Baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
and Communion
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
. Baptism is to be administered by a licensed or ordained minister of the Gospel, by full immersion, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Communion is practiced as an act of remembrance. Being Protestants they reject the notion of infant baptism and real presence of the Eucharist.
Also significant to their doctrine is the belief in the gifts of the Holy Spirit evidenced with speaking in tongues. Among the gifts of the Spirit are included tongues, interpretation of tongues, prophecy
Prophecy
Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
, and divine healing.
Structure
The United Gospel Tabernacles allows each church to operate autonomously within the organization. Each district has a Superintendent, usually based upon state/territorial lines. Each pastor is expected to report to their respective superintendents, who then report to the President of the organization.Each year a convention is attended by all the pastors within the denomination. It is during this convention that all matters concerning the denomination are voted upon. A simple two-thirds majority decides any decisions upon the voting table. Every fourth convention, a vote is cast for who will serve as President and Vice-President of the denomination for the next term, as well as District Superintendents. There are no limit to the amount of terms that may be served.