United House of Prayer For All People
Encyclopedia
The United House of Prayer for All People (also known as United House of Prayer for All People of the Church on the Rock of the Apostolic Faith) is a Christian denomination
founded by Marcelino Manuel da Graca
(Charles Manuel Grace) (1881?–1960). Marcelino Manuel da Graça was born in Brava
in the Cape Verde Islands. In 1919, Bishop
Grace, with his own hands, built the first United House of Prayer For All People in West Wareham, Massachusetts
, and incorporated the United House of Prayer for All People in Washington, D.C.
in 1927.
According to church literature and their official website, the United House of Prayer for All People has 131 places of worship in 26 states. The church has an estimated membership of 1.5 million members though some estimates place it lower. The national headquarters for the church is located in Washington, D.C. at 601 M Street. The church is known for its periodic mass baptisms by fire hose which started around the 1920s by the founder and also its shout band
s.
The United House of Prayer for All People is Pentecostal and Holiness
in doctrine. Its creed establishes its basic principles as believing in Jesus Christ and his death
on the cross so that humanity could have life, water baptism
for the repentance
of sin
, that to be saved one must be born again of the Holy Spirit
, and that one leader should rule the Kingdom of God
.
One unique aspect of the faith of the United House of Prayer is the full name: the United House of Prayer for All People of the Church on the Rock of the Apostolic Faith. The first portion of the name is derived from Isaiah
56:7 where God
says: "Mine house shall be called a house of prayer for all people." The latter part is taken from "Acts
4:10–12 and Ephesians 2:20, which discusses Christian
salvation as being built on a figurative cornerstone, or rock," which "is believed to be the teachings of Jesus Christ as preached by the Apostle Peter."
Another unique aspect about this organization's doctrine and belief is the definition of the term church as used by the bishop and members. The United House of Prayer for All People believes that the word church means a group of Christians who are believers and worshippers in Christ and that the modern definition of church as a building, denomination, or institution is unbiblical according to the writings of the Holy Scriptures
as recorded in Acts 9:31." Therefore, the United House of Prayer does not see itself as a denomination.
After leaving his job as a railway cook, Grace began using the title bishop. In 1919, Daddy Grace, as parishioners knew him, built the first House of Prayer in West Wareham, Massachusetts at the cost of thirty-nine dollars. He later established branches in Charlotte
, North Carolina
and Newark, New Jersey
.
Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Daddy Grace traveled America preaching and establishing the United House of Prayer for all People. The constitution and bylaws of The United House of Prayer, promulgated in 1929, stated that the purpose of the organization in pertinent part was "to erect and maintain places of worship and assembly where all people may gather prayer and to worship the Almighty God, irrespective of denomination or creed." He traveled extensively throughout the segregated
South
in the 1920s and 1930s preaching to integrated congregations years before the civil rights
struggles of the 1950s and 1960s and the religious ecumenical movements which followed.
One of the principles that Daddy Grace taught which provoked controversy was the concept of one man leadership. Grace used the Bible as his reference and taught that God only used one man at a time (e.g. Noah
, Moses
, and Jesus). One of the many criticisms made against Grace is the following statement which Grace is to have allegedly made in the early 1940s: "Salvation is by Grace only. Grace has given God a vacation, and since He is on vacation, don't worry about Him. If you sin against God, Grace can save you, but if you sin against Grace, God cannot save you." Nonetheless, the "interpretation of this point – that Grace claimed he himself was God – has been almost completely definitive in both academic and popular literature, and only a handful of writers have ever questioned it, usually as an aside." The most extensive research done by Danielle Brune Sigler on this statement shows that Mr. Fauset selectively quoted certain parts of the original message which changed the context." The original statement, spoken by a member and not Grace, shows that the members and Grace, himself, thought that he was not "God himself", but merely an "intermediary" and "the path to salvation."
One reason for the early success of the denomination is that offerings went directly to Grace for investment into products such as soap, stationery, tea, coffee, cookies, toothpaste, facial creams, talcum powder, hair dressing, and the Grace Magazine.
Bishop Grace died on January 12, 1960. Bishop W. McCollough succeeded the founder of the denomination.
Under his leadership, the House of Prayer acquired a fleet of luxury coach buses; property was acquired for the House of Prayer for use as future development sites; concert and marching bands were organized to march in annual parades and annual competitions; and softball teams were organized, nationwide, for interstate competition. In addition, the McCollough Scholarship Fund was established which allowed youth of the church to pursue higher education. Bishop McCollough died on March 21, 1991.
Bishop Madison was an advocate for scholastic achievement and was the chief executive officer and major contributor to the McCollough Scholarship College Fund. Madison expanded the academic programs of the organization through inaugurating the Annual First Lady Scholastic Achievement Awards Program. Bishop Madison died on April 5, 2008.
and the former pastor/apostle of the United House of Prayer For All People in Augusta, Georgia
, the "Motherhouse" or parent church for the state of Georgia, succeeded Madison on May 23, 2008. He was elected during Memorial Week in Washington, D. C. after having won 91% of the electoral votes by the General Assembly. Bailey has been preaching and teaching across the nation since his election as bishop. Ever since his election, Bailey has been carrying out the goals and plans of Bishops McCollough and Madison.
and by-laws is composed of the bishop, elder
s, ministers, deacon
s, and all persons who assemble themselves in the various places of assembly maintained by the organization. "On a broader organization level, each House of Prayer belonged to a regional district" and each district is chaired by a minister who is the state chairman. The organization also has what they call the General Assembly which consist of the bishop, minsters, elders, and two elected representatives from each congregation. The General Assembly is the vehicle used to make amendments to the constitution and by-laws, to fill vacancies in the office of bishop, and to remove the bishop for cause. Besides the bishop, the General Assembly, ministers, and members, there exist an ecclesiastical court
called the General Council. The General Council consist of the bishop, state chairmen and others who are appointed by the bishop and their primary responsibility is to protect the work of the organization and the bishop and to ensure that all houses and members are compliant with laws outlined in the Supreme Laws For the Government of the United House of Prayer.
The constitution and by-laws of the organization stipulate that the bishop must be in full knowledge of the doctrine of the United House of Prayer, ready to give answers in good faith, able to judge the various members among the church and congregations, and must be continuously working for the good of the organization in accordance with the rules of the New Testament
. The bishop's role includes the power to select, ordain, and supervise ministers. He is also designated on behalf of the members as trustee
of all church property.
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
founded by Marcelino Manuel da Graca
Marcelino Manuel da Graca
Marcelino Manuel da Graça , better known as Charles Manuel "Sweet Daddy" Grace, was the founder and first bishop of the United House of Prayer For All People. He was born January 25, in Brava in the Cape Verde Islands, then a Portuguese possession off the west coast of Africa...
(Charles Manuel Grace) (1881?–1960). Marcelino Manuel da Graça was born in Brava
Brava, Cape Verde
Brava is an island in Cape Verde. It is the smallest inhabited island, but at the same time the greenest, of Cape Verde, in the Sotavento group. First settled in the 1540s, its population grew after Mount Fogo on neighbouring Fogo erupted in 1675...
in the Cape Verde Islands. In 1919, Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Grace, with his own hands, built the first United House of Prayer For All People in West Wareham, Massachusetts
West Wareham, Massachusetts
West Wareham is a census-designated place in the town of Wareham in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,908 at the 2000 census.-Geography:West Wareham is located at ....
, and incorporated the United House of Prayer for All People in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 1927.
According to church literature and their official website, the United House of Prayer for All People has 131 places of worship in 26 states. The church has an estimated membership of 1.5 million members though some estimates place it lower. The national headquarters for the church is located in Washington, D.C. at 601 M Street. The church is known for its periodic mass baptisms by fire hose which started around the 1920s by the founder and also its shout band
Shout band
A shout band is a traditional, soul based musical style that arose in some predominantly African American Protestant churches in the 1920s.-History:...
s.
Doctrine
Holiness
Holiness is the state of being holy or sacred.Holiness is being clean or pure, to be holy is to be like God.Holiness may also refer to:* Holiness movement, a specific tradition within evangelicalism...
in doctrine. Its creed establishes its basic principles as believing in Jesus Christ and his death
Crucifixion of Jesus
The crucifixion of Jesus and his ensuing death is an event that occurred during the 1st century AD. Jesus, who Christians believe is the Son of God as well as the Messiah, was arrested, tried, and sentenced by Pontius Pilate to be scourged, and finally executed on a cross...
on the cross so that humanity could have life, water 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...
for the repentance
Repentance
Repentance is a change of thought to correct a wrong and gain forgiveness from a person who is wronged. In religious contexts it usually refers to confession to God, ceasing sin against God, and resolving to live according to religious law...
of sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
, that to be saved one must be born again of the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
, and that one leader should rule the Kingdom of God
Kingdom of God
The Kingdom of God or Kingdom of Heaven is a foundational concept in the Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.The term "Kingdom of God" is found in all four canonical gospels and in the Pauline epistles...
.
One unique aspect of the faith of the United House of Prayer is the full name: the United House of Prayer for All People of the Church on the Rock of the Apostolic Faith. The first portion of the name is derived from Isaiah
Book of Isaiah
The Book of Isaiah is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, preceding the books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the Book of the Twelve...
56:7 where God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
says: "Mine house shall be called a house of prayer for all people." The latter part is taken from "Acts
Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of the Apostles , usually referred to simply as Acts, is the fifth book of the New Testament; Acts outlines the history of the Apostolic Age...
4:10–12 and Ephesians 2:20, which discusses Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
salvation as being built on a figurative cornerstone, or rock," which "is believed to be the teachings of Jesus Christ as preached by the Apostle Peter."
Another unique aspect about this organization's doctrine and belief is the definition of the term church as used by the bishop and members. The United House of Prayer for All People believes that the word church means a group of Christians who are believers and worshippers in Christ and that the modern definition of church as a building, denomination, or institution is unbiblical according to the writings of the Holy Scriptures
Bible
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 recorded in Acts 9:31." Therefore, the United House of Prayer does not see itself as a denomination.
Bishop Grace
Bishop Charles Manuel "Sweet Daddy" Grace was born Marcelino Manuel da Graca, January 25, 1884, in Brava Cape Verde Islands, a Portuguese possession off the west coast of Africa. He came to America on a ship called Freedom in 1903 and settled in New Bedford, Massachusetts.After leaving his job as a railway cook, Grace began using the title bishop. In 1919, Daddy Grace, as parishioners knew him, built the first House of Prayer in West Wareham, Massachusetts at the cost of thirty-nine dollars. He later established branches in Charlotte
CHARLOTTE
- CHARLOTTE :CHARLOTTE is an American blues-based hard rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1986. Currently, they are signed to indie label, Eonian Records, under which they released their debut cd, Medusa Groove, in 2010. Notable Charlotte songs include 'Siren', 'Little Devils',...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
.
Jim Crow laws
The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws in the United States enacted between 1876 and 1965. They mandated de jure racial segregation in all public facilities, with a supposedly "separate but equal" status for black Americans...
South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
in the 1920s and 1930s preaching to integrated congregations years before the civil rights
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
struggles of the 1950s and 1960s and the religious ecumenical movements which followed.
One of the principles that Daddy Grace taught which provoked controversy was the concept of one man leadership. Grace used the Bible as his reference and taught that God only used one man at a time (e.g. Noah
Noah
Noah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
, Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
, and Jesus). One of the many criticisms made against Grace is the following statement which Grace is to have allegedly made in the early 1940s: "Salvation is by Grace only. Grace has given God a vacation, and since He is on vacation, don't worry about Him. If you sin against God, Grace can save you, but if you sin against Grace, God cannot save you." Nonetheless, the "interpretation of this point – that Grace claimed he himself was God – has been almost completely definitive in both academic and popular literature, and only a handful of writers have ever questioned it, usually as an aside." The most extensive research done by Danielle Brune Sigler on this statement shows that Mr. Fauset selectively quoted certain parts of the original message which changed the context." The original statement, spoken by a member and not Grace, shows that the members and Grace, himself, thought that he was not "God himself", but merely an "intermediary" and "the path to salvation."
One reason for the early success of the denomination is that offerings went directly to Grace for investment into products such as soap, stationery, tea, coffee, cookies, toothpaste, facial creams, talcum powder, hair dressing, and the Grace Magazine.
Bishop Grace died on January 12, 1960. Bishop W. McCollough succeeded the founder of the denomination.
Bishop McCollough
When Bishop Grace died he left the church with an unclear succession. After winning a court fight and two elections, Walter McCollough succeeded Grace as the second bishop. Bishop McCollough launched a nationwide building program. Through this program, low-income and affordable housing was being erected which benefitted not only parishioners, but other members of the community. New church structures were being built by their own construction teams and other edifices were receiving major renovations, which were financed solely by the members. Day care centers and senior citizens homes were also erected. One of the unique features of Daddy McCollough's building programs was that all of the church structures were completely paid for at the time of dedication.Under his leadership, the House of Prayer acquired a fleet of luxury coach buses; property was acquired for the House of Prayer for use as future development sites; concert and marching bands were organized to march in annual parades and annual competitions; and softball teams were organized, nationwide, for interstate competition. In addition, the McCollough Scholarship Fund was established which allowed youth of the church to pursue higher education. Bishop McCollough died on March 21, 1991.
Bishop Madison
Once again a crisis occurred over the succession, with Charles McCollough and Samuel C. Madison struggling for control of the church. On May 24, 1991, the members voted S.C. Madison to the office of Bishop of the United House of Prayer for All People. Shortly after entering the office of bishop, Madison pledged to fulfill everything that was on Bishop McCollough's agenda. Under his administration, over 123 Houses of Prayer received major renovation or were constructed. Added to this number were numerous apartments, senior citizens' dwellings, parsonages, houses, and commercial properties.Bishop Madison was an advocate for scholastic achievement and was the chief executive officer and major contributor to the McCollough Scholarship College Fund. Madison expanded the academic programs of the organization through inaugurating the Annual First Lady Scholastic Achievement Awards Program. Bishop Madison died on April 5, 2008.
Bishop Bailey
Bishop C. M. "Daddy" Bailey, native of Newport News, VirginiaNewport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
and the former pastor/apostle of the United House of Prayer For All People in Augusta, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
, the "Motherhouse" or parent church for the state of Georgia, succeeded Madison on May 23, 2008. He was elected during Memorial Week in Washington, D. C. after having won 91% of the electoral votes by the General Assembly. Bailey has been preaching and teaching across the nation since his election as bishop. Ever since his election, Bailey has been carrying out the goals and plans of Bishops McCollough and Madison.
Structure
The United House of Prayer as defined in their constitutionConstitution (corporate)
A constitution is the set of regulations which govern the conduct of non-political entities, whether incorporated or not. Such entities include corporations and voluntary associations....
and by-laws is composed of the bishop, elder
Elder (Christianity)
An elder in Christianity is a person valued for his wisdom who accordingly holds a particular position of responsibility in a Christian group. In some Christian traditions an elder is a clergy person who usually serves a local church or churches and who has been ordained to a ministry of Word,...
s, ministers, deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
s, and all persons who assemble themselves in the various places of assembly maintained by the organization. "On a broader organization level, each House of Prayer belonged to a regional district" and each district is chaired by a minister who is the state chairman. The organization also has what they call the General Assembly which consist of the bishop, minsters, elders, and two elected representatives from each congregation. The General Assembly is the vehicle used to make amendments to the constitution and by-laws, to fill vacancies in the office of bishop, and to remove the bishop for cause. Besides the bishop, the General Assembly, ministers, and members, there exist an ecclesiastical court
Ecclesiastical court
An ecclesiastical court is any of certain courts having jurisdiction mainly in spiritual or religious matters. In the Middle Ages in many areas of Europe these courts had much wider powers than before the development of nation states...
called the General Council. The General Council consist of the bishop, state chairmen and others who are appointed by the bishop and their primary responsibility is to protect the work of the organization and the bishop and to ensure that all houses and members are compliant with laws outlined in the Supreme Laws For the Government of the United House of Prayer.
The constitution and by-laws of the organization stipulate that the bishop must be in full knowledge of the doctrine of the United House of Prayer, ready to give answers in good faith, able to judge the various members among the church and congregations, and must be continuously working for the good of the organization in accordance with the rules of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
. The bishop's role includes the power to select, ordain, and supervise ministers. He is also designated on behalf of the members as trustee
Trustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
of all church property.
External links
- The Official Website for the United House Of Prayer For All People of the Church on the Rock of the Apostolic Faith
- Residence of Bishop Charles Manuel (Sweet Daddy Grace) – Cultural Tourism DC/African American Heritage Trail
- Sweet Heaven Kings Brass Band – United House of Prayer for All People – Anacostia, DC (The Kennedy Center)
- Sweet Heaven Kings Brass Band – United House of Prayer for All People(Anacostia, DC) at the 2008 White House Children's Holiday Reception
- United House of Prayer Trombone Shout Bands – Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
- Saints Paradise Trombone Shouts Bands from the United House Of Prayer Liner Notes