A Oneness Pentecostal is a Christian believer who affirms the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit while rejecting the traditional doctrine of the Trinity. Teaching that God is a single divine person named Jesus who manifested as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Oneness churches practice water baptism exclusively in Jesus' name.
Origins: The 1913 Arroyo Seco camp meeting
In April 1913, thousands of Pentecostal believers gathered in the Arroyo Seco canyon near Los Angeles for the Worldwide Camp Meeting, an event designed to unite diverse revival ministries. During a baptismal service, Canadian evangelist R. E. McAlister noted aloud that while modern Christians routinely baptized converts using the Trinitarian phrase "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," the apostles in the New Testament book of Acts invariably baptized candidates "in the name of Jesus Christ."
McAlister's observation caused an immediate stir. That evening, another minister, John G. Scheppe, spent the entire night in prayer and claimed an early morning revelation that the true, singular name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit was Jesus. Scheppe's announcement galvanized several prominent ministers, most notably Frank J. Ewart and Glenn A. Cook.
In the spring of 1914, Ewart and Cook set up a revival tent in Belvedere, California. Convinced that their previous Trinitarian baptisms were unbiblical, they rebaptized each other "in the name of Jesus Christ" and began proclaiming what they termed the "New Issue." The message spread rapidly through early Pentecostal ranks, challenging ministers to reconsider classical theology, as outlined in our broader history of Pentecostalism.
The Oneness view of God versus the Trinity
The core theological distinctive that sets Oneness Pentecostals apart from the rest of Christendom is their rejection of the doctrine of the Trinity. Classical Christianity—whether Catholic, Protestant, or Eastern Orthodox—teaches that God is one undivided divine being who eternally exists in three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a doctrine explored in our guide to the Trinity explained.
Oneness theologians reject the concept of three distinct persons, arguing that the Trinity is an unbiblical fourth-century philosophical invention that borders on tritheism (belief in three gods). Instead, Oneness theology teaches strict modalistic monarchianism: there is only one divine person, whose revealed personal name is Jesus.
According to this theology, God operated in different roles or "modes" across redemptive history: He revealed Himself as Father in creation, as Son in the incarnation for human redemption, and as Holy Spirit in regenerating and empowering believers. Oneness believers frequently cite Colossians 2:9 ("For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily") and John 10:30 ("I and my Father are one") to argue that Jesus is not merely the second person of the Trinity, but the total embodiment of the one true God. This stark difference from classical Pentecostal beliefs remains the movement's defining theological divide.
Water baptism in Jesus' name and the Acts 2:38 plan of salvation
For Oneness Pentecostals, theological conviction regarding the name of Jesus directly dictates the practice of water baptism. They argue that Jesus' command in Matthew 28:19 to baptize "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" uses the singular word "name," which they identify as Jesus. They contrast this with narrative passages throughout Acts (such as Acts 2:38, 8:16, 10:48, and 19:5), where baptism was performed exclusively into the name of Jesus Christ.
Consequently, Oneness churches reject any baptism administered with the Trinitarian formula, requiring new members to be rebaptized by full immersion in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. While most evangelical Protestants view water baptism as an outward symbol of a prior spiritual conversion, Oneness theology teaches baptismal regeneration: water baptism in Jesus' name is an essential, sacramental component of salvation that washes away sin.
This doctrine shapes what Apostolic believers call the "full gospel plan of salvation," drawn directly from the Apostle Peter's sermon in Acts 2:38. Oneness theology holds that complete biblical regeneration requires three distinct steps: personal repentance from sin, water baptism by immersion in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and the baptism in the Holy Spirit evidenced by speaking in unknown tongues. Many traditional Oneness groups teach that an individual who has not completed all three steps has not yet experienced full biblical salvation.
Major denominations: UPCI and the Apostolic Pentecostal heritage
The emergence of Oneness theology triggered intense institutional conflict. In 1916, delegates to the General Council of the Assemblies of God met in St. Louis to address the controversy. By a decisive vote, the Assemblies of God adopted a Trinitarian Statement of Fundamental Truths, prompting more than one hundred Oneness ministers—nearly a third of the fellowship—to withdraw.
These departing ministers organized independent bodies that came to be known as Apostolic Pentecostal churches. In 1945, two of the largest White Oneness groups—the Pentecostal Church, Incorporated, and the Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ—merged to form the United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI). Today, the UPCI is the largest Oneness Pentecostal organization in North America, headquartered in Weldon Spring, Missouri, and reporting over 5 million constituents across more than 200 nations.
Another major Oneness body is the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (PAW), headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Formed in 1906 and embracing Oneness doctrine in 1915 under the influential African American pastor Garfield T. Haywood, the PAW was historically noted for maintaining an integrated, multiracial fellowship during an era of rigid American segregation. In contrast to hierarchical denominations like the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee), Oneness fellowships maintain cooperative networks that support extensive international missionary societies.
Holiness dress standards and lifestyle rules
Alongside their distinctive theology of the Godhead, traditional Oneness Pentecostals are widely recognized for their strict adherence to conservative holiness standards. Rooted in nineteenth-century Wesleyan revivalism, UPCI beliefs and Apostolic traditions emphasize that inward spiritual purity must be reflected through outward separation from secular cultural norms.
These standards are particularly noticeable in guidelines regarding dress and personal appearance, derived from 1 Corinthians 11 and 1 Timothy 2. Women in traditional Apostolic congregations wear their hair uncut, refrain from wearing makeup or decorative jewelry (aside from simple wedding bands in some branches), and wear modest skirts or dresses with hemlines extending well below the knees. Men are expected to keep their hair short and neatly trimmed and wear long trousers.
Historically, Oneness standards also prohibited attending movie theaters, playing cards, dancing, and owning television sets. While some contemporary suburban congregations have modified certain lifestyle rules to engage modern culture, conservative Apostolic assemblies vigorously maintain these visible markers of Christian consecration, differentiating themselves from the broader Charismatic movement.
What to expect when visiting a Oneness Pentecostal church
Visitors stepping into an Apostolic or Oneness Pentecostal sanctuary will encounter an environment of fervent, high-energy worship. Services feature lively gospel and contemporary praise music, accompanied by drums, guitars, and keyboards.
Congregational participation is enthusiastic. Worshipers freely clap their hands, shout praise, and pray aloud together in unison. Preaching is passionate and evangelistic, typically lasting forty-five minutes to an hour and focusing on repentance, the power of Jesus' name, and holy living. Services almost always conclude with an extended altar call where seekers are invited forward for prayer, healing, and Spirit baptism. To locate an assembly in your state, search our national directory of Pentecostal churches, consult our guide to Pentecostal churches by state, and review our visitor guide explaining what to expect at a Pentecostal church.