Founder/Presiding Prelate of Increasing Faith Affiliation of Ministries
Bishop Ulysses Upchurch Sr.
Co-Founder/Sr. Pastor of Increasing Faith Deliverance Ministries
Elder Denise Upchurch
305 E. Seawell St. Sanford, NC
Phone: (919) 478-7456
P.O. Box 2335 Sanford, NC 27331
Acts 2:44-47
Bishop Ulyess & Pastor Denise Upchurch
Increasing Faith Affiliation of Ministries
The purpose of this affiliation is to provide an Apostolic covering to those ministries and churches that needs someone to care for them in the work of the ministry. The evangelistic and pastoral ministries of the body of Christ need the fathering and nurturing of an apostolic ministry in this last hour especially. The Spirit of the Lord has commissioned my wife and me to be an apostolic team to the body of Christ. We have the full support of Increasing Faith Deliverance Ministries of Sanford. Bishop J. Matthew Brown, Presiding Prelate of the Churches of Divine Deliverance, has given us his full support as well. The affiliation we have with him goes back to 1992 when we first met Bishop Brown. We have the roots of the Pentecostal movement within us which I believe has a direct reflection of the Acts of the Apostles. We are neither an inter-denomination nor a denomination. We are organized but we are not an organization. We are an affiliation of ministries and churches that have come together for the soul purpose of winning, nurturing, and equipping souls for the Kingdom of God. We ask that you consider the requirements of this affiliation as a form of covenant, care, and covering for your particular ministry or church.
Mission
This millennium has forged a God given mandate to reach out and strengthen each other as Brothers and Sisters in Christ. Our endeavor is to come together for the sole purpose of increasing each other in the areas Love, Faith, Fellowship, and Finance in order to see the Body of Christ reach its fullest potential. Acts 2:44-47
Vision
We plan to come together in fellowship annually, regionally, and locally throughout the year in order to strengthen each other and specifically the local church. We desire to have Annual & Periodic meetings that endeavor to cause fruitful fellowship, soul winning, and divide funds in order to help the local church and its leaders. We hope to assist and not control the churches of the fellowship across the country and abroad.
There are two ways to join IFAM. 1. Apostolic Covering (Become a Son or Daughter Ministry) or 2. Covenant Fellowship (Covenant Brother or Sister Ministry)
• We must agree doctrinally, which we will share our beliefs in our membership hand book.
• We require that you be ordained and licensed by us.
• We ask that you have your own incorporation and (501 C 3) exemption. (We can assist you with this as well) If you do not have your own (501 C 3) we can cover you but there are strict guidelines of financial reports that must be made to us so we can assure compliance with the IRS. We will get you the training and assistance needed.
• Bishop Ulyess & Pastor Denise are available to come speak at your church and help you with all matters. You are however responsible for the governing and legalities of your own house. We desire to help not rule. So you are covered not sealed with a lid. You keep your own autonomy. We become Spiritual Parents that let the children leave and run their own house.
• The IFAM Conferences and Conventions will be directed primarily towards informative teachings and an opportunity to invest into life insurance and retirement benefits for Ministers of the Affiliation & the members of their churches. Financial reports will be sent out to each ministry concerning fellowship funds that are collected from IFAM offerings during the Conventions.
IFAM Pre-Convention– (February in the Southeast) The churches that are within their perspective States and are no more than 2-3 hours from each other would come together to worship. Any areas we develop would do a Pre-Convention in order to prepare for the Convention in April in the Southeast & July in the Northeast. We are looking for Leaders that are willing to oversee this in the areas developed as time goes on.
IFAM Conventions– (April for Southeast Coast & July for Northeast Coast currently) The goal is to come together in one location (Sanford, NC and New Haven, CT currently) , meet, and fellowship, preach, teach, and pray for one another in a 3 day/4 services Convention. We would collect speakers’ offerings to bless them and the IFAM offerings would be divided up among those churches that have a written covenant agreement. The registration cost is $50 per church and $15 per member and that would cover the advertisement, administrative, and host church building needs. The $15 Registration covers the lunch for Saturday of the Convention. We endeavor to be a fellowship and not an organization. You would continue to be totally autonomous in your governing. We would not get into ordinations, legal matters, or anything that would infringe on you as leaders.
IFAM RETREAT- The retreat will be in a location near a beach or mountain setting usually. We plan to plan for the coming year as well as allow us to minister to you all in a private setting with no staff. We will also bring a $100 seed offering from each church or leader in order to pull names with the name pulled become the recipient of the total offerings. If the same church name is pulled from the previous year they would be ineligible until all churches have had a chance to receive.
Pastoral expectations– The pastors of each church in the fellowship would commit to a written covenant agreement. The agreement would be to abide by the attendance requirements of each meeting. Pre-Convention services are strongly encouraged for you to attend. The annual Convention would require the pastors’ attendance not a representative. The church registration for the Convention and the member registration is expected by the deadlines sent out by correspondence to you. We need you to register at least FIVE or more of your leadership team or staff. The requirement would be for each Pastor to attend all meetings in a timely and full manner. Pastors that are on time, no later than 15mins after service start time with no exceptions, registers at least 5 or more of your leaders or members, and stays till benediction would receive the evenly divided IFAM offerings. The members would not be required to register but can be counted towards your five registrants. It is important to bring members if you desire but the Convention is primarily for you and your leadership team. We hope that you can return to your church and pass on the impartation, wisdom, anointing, and blessing to your church, members, and finances.
No written agreement would be necessary unless you desire to which also negates the obligation of the affiliation to distribute any funds with your church.
We hope that as your pray about how you would like to be apart of the Affiliation you would have an assurance by God on how to join. We only want seriously committed people to be apart of the fellowship on what ever level you join. God bless you and we love you.