Bishop Joseph A. Wilkinson, Sr.
1935 – 1995
Visionary leader and apostle who organized the United Deliverance Churches, uniting Deliverance and Holiness congregations into one fellowship.
Who We Are
About the Connection
A Covenantal Connection of autonomous congregations standing within the historic stream of the Church — gathered around one Lord, one faith, and one covenant.
Who We Are
United Deliverance Churches America is a covenantal connection of independent Deliverance ministries or reformations comprising of Deliverance Holiness, Holiness Deliverance churches, united in faith, fellowship, accountability, and service. Through a shared covenant, we support local congregations, strengthen spiritual leadership, and advance the Gospel together.
“Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Ephesians 4:3
Our Heritage
Standing in an Unbroken Stream
We did not begin the faith we hold. It was delivered to the saints once, carried by generations of faithful pastors and congregations, and handed on to us in trust.
Our congregations stand within the historic, apostolic and holiness tradition of the Church — in the lineage of the Wesleyan-Holiness, Deliverance and Pentecostal streams, and in fellowship with the wider body of Christ. We believe that the faith once delivered is not a private possession but a stewardship, held for a generation we will never meet.
That conviction shapes how we gather. We are not a new movement defining itself against what came before, and we are not a breakaway. We are churches seeking to be faithful to what we received and fruitful for what comes next.
The Official Seal
Deliverance · Holiness · Power
The seal of United Deliverance Churches of America, Inc. — the cross and the descending dove above the open Word, and the people of God gathered beneath it as one connectional body.
Our Heritage
The Historical Journey ofUnited Deliverance Churches in America, Inc.
UDCA
A Covenantal Connection uniting Deliverance Holiness and Holiness Deliverance churches
Rooted in the Pentecostal fire of Azusa Street and sustained through faithful leadership, the United Deliverance Churches in America has been a witness of Deliverance, Holiness, and Power for generations.
Our Legacy of Faithful Leadership
Founder · Predecessors · Current Leadership
Bishop Clarence E. Matthews
Presiding Prelate · 1996 – 2010
A faithful servant who preserved the legacy — guarding fellowship, faith, and doctrine for the next generation.
Bishop Alton B. Richards
Presiding Prelate · 2010 – 2022
A visionary leader who advanced the mission, expanded relationships, and prepared the organization for national impact.
The Very Reverend Bishop-Designate Charles Paige
Bishop-Designate
Called, anointed, and chosen for such a time as this — leading the Connection into a new era of apostolic impact, kingdom expansion, and covenant unity.
Our Historical Timeline
From Azusa to the Future Forward
1906 through 2026+ — the path of a fellowship called to covenant.
1906
Azusa Revival
The Pentecostal fire of Azusa Street laid the spiritual foundation for holiness, deliverance, and Spirit-empowered witness.
Step 11975
Founding Vision
The founding vision took form — uniting Deliverance Holiness and Holiness Deliverance churches in one Covenantal Connection.
Step 21996–2010
Preserving the Legacy
Faithful leadership guarded the fellowship, doctrine, and shared mission through a season of stewardship and continuity.
Step 32010–2022
Apostolic Preparation
Relationships expanded, national impact grew, and the organization was prepared for the generation to come.
Step 42023
The Fellowship Is Called
A new generation was entrusted to carry forward what faithful generations preserved — advancing with clarity and courage.
Step 52026+
The Future Forward
A historic church. A new generation. A future forward — covenant unity, kingdom expansion, and lasting legacy.
Step 6
Our Mission
To connect and strengthen independent Deliverance Holiness and Holiness Deliverance churches through fellowship, leadership together, ministry collaboration, mission, and advancement — while preserving the identity, calling, and authority of the local church.
Core Values
- One Lord
- One Faith
- One Covenant
- Deliverance
- Holiness
- Power
“Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people.”
1 Peter 2:9 — KJV
Entrusted to This Generation
What faithful generations preserved, a new generation has now been entrusted to carry forward.
What began as a vision became a fellowship.What became a fellowship grew into a connection.
A Historic Church · A New Generation · A Future Forward
Generations
One Covenant, Every Generation
A covenant is not a moment. It is a promise kept by one generation and handed to the next. We honor the pastors, founders, and congregations who carried this witness before us — and we prepare the leaders who will carry it after us.
01
Honoring Those Who Came Before
This Connection was not begun by us. We honor the founders and faithful pastors who kept the faith, carried the witness of deliverance and holiness through hard seasons, and handed it on in trust.
02
Preparing Those Coming After
A covenant is proved by what it leaves behind. We invest in children, youth, young adults, and emerging leaders so the next generation inherits more than a name — a living fellowship, and a real place in it.
03
At the Same Table
Intergenerational leadership is one of the Connection’s covenant values. Older and younger serve together, because a connection that skips a generation is a connection that ends with one.
Where This Lives in the Connection
Two bodies, one purpose
The Next Generation Center
Equips churches to disciple and develop children, youth, young adults, and emerging leaders.
- Children’s ministry support
- Youth ministry development
- Young-adult leadership
- Mentoring initiatives
- Internships and leadership pathways
- Scholarship support
The Emerging Leaders Collaborative
Identifies, mentors, equips, and creates opportunities for emerging clergy and lay leaders who represent the future of ministry.
The Covenant Model
Order Without Control
Across the nation, faithful congregations have at times labored alone — rich in the Spirit, yet without a family to strengthen them. Our Covenantal Connection gathers those churches into one fellowship: a spiritual home, a shared voice in the nation, and a common commitment to the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19–20.
This is not a takeover of the local church. Each congregation keeps its own name, its own governing documents, its own property, its own pastor, and its own calling. What a church gains is relationship — order without control, connection without conformity, and accountability that strengthens rather than diminishes.
Leadership in the Connection is understood as service, never as status. A connectional title does not create ownership of a congregation. It creates responsibility for it.
Our Scripture
“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.”
Isaiah 60:1 — KJV
Our Vision
A spiritual home and a national voice — thriving churches bound by one covenant, leaving a legacy of faith for the generations to come.
Our Mission
To unite, equip, and strengthen deliverance churches for Gospel impact — freedom, holiness, and power for all.
In Fellowship With the Wider Church
We Are Not a Rival to Anyone’s Church Home
United Deliverance Churches of America honors other Christian traditions. We are not set against denominations, and we do not exist to draw people away from a faithful church home. We believe the body of Christ is wider than any one connection, and that the Church is strongest when its parts speak to one another.
We therefore seek fellowship and shared mission with denominations, reform movements and independent congregations alike — cooperating gladly wherever conscience allows, holding the autonomy of the local church, and honoring the identity and governance of every body we meet.
Our churches may maintain their own fellowship, affiliation and cooperative relationships with other Christian bodies. Connection with us does not require isolation from anyone else.
We Honor
The identity, tradition and autonomy of other Christian bodies and leaders.
We Cooperate
With denominations, reformation bodies and independent congregations in shared mission.
We Hold
The autonomy of the local church — while pursuing the unity Christ prayed for.
“That they all may be one.”
John 17:21 — KJV
What We Believe
Our Beliefs
The Holy Scriptures as the inspired, infallible Word of God.
One God, eternally existing in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Salvation by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Deliverance and healing through the finished work of the Cross.
The sanctifying, empowering work of the Holy Spirit.
The Church as one Body called to holiness and mission.
Core Values
What We Hold Dear
Covenant
We keep our word to God and to one another, bound by more than agreement — by holy commitment kept across generations.
Fellowship
We walk together, sharing burdens, resources, and joy across every congregation.
Integrity
We lead with transparency and accountability, honoring the trust placed in us.
Excellence
We serve the Lord with our best, in worship, ministry, and stewardship.
Compassion
We carry the freedom of Christ to the broken, the bound, and the overlooked.
Legacy
We build for those who come after us, planting what the next generation will harvest.
The Free-Will Reformation
United by Covenant, Not Coercion
The Connection is built on a conviction older than any of its congregations: churches unite best when they unite freely. The Free-Will Reformation calls congregations into covenant by choice and by the Spirit — reforming fellowship around Scripture, liberty, and love rather than obligation.
The Covenant of Connection
“One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.”
Ephesians 4:5–6
Every connected church affirms a shared confession and a mutual pledge — to keep the faith, to honor one another, and to advance the Kingdom together across the generations.
Questions
Frequently Asked
A few common questions — or read the full FAQ covering autonomy, property, credentials, leadership, and more.
It means autonomous local churches voluntarily join together in covenant — sharing doctrine, accountability, and mission — while retaining their own identity and leadership.
No. Churches remain self-governing. The Connection provides fellowship, resources, oversight, and shared purpose — not control of local affairs.
Deliverance and holiness churches, pastors, ministries, and believers who share our covenant and confession are welcome to begin the affiliation process.
It is our renewing conviction that churches unite best by free and holy covenant — chosen, not coerced — reforming fellowship around Scripture, liberty, and love.
Reach out through the Join the Connection page. A representative of the national office will follow up to walk with you through affiliation.
Site crafted with care for United Deliverance Churches of America. Sister churches in the connection who would like a site of their own are welcome to text (650) 835-8028.