United Pentecostal Church- The Gleason Family, 1970 LP Album

$

50

Shipped with USPS Media Mail.

Rev Wendell C. Gleason

(Father of Rev. Stan Gleason & Rev. Gary Gleason)

Wendell C. Gleason was the third son of Turner and Flo Gleason, Wendell was born in the interim between the two world wars. He grew up with seven siblings in a house that was back to back with Christ Church Apostolic, pastored by his uncle Andrew Baker. His siblings included Orion Gleason, former district superintendent of the Northwest and Oregon Districts of the UPCI, Content Ballestero, wife of evangelist/pastor Carl Ballestero, and Lolita Brown, who served with her husband, Dale Brown, as missionaries to Peru.

At the age of twenty-four Wendell was drafted into the US Air Force where he served as a medical technician at military hospitals based all over the Northwest, Southern, and Eastern United States. Wendell married Rea Mae Fleischman on June 17, 1943, during his first furlough. Since he was never sent overseas, Rea stayed with him for the duration of the war.

After the war Andrew Baker encouraged Wendell to attend Apostolic Bible Institute in Saint Paul, Minnesota, for one year. Wendell's character and musical abilities so impressed the faculty and student body he was elected honor student at the close of his freshman year. S. G. Norris, president of the college, asked Wendell to join the faculty while he was still a student, and he taught at ABI for the next thirty-five years.

Wendell never pastored a church but his dynamic teaching and godly life influenced many pastors and missionaries who attended ABI. He taught Minor Prophets, Bible Geography, Life of Christ, and Book of Acts, and directed both the college choir and the church choir. For twenty years he toured the US with choirs and quartets, representing the school and developing countless friendships. In 1955 he was the first to produce a record for a UPCI Bible college: ''I Know a Name,'' featuring student Hugh Rose. Many recordings of trios, quartets, tour choirs, and instrumentals followed. He served as executive vice president of ABI for ten years and as the secretary of the Minnesota-Manitoba District of the UPCI for twenty years.

Wendell was a loving husband to Rea and a good father to his four children, Gary, Pat, Pam, and Stan. His two sons became pastors and district superintendents, while his two daughters became pastors' wives. His younger son Stan now serves as the assistant general superintendent of the UPCI.

Wendell retired in 1981 and he and Rea moved back to Oregon City, Oregon, where they attended the United Pentecostal Church pastored by his son Gary. Wendell started a choir there, which continues to this day directed by his granddaughter Donna Pollard. That same year he was elected district secretary of the Oregon District and served for ten years.

Wendell had retired in name only. Besides his duties as district secretary, he often spoke at churches throughout the Oregon District and the country, conducted music seminars, and taught his Minor Prophets course on video for Kent Christian College. He served as executive presbyter for the Northwest Region for two years. In 1992 cancer slowed him down, but even then he enjoyed helping his young grandsons, Andrew and Anthony Gleason, with their Bible memorization. That year their junior quiz team won first place in the Oregon District and went on to national competition.

Wendell's greatest legacy to his family and possibly the fellowship was his total Christianity. Never once did his family see a weakness or lack of integrity in his life, whether in public or private, even under some very difficult circumstances. He was loyal to His Lord and Savior, to his calling to equip young people for ministry, to those he served, and to the values of the United Pentecostal Church. On March 23, 1997, the hope of eternal glory to which God had called him at about which he so often had sung became a wonderful reality.

Just think of stepping on shore and finding it heaven

Of touching a hand and finding it God's

Of breathing new air and finding it celestial

Of waking up in glory and finding it home!

Associated terms/ file under

Apostolic Oneness, Oneness Apostolic, Jesus Only, Jesus Name, Oneness Pentecostal, Assemblies of God, Azusa Street, United Pentecostal Church, Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, ALJC, Oneness of God, Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ, Worldwide Pentecostal Fellowship, Apostolic Pentecostals, Oneness Pentecostalism, Baptism in Jesus Name, Jesus Name Baptism, Holy Ghost Fire, Trinity, Trinitarianism, Pentecostal Holiness, Holy Ghost Baptism, Speaking in Tongues, Glossalalia, Revival, Pentecostalism, Holy Spirit, Holy Ghost, Word Aflame Press, Pentecostal Publishing House, Anointed, Jesus Christ, G.T Haywood, Andrew Urshan, Nathaniel Urshan, Frank Ewart, David K. Bernard, T.F Tenney, Mangun, William Chalfant, Nona Freeman, James O. Russell, James Tyson, S.C. McClain, C. B. Dudley, Mary H. Wallace, Fred & Vera Kinzie, Benjamin Urshan, Georgia Smelser, Fred Foster, Arthur & Charles Clanton