Beards

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When I married my husband, Rodney, in 1985  he was a backslidden 
Apostolic. Growing up in the Church in the late 60's early 70's,
you **had** to be clean shaven. There was no question about it. 

I received the Holy Ghost in 1992 (former Baptist).  Rodney came back 
into the Church six months later (with a full beard and mustache). 
The first thing he asked the Pastor was "Do you want me to shave my 
beard and mustache?". The Pastor stated that he had changed his position 
on this subject through the years as he could find no scripture to
substantiate it. My husband wore a full beard and mustache until 
he was required to shave the beard on a job he worked at which required 
him to wear a respirator while working in a hazardous chemical area (1994).

He never grew the beard back. His comment was, "If I can
shave it for "man", I can keep it shaved for God".  However, he still had
the mustache. During the time we attended this church, he was "used" 
in various positions of Leadership, (building project coordinator, song
leader, etc.) 

In Oct. 1996 , as members in good standing, we transferred our letter 
to another UPC Church within our Section.  Our new pastor accepted
us with open arms and made no comment on the mustache. However, 
he did not use my husband in the Church (i.e. on the platform). 
In all honesty, I admit the mustache bothered me, but I felt that he
was the one who needed to feel the conviction to shave it. I prayed
about it "from time to time" asking the Lord to deal with his heart **if** 
it would be more pleasing to Him if he did not have the mustache.
Less than one month later, while attending East Coast Conference, 
he asked me in the hotel room, "how do you feel about my mustache?". 
 I admitted that it bothered me,  but told him that he was the one who 
needed to decide whether it was appropriate, or not. When I came back 
from shopping (something we Pentecostal ladies do enjoy!) I found 
our daughter in tears. All she could say between sobs was "It's your
fault that Daddy looks like an alien!" I soon understood my daughter's
comment when my husband opened the bathroom door. He was clean shaven! 
We had never seen him like this before, and he certainly did look
different! He simply told me that he shaved it off because it "offended
me".  
 
Our pastor is a man of much wisdom. He later told me that he had 
also been praying about the mustache, as he wanted to use my husband in 
the Church. He then proceeded to explain to me the difference between 
"holiness standards" and "Church standards". Our pastor requires the 
men on the platform to be clean shaven and appropriately attired 
(i.e. necktie). I am sure there is no scriptural basis for neckties, but 
the majority of pastors I know *insist* upon them. Had our pastor asked
my husband to shave the mustache, I know he would have done so 
**immediately**  because of his respect for the position, and the man. 


 Sis Donna ( he "don't"  look like an alien, we're used to him now) Perine