To some the word “Mississippi” conjures up images of moonlight and magnolias, piney woods and swamps, hills and the Delta. To others it means something quite different. 

For more than a century, slavery cursed the land we love. Dr. David Sansing said, “Its long shadow haunts us, and its legacy divides us.”

But Mississippi is a place of giving; our hospitality is legendary. Yes, it is true we have a high rate of illiteracy, but we have more Pulitzer Prize winners per acre than any other state. We rank near the bottom in per capita income, but at the top in charitable giving. In 1955 it was right here in Jackson, Mississippi, where one of the first human organ transplants was performed.

Mississippi is a place that has withstood much hardship and pain. It was here the blues were born, and we gave the world B.B. King and the boy-wonder of rock and roll, Elvis Presley. To the United Pentecostal Church International, Mississippi gave Glen Ray Travis who has graduated to glory!

However, as we look back on our six decades of history, it is clear the Mississippi District United Pentecostal Church has been strategically positioned in the end zone of our dispensation to impact our generation like never before.

As District Superintendent, I am greatly blessed, along with the entire Mississippi District, to have excellent leadership who serve with me. The collective wisdom of the district board and district secretary is immeasurable. These godly and dedicated men have given themselves to the cause of leading this district forward. I also want to thank the ministerial constituency of Mississippi for giving us quality leaders who serve as department heads and sectional directors.

We owe a great debt to the faithful men and women of the Mississippi District who have remained steadfast and loyal to the largest depository of this wonderful saving message, The United Pentecostal Church International. It is incumbent on us to maintain the scriptural and spiritual integrity of the organization for the sake of lost humanity. The challenge of evangelizing the whole world is the greatest task facing the church today. Our responsibility to our world will not end until the day comes that we meet a man or woman for whom Jesus did not die. It is unending.

David D. Tipton, Jr.