Assemblies of God

Last updated
World Assemblies of God
World Assemblies of God Fellowship logo.png
World AofG Fellowship logo.svg
Classification Evangelical Pentecostal
Theology Finished Work Pentecostal Protestant
Governance Cooperative body
ChairmanDominic Yeo [1]
Region190 countries
Origin1914 (WAGF formally established 1988)
Separated from Church of God in Christ, Christian and Missionary Alliance, and various other denominations, including those of Reformed and Baptist traditions. [2]
Merger of Several Pentecostal groups
Separations General Assembly of Apostolic Assemblies, The Foursquare Church
Congregations367,398
Members68,500,000 [3]
Missionary organizationWAGF Missions Commission
Aid organizationWorld Assemblies of God Relief and Development Agency
Official website worldagfellowship.org

The World Assemblies of God (AG), officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship (WAGF) is a global cooperative body of over 140 Pentecostal denominations, was established on August 15, 1989. [4] [5] WAGF was created to provide structure so that member denominations, which previously related to each other informally, could more easily cooperate on a global basis.

Contents

The organizational committee, in 1988, summarized the purposes for the WAGF: [5]

  1. Promote and facilitate world evangelization.
  2. Coordinate world relief.
  3. Coordinate the use of media and other technological resources to promote the cause of Christ in a way pleasing to Him.
  4. Provide a strong international platform to speak out on behalf of the suffering and persecuted churches.
  5. Coordinate theological education.
  6. Produce an international directory of Pentecostal churches, missions and other Pentecostal agencies to help share information.

Member denominations are independent and autonomous, but they are united by shared beliefs and history.

History

Origins

WAGF member denominations have varied histories. Most have roots in the interracial Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles, California or other Pentecostal revivals around the world in the early twentieth century. The largest member denomination, Assembleia de Deus in Brazil, dates its beginning to 1911. Initially called Missão de Fé Apostólica (Apostolic Faith Mission), it changed its name in 1918 to Assembleia de Deus.

The Assemblies of God USA, organized in April 1914, was the first Pentecostal denomination to name itself Assemblies of God. The Assemblies of God USA was founded by about 300 preachers and laymen from 20 states and several foreign countries met for a general council in Hot Springs, Arkansas, United States. [6] While most other U.S. Pentecostal denominations were regionally defined, the Assemblies of God claimed a broad nationwide constituency. [7]

A new fellowship emerged from the meeting and was incorporated under the name General Council of the Assemblies of God in the United States of America.

In time, self-governing and self-supporting general councils broke off from the original fellowship or formed independently in several nations throughout the world, originating either from indigenous Pentecostal movements or as a direct result of the indigenous missions strategy of the General Council. [8] In 1919, Pentecostals in Canada united to form the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, which formally affiliated with the Assemblies of God USA the following year. The Assemblies of God in Great Britain formed in 1924 and would have an early influence on the Assemblies of God in Australia, now known as Australian Christian Churches. The Australian Assemblies of God formed in 1937 through a merger of the Pentecostal Church of Australia and the Assemblies of God Queensland. The Queensland AG had formed in 1929; though, it was never formally affiliated with the AG in America. The Assemblies of God of South Africa, founded in 1925, like the AG Queensland was also not initially aligned with the US fellowship.

Before 1967, the Assemblies of God USA, along with the majority of other Pentecostal denominations, officially opposed Christian participation in war and considered itself a peace church. [9] The US Assemblies of God continues to give full doctrinal support to members who are led by religious conscience to pacifism.

International fellowship

Salem Temple of Cotonou, affiliated with the Assemblies of God, Cotonou, Benin Eglise des Assemblees de Dieu - Temple Salem de Cotonou.jpg
Salem Temple of Cotonou, affiliated with the Assemblies of God, Cotonou, Benin

Through foreign missionary work and establishing relationships with other Pentecostal churches, the Assemblies of God expanded into a worldwide movement. It was not until 1989 that the world fellowship was formed.

In 1989, the various Assemblies of God national fellowships united to form the World Pentecostal Assemblies of God Fellowship at the initiative of Dr. J. Philip Hogan, then executive director of the Division of Foreign Missions of the Assemblies of God in the United States. The initial purpose was to coordinate evangelism, but soon developed into a more permanent organism of inter-relation.

Dr. Hogan was elected the first chairman of the Fellowship and served until 1992 when Rev. David Yonggi Cho was elected chairman. In 1993, the name of the Fellowship was changed to the World Assemblies of God Fellowship. [10] In 2000, Thomas E. Trask was elected to succeed Cho. [11] At the 2008 World Congress in Lisbon, Portugal, George O. Wood, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God in the United States, was elected chairman. [12] At the 2011 World AG Congress in Chennai, India, David Mohan, General Superintendent of the All India Assemblies of God, was elected vice chairman. Dominic Yeo of the Assemblies of God in Singapore was elected chairman in 2023. [13]

Statistics

According to a census published by the association in 2024, it has 450,106 churches and 86.1 million members and adherents worldwide. [14]

Beliefs

Worship service at Dream City Church, affiliated with the Assemblies of God USA, in 2007, in Phoenix, Arizona, United States Dream City Church worship2.jpg
Worship service at Dream City Church, affiliated with the Assemblies of God USA, in 2007, in Phoenix, Arizona, United States

The doctrinal position of the Assemblies of God is framed in a classical Pentecostal and evangelical context. The AG is Trinitarian. It believes that the Bible is divinely inspired and the infallible authoritative rule of faith and conduct. Baptism by immersion is practiced as an ordinance instituted by Christ for those who have been saved. Baptism is understood as an outward sign of an inward change from being dead in sin to being alive in Christ. As an ordinance, Communion is also practiced. The AG believes that the elements that are partaken are symbols of the sharing of Jesus of Nazareth's divine nature; a memorial of His suffering and death; and a prophecy of His second coming. The Assemblies of God also strongly emphasizes the fulfillment of the Great Commission and believes this is the church's calling. [15]

As classical Pentecostals, the Assemblies of God believes all Christians are entitled to and should seek baptism in the Holy Spirit. The AG teaches that this experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of salvation. Baptism in the Holy Spirit empowers the believer for Christian life and service. The initial evidence of baptism in the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues "as the Spirit gives utterance" (Acts 2:4), It also believes in the present-day use of other spiritual gifts such as divine healing. [15]

The Assemblies of God ordains women as pastors, which many Christians, especially from evangelical denominations, but also from traditional churches such as Orthodox and Catholic denominations, consider liberal and progressive. Pentecostal and Charismatic denominations have traditionally allowed women to serve in pastoral ministry. [16]

While the World AG Fellowship has a statement of faith that outlines the basic beliefs that unify the various branches of the movement, each national AG denomination formulates its own doctrinal statements. The Assemblies of God USA, for example, adheres to the Statement of Fundamental Truths.

Politics

The most prominent politician within the Assemblies of God is former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison. He has said, "the Bible is not a policy handbook, and I get very worried when people try to treat it like one". [17] In late 2017, Morrison said he would become a stronger advocate for protections for religious freedom.

In Brazil, the local branch Assembleias de Deus has had an increasing influence on politics throughout the early 21st century. The Christian fundamentalist party Patriota is in a parliamental coalition with the Bolsonaro government as well as the centre-right Partido Social Cristão, which is led by two AG pastors, Everaldo Pereira and Marco Feliciano, who were accused in various cases of crime and sexual misconduct. Everaldo was arrested for his participation in a corruption scheme in the state-owned company of water treatment of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Companhia Estadual de Águas e Esgotos do Rio de Janeiro  [ pt ]; [18] Feliciano proved his innocence and that he was a victim of a conspiracy planned by former PSC member Patricia Lelis, who was charged with false reporting and extortion before fleeing to the United States, where she was again charged and arrested for the same crime. [19] [20] [21] [22] [23]

Another Brazilian politician and AG member, Marina Silva, pursues ecologist ideas and supports the rights of the indigenous tribes of her country. The church leadership has criticized Silva's leftist stances on many issues, such as drug reform. [24]

In the United States, [25] most of its membership votes or leans Republican. During Donald Trump's presidency, General Superintendent George O. Wood attended the National Day of Prayer and praised an executive order allowing ministers and religious organizations to support and advocate for political candidates. [26] [27]

Organization

Hansei University at Gunpo, South Korea HanseiUniversityMusicBuilding.jpg
Hansei University at Gunpo, South Korea

The World Fellowship unites Assemblies of God national councils from around the world together for cooperation. [28] Each national council is fully self-governing and independent and involvement with the World Fellowship does not limit this independence. The work of the World Fellowship is carried out by the Executive Council. Executive Council members represent different regions of the world and serve three-year terms. Africa, Asia Pacific, Latin America/Caribbean, and North America each have four representatives, Europe has three, and the Middle East and Southern Asia each have one. They are elected by the General Assembly. Each World Fellowship member is entitled to send one or more delegates to the General Assembly with one vote. The General Assembly also elects the Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Secretary of the World Fellowship. [28] At both the national and lower level, the Assemblies of God are generally structured around a form of presbyterian polity, combining the independence of the local church with oversight by district and national councils. [29]

The World Assemblies of God Relief Agency (WAGRA) directs its humanitarian work. [30]


See also

Related Research Articles

Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement that emphasizes direct personal experience of God through baptism with the Holy Spirit. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, an event that commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks, as described in the Acts of the Apostles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of God in Christ</span> Holiness-Pentecostal Christian denomination

The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) is an international Holiness–Pentecostal Christian denomination, and a large Pentecostal denomination in the United States. Although an international and multi-ethnic religious organization, it has a predominantly African-American membership based within the United States. The international headquarters is in Memphis, Tennessee. The current Presiding Bishop is Bishop John Drew Sheard Sr., who is the Senior Pastor of the Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ of Detroit, Michigan. He was elected as the denomination's leader on March 27, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Edward Blake Sr.</span> Presiding Bishop Emeritus of the Church of God in Christ

Charles Edward Blake Sr. is an American minister and retired pastor who served as the Presiding Bishop and leader of the Church of God in Christ, a 6 million-member Holiness Pentecostal denomination, that has now grown to become one of the largest predominantly African American Pentecostal denominations in the United States, from 2007 to 2021. On March 21, 2007, he became the Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, Inc., as a result of Presiding Bishop Gilbert E. Patterson's death. In a November 2007 special election, he was elected to complete the unexpired term of his predecessor as Presiding Bishop. In November 2008, Bishop Blake was re-elected to serve a four-year term as Presiding Bishop. In November 2012, Bishop Blake was re-elected again to serve a four-year term as the Presiding Bishop. He was reelected to a third term as Presiding Bishop on November 15, 2016. On October 23, 2020, Bishop Blake announced that he would not seek a re-election as Presiding Bishop nor as a member of the General Board and that he would retire from the Office of Presiding Bishop and from the General Board in 2021. He officially retired on March 19, 2021, and was succeeded by Bishop J. Drew Sheard, Sr. as Presiding Bishop on March 20, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee)</span> Pentecostal Christian denomination

The Church of God, with headquarters in Cleveland, Tennessee, United States, is an international Holiness-Pentecostal Christian denomination. The Church of God's publishing house is Pathway Press.

The Statement of Fundamental Truths is a confession of faith outlining the 16 essential doctrines adhered to by the Assemblies of God USA. These doctrines are heavily based on other evangelical confessions of faith but differ by being clearly Pentecostal. Of the 16 articles, four are considered core beliefs "due to the key role they play in reaching the lost and building the believer and the church". They are the doctrines concerning salvation, the baptism in the Holy Spirit, divine healing, and the Second Coming of Christ. The Statement of Fundamental Truths has undergone several permutations since its original adoption in 1916 despite common claims that it has remained largely unchanged.

The Church of God, Mountain Assembly (CGMA) is a Holiness Pentecostal Christian body formed in 1907, with roots in the late 19th-century American holiness movement and early 20th-century Pentecostal revival. The denomination maintains headquarters in Jellico, Tennessee and is a member of the Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chi Alpha</span> Christian fellowship and student society

Chi Alpha | ΧΑ, is an international and interdenominational, coeducational Christian fellowship, social club, student society, and service organization founded in 1953 on the campus of Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. Chi Alpha is sponsored by the Assemblies of God USA, a Pentecostal denomination established in 1914.

Pentecostalism has grown in India since its introduction in the early twentieth century. Several Pentecostal missionaries who had participated in the Azusa Street Revival visited Kerala from 1909 onwards. During the 1920s the missionary Robert F. Cook established the Indian branch of the Church of God, based in Kerala. In 1922 Assemblies of GOD church was established in Melpuram which was part of then Travancore state by missionaries. It has been one of the early pioneering churches in the region. Two other churches founded around this time were Ceylon Pentecostal Mission (CPM) later became The Pentecostal Mission, in the 1980s, founded in Sri Lanka by the Indian evangelist Pastor Paul, and later brought to India; and the Indian Pentecostal Church of God, set up by K.E. Abraham after he split from the church founded by Cook. A later foundation, in 1953, was the Sharon Fellowship, which runs the Sharon Women's Bible College.

Bishop Charles Harrison Mason Sr. was an American Holiness–Pentecostal pastor and minister. He was the founder and first Senior Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, based in Memphis, Tennessee. It developed into what is today the largest Holiness Pentecostal church denomination and one of the largest predominantly African-American Christian denominations in the United States.

The Australian Christian Churches (ACC), formerly Assemblies of God in Australia, is a network of Finished Work Pentecostal churches in Australia affiliated with the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, which is the largest Pentecostal denomination in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assemblies of God USA</span> Pentecostal Christian denomination

The Assemblies of God USA (AG), officially The General Council of the Assemblies of God, is a Pentecostal Christian denomination in the United States and the U.S. branch of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, the world's largest Pentecostal body. The AG reported 2.9 million adherents in 2022. In 2011, it was the ninth largest Christian denomination and the second largest Pentecostal denomination in the United States. The Assemblies of God is a Finished Work denomination, and it holds to a conservative, evangelical and classical Arminian theology as expressed in the Statement of Fundamental Truths and position papers, which emphasize such core Pentecostal doctrines as the baptism in the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, divine healing and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

The Samoan Assemblies of God International or SAOG is a Pentecostal fellowship of churches. It reached the Western Islands and outer countries with large Samoan communities, such as New Zealand, America and Australia. It has over 530 churches worldwide with over 97,000 adherents.

The New Zealand Samoan Assemblies of God (SA/G) or (SAOG), officially The General Council of the Samoan Assemblies of God in New Zealand Inc. are a group of Pentecostal congregations predominantly made up of Samoan people. They are affiliated with the Samoan Assemblies of God church.

Finished Work Pentecostalism is a major branch of Pentecostalism that holds that after conversion, the converted Christian progressively grows in grace. On the other hand, the other branch of Pentecostalism—Holiness Pentecostalism teaches the Wesleyan doctrine of entire sanctification as an instantaneous, definite second work of grace, which is a necessary prerequisite to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Finished Work Pentecostals are generally known to have retained the doctrine of progressive sanctification from their earlier Reformed roots, while Holiness Pentecostals retained their doctrine of entire sanctification from their earlier Wesleyan roots. William Howard Durham is considered to be the founder of Finished Work Pentecostalism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">O. T. Jones Sr.</span>

Ozro Thurston Jones Sr. was a Holiness Pentecostal denomination leader and minister, who was the second Senior Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, Inc. (1962–1968), succeeding Bishop Charles Harrison Mason, who was the founder. The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) is the fourth largest denomination in the United States, being in the Holiness Pentecostal tradition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Howard Durham</span>

William Howard Durham was an early Pentecostal preacher and theologian, best known for advocating the Finished Work doctrine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. O. Patterson Jr.</span> American politician

James Oglethorpe Patterson Jr. was a Holiness Pentecostal minister in the Church of God in Christ and a former mayor of Memphis, Tennessee, the first African-American to hold the office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swedish Pentecostal Movement</span> Protestant movement in Sweden

The Swedish Pentecostal Movement is a Pentecostal movement in Sweden. Many, but not all, of these, are members of the Pentecostal Alliance of Independent Churches, which was founded in 2001. The Pentecostal movement spread to Sweden by 1907 from the 1904–1905 Welsh Revival and the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles in 1906.

Barnett Karl Thoroughgood was an African-American Holiness Pentecostal minister and church leader of the Church of God in Christ. He was an influential pastor in the city of Virginia Beach, Virginia, and the Hampton Roads area of Virginia known for his public service and who served as the Commissioner of Ecclesiastical Services and the Former Adjutant General of the COGIC denomination from 2001 until his death in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Drew Sheard Sr.</span> Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ

John Drew Sheard Jr. is an American pastor and minister from Detroit, Michigan, who is the current presiding bishop of the Church of God in Christ, a 6 million-member predominantly African-American Holiness Pentecostal denomination that has now grown to become one of the largest African-American Pentecostal denominations in the United States.

References

  1. Executive Council Directory. Accessed January 13, 2022.
  2. James Leo Garrett, Systematic Theology, Volume 2, Second Edition, Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2014, p. 395; "those branches which derived from Baptist or Reformed roots have taught positional and progressive sanctification as distinguishable from baptism in or with the Spirit (e.g., Assemblies of God, International Church of the Foursquare Gospel)."
  3. "Five AG Stats You Need to Know". 11 August 2017.
  4. Molenaar, Willian. "The World Assemblies of God Fellowship: United in the Missionary Spirit". World Assemblies of God Fellowship Website. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
  5. 1 2 Molenaar, Willian (2011). "The World Assemblies of God Fellowship: United in the Missionary Spirit". Assemblies of God Heritage, vol 31 p. 42-46. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
  6. Randal Rust. "Mason, Charles Harrison". Tennessee Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2022-09-03. Mason dreamed of an integrated church and believed that all races were entitled to equal rights and authority. From COGIC's inception, Mason ordained and allowed whites to join his denomination. From 1907 to 1914, Mason ordained hundreds of white ministers. In 1914, a group of whites left COGIC and established the Assemblies of God. Throughout his tenure, Mason continued to integrate COGIC. A white COGIC pastor named Leonard P. Adams pastored Grace and Truth in Memphis, and COGIC's first general secretary was a white man named William B. Holt. Mason also conducted integrated funerals, baptisms, and worship services. At the height of Jim Crow, Mason allowed blacks and whites to sit next to each other in church. In the 1930s, Edward Hull "Boss" Crump told Mason he could not continue to allow blacks and whites to sit together. However, Boss Crump did not stop Mason from holding integrated meetings. Mason used COGIC as a platform to fight against segregation and encouraged blacks and whites to embrace racial unity.
  7. Rodgers, Darrin (2014). "Fully Committed: One Hundred Years of the Assemblies of God" (PDF). Assemblies of God Heritage, p. 7. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
  8. William W. Menzies, Robert P. Menzies, Spirit and Power: Foundations of Pentecostal Experience, Zondervan Academic, USA, 2011, p. 28
  9. Jay Beaman, Pentecostal Pacifism: The Origin, Development, and Rejection of Pacific Belief Among the Pentecostals (Hillsboro, KS: Mennonite Brethren Historical Society, 1989)
  10. "History of WAGF and its Leadership". David Cho Evangelistic Mission Journal: 9. September 2000. Archived from the original on 2009-03-03. Retrieved 2009-02-25.
  11. "WAGF Executive Committee Meeting and 6th General Assembly". David Cho Evangelistic Mission Journal: 11. September 2008. Archived from the original on 2009-03-03. Retrieved 2009-02-25.
  12. Assemblies of God USA. "General Superintendent's Office". Archived from the original on 2009-02-16. Retrieved 2009-02-26.
  13. Mark Forrester. "Newly Elected World AG Fellowship Leadership Spans Three Continents" . Retrieved 2024-07-26.
  14. Assemblies of God World Missions, Vital statistics 2024 Issue 2, agwm.org, USA, 2024
  15. 1 2 World Assemblies of God Statement of Faith
  16. Joseph, Daniel Isaiah (18 June 2021). "Assemblies of God vs. Pentecostalism: What's the Difference?". Christianity FAQ. Retrieved 2023-06-24.
  17. Nick Bryant (February 2012). "Scott Morrison: So Who the Bloody Hell Are You?". The Monthly. Archived from the original on 11 April 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  18. "Pastor Everaldo e filhos são presos em operação que afastou Witzel do governo de RJ". 28 August 2020.
  19. "Juiz arquiva inquérito que investigava Feliciano por suspeita de estupro". 13 December 2018.
  20. "Patrícia Lélis presa e processada nos EUA, diz Eduardo Bolsonaro". 10 February 2020.
  21. "Pastor Everaldo é acusado de agressão por ex-esposa" (in Portuguese). Gospel Prime. 18 May 2014. Archived from the original on 8 September 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  22. Quintella, Sérgio (1 June 2017). "Jovem conta detalhes do suposto assédio do pastor Marco Feliciano" (in Portuguese). Veja. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  23. Bezerra, Mirthyani; Prazeres, Leandro; Costa, Flávio (13 January 2017). ""Desespero total": Pastor Everaldo (PSC) pediu dinheiro a Cunha, aponta PF" (in Portuguese). Uol. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  24. "Pastor Silas Malafaia critica Marina Silva e vira destaque no Twitter" (in Portuguese). 28 September 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-12-29. Retrieved 2012-08-01.
  25. Burge, Ryan P. (11 August 2021). "Assemblies of God Growing with Pentecostal Persistence". Christianity Today. Archived from the original on 6 Feb 2023. Retrieved 2023-02-05. Over the past 12 years, both traditions have drifted toward the right. In 2020, nearly three-quarters of all AG members said that they were Republicans, up about 5 percentage points. Among Southern Baptists, 67 percent claimed to be a Republican, an increase of 7 percentage points. But the share of AG members who are Democrats remained basically unchanged during that time, while declining nearly 7 percentage points among Southern Baptists...The fact that its churches are so politically homogeneous may work in its favor as well. Research has increasingly shown that more and more Americans are choosing their churches based on political considerations. If this is the case, then AG churches portray a clear message to potential converts about their political orientation, making it easy for newcomers to know what the church is about.
  26. "President Donald J. Trump Stands Up For Religious Freedom In The United States – The White House". trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  27. "Trump Signs Executive Order Protecting Religious Liberties". PENews. 2017-05-05. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  28. 1 2 World Assemblies of God Constitution and Bylaws
  29. "Assemblies of God". The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Ed F. L. Cross and E. A. Livingstone. Oxford University Press Inc. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Accessed 22 June 2011.
  30. WAGF Relief and Development

Further reading