Assemblies of God in New Zealand

Last updated

Assemblies of God in New Zealand
AbbreviationAGNZ
TypeChristian denominaiton
Classification Protestant
Orientation Pentecostal
National leaderTerry Bradley
Associations World Assemblies of God Fellowship
Region New Zealand
OriginMarch 1927 (1927-03)
Separated from Pentecostal Church of New Zealand
Official website agnz.org

The Assemblies of God in New Zealand is a Pentecostal denomination in New Zealand and a member of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship. In 2007, the denomination[ clarification needed ] had nearly 200 congregations and preaching points and 30,000 members and adherents, mostly in the North Island, and it sends missionaries to South Asia and Oceania.

Contents

In 2016, the largest congregation was the Harbourside Church A/G in Takapuna, founded in the 1950s, with a weekly attendance of 1,500 people.[ clarification needed ][ citation needed ]

History

The Pentecostal movement in New Zealand started by the crusades of evangelist Smith Wigglesworth in 1922 and 1923, which led to the establishment of the Pentecostal Church of New Zealand (PCNZ).[ citation needed ] As the result of an internal dispute, 13 congregations and some pastors withdrew from the PCNZ and in March 1927 sent a cablegram to the General Council of the Assemblies of God of the United States asking for affiliation.[ citation needed ]

The 1930s were hard years for the Assemblies of God in New Zealand because of internal doctrinal disputes, the proselitism of the Apostolic Church, fragile relations with the PCNZ and economic distress generated by the 1929 Depression. However, frequent visits of preachers such as Aimee McPherson and A. C. Valdez helped to sustain the movement.[ citation needed ] During the 1960s, the Assemblies of God in New Zealand experienced regrowth and came to be the largest Pentecostal denomination in the country. In 1975, the AGNZ was one of the founders of the Associated Pentecostal Churches of New Zealand, which counts more than 700 congregations.[ citation needed ]

The 60th General Council, meeting at City West Church A/G in New Plymouth in 2011, saw the election of its first non-European General Superintendent in Samoan-born minister Iliafi Esera. This was also the first time the General Superintendency was held by a minister in a small New Zealand city (Wanganui). The 60th General Council also elected its first woman to the Executive Presbytery, Pastor Mina Acraman of Miracle Centre A/G, Hastings.[ citation needed ]

Leadership

From 1927 until 1944 the Assemblies of God is New Zealand leadership body was called the General Council (or the General Council Executive). From then until 1997 it was called the Executive Council. It was then renamed the Executive Presbytery. Originally the leader of this body was simply referred to as Chairman. In 1962 the title of the Leader of the Council was changed to General Superintendent. [1]

The following individuals have served as the Leader of the Assemblies of God in New Zealand:

OrdinalOfficeholderTerm startTerm endTime in officeNotes
1W. ChattertonMarch 1927September 1927184 days
2H. H. BruceSeptember 192719313–4 years
3E. T. Mellor193119419–10 years
4A. W. Thompson1941195311–12 years[ clarification needed ]
5T. W. Whiting195119597–8 years[ clarification needed ]
6G. C. Jennings195919600–1 years
7R. R. Read196019676–7 years
8 Frank Houston December 1965June 197711 years, 182 days
9 Jim Williams 8 October 197719857–8 years
10 Wayne Hughes 1985February 200317–18 years
11Ken HarrisonOctober 2003November 20118 years, 31 days
12 Illiafi Esera ONZM November 2011September 202311 years, 304 days
13Terry BradleySeptember 2023incumbent106 days

Notes

  1. Clark, Ian G. (2007). Pentecost at the Ends of the Earth. Christian Road Ministries. ISBN   978-0-473-11056-7.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Presbyterian Church (USA)</span> Mainline Protestant denomination in the United States

The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PC (USA), is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the country. The Presbyterian Church (USA) was established with the 1983 merger of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, whose churches were located in the Southern and border states, with the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, whose congregations could be found in every state.

Presbyterianpolity is a method of church governance typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or consistory, though other terms, such as church board, may apply. Groups of local churches are governed by a higher assembly of elders known as the presbytery or classis; presbyteries can be grouped into a synod, and presbyteries and synods nationwide often join together in a general assembly. Responsibility for conduct of church services is reserved to an ordained minister or pastor known as a teaching elder, or a minister of the word and sacrament.

<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 the largest 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assemblies of God</span> Group of over 144 autonomous self-governing national groupings of churches

The World Assemblies of God (AG), officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is an international Pentecostal denomination.

David Johannes du Plessis was a South African-born Pentecostal minister. He is considered one of the main founders of the charismatic movement, in which the Pentecostal experience of baptism with the Holy Spirit spread to non-Pentecostal churches worldwide.

The Indian Pentecostal Church of God (IPC) is one of the largest Pentecostal Christian Denomination in India, with over 10,000 congregations worldwide. Its organisational headquarters located in Kumbanad, Kerala, India. IPC has similarities with the Kerala Brethren denomination in terms of its beliefs on orthodoxy and eschatology, as a large portion of IPC's founders and early members were from the Kerala Brethren. IPC tends to shy away from ecumenism, and some of its leaders reject high church liturgy as a method of worship, instead opting for low church congregational worship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa</span> Classical Pentecostal Christian denomination in South Africa

The Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa (AFM) is a classical Pentecostal Christian denomination in South Africa. With 1.2 million adherents, it is South Africa's largest Pentecostal church and the fifth largest religious grouping in South Africa representing 7.6 percent of the population. Dr. Isak Burger has led the AFM as president since 1996 when the white and black branches of the church were united. It is a member of the Apostolic Faith Mission International, a fellowship of 23 AFM national churches. It is also a member of the South African Council of Churches.

The Australian Christian Churches (ACC), formerly Assemblies of God in Australia, is a network of 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 founded in 1914 during a meeting of Pentecostal ministers at Hot Springs, Arkansas, who came from a variety of independent churches and networks of churches. The Assemblies of God is a Finished Work Pentecostal denomination and is the U.S. branch of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, the world's largest Pentecostal body. With a constituency of 2,928,143 in 2022, the Assemblies of God was the ninth largest Christian denomination and the second largest Pentecostal denomination in the United States.

The Pentecostal Church of New Zealand (PCNZ) was a Pentecostal denomination established in 1924 that was the first attempt at organizing the Pentecostal movement in New Zealand. After a series of splits, the church disbanded in 1952.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samoan Assemblies of God</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samoan Assemblies of God in New Zealand</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samani Pulepule</span>

Samani Pulepule, formally His Eminence and Most Reverend, Chief Apostle Dr. Samani Pulepule was a Samoan Minister from the early 1950s in the Assemblies of God movement. Dr Pulepule was also the Chief Apostle of the Samoan Assemblies of God in New Zealand for over 40 years and was elected as the World Chairman of the Samoan Assemblies of God International. The Tokelauan Assemblies of God and Tuvaluan Assemblies of God also came under his leadership.

Victory Christian Church is a non-denominational neo-charismatic church in Auckland, New Zealand.

Sidney James Williams was a pastor and leader of one of the most influential churches in the Assemblies of God in New Zealand. He was a published author and a General Superintendent of the NZ Assembly of God.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians</span> Protestant denomination

ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians is an evangelical Presbyterian denomination in the United States. As a Presbyterian church, ECO adheres to Reformed theology and Presbyterian polity. It was established in 2012 by former congregations and members of the Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PC(USA). Denominational disputes over theology—particularly ordination of practicing homosexuals as pastors and gay marriage—and bureaucracy led to the founding of ECO. In 2018, ECO has over 383 congregations, 103,425 covenant partners and over 500 pastors. ECO churches are egalitarian in beliefs and ordain women as pastors and elders.

<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.

Thomas E. Trask was the 11th General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God from 1993 to 2007.

References