The New Journey Ministries (formerly Global Alliance of Affirming Apostolic Pentecostals (GAAAP)) is an affirming, Oneness Pentecostal denomination, previously headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, and later Thonotosassa, Florida. [1] [2] [3] It is a nonprofit organization based in Quincy, Florida. [4]
GAAAP is one of six LGBT-affirming Pentecostal networks, and was organized in 2007 by Rev. Kevin Konkle then of Indianapolis, Indiana, and Rev. Robert Morgan of Tampa, Florida. [5] Rev. Morgan served as founding chairman and Rev. Konkle as founding vice-chairman.
GAAAP originally began as a ministerial fellowship, growing from only 2 founding ministers in the beginning of 2007 to 17 ministers by early 2008. In 2010 the organization amended its constitution to become a denomination of twenty congregations. [3]
In November 2010, a number of its ministers left the organization due to philosophical differences on cultural and social issues irreconcilable with the leadership. Ultimately, GAAAP was turned over to Rev. Joseph Parramore who presides over the New Journey Fellowship located in Florida. [6]
The movement to create LGBT-affirming Apostolic or Oneness Pentecostal churches began in 1980 in the city of Schenectady, New York. [7] [8] [9] The founder of the affirming Apostolic Pentecostal movement, Reverend William H. Carey, envisioned an international network of affirming Oneness Pentecostal churches, including the more fundamentalist theology inherent with such churches. He began what was known as the National Gay Pentecostal Alliance (NGPA). The organization opened its first church in Omaha, Nebraska in 1981. The first three ministers were Carey, E. Samuel Stafford, and Frances Cervantes. Later in 1983, the Reverend Sandy Lewis, District Elder, and Reverend Phildora Prigmore came into the NGPA organization in Tucson, Az to further the movement. [10]
Although NGPA was an Apostolic (Oneness) Pentecostal organization, due to the lack of affirming Trinitarian Pentecostal churches, NGPA originally welcomed all affirming Pentecostals to belong to their churches. [9] Once Trinitarian Pentecostals began to organize their own churches, NGPA became fully Oneness Pentecostal. [8] [9]
The Apostolic Intercessory Ministries (AIM) was formed in 1998 by Rev. Sandy Lewis, Rev. Phildora Prigmore, and Rev. Donald Rollins. This offshoot of the NGPA was organized to help establish new churches. [11]
In August 2003, AIM officially joined with the NGPA under the new name Apostolic Restoration Mission (ARM). AIM retained its name as a discrete mission within the ARM organization. Rev. Elliott Prigmore Lewis (formerly Rev. Sandy Lewis) and Rev. Phildora Prigmore Lewis continued with ARM. [11]
In March 2010, ARM merged with GAAAP under the GAAAP name. At their 2011 annual conference, the alliance reformed under a new Constitution and Bylaws and consecrated their first Presiding Bishop and Assistant Bishop. [12]
Since Rev. William H. Carey founded the Oneness Pentecostal Apostolic Institute of Ministry in 1981, students from across the United States and around the world have been enrolled in his classes. Rev. Elliott Prigmore Lewis (formerly Rev. Sandy Lewis) and Rev. Phildora Prigmore Lewis continued to assist and teach Rev. William Carey’s program until 2014. Now called Affirming Institutes of Ministry, for ministers, future ministers, and students of the Word under Rev. Gem Embrey. [13]
The church is non-trinitarian in theology, holding to the belief that all the fullness of God resides bodily in Jesus, and teaches that repentance, water baptism by immersion in the name of Jesus Christ, and the Baptism of the Holy Ghost are essential elements of the Apostolic era church that must be retained in the church of God today. They also believe that speaking in tongues is the initial physical evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost.[ citation needed ] GAAAP also considers itself a middle way between mainstream Christianity. [14]
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.
In Christian theology, Sabellianism is the belief that there is only one Person in the Godhead. For example, Hanson defines Sabellianism as the "refusal to acknowledge the distinct existence of the Persons" and "Eustathius was condemned for Sabellianism. His insistence that there is only one distinct reality (hypostasis) in the Godhead, and his confusion about distinguishing Father, Son and Holy Spirit laid him open to such a charge." Condemned as heresy, Sabellianism has been rejected by the majority of Christian churches.
The Apostolic Faith Church of Portland, Oregon, also known as the Apostolic Faith Mission of Portland, Oregon, is an international Holiness Pentecostal denomination of Christianity, with nationwide reach and headquartered in Portland, Oregon, United States. It was founded in 1907 by Florence L. Crawford, who was affiliated with William J. Seymour and the Azusa Street Revival of Los Angeles, California. By 1908 Crawford had independently founded what would become the Apostolic Faith Church. The Superintendent General of the Apostolic Faith Church is Olusola Adesope.
The United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI) is a Oneness Pentecostal denomination headquartered in Weldon Spring, Missouri. The United Pentecostal Church International was formed in 1945 by a merger of the former Pentecostal Church, Inc. and the Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ.
Oneness Pentecostalism is a nontrinitarian religious movement within the Protestant Christian family of churches known as Pentecostalism. It derives its name from its teaching on the Godhead, a form of Modalistic Monarchianism commonly referred to as the Oneness doctrine. The doctrine states that there is one God―a singular divine spirit with no distinction of persons―who manifests himself in many ways, including as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This stands in sharp contrast to the mainstream doctrine of three distinct, eternal persons posited by Trinitarian theology.
The Trinitarian formula is the phrase "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit", or words to that form and effect, referring to the three persons of the Christian Trinity. It is often followed by an "amen".
The Azusa Street Revival was a historic series of revival meetings that took place in Los Angeles, California. It was led by William J. Seymour, an African-American preacher. The revival began on April 9, 1906, and continued until roughly 1915.
The Pentecostal Church of God (PCG) is a Finished Work Pentecostal denomination of Christianity headquartered in Bedford, Texas, United States. As of 2010, there were 620,000 members, 6,750 clergy in 4,825 churches worldwide.
The Apostolic Church is an international Christian denomination and Pentecostal movement that emerged from the Welsh Revival of 1904–1905. Although the movement began in the United Kingdom, the largest national Apostolic Church became the Apostolic Church Nigeria. The term "Apostolic" refers to the role of apostles in the denomination's church government, as well as a desire to emulate 1st century Christianity in its faith, practices, and government.
The Anglican Catholic Church (ACC), also known as the Anglican Catholic Church (Original Province), is a body of Christians in the continuing Anglican movement, which is separate from the Anglican Communion. This denomination is separate from the Anglican Catholic Church in Australia and the Anglican Catholic Church of Canada.
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 Bethel Ministerial Association is an organization of Christian ministers. It was founded in 1934 by Reverend Albert Franklin Varnell as a way to allow Christian ministers of similar doctrine to come together. Membership in the association is open to ministers only. The Association is nontrinitarian. They believe that there is only one God, who manifests himself as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The association accepts the Bible as the Word of God, and practices immersion baptism in the name of Jesus.
Pentecostal viewpoints concerning homosexuality are varied worldwide, since there is no one organization that represents all Pentecostals. However, most Pentecostal denominations condemn homosexuality as going against scriptural teachings, though there are some affirming Pentecostal denominations.
The Jesus' name doctrine or the Oneness doctrine upholds that baptism is to be performed "in the name of Jesus Christ," rather than using the Trinitarian formula "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." It is most commonly associated with Oneness Christology and the movement of Oneness Pentecostalism; however, some Trinitarians also baptise in Jesus' name and interpret it as on the authority of Jesus' name which most of mainstream Christendom justifies as referencing the existence of a Trinitarian Christian deity through the Great Commission among other precepts such as instances in the Old Testament.
The Apostolic Church of Pentecost (ACOP) is a Finished Work Pentecostalism Christian denomination with origins in the Pentecostal revival of the early 20th century. Although multi-national, ACOP has its strongest membership in Canada. In 2002 ACOP reported "approximately 24,000 members in Canada, with 450 ministers and 153 churches." There are ACOP churches in all the provinces of Canada. ACOP's headquarters is in Calgary, Alberta.
Howard Archibald Goss (1883–1964) was a North American Oneness Pentecostal pastor and evangelist. He became the first superintendent of the United Pentecostal Church International, after it was formed from the merger of two Oneness Pentecostal organizations. Previously, he had been an original member of the Assemblies of God, until he left it after it strongly affirmed the Trinitarian position.
Rev. Robert Edward McAlister was a Canadian pastor and evangelist who was one of the founding members of The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada.
Sarah Jane Lancaster was the leader of Australia's first Pentecostal congregation. An evangelist and administrator, she established a printing press in her meeting hall to produce evangelistic tracts and pamphlets. Lancaster also published Australia's first Pentecostal magazine, Good News. Lancaster became president of the nation's earliest attempt to organise Pentecostalism into a denomination, the Apostolic Faith Mission of Australasia. Although she is recognised as the founder of Australian Pentecostalism and contributed to the unique prominence of women in the founding of Australian Pentecostal congregations, many of her doctrinal ideas were quickly abandoned as the movement developed.
