Assemblies of God USA

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The Assemblies of God USA ( AG ), officially General Council of the Assemblies of God, is a Pentecostal Christian denomination in the United States founded. in 1914 during a Pentecostal ministers' meeting in Hot Springs, Arkansas. This is the US branch of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, the world's largest Pentecostal body. With a constituency of over 3 million, the Assemblies of God is the ninth largest Christian denomination and the second largest pentecostal denomination in the United States in 2011.

The Assemblies of God holds to conservative, evangelical and Arminian theologies as expressed in the Statement of Fundamental Truth and position papers, which emphasize the core Pentecostal doctrines such as baptism in the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, divine healing and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. It defines for itself a fourfold mission to evangelize others, worship God, disciple believers, and show compassion.

The government of fellowship is a combination of presbyterian and congregational models. The tension between local independence and national authority is seen in AG's historical reluctance to call itself a denomination, preferring the terms fellowship and movement . The national headquarters are in Springfield, Missouri, where administrative and executive offices and the Gospel Publishing House are located.

He maintained links with other Pentecostal groups at the regional and national levels through the Pentecostal/Charismatic Church of North America and the Pentecostal World Fellowship. It is also a member of the Wesleyan Holiness Consortium and the National Association of Evangelicals.

Video Assemblies of God USA

Confidence

Fundamental doctrine

The central confidence of the Assemblies of God is summarized in the Statement of Fundamental Truth. The following is a summary of 16 non-negotiable Truths:

1. The Bible is inspired by God and is "the perfect and perfect rule of faith and conduct".
2. There is only one true God who exists as a Trinity.
3. Jesus Christ is the Son of God and, as the second person of the Trinity, is God.
4. Man was created both by God but separated from God through original sin.
5. Salvation "is received through repentance to God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ".
6. There are two ordinances. The baptism of believers by immersion is a statement to the world that believers have died and are raised with Christ, into new creations. The Lord's Supper is a symbol that expresses believers sharing in the divine nature of Christ, a warning about the suffering and death of Christ, and the second coming prophecy of Christ.
Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a separate and subsequent experience after conversion. Spirit baptism brings empowerment to live a Christian life and to be an effective witness.
7. Speaking in tongues is the initial physical evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
8. Sanctification is, "... an act of separation from evil, and dedication to God." It occurs when believers identify with, and have faith in, Christ in his death and resurrection. This is not believed to be the "second definite work" (see Finish Works), as in some other Pentecostal denominations, but understood as a process in that it requires continually producing the Holy Spirit.
9. The mission of the Church is to seek and save all who are lost in sin; The Church is the Body of Christ and is composed of all who accept Christ, regardless of Christian denomination.
10. Called priests and biblical ordained ministers minister to the Church.
11. Divine healing of the sick is provided in reconciliation.
12. The "blessed and coming hope" of the Church is his appointment before the return of Christ to the world.
13. The rapture of the Church will be followed by the return of Christ and his reign on earth for a thousand years.
14. There will be final judgment and eternal punishment for the "wicked dead".
15. There will be a new heaven in the future and a new earth "where it dwells."

Core confidence

AG considers salvation, the baptism of the Holy Spirit with proof of speaking in tongues, divine healing and the second coming of Christ into four main beliefs.

Safety

The Statement of Fundamental Truth states, "The only hope of redeemed humanity is through the blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God who is shed." The Assemblies of God holds the Arminian position of salvation. While it agrees with the Calvinist position that the sovereign Lord, at the same time, believes that man has a free will - freely accepting or rejecting the gift of salvation and eternal life of God. Therefore, the Assemblies of God disapproves of the dual predestination doctrine and the unconditional safety of believers, stating that once saved is impossible for a person to disappear. Instead, the congregation believes that salvation is received and saved by faith, if faith in Christ is lost, salvation is lost.

Baptism in the Holy Spirit

According to the Statement of Fundamental Truth, "All believers are entitled and must earnestly earnestly and earnestly seek" the baptism in the Spirit. It also states, "This is the normal experience of everyone in the early Christian Church". This is a separate experience from and occurs after salvation. This baptism gives the recipient a "mastery of power for life and service, the awarding of the gift and its usefulness in the work of ministry". There are four experiences listed in the Fundamental Truth resulting from the baptism of the Spirit: "overflowing the fullness of the Spirit", "deep reverence for God", intensive consecration and dedication to God and his work, and "a more active love for Christ, for His Word and for the lost. "In addition, this experience begins believers in using spiritual gifts. The "early physical sign" after receiving this baptism was "speaking with another tongue when the Spirit of God gave them a greeting".

Baptism in the Holy Spirit with proof of speaking in tongues is a requirement for licensing and ministerial ordination. However, the baptism of the Spirit and speaking in tongues is not the requirement for membership or participation in the Assembly of God church. The rising minority of pastors has expressed concern that there is a lack of biblical support for the claim that Spirit baptism should always be accompanied by speaking in tongues. This concern is related to the reduced number of adherents of the Lord's Assembly who reported baptism in the Holy Spirit; according to the AG Statistic Office in 2003 less than 50 percent of adherents have this experience. These challenges to the traditional position of AG are recorded in a 2007 report by the AG Spiritual Life Committee:

However, the special doctrine that once united us, in some quarters, became a point of contradiction. We lament for the less frequent gifts of the Spirit in our worship setting. We wonder where, in our busy church schedule, will anyone have the opportunity to live on the altar for a transforming Pentecostal experience?

Apart from these challenges, the 53rd General Council in 2009 passed a resolution confirming the doctrine of early physical evidence.

Divine Healing

The congregation of God understands the divine healing that has been provided in the atonement. Reviewing the scriptures, such as James 5 and Isaiah 53: 5, AG believes that Christians can pray for healing. Indeed, believing that the scriptures give church elders the responsibility to pray "prayer of faith" over the sick. He believes God can and does heal, but believes that God is sovereign and that, whether a person is healed or not, one's belief must be in God. He saw no conflict in trusting God for healing while receiving medical treatment. Regular healing testimony appears in official publications, Pentecostal Evangel , and prayers for healing and witnessing usually occur in church services.

While insisting that divine healing is a reality, AG is not dogmatic about how a person is healed. Margaret Poloma sums up this view by stating, "Physical healing is uncertain, automatic, or submissive to formulas, at the same time, it remains the principle and practice of the congregation of God." Officially, AG rejects the view that healing is caused or influenced by "positive confession", a belief found in prosperity theology and the teachings of the Word of Faith. Nevertheless, these teachings have influenced some of the churches.

Second Coming of Christ

The Basic Truth Statements chapters 13 and 14 articulate the official Session of God teaching about Christ's return to Earth. This is a dispensationalist and premillennial eschatology that includes the pre-Tribulation Church's appointment - "hope that is near and blessed." The rapture of the Church will be followed by Christ's return to earth and his reign for 1,000 years. This thousand-year reign will bring the safety of the people of Israel and universal peace. The congregation of God specifically opposed universal theology and practice of salvation, setting the date for Christ's return, the rapture of Post-Tribulation, and amillennialism.

Position statement

Because of the congregation nature of the congregation, it is difficult to define a distinctive local church. Church identity is influenced by social class, ethnic, and musical style or worship preferences. Sociologists Margaret Poloma and John Green have categorized AG congregations into four types: traditional, evangelical, renewal, and alternative. Traditional congregations are those who strongly identify with AG (and Pentecostalism in general), while encouraging "a more intense experience of charismate, or the gift of the Holy Ghost" such as the baptism of the Spirit and speaking in tongues. The evangelical AG congregation, the most common type, identifies with AG and Pentecostalism but "moves (in varying degrees) away from the unique experiences that were once important signifiers of Pentecostal identity". AG churches that glorify or charismatics are churches that encourage supernatural spiritual gifts, but weakly identify themselves with AG or Pentecostalism. Alternative churches are places where identity with AG and the emergence of unique Pentecost experiences is low; these include churches adopting sensitive and emerging church models.

Despite the diversity found in AG, shared beliefs and values ​​are reflected in local churches. The Assemblies of God is "experience-oriented", and the local church is where the experience of the Holy Spirit's activity will take place. Regular services are usually held on Sunday morning and Sunday and Wednesday evenings. There is no liturgy or official order; though, many churches have familiar routines: opening prayers, church and special songs, offerings, intercession time, sermons, and altar calls. In traditional and charismatic AG churches, these routines may change spontaneously in a service - possibly disturbed by the interpretation of messages in tongues, prophecies, wise words, or words of knowledge - and this change is believed to be directed by the Holy Spirit. In addition, the evening service can incorporate prayer times for those who seek something from God either around the altar or in the adjacent prayer room.

During praise and worship, participants can raise their hands as an act of worship. The singing of the congregation is usually led by choir or worship teams. Full drum sets, pianos, organs, and various other instruments are often used. The types of music sung are generally popular choruses, such as those by Calvary Chapel and Hillsong. Worship is often characterized as intense and enthusiastic.

Prayer stands out in service. The service may display the times when special prayer is offered, often with the lay person leading prayer and other church members participating. During the company's prayers, some people may pray in tongues. Although not in every service, the pastor will pray for the sick. This prayer may include the priest anointing the sick with olive oil and with the help of the church elders along with pastoral colleagues who lay hands on those who seek healing.

Architecturally, smaller churches will feature bright lighting, large windows, a simple platform with a pulpit in the middle, and an altar ("bench in front of the church under the platform"). Larger churches will have direct access from the balcony to the main sanctuary near the platform so that respondents to the altar call can easily advance, a large open area in front of the platform to accommodate altar call encounters, and the platform itself is usually large to accommodate the alloy great sounds and musical instruments. Since the Assemblies of God do baptism by immersion, many churches will include baptism in the back of the stage.

Maps Assemblies of God USA

Structure

The Assemblies of God is defined in its constitution as a "cooperative alliance" of "churches and credible ministers". It has a representative form of government that comes from a presbyterian government and is organized into three administrative levels: the session, the district council and the General Council. However AG has elements of the congregational government, which is limited by the district and the General Council's power to license and discipline an ordained minister.

Congregation

Self-governing church

The Assemblies of God uses several classifications of congregations based on their level of regional autonomy and their relationship with the General Council. Mature and fully functioning sessions are classified as "affiliated churches of the General Council". These churches are "sovereign" and self-governing, but in matters of doctrine, the local assemblies are under the district and the General Council. A church qualifies the membership status of the General Council if:

• accepts the doctrine of AG,
• adopt a membership standard,
• has an active voting membership of at least 20 people,
• adopted a model of government that prevented the pastor or regulatory body from "using dictatorial control over the church",
• has enough spiritual members to fill the church office,
• has made provision for a minister who is a reputable minister with the General Council.

Every local church operates according to its own rules and calls its own pastor. The pastor's office is equivalent to an elder or supervisor and assigned to preach and teach the Word of God, as well as carrying out the day-to-day operations of the church. The layman is chosen as the deacon's council to assist the pastor. A church affiliated to the General Council may withdraw from the Assemblies of God in a two-thirds vote of church membership.

At the request of the pastor, the deacon's council, or 20 percent of the voting members, the district officials may intervene in the internal affairs of the church affiliated with the General Council. If district leaders conclude that district supervision is justified, the church will lose its status as a self-regulating church and return to the status of "district affiliated council" until the issues are resolved. The Church may also return to the district affiliated status if it no longer meets the minimum requirements for membership of the General Council, such as having less than 20 voting members.

District affiliated and cooperative church

Local churches, sections, and district councils can build new churches. A church plant can initially be classified as an "affiliated district" until it meets the requirements for membership of the General Council. District affiliated congregations are under the direct supervision of district officials but are encouraged to develop into independent churches. In 2009, the General Council created a new category called "affiliated parent church". This is a church plant or a campus of a multi-site church under the supervision of the "mother" church affiliated with the General Council.

Existing Pentecostal churches that consider affiliation with the General Council may request a temporary status as "cooperation" for a period of four years before formally joining the denomination.

District

The churches are organized into sections and sections into the middle judicature called districts. 61 districts oversee "all ecclesiastical and sacerdotal activities" within their jurisdictions, which include recommending ministers for national credentials and mediating disputes within local congregations. There are two types of districts. Geographic regions serve areas that are appropriate for national borders, while non-geographic languages ​​or ethnic districts serve certain ethnic languages ​​or groups, such as Hispanic and Samoan churches.

The districts are governed by representative bodies called the district councils , which meet annually. The membership of the district council includes all the ministers of the population and a lay delegate per church AG located within the district. When the district council is not in session, the district is headed by a supervisor and presbyter (board of directors) whose members are elected by and represent the parts. A presbyter of "servant [s] to serve" and "modeling the spiritual maturity and leadership" to the ministers and the church in its part.

General Board

At the top of this organizational framework is the biennial General Council, the highest governmental body of the Assemblies of God. All ministers ordained and licensed and one delegate per church Assembly of God are entitled to attend and participate in the General Council. The size of the General Council is not static but fluctuates, changing from year to year because there is no requirement that the priest attends or that the church sends a delegate. In general, however, there are more than 3,000 voting members.

The General Council passed legislation, ministerial mandates, oversaw national and world mission programs, and directed colleges and church seminaries. The General Council also elected a general superintendent - the chief executive officer of a national organization - and other officials, such as the assistant general supervisor, general secretary, public treasurer, and director of the US and world missions. It manages AG's daily operations and works together as an Executive Leadership Team.

Among the General Council sessions, some 300 elected representatives from different districts and foreign missions meet as General Presbyters. When the General Council is not in session, the General Presbyter serves as the official policy-making body of the Assemblies of God. Presbittery The 20-member Executive, led by the Executive Leadership Team, meets once every two months and serves as the board of Assemblies of God. The Executive Presbyter is responsible to the General Presbittery and is an ex officio member of the agency.

General Superintendent

The Office of the General Oversight was originally known as Chairman of the General Council, until amended in 1927. The General Supervisor of the General Council was Dr. George O. Wood. Wood's tenure began on October 8, 2007. On August 9, 2017, Pdt. Doug Clay was chosen to replace Wood. The following is a list of Supervisors and their tenure:

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Clergy

The Assemblies of God recognizes three ministerial classifications: certified, licensed, and ordained. District councils check candidates for all levels of service and recommend those eligible for the Executive Presbyter (which is the General Council's Credential Committee), which has the authority to issue ministerial credentials. The Constitution AG guarantees that "formal academic achievement (diploma or degree) will not be a requirement for credentials", but the General Presbyter undertakes course and exam mandates.

In preparation for receiving credentials, applicants must complete a correspondence course through Global University (AG distance education program), receive training through a postsecondary institution such as a college or seminary approved by AG, or recommended by the district credential committee as a qualification for credentials based on self-study and ministerial experience of "substantial duration". In addition, applicants must pass a standardized exam that tests their knowledge of the Bible, AG doctrine, and ministerial practice. After passing the exam, they are interviewed by their district credential committee. If judged to be eligible, the district will recommend the applicant to the General Council's credential committee.

The Assemblies of God will not grant credentials to a divorced person and remarry if one partner has an ex-spouse except for certain exceptions. Exceptions include if the divorce occurs before the applicant's conversion or for "scripture causes" such as the marriage of a former spouse or a Christian's neglect by a non-Christian partner (see Pauline privileges). Presbittery Executives have the authority to issue ecclesiastical statements in cases involving conditions that prevent "legitimate marriage creation", such as fraud. Pastors are also banned from membership in secret societies.

The Assemblies also recognize the credential of the local church, which can be issued by the General Council's affiliated churches for those who are only involved in local services, such as prisons or hospital services. The local church's trust holders can perform the church's ordinances with the senior pastor's authority of the issuing church.

In 2008, there were a total of 34,178 Assemblies of God ministers (excluding local church credentials). Of these, 11,544 are senior pastors and 6,730 are women.

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Activity

Missions

The main reason the General Council was formed in 1914 was to create cooperation in Pentecostal missionary work. Missions remain the main focus of denominations ever since. In 2009, there were Assemblies of God churches in 213 countries and territories around the world. Missionary work outside the United States is overseen by the Assemblies of God World Missions. In December 2009, AG World Missions reported 2,719 personnel worldwide. The agency also provides medical evangelism through HealthCare Ministries, founded in 1983 as the Medical Mission Program. This service provides free optical, dental and medical care as well as evangelism. It has been operating in 86 countries since its inception.

The mission in the United States is overseen by the Assemblies of God. Seven departments include chaplain, Chi Alpha Campus Ministries, church planting, United States Mission, American Placement Service (MAPS), intercultural services, Teen Challenge and Youth Alive. MAPS offers volunteers an opportunity to contribute to the US mission in several ways. The first is through church building and evangelism, and the other is through short or long-term missions through summer association programs and missionaries. Youth Alive oversees missionary outreach to primary and secondary schools. In 2010, the US Mission reported 1,059 potential missionaries, candidates, and spouses. In the same year, reported 542 supported pastors.

Ministries

The following are some of the ministries and programs of Assemblies of God USA:

• The Men and Women Missionary Challenge
• Hope Convoy
• Club-Club Club Mpact
• Royal Rangers
• Adolescents Quiz and Bible Junior

Education

In the United States, the Assemblies of God supports 10 Bible colleges, 7 universities, and Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. Admission to all AG colleges and universities is 15,584 for 2013.

The churches of the Assemblies of God operate 842 Christian schools, which may have membership with the Association of Christian Teachers and Schools (ACTS), was established as Christian Christian School Sect Association in 1992. In 2008, there were 105,563 students enrolled in these schools.

Publish

The Assemblies of God operates the Gospel Publishing House, located in Springfield, Missouri, which publishes books, curricula, and church service resources primarily for Pentecostal and charismatic, but also for the general evangelical market. The Assemblies of God publishes the official weekly magazine, Pentecostal Evangel , and Enrichment Journal , a source for Pentecostal servants.

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Demographics

The Assemblies of God in the United States "has grown steadily during the 20th century". In 1925, there were only 50,386 members in 909 churches, but in the early 1970s membership reached 1 million. Its fastest growth occurred from 1971 to 1984, when AG grew from a constituency of about 1 million to 2 million over a 13-year period. In 2011, the average Sunday morning worship for all AG churches in the US was 1,872,399. In the same year, AG's inclusive membership (including people of all ages identifying with AG) was 3,041,957 people attending 12,595 churches. That's an increase of 0.4 percent since 2010.

Ethnic diversity of American AG is increasing; However, the constituency is mostly white. From 1990 to 2000, there was a slight decrease in white AG churches while ethnic churches, especially Hispanics, were responsible for many denominational growth rates. In 2010, AG reported 61.1 percent of its followers as white, 20.4 percent as Hispanic, 9.1 percent as black, 4.1 percent as Asia/Pacific Islander, and 1.6 percent as Native Americans. The remaining 3.7 percent are listed as other/mixed.

AG has created various non-geographic language districts to serve immigrant communities whose primary language is not English. There are nine Spanish-speaking districts and two Korean languages ​​in addition to one for each of the Brazilian and German speakers. In 2009, the language district oversaw 2,195 churches with a combined membership of 279,422.

Members are distributed well throughout the United States. California has the largest number of members, followed by Texas and Florida. However, the states with the highest membership rates are Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alaska, Montana, and Hawaii. The growing AG congregation tends to be in the suburbs, compared to urban and rural areas.

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History

Origin

The Assemblies of God had its roots in Pentecostal revival in the early 20th century. The Pentecostal aspect of revival was generally not welcomed by established churches, and participants in the movement soon found themselves outside the existing religious bodies. They were forced to find their own place of worship, and soon there were hundreds of clear Pentecostal congregations.

After Charles Parham began promoting the idea that speaking in tongues was the earliest evidence of baptism in the Spirit around 1901, he began to attract many followers loosely organized as the Apostolic Faith Movement (AFM) in 1906. However, with the rise of the Azusa Street Awakening in Los Angeles, California, and sodomy charges against him in 1907, he lost and never recovered his influence. After leaving Parham, a very weak AFM reunited around Howard A. Goss, L. C. Hall, D. C. O. Opperman, and A. G. Canada. They later joined Eudorus N. Bell, who was previously a Southern Baptist priest. AFM has its strengths in rural areas in Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri.

In the early years of Pentecostalism, organizational affiliation was liquid, and many AFM ministers, who were white organizations, were also licensed by the Church of African-American God dominated by Charles Harrison Mason. In 1907, Goss had received a license to preach from Masonic groups, and he claimed that Mason had given him permission to issue ministerial credentials under the Lord's Churches in the name of Christ for "white work". In 1910, the name "Church of God in Christ" was seen as a more biblical name and began to be preferred over "Apostolic Faith".

AFM played a major role in organizing and institutionalizing Pentecostalism in the West and Southwest and from 1909-1912 absorbed smaller Pentecostal groups. It also links with Pentecostal missions in the Midwest. The Midwestern Pentecostal Movement is centered around the Stone Church, pasted by William Piper, and North Avenue Mission, pastored by William Howard Durham, both in Chicago, Illinois. Durham is the principal promoter of the Completed Work doctrine that, in time, the AFM will adopt and thereby discard Wesleyan's view of sanctification as the work of the second grace.

Between 1906 and 1908, the Pentecostal message has spread among Christian churches and conferences and Christian Missions (CMA). Initially, it was positively welcomed by the CMA leadership, but the early evidence doctrine divides the organization. The former Pentagon CMA churches in the Midwest and Northeast were left unattended and began to associate with the Apostolic Faith Movement and the Pentecostal Chicago mission.

Initial history (1914-1929)

General Council of 1914

By 1914, many white ministers who were nominally affiliated with the Lord's Church in Christ had become dissatisfied with the arrangement. Leaders AFM Bell, Goss, Opperman, M. M. Pinson, and A. P. Collins issued a call for the general council for "Churches of God in Christ, and for all Pentecostal or Apostolic Troupe of Faith". What resulted was the incorporation of AFM, Chicago, and Pentax CMA in 1914 in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The first General Council was attended by white-dominated representatives from 20 states and missions in Egypt and South Africa. The emerging fellowship is entered as General Council of the Assemblies of God . Bell was chosen as the first general inspector. Five main reasons are given to call a meeting:

1. Creating unity in doctrine and in identifying Pentecostal congregations.
2. Develop ways to preserve jobs at home and abroad.
3. Develop a system that can be applied to support of missionaries.
4. Embedding a local church under "one Bible name".
5. Discuss possible Bible training schools.

The other measures taken at the General Council were first addressed to women in service. Pentecost that founded the Assemblies of God did not object to the women involved in the ministry. Pentecostal beliefs in personal experience, the baptism of the Spirit as empowerment to serve, and the need for evangelists and missionaries to encourage women to be active in all types of ministry. What troubled some Pentecostal leaders, like Bell, was that women exercised independent authority over men. Therefore the council approved the granting of credentials to female evangelists and missionaries while limiting the pastor's office to men, and it was not until 1920 that female evangelists could vote at denominational meetings. In the fall of 1914, out of 512 credential holders, 142 were female missionaries and evangelists.

After 1914, God's Church in Christ will become very black and the Assemblies of God will remain predominantly white. However, there were African-Americans who were involved in the early years of the Assemblies of God. African-American Pastor Garfield Thomas Haywood, for example, pastored one of the largest churches and was an influential voice in the alliance until he withdrew from the denomination after 1916.

"New Issue" and doctrinal clarity

The founders of the fellowship did not intend to create denominations and initially had no creed or doctrinal statements. However, in response to some doctrinal issues, the most important is the doctrine of Oneness, AG feels the need for an agreement on central doctrine and to convince evangelical Christians of its adherence to orthodox beliefs. The unity of Pentecostalism rejects Trinitarian theology, rather than identifying Old Testament Jehovah with the New Christ. Furthermore, followers of Oneness believe that Christians, apart from previous baptism, must be baptized in the name of Jesus, rather than in the name of the Trinity. In 1915, it was obeyed by many people in the fellowship, including founders such as Goss, Opperman, Hall, and Henry G. Rodgers. Other influential leaders, such as G. T. Haywood, adopted the doctrine of Oneness as well.

In 1916, the 4th General Council met at St. Louis to complete the "new problem". In a move that caused little anxiety, a committee introduced the Fundamentals of Truth Statement. Proponents of oneness and others see this as an assault on biblical authority, but it is adopted along with the recommendation that AG ministers use the Trinitarian baptismal formula. The credibility of the old memorials is remembered and newly issued with Fundamental Truth is included. The followers of unity, including a third of fellowship fellowship, are forced to resign, a loss that is especially felt in the South where the doctrine of Oneness has the greatest influence. The side-effect of this is the transition in leadership of previous Apostolic leaders of faith, many of whom accept the teachings of Oneness, to people with a background of the Christian Alliance and Missionaries. The dissidents of Unity formed the General Assembly of the Apostolic Churches, who later joined other groups to form the World Pentecostal Assembly.

Amongst Fundamental Truths is a statement about speaking in tongues as an early physical proof of the baptism of the Spirit. Inclusion is challenged by F.F. Bosworth, an executive presbyter, who holds that while for many tongues speaking is evidence of baptism it is not the only evidence. This issue was decided at the General Council of September 1918 in which Bosworth, who two months earlier resigned from damaging the fellowship, was present and invited to speak on the council. After the debate, two resolutions were passed that assured that the initial evidence would remain the official teaching of the fellowship.

While the doctrinal controversy led to the withdrawal of servants, the alliance experienced growth in the years that followed. District councils are organized in different regions of the country and, where this is absent, houses missionary fields designated to maximize evangelism efforts. In 1917, W. Jethro Walthall headed his Holiness Baptist Association in southwestern Arkansas into the Assemblies of God. District councils and mission offices are also established outside the US. In 1921, there were districts in Canada (see Canadian Pentecost Series), China, Japan (see Assemblies of God in India), India and Egypt (see Assemblies of God in India). The Central Bible College began in the basement of God's Supreme Council in Springfield, Missouri, in 1922. In 1929, the alliance claimed 91,981 members in 1,612 churches.

1930-1979

Women and ethnic minorities

Regardless of the origin of Pentecostalism in a racially inclusive revival, it accommodates itself to the culture of early American racial segregation. The Assemblies of God is no different. In early 1915, an executive presbyter wrote in an article for Pentecostal Evangel that segregation was "ordained by God"; However, it was not until 1939 that the Public Presbyter enacted a policy that prohibited African American ordination to ministries. The district is still permitted to license African Americans to preach but only in districts where licenses are issued. The black Pentecost who is seeking ordination is called "one of the colorful organizations". This is especially true of the Lord's Church in Christ, which, despite the fact that it precedes the congregation of God, is seen as a "younger brother". It was not until 1962, under the leadership of Inspector General Thomas F. Zimmerman, that denominations finally began to issue ordination without regard to race. Three years later the General Council of 1965 adopted a resolution that affirmed the objectives of the Civil Rights Movement and condemned racism and discrimination. In the 1970s, there was a renewed focus on inner city evangelism and integrated urban efforts.

While blacks were excluded from AG until the 1960s, denominational work among Spanish-speaking people had a long history, first explicitly sanctioned in 1918. Hispanic outreach became independent of the Foreign Mission Department in 1929 when the first Latin American District established. At the end of World War II, the Latin American AG constituency established the largest Protestant presence among Hispanics in the United States. AG also focuses on European immigrant populations, but as later generations assimilate into American culture, this separate segment of Europe is absorbed into a regular geographic region.

During the period when African Americans were banned from ordination, women began to receive greater opportunities for leadership. Women form an important part of the Constituent Assembly of God, many of whom become Sunday School workers and evangelists, most notably are Aimee Semple McPherson (who later found Foursquare Church). This made the issue of women's place in the movement important in the 1930s. It is also acknowledged that many congregations unable to pay for male pastors rely on female preachers. Despite the fact that opposition to female pastors has been regularly affirmed since 1914, the pastor's office was opened to women in 1935.

Relationship with denominations and other renewal movements

Among World Wars, the movement maintained the relative isolation of other Pentecostal and evangelical groups, but after World War II, AG began an approach with Pentecostal groups abroad. Like the Pentecostal Federation of Churches in Germany and the Assemblies of God in Australia, at that time many national denominations came to affiliate with the US alliance. This partnership will eventually develop into the World Assemblies of God Fellowship. In addition to establishing fellowship in other countries, AG also began communicating with other US churches. The Assembly of God is a founding member of the North American Association of Evangelists and Pentecostal Fellows (now the Pentecostal/Charismatic Church of North America).

In the 1950s, AG was challenged by the Last Rain Movement, which began among former Canadian Pentecostal Assembly members, Canadian AG partners, and quickly spread to the United States. The "New Order" as it is known is very critical of denominations, such as AG, and teaches that the gifts of the Spirit are channeled through the elders of the church and given to others by the laying on of hands. However, the Assemblies of God and other classical Pentecostal groups maintain that charisma is not accepted or given personally but manifested as the will of the Holy Spirit. In 1949 with an approaching General Council meeting, there was concern that the alliance might be divided over the issue of Latter Rain, but in the end, the General Council united against what was seen as an excess of the movement. The General Council Resolution establishes six errors that include: giving, identifying, granting, or confirming gifts by prophecy and the laying on of hands. It also rejects the idea that the Church is built upon apostles and prophets today. The Last Rain Theology of the Rapture Before the Tribulation and the doctrines of God's children embodied are condemned as heretics. The Final Rain and Salvation/Revival Healing in the late 1940s and 50s will be a major influence on the later renewal movement.

The Assemblies of God affiliation with the National Association of Evangelicals in 1942 signaled AG's harmonization with evangelicalism and its opposition to mainline Protestantism and the ecumenical movement. AG and his evangelical partners agree on most issues and share the same worldview even though the distinctive features of Pentecost AG - Spirit baptism and the operation of spiritual gifts - are not shared by most evangelical Christians. The AG's later response to the charismatic movement that began in the 1960s was a caution, affirming the steps of the Holy Spirit but insisting that all revivals should be judged by the scriptures. For the first time, beliefs and practices that remained largely confined to the classical Pentecostal denomination began to affect large-scale Roman Protestant and Roman Catholic churches. The fact that this happened in these churches (which was historically seen by Pentecost as a suspect), the multifaceted nature of the movement due to the many different traditions that came from the participants, and the perception by Pentecost that the movement was based too much on experience. and not on biblical teaching causes some in the Assemblies of God to see it in relation to the ecumenical movement.

The charismatic movement forced the reevaluation of what was Pentecostal. The congregation of God understood the baptism of the Spirit in the context of evangelical theology of baptism and, in the 1950s, emphasized certain doctrines and practices as a condition for the baptism of the Spirit. Charismatics challenge these views by claiming to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit outside this context (such as remaining in the liturgical churches, failing to reject sacramental theology, and not adopting taboo taboo on dancing, drinking, smoking, etc.). At the local level, the churches of the Assemblies of God are influenced by the charismatic movement. Some charismatics abandon their native churches and join the unofficial congregations of the Church of God. Moreover, the contemporary emphasis on traditional Pentecostal taboos in AG is partly due to the charismatic movement, which accelerated the existing trend.

Changing views on behavior, war, and pacifism

Since the emergence of their movement in the early 20th century, Pentecostals see themselves as "weirdos," and one component of this identity is a special ban on behavior. Prohibition of drug use, gambling, social dancing, consuming alcohol, smoking, attending the theater, playing bowling, swimming in public and beach pools, having television, and feminine fashion and dress restrictions help distinguish Pentecost from the larger community. Beginning in the 1950s, attitudes in the Assemblies of God in many of these activities experienced dramatic changes. The most likely change occurs on views on women's clothing, with the former attitude towards wearing makeup and jewelry provides a way to accept popular fashion. Most of these "standards of holiness" are no longer obeyed; however, some are still held, such as banning smoking, alcohol, and drug use.

For most of its history, the Assemblies of God officially opposed Christian participation in war and was listed by The Pacifist Handbook as America's third largest peace church in 1940. The official church position until 1967 prompted Christian violence: "We... remain limited to say we can not participate consciously in war and armed resistance involving the real destruction of human life, as this is contrary to our view of the clear doctrine of the inspired Word of God." Most of the founders and members of the first generation of denominations held this view, and it was presented as an official teaching during World War I and World War II. The official pacifist position remained unchanged until 1967 when the denomination asserted "the right of every member to choose whether to declare their position as a fighter, non-combatant, or a rejecter". This was the culmination of a process that began during World War I, when it was unpopular to hold anti-war views, in which his followers AG questioned the pacifist attitude of their religious group.

Recent history (1980-present)

The Assemblies of God emerges as the leading Pentecostal denomination in terms of global status, wealth, influence, and compliance. In the 1980s, the Assemblies of God saw rapid growth in the US, for several years ranked as America's fastest growing denomination. This growth was mainly the result of his Hispanic reach (in 1988 Hispanic members made up about 15 percent of the total constituent alliance). The growth of an Asian immigrant constituency was also recognized in this decade when the first Korean district was created. The Assemblies of God gained national visibility in the late 1980s from a popularity scandal and then about two ministers, Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker. The Assemblies of God launched an effort to increase evangelism and growth in the 1990s called the "Harvest Decade". However, such attempts failed to sustain impressive growth in the 1980s. From 2003 to 2008, growth has slowed to an average annual increase of more than 1 percent.

With increasing growth comes increased acceptance and acculturation. Since the 1980s, more AG ministers have been educated and ascend to positions of leadership in evangelical institutions, such as Fuller Theological Seminary, Gordon-Conwell, and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. This "evangelization of the congregation of God" has led to the weakening of Pentecostal traits, especially the doctrine of early evidence. Other traditional practices, such as holding prayer meetings and altar services, have faded over time as well. Regardless of the efforts of religious group leaders to reaffirm Pentecostal identity and remain more than "evangelical plus language", the acculturation process continues.

Even so, the churches in the Assemblies of God experienced a revival in the last two decades of worship and practice that reminds of early Pentecostalism. The most prominent is the Brownsville Revival, which took place at Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola, Florida, from 1995 to early 2000s. This revival often faces criticism from within and without the Assemblies of God because of their uncertainty and the dramatic religious experience of the participants. In the case of Brownsville's rise, AG's national leadership gave him cautious approval and support.

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See also

• List of Assemblies of God
members
• Megachurches is affiliated with Assemblies of God
• Protestant in the United States

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Note

src: ag.org

References

• Assemblies of God USA (2007). Minutes of the 52nd Session of the General Council of the Assemblies of God . Retrieved 12 October 2010.
• Assemblies of God USA (2009). Minutes of the 53rd Session of the General Council of the Assemblies of God, with the Revised Constitution and Bylaws . Retrieved 12 October 2010.
• Beaman, Jay (1989).

  Pentecostal Pacifism: Origin, Development, and Rejection of Pacific Confidence Among Pentecostals . Hillsboro, Kansas: Mennonite Brethren Historical Society.

• Blumhofer, Edith L. (1993). Restoring Faith: The Assemblies of God, Pentecostalism, and American Culture . Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-06281-0.
• Creech, Joe (1996). "Visions of Glory: The Place of the Azusa Street Revival in Pentecostal History". Church History 65, no. 3.
• Holdcroft, L. Thomas (1980). "New Order of the End Showers". Pneuma: The Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies 2, no. 2.
• Patterson, Eric; Rybarczyk, Edmund, Editor (2007). The Future of Pentecostalism in the United States . New York: The Lexington Book. ISBN 978-0-7391-2102-3.
• Poloma, Margaret M. (1989). The Assemblies of God at the Crossroads: Charisma and Institutional Dilemma . Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press. ISBN 978-0-87049-607-3.
• Poloma, Margaret M. and John C. Green (2010). The Assemblies of God: Godly Love and Revitalization of Pentecostalism America . New York: New York University Press. ISBN 978-0-8147-6783-2.
• Robeck, Cecil M. (2003). "The Magisterium Appears" The Case of the Church of God ". Pneuma: The Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies 25, no. 2.
• Robeck Jr., Cecil M. (May 2005). "PAST: The Roots of the History of Racial Unity and Division of Pentecostalism in America". Cyberjournal for Pentecostal-Charismatic Research . The International Pentecostal-Charismatic Theological Question. Retrieved 2 March 2009.
• Robins, R. G. (2010). Pentecostalism in America . Santa Barbara, California: Praeger. ISBN 978-0-313-35294-2.
• Roozen, David A.; James R. Nieman, Editor (2005). Church, Identity, and Change: The Theology and Structure of Denominations in Match Time . Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-8028-2819-4.
• Saggio, Joseph J. (2009). "Towards the Original Model of the Native American Ministry in the Assemblies of God". Pneuma: The Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies 31, no. 1.

src: www.metroassembly.org

Further reading

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External links

• Official website
• The Pentecostal Flower Relics Center (the Lord's Archive Assembly), one of the largest collections of material documenting the global Pentecostal movement; its website contains free research tools, including over 350,000 pages of periodical digital and online catalogs with over 110,000 entries.
• "The Assemblies of God" (2007), I Believe with Dennis Wholey

Source of the article : Wikipedia