Christianity: Details about 'Assemblies Of God'
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The Assemblies of God is the world's largest Pentecostal Protestant Christian denomination. As of 2005, there are approximately 52.5 million worldwide who are members of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship . In the year 2000, the Assemblies of God World Congress reported 107 fraternal fellowships and 10,000 converts a day worldwide . The nation with the most Assemblies of God churches is Brazil, with 8.4 million members (3.6 million associated with US branch). As of 2005, the fellowship operated 859 Bible Schools, 1,131 Extension Programs and 39 Seminaries outside of the United States . Within the United States, the fellowship is organized under the General Council of the Assemblies of God (USA), with a constituency of 2.7 million and 12,277 churches. The General Council's national headquarters are in Springfield, Missouri, where the administration building, Gospel Publishing House, and International Distribution Center are located. The General Council is a member of the National Association of Evangelicals. The Assemblies of God holds to a conservative Protestant theology expressed in the Assemblies of God Statement of Fundamental Truths, which emphasizes such core Pentecostal doctrines as the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, and faith healing. Congregations are independent and autonomous from each other and the national headquarters; however only the national headquarters has authority to ordain ministers and revoke their credentials. The ordination of women as head pastors (and all other positions) is allowed and about 17.6% (5817) of clergy are women.
HistoryThe Assemblies of God, or AoG for short, was founded in 1914 at Hot Springs, Arkansas after many of its founders severed ties with the Church of God in Christ, a Pentecostal body founded by Charles Harrison Mason in 1897, with whom they had been previously affiliated . Representatives from 20 states and a few foreign countries gathered to form a fellowship of Pentecostal believers . A fellowship emerged that was incorporated as the General Council of the Assemblies of God. E. N. (Eudorus Neander) Bell (1866-1923) was elected the first chairman. Central Bible College was started in the basement of the Central Assembly of God church in Springfield in 1922. The Assemblies of God has forerunners in groups that existed before its incorporation in 1914. In April of 1906, the Apostolic Faith Movement began in Orchard, Texas. A group of 20 ministers organized as the Church of God (not connected with the Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee movement) near Slocumb, Alabama in February 1911. This Church of God and the Apostolic Faith Movement united around 1912. It was this group, now called Churches of God in Christ, that issued the call for a general council to meet in Hot Springs in 1914. The Holiness Baptist Churches of Southwestern Arkansas (org. 1903), under the leadership of William Jethro Walthall (1858-1931), united with the Assemblies of God in 1917. As opposed to other pentecostal organizations, the AG was not organized strictly around a Wesleyan view of holiness. U.S. Based Fellowships
Colleges, Universities and InstitutesA number of institutions of higher learning are endorsed by the General Council of the Assemblies of God United States. . Institutes and Schools
Colleges
Universities
Worldwide Distance Learning
SeminariesChurches and MinistriesAssemblies of God Megachurches
Affiliated Ministries
with websites* See Also
References
Asambleas De Dios Asembleo de Dio Assemblées de Dieu 하나님의 성회 Gereja Sidang-Sidang Jemaat Allah Assemblee di Dio in Italia Assemblies of God アッセンブリーズ・オブ・ゴッド Assembléia de Deus Sammankomsterna av Gud Hội chúng của Ðức Chúa Trời 神召会
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