Assembly of God - Essay Example

Assembly of God Assembly of God Officially known as the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, the Assemblies of God (AG) is the largest Pentecostal denomination in the world with about 67 million members and adherents in over 212 countries. The Assembly of God comprises of autonomous Christian groups (Jackson, 2013) served by 300,000 ministers who believe in the core doctrines of the Assemblies of God that include baptism with the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues, salvation by repentance and faith, divine healing of the sick, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Poloma, 2013). The Statement of Fundamental Truths (SFT) defines the 16 basic components for AG ritual, which mostly include the two biblical ordinances of baptism and Holy Communion (Poloma, 2013). However, they do not baptize infants and regard baptism by water as public declaration of ones commitment to Christ. Notably, the AG believes in the Holy Trinity, which relates to only One True God revealed in three persons that include the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Believers give their tithes and offerings that pay church bills (The General Council of the Assemblies of God, 2014). The doctrine of salvation in AG follows the teachings of Jacob Arminius that reckons that believers can fall from grace if they fail to repent their sins. The AG has unique Pentecostal beliefs where it follows a fundamentalist approach to the Bible. Notably, the AG concentrates on evangelism and missions, and faith healing crusades in practicing their religion. Worship in the AG adopts music as a major component practiced before, during and even after the service (The General Council of the Assemblies of God, 2014). The music has different accompaniments that inspire singing during the service. The music may include traditional hymns, hand-clapping gospel songs, contemporary compositions, or reverent worshipful choruses for congregational and special ministries (The General Council of the Assemblies of God, 2014). Subject to the congregational nature of the Assemblies of God, there is no formal liturgy, and most church bulletins do not include details about the order of service (Poloma, 2013). However, most Sunday services follow a familiar routine that starts with a congregational hymn followed by worship session, prayer session, and the sermon (Poloma, 2013). The history of the Assemblies of God dates back to 1914 when a group of Evangelicals from the Pentecostal movement started the denomination (Gotquestions.org, 2014). The initial purpose of forming the AG was to foster unity and doctrinal stability among Christian groups affected by the Pentecostal revivals as the revival held at Azusa Street in Los Angeles between1906 and 1909 (Poloma, 2013). The formation of the AG sought to increase the frequency of God’s power in churches and individuals (Gotquestions.org, 2014). The first General Council of the Assemblies of God took place in 1914 at the Hot Spring, Arkansas (Poloma, 2013. The General Council of the Assemblies of God adopted the Statement of Fundamental Truths that defined AG’s core doctrines in 1916 (Poloma, 2013. The Statement of Fundamental Truths (SFT) defined the sixteen doctrinal statements of faith that all AG believers and churches followed. Since its inception, many believers have been spending long hours in prayer where they seek an interaction with the Holy Spirit and expect to speak in tongues as an evidence of the Holy Spirits baptism(Gotquestions.org, 2014). Currently, the number of committed believers within the Assemblies of God has been increasing over time. We can attribute the growth in the AG churches and believers to its efforts to attract young people, immigrants, and ethnic minorities (Gotquestions.org, 2014). The AG disregards same sex marriages and ordination and embraces female pastors, contemporary music, and high-tech quality communications (Gotquestions.org, 2014). However, many followers of the Assemblies of God have been encountering confusing events subject to the emphasis on healing and signs and the false doctrines taught by disgruntled ministers (Gotquestions.org, 2014). Indeed, literature confirms that some Assemblies of God ministers have been focusing on inordinate focus on the ecstatic experiences. Moreover, the AG website claims that preachers do not heal but God heals through our faith. As such, the religion encourages believers to pray and believe that God will accord them a good outcome (Gotquestions.org, 2014). Notably, through the faithful works of Assemblies of God churches, many people have come to salvation by faith. The Assemblies of God have therefore played a major role in fostering unity and doctrinal stability among Christian groups and increased the frequency of God’s power in churches and among individuals. Previous literature reckons that the Assemblies of God have been combining elements of Presbyterianism and Congregationalism (Poloma, 2013). Indeed, the AG has independent congregations that exercise their right to hire and fire their own pastors and oversee their own affairs. We can also establish that the General Council of the Assemblies of God or the General Presbytery is the executive body that addresses the general interests of the denomination (Poloma, 2013). Previous researches confirm that the Assemblies of God ministries are controversial especially with respect to healing campaigns. Indeed, there is no evidence to prove God’s presence in various revival and healing campaigns that defined the AG for many years. Moreover, there is no documented or physical evidence to prove the healing of numerous followers during the healing campaigns. In addition, despite the salvation of thousands of followers, the crime and divorce levels have never reduced in reference areas (Gotquestions.org, 2014). Some of the renowned Assemblies of God ministers like Benny Hinn and Jim Bakker have participated in various scandals like the laughing revival and the Pensacola that derived a wide range of biblically questionable practices (Gotquestions.org, 2014). Another controversy relates to the discrepancy between the official position and that of some teachers regarding doctrine of divine healing (Gotquestions.org, 2014). I think that just like any other denomination or religion, the Assemblies of God ministries has numerous merits and weaknesses. I agree with most nonnegotiable tenets of faith adopted by all Assemblies of God churches. However, I believe that their focus on divine healing of the sick by faith have led to most controversies that demean the religion. As such, believers and preachers should stop competition in the ministry and appreciate that preachers do not heal but God heals through our faith. The AG should therefore urge believers to pray and believe that God will heal the sick instead of clinging for unjustified healing miracles. Nevertheless, with the eminent growth of the religion, I agree that the AG is a fundamental Christian ministry for all generations seeking to serve God’s purpose. References Gotquestions.org. (2014). What is the Assemblies of God Church, and what do they believe? Retrieved from: http://www.gotquestions.org/Assemblies-of-God.html Jackson, V. (2013, Nov 10). As other congregations decline, assembly of god churches expanding. McClatchy - Tribune Business News. Poloma, M. (2013). Assemblies of God (AG). Retrieved from: http://www.has.vcu.edu/wrs/profiles/AssembliesOfGod.htm The General Council of the Assemblies of God. (2014). What to expect when visiting an Assemblies of God church. Retrieved from: http://ag.org/top/about/what_to_expect.cfm Read More