Posted on 07/09/2011 12:18:32 AM PDT by Cronos
The Assemblies of God, one of the largest Pentecostal denominations, is growing faster than the U.S. population.
AG reported that its U.S. adherents increased four percent in 2010, which is several times higher than the U.S. population growth rate, which is about one percent a year. Adherents of the Assemblies of God USA have surpassed three million followers, 3,030,944 to be exact, in 2010.
This is the largest annual percentage increase since 1983, according to AG records.
In terms of official membership, AG reported a 2.5 percent increase, to 1.75 million members. Attendance at major worship service, water baptism, spirit baptism, and conversions were also up, according to statistics.
The largest decline was seen in the Sunday evening service, where attendance drastically fell 4.1 percent, to 399,728.
This is one religion I don’t understand. As a general observation, I have never seen a more conniving, controlling, arrogant type of preacher.
Just calling it like I see it.
Don’t confuse shyster charismatics with true Pentecostal Christians.
The Pentecostal movement, the main distinguishing mark of the Assemblies of God, is sincere and a true reflection of Christ-like ministry. They are socially conservative, care for the poor, widowed and orphaned, and preach personal salvation and responsibility.
The number of Pentecostals is increasing even more rapidly in South America, where the population is embracing the message. Used to be very big in the Orient, particularly Korea...though I don’t know how its message has been received lately.
Sadly, the decrease in Sunday evening services is related to the churches themselves CANCELLING such services.
“This is one religion I don’t understand. As a general observation, I have never seen a more conniving, controlling, arrogant type of preacher.”
Then I would invite you to my hardcore, Pentecostal AOG church. You will hear the straight gospel. Enthusiastic worship. Committed adults and teens. And a church reaching out and changing the community it is in. You will hear people baptized in the spirit and see some mighty things happening.
And this comes from a fellow who grew up Episcopalian and passed thru the Presbyterian (PCA) church. Both my wife and I knew there had to be more. There is.
ok. Please could you elaborate? How was the preacher conniving and controlling?
They didn’t say in the article how much of the growth was due to new people joining the AOG- and how much of the growth was existing congregations deciding to affiliate with the AOG.
Ah — yet that doesn’t make any sense either — why are they cancelled? And how can one cancel a service this week, have one the next week etc?
They loved Jim Bakker until they didn’t.
I can elaborate. In 1998, our AOG church hired a new pastor and didn’t do a good job of checking the references.
His past includes adultery, embezzelement, inappropriate behavior with teenage girls, taking financial advantage of old people, etc. I know because I called his former churches after we caught hin in lies.
I presented these facts to the local church board, the state AOG office and the national legal counsel Rich Hammer. It was covered up all the way around and the people who spoke to me from the other churches were threatened by their districts.
Apart from that, the AOG tend to buy into any silly fad that hits the penecostal circuit - Holy Laughter, fainting in the spirit, etc.
That stupid dishonest pastor just 3 weeks ago finally got fired from my old church - the IRS put leans on church accounts he had attached his name to.
It’s a about time but I suspect he’ll just move on to another church as his deeds will be covered up like all the other times.
I want NOTHING to do with the AOG church.
“This is one religion I don’t understand. As a general observation, I have never seen a more conniving, controlling, arrogant type of preacher.
Just calling it like I see it.”
We all still have the right to express our opinions.
how exactly did you check the guys references if I might ask? Checked his education, his previous jobs?
“The Pentecostal movement, the main distinguishing mark of the Assemblies of God, is sincere and a true reflection of Christ-like ministry.”
Not quite:
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Wolves/assemblies_of_god.htm
Most Assemblies of God Churches, do not emphasize speking in tongues and and have some sort of mid-week gathering for those that do.
Personally, I don’t think it is a “gift” for today, but I know enough faithful Christians who do to dismiss it entirely. It’s just not a “gift” that I have or any interest in exploring.
I don’t know how the hiring committee checked. They were just a group of regular members -a nurse, band teacher, secretary, etc, none were HR people.
My husband and I caught him in lies and some others things that made us suspicious, so I ran one of those internet background searches and found ALL his former chuches (including the ones conveniently left off his resume) and listed as part of the corporation where the church Board members, so I called them...and boy, did I get an earful...
As for his education, he, like most AOG clergy, went to some half-ass AOG “college.” His “degree” probably isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.
I think some clergy is just lazy these days.
We have a church of ~1.000, and I guess they didn’t appreciate the ~100 or so who came out every Sunday night! But that’s 100 people who are now spending that time doing something other than worshipping God!
And don’t get me started on the fact that most Protestant churches don’t even have services on Christmas Eve or day!
I love all of these “doctorate” degrees these preachers grant on each other! Most have never seen the inside of a college, yet they’re all “Dr. This” and “Dr. That”! Almost all of these are honorary degrees!
Yes, quite. :) I do encourage others to go to site you recommended, though! Why? Because the educated reader (which I believe makes up the bulk of FR membership) will recoil when they see the authors accuse Billy and Franklin Graham being involved in a cult!
Regarding the other “proofs” that supposedly show the Assemblies of God being an unChristian denomination, again, I’ll let the educated mind decide whether or not there are legitimate debates withing the Protestant church regarding the issues of “gifts” and the permanence of salvation.
While I lean more toward a Calvinist position, I recognize there are fair minded people on the other side of the aisle. I also have had direct and intimate connections with people in the “Pentecostal” movement. They are friendly, bible-believing, hard working Christians who worship God in spirit and in truth.
A site that points to charlatans isn’t really definitive, since there are charlatans in every walk of life. There are thousands of A/G ministers—pointing to the handful who might have had a connection with the group at one time (for instance, Jimmy Swaggart who lost his credentials years ago) is laughable. They’re not like elected Democrats in Washington, whom I AM convinced are all corrupt. :)
My extremely conservative family hunted for years for a home church. We mostly attended Southern Baptist churches. Last year we found a wonderful church. I thought it was non-denominational, but it turned out to be an AOG. The pastor is the best speaker I’ve ever heard, and is a truly wonderful man. The church is conservative, and growing quickly.
I was raised to be wary of speaking in tongues, but it has not been a problem. The teaching we have received has been Scripturally sound. They are against abortion, and frown on divorce and the homosexual agenda.
sounds incredibly difficult to chose a pastor if there are uncredited colleges and ordinary folks have to choose
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