Assembly of God: what do they believe?

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I have a new friend who was raised Catholic and attended Catholic school all the way through highschool who became a member of an Assembly of God church. I don’t know his own personal reasons for doing so, because we haven’t gotten to that yet. I am saddened by it, however. What do people in the Assembly of God believe? Are they anti-Catholic? I believe they are evangelical, but all I know is they have a HUGE church complex not far from my home and draw thousands there weekly. Does anyone on here know much about them and their beliefs? Please educate me!

Thank you in advance and may God bless you!
 
“ASSEMBLIES OF GOD” AND OTHER “LATTER RAIN” SECTS
by Paul Stenhouse, M.S.C., Ph.D

The recent announcement by Sydney jockey Darren Beadman that he was giving up his promising racing career to become a minister in the Christian Life Centre (run by the Assemblies of God Pentecostal Church), provoked some predictable regret in the industry and some scoffing in the media. 1

When genuinely sympathetic people find the ‘speaking in tongues,’ shouting, visions, trances, jerking, dancing, ‘ecstatic utterances,’ ‘gifts of prophecy’ and ‘interpretation of tongues’ associated with Charismatic ‘religion’ too irrational and hysterical to be credible, is it surprising that the unbelievers scoff?​

Pentecostal sects and the ‘Holiness’ movement​

The ‘Pentecostalists’ are part of the ‘Holiness’ millenarian movement that started in the 1880s in southern California, and for which the ‘charismatic’ element was dominant.

All members are believed to be filled with, and led by, the Spirit and therefore ‘perfect. They practice what they claim to be miraculous healing, and boast of receiving the ‘baptism of the Spirit,’ and the gifts of the Spirit.’ They exhibit an emotionalism that is regarded as characteristic of the extreme Charismatic sects.

The Church of the Nazarene is a ‘Holiness’ Church founded in Los Angeles in 1895 after three ‘Pentecostal Tabernacles’ had been set up in Brooklyn, New York in 1894. Through affiliation with other Presbyterian and Methodist Pentecostal Churches, the Pentecostal Church qf the Nazarene arose, and in 1919 ‘Pentecostal’ was dropped, as the members did not favour ‘speaking in tongues’ which was a practice of more radical Pentecostal groups, the largest of which is the Assemblies of God.

Read the full article HERE
 
This article is highly inaccurate and biased. You rightly object to people going to anti-Catholics for information on Catholicism. In the same way, Fr. Stenhouse is not a good source for information on Pentecostals. Exercise the same fairness you expect from Protestants, and consult either sympathetic or neutral sources to get your basic information.

Sean O L said:
“ASSEMBLIES OF GOD” AND OTHER “LATTER RAIN” SECTS
by Paul Stenhouse, M.S.C., Ph.D

When genuinely sympathetic people find the ‘speaking in tongues,’ shouting, visions, trances, jerking, dancing, ‘ecstatic utterances,’ ‘gifts of prophecy’ and ‘interpretation of tongues’ associated with Charismatic ‘religion’ too irrational and hysterical to be credible, is it surprising that the unbelievers scoff?
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Who are these “genuinely sympathetic people”? Christianity has always seemed like foolishness to outsiders. This is not a valid objection to Pentecostalism.
The ‘Pentecostalists’ are part of the ‘Holiness’ millenarian movement that started in the 1880s in southern California, and for which the ‘charismatic’ element was dominant.
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The “Holiness” movement goes back much earlier in the 19th century, began in the Northeast (especially New York) rather than California, and was not originally a millenarian movement. More accurately, Fr. Stenhouse is speaking of what is sometimes called the “radical holiness movement,” which was much more sectarian and was influenced by premillenialism (this is my own background).
All members are believed to be filled with, and led by, the Spirit and therefore 'perfect.
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In a highly qualified sense. Essentially, the Holiness view of perfection is analogous to the qualification for obtaining a plenary indulgence–freedom from all attachment to sin. It does not mean total perfection in all respects (it certainly does not mean, as Fr. Stenhouse later implies, that the sanctified person has a perfectly reliable judgment). Furthermore, being filled with the Spirit is not guaranteed by membership in the movement or in any denomination (surely Fr. Stenhouse doesn’t think that that’s what Pentecostals believe–but that’s the plain sense of his words). Finally, while the earliest Pentecostals were “holiness” and believed in “entire sanctification” as I’ve just described it, the Assemblies of God derive from non-Holiness people who were influenced by Pentecostalism. The AOG does not, as far as I know, teach entire sanctification in the Wesleyan Holiness sense. Rather, they teach that the baptism of the Holy Spirit gives power for service. This does involve living a holy life, of course. But it’s even farther away from a claim to total perfection than the Holiness position is. He’s muddling several different things here.
They exhibit an emotionalism that is regarded as characteristic of the extreme Charismatic sects…
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I don’t know what that sentence is supposed to mean. Regarded by whom? What extreme sects? The AOG are not as “extreme” as the more extreme charismatic groups. He’s simply trying to smear Pentecostals without defining his terms at all.
The Church of the Nazarene is a ‘Holiness’ Church founded in Los Angeles in 1895 after three ‘Pentecostal Tabernacles’ had been set up in Brooklyn, New York in 1894. Through affiliation with other Presbyterian and Methodist Pentecostal Churches, the Pentecostal Church qf the Nazarene arose, and in 1919 ‘Pentecostal’ was dropped, as the members did not favour ‘speaking in tongues’ which was a practice of more radical Pentecostal groups, the largest of which is the Assemblies of God.
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This is essentially my background–my folks belonged to a much smaller group who weren’t as successful as the Nazarenes (they regarded the Nazarenes as overly lax–my folks were so extremely strict that very few people were willing to join them).

In the full article, Fr. Stenhouse makes the dubious claim that instances of crimes committed allegedly by divine command discredit the entire Pentecostal movement. By this methodology, one could easily discredit Catholicism. I know quite well from bitter personal experience how the radical holiness tradition can lead to a misplaced identification of one’s own ideas and feelings with the leading of the Spirit. Fr. Stenhouse isn’t entirely wrong there. But he’s absolutely wrong in saying that the holiness/Pentecostal tradition has no way to tell a sincere believer that he or she is mistaken. Holiness and Pentecostal believers recognize the possibility of spiritual delusion and devote quite a bit of energy to guarding against it. Abuse of an idea does not prove the falsehood of the idea. Catholics, of all people, should recognize this, instead of stooping to use the same tawdry arguments that they rightly disdain when used against them.

In Christ,

Edwin
 
Greetings Edwin,

I am afraid that much of what you have written is “double-dutch” to me; however, you might like to contact Fr. Paul Stenhouse, M.S.C., Ph. D. at
CHEVALIER PRESS
1 Roma Avenue, (P.O. Box 13)
Kensington, NSW, 2033
AUSTRALIA
e-mail: International calls: 6 2 9662 7894; Australian calls: (02) 9662 7894 (Phone), (02) 9662 1910 (Fax);

I am sure that he would appreciate being brought up to date and corrected in any fine detail.

God bless,

Sean O L
 
This article is highly inaccurate and biased. You rightly object to people going to anti-Catholics for information on Catholicism. In the same way, Fr. Stenhouse is not a good source for information on Pentecostals. Exercise the same fairness you expect from Protestants, and consult either sympathetic or neutral sources to get your basic information
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I agree with that, and while I may be neither sympathetic nor neutral I can at least tell you a bit about AOG having visited a few of their churches. (stress the word ‘visited’ - i’ve never been a regular member of one).

As for as doctrine AOG believes what I call the ‘basic stuff.’ Jesus Christ, Son of God, died for our sins, rose the 3rd day, acended to the right hand of God. He is our saviour. God is composed of the 3 elements (the trinity). etc etc etc. Man is a sinner until he/she comes to know Christ. Also, I think it probably believe in the ‘rapture of the church’ (I’m not sure of the Catholic Church’s beliefs on that).

As for them being ‘anti-Catholic’ I’m not sure. I never knew that one particular protestant denomination as a whole as more or less ‘anti-Catholic’ than another. :hmmm:

As for their services, I can only tell you about the ones I’ve been in. They’re all right, I guess. Like I said, I’ve only been to a few, but no one has jerked, convulsed, barked, foamed at the mouth, or otherwise carried on. They were exuberant yes…emotional…yes…acting possessed? no.
 
I am very happy to see some answers here, thank you all for posting your experiences. I haven’t read all of Mr Stenhouse’s article yet but plan to do so straightaway.

I happened to see my new friend briefly last evening and I asked him why he has switched over to the Assembly of God and he said that he is really into the Gospel and hasn’t liked how so many of our priests don’t respond to the Gospel reading in their homilies in Mass. He said he has felt Mass to be too rigid and methodical and loves the ecstatic joy found in AOG services. We didn’t get to continue our conversation any further than that because it was late and we both needed to part at the time.

I hope there will be more response to my query and we will all learn more. God bless!
 
I just finished reading the full article by Mr Stenhouse and I’m not sure how I feel about it just yet. Much of what he writes is not backed up very well and seems to be merely based on personal observations or what he has heard second-hand. Nonetheless, he provides some interesting commentary and I thank the poster who provided the link.

Any more info anyone? I am also interested in reading about why Catholics may be so drawn to the AOG and what they find there. Thanks again in advance!
 
Pentecostalism generally attracts a lot of Catholics. It has a liveliness and informality that contrasts with Catholic liturgy, and at the same time there’s an openness to the supernatural that resonates with Catholics, in contrast to the more rationalistic approach of more traditional forms of Protestantism. The AOG is simply the largest Pentecostal denomination in the U.S.

Edwin
 
Hello NightRider,

I had an AOG “born again” steal some of my sales accounts from me one time. I happened to bump into his preacher. I was concerned for the theif. He seemed to be very Christian yet he was stealling from me. I started to tell the minister about the situation. The minister asked, “Did he steal the accounts from a “saved” person or an “unsaved” person”. I said, “What is the difference?”. The minister said, “Well, if he stole from and “unsaved” person the money was better off with the ‘saved’ person because he would give a portion of it to God.” Say What!

Turns out the minister had convinced a woman that she was “unevenly yoked”. He advised her to leave her husband. He felt sorry for the woman with four children (also attractive and fifteen years younger than him) now on her own so he married her. Though his boss the head minister said it would be ok the congragation kicked him out. He was mad about it.

The other AOG who I worked with, as I saw it, was really self righteous about being one of the “chosen few” going to heaven. I went to an AOG service and had chills go up my spine of something evil there. They really like to steal Catholics. I heard comments of how many “souls they had saved”. Meaning primarily how many people they had converted from Catholocism.

My aunt is a Catholic nun who has served the people, the Church and God humbly all her life. A person I know, who proclaims to be “born again” made the statement, “Sister is so nice and done all those things for God, it is just to bad she is not saved”. These “born again” people just seem to breed this self righteousness over others not in their group.

I am just telling you some of the things I have seen, heard and the feelings I have encountered with these AOG people.

And, by the way, Jim Jones, the cult leader who poisoned or shot his followers in Giana in the 1970s. He started out as an AOG minister.

Peace in Christ,
Steven Merten
www.ILOVEYOUGOD.com
 
A friend and neighbor of mine is active in the humongous AOG church in our area, and ironically he was instrumental in my return to the faith: he asked me some questions about Catholicism that I couldn’t answer, and I realized I needed to answer them, thus sparking my studying my faith. I have asked him a little about his services, so here’s what I have gleaned:

They aren’t necessarily anti-Catholic, though they hold to the usual Protestant misconceptions of Catholicism. For example, my neighbor has asked me, “Is Purgatory a ‘second chance’?” They don’t believe in the perpetual virginity of Mary. This particular AOG church subscribes to the “Rapture” end-times scenario popularized by the “Left Behind” books, but I don’t know if that’s representative of all AOG churches. Speaking in tongues is big. I have been to one of their services, and would describe it as very emotional.

You asked why a Catholic would switch: many Catholics don’t understand the Real Presence, as I don’t think any would leave it if they understood it. Most Catholics are very poorly taught, so that’s likely the case with your friend. Also, many Catholics don’t understand that we go to Mass to offer sacrifice (the once-and-for-all sacrifice of Christ), and not just to hear a stirring sermon: the purposes of Mass and an AOG service are NOT the same. Also, a lot of people like that emotional stuff: I don’t, but some do and will leave if they don’t know their own faith—they are looking for feelings that they are missing. Unfortunately, they probably COULD find those feelings and enthusiasm if they looked for it within Catholicism, (I am thinking of the Charismatic movement)but not many look.
 
At least in Argentina speaking in tongues is big, also before leaving the church, the pastor always reads from James:Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.

And the pastor anoints the people with blessed oil, many people after the anointing faint anf fall to the floor, you are expected to faint and fall to the floor because of the holy spirit.

They have women pastors too.
 
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Contarini:
The “Holiness” movement goes back much earlier in the 19th century, began in the Northeast (especially New York) rather than California, and was not originally a millenarian movement. More accurately, Fr. Stenhouse is speaking of what is sometimes called the “radical holiness movement,” which was much more sectarian and was influenced by premillenialism (this is my own background).
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I actually went so far as to study for a “pastor certificae” in the Pentecostal church. The first book in the course clearly states that the birth of “pentecostalism” started in California, Azuza street revival. Later books mapped out the various Pentecostal denominations and how they developed from off from the first denoms. Maybe the difference is just in the name…many people use Pentecostal and Holiness interchangeably.😃
 
I don’t know if I can have any effect on my new friend yet but I pray that I can inspire him back into Mass! I told him where I go to Mass and why I love it so much and what time I go so maybe he will become inclined to come see. The parish I belong to is Dominican and they are the Order of Preachers and give exquisite homilies on the Gospel so I think if my friend heard them he might be inclined to return. He comes from a very long line of Irish and Polish Catholics so I pray he comes back home!
 
Well, I am so sorry to see that the A/G was totally mis-represented. As I said when I first joined this forum that before my conversion to the Catholic Faith 3 years ago.

I was 3rd Generation A/G on my Grandmother’s side. On my grandfather’s side it was a mixture of PCG (Pentecostal Church of God) and UPC (United Pentecostal Church)…we (my family) always like to laugh and say…**if it is Pentecostal it effects my family…LOL… 😃 **

My great, great, uncle was a founding member of the General Councils of The Assemblies of God. (i.e. Daniel Awrey…by the way, he was a Methodist pastor pryor to his involvement with this new organization)

Basically the Assemblies of God is a branch off of the Methodist Church. Many of the the founders where at on time Methodist pastors. So, the Assembly of God took alot of it organizational traits from the Methodist Church/Holiness church.

Charles Fox Parham (also at one time a Methodist pastor) who founded Bethal Bible College in Topeka Kansas, and asked the students attending the school to search the scriptures and find what the evidence of being filled with the Spirit was.

It was at this Bible College that they begain to devote themselves to prayer and study of scripture as to the experience of what they called the “baptism of the Holy Ghost”.

On January 1, 1901 the students of Bethal Bible College where joined together in a prayer meeting. What happend is a young lady by the name of Agnes N. Ozman began to “speak in tongues”…The Assembly of God realizes that speaking in tongues was not a “new thing” in 1901…they realize that through out history there have been people, and groups that have spoke in tongues…what this prayer meeting in 1901 triggered was a belief that is core to the Assemblies of God. It is called the Doctrine of the Initial Physical Sign and Evidence. Another words, those that would leave this “prayer meeting” to form many other pentecostal groups…but most expecially the Assembly of God would hold to the the belief that:

When a person is “filled with the Spirit”, “baptized in the Holy Spirit”, baptized in the Holy Ghost"…ect (i.e. all terms are equal in there meaning) that the person being “filled with the Spirit” WILL speak in tongues…another words the “initial physical sign and EVIDENCE of the “baptism of the Spirit” is speaking in other tongues.” So, to hold to Assembly of God doctrine…If you aint spoke in tongues…you don’t have the Spirit baptism!

Other than that doctrine the A/G resembles many other mainline nonliturgical protestant denominations in their doctrine.
…continued…
 
Here is their statement of faith from their website:

  1. *]WE BELIEVE…The Scriptures are Inspired by God
    *]WE BELIEVE…There is only One True God–revealed in three persons…Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (commonly known as the Trinity).
    *]WE BELIEVE…In the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
    *]WE BELIEVE…though originally good, Man Willingly Fell to Sin–ushering evil and death, both physical and spiritual, into the world.
    *]WE BELIEVE…Every Person Can Have Restored Fellowship with God Through ‘Salvation’ (accepting Christ’s offer of forgiveness for sin).

    *]WE BELIEVE…and practice two ordinances—(1) Water Baptism by Immersionafter repenting of one’s sins and receiving Christ’s gift of salvation, and (2) Holy Communion (the Lord’s Supper) as a symbolic remembrance of Christ’s suffering and death for our salvation.

    *]WE BELIEVE…the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a Special Experience Following Salvationthat empowers believers for witnessing and effective service, just as it did in New Testament times.
    *]WE BELIEVE… The Initial Physical Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is ‘Speaking in Tongues,’ as experienced on the Day of Pentecost and referenced throughout Acts and the Epistles.
    *]WE BELIEVE…    Sanctification Initially Occurs at Salvation     and is not only a declaration that a believer is holy, but also a progressive lifelong process of separating from evil as believers continually draw closer to God and become more Christlike.

    ]WE BELIEVE…The Church has a Mission to seek and save all who are lost in sin**. ***

    *]WE BELIEVE…A Divinely Called and Scripturally Ordained Leadership Ministry Serves the Church. The Bible teaches that each of us under leadership must commit ourselves to reach others for Christ, to worship Him with other believers, and to build up or edify the body of believers–the Church.

    *]WE BELIEVE…Divine Healing of the Sick is a Privilege for Christians Today and is provided for in Christ’s atonement (His sacrificial death on the cross for our sins). [1 of 4 cardinal doctrines of the A/G]

    *]WE BELIEVE…in The Blessed Hope—When Jesus Raptures His Church Prior to His Return to Earth (the second coming). At this future moment in time all believers who have died will rise from their graves and will meet the Lord in the air, and Christians who are alive will be caught up with them, to be with the Lord forever. [1 of 4 cardinal doctrines of the A/G]

    *]WE BELIEVE…in The Millennial Reign of Christ
    *]WE BELIEVE…A Final Judgment Will Take Place
    *]WE BELIEVE…and look forward to the perfect New Heavens and a New Earth

    I hope this cleared up what the A/G believes…I hope this answers your question!

    PAX,

    Cody
 
Hello, romeishome!

Thank you so much for your comprehensive posts about the AOG. They are very helpful to me, and I learned a lot through reading them. And of course I think it is wonderful you came home to Rome! Many blessings, friend!
 
No problem! I was happy to help! I am also so very happy to be HOME! The Catholic Church is the missing piece of the puzzle, and now I feel as if I am complete! God is so good! I know now that before I was in my mother’s womb that He knew me, and He called me before I was in her womb…I know that! It feels so good to know that!

I will always shout: ROME IS HOME!

Pax,

Cody
 
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paxvobiscum:
I actually went so far as to study for a “pastor certificae” in the Pentecostal church. The first book in the course clearly states that the birth of “pentecostalism” started in California, Azuza street revival. Later books mapped out the various Pentecostal denominations and how they developed from off from the first denoms. Maybe the difference is just in the name…many people use Pentecostal and Holiness interchangeably.😃
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Yes, they do, but this is highly inaccurate. The first Pentecostals did come out of the Holiness movement, and many of them (though not so much the AOG) continue to use the term. In the South, especially, the two are often equated. But they are not the same. You can be Holiness and not Pentecostal (Nazarenes, Wesleyans, Free Methodists, Church of God Anderson, Salvation Army), and you can be Pentecostal and not Holiness (AOG, Foursquare). Or you can be both (Church of God Cleveland, Church of God Prophecy, Pentecostal Holiness). I’m not sure which camp–holiness or non-holiness–the Church of God in Christ (the largest African-American Pentecostal denomination) falls into. I think Holiness but I’m not sure.

As someone who comes from a non-Pentecostal Holiness background (indeed some members of the denomination my family helped found went to Azusa Street and were denounced by my folks as being under a Satanic delusion), I have a personal stake in keeping the terminology right. The Holiness movement is significantly older than Pentecostalism, but the latter has far eclipsed it in the 20th century.

In Christ,

Edwin
 
Contarini said:
“I’m not sure which camp–holiness or non-holiness–the Church of God in Christ (the largest African-American Pentecostal denomination) falls into. I think Holiness but I’m not sure…”

Edwin
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Well, Edwin…the Church of God in Christ was actually proclaimed a “Sister Organization” by the Assemblies of God in 1994 at the A/G’s General Council

(The official meeting of this denomination)…as a matter of fact I was at this meeting…

My understading on the GOCIC is that durning the early “pentecostal” revival days pentecostal churches especially in the south where split because of race issues. Both organizations the A/G and the COGIC where founded in the south, and both had their share of leaders that insisted on seperation because of race.

The Church of God in Christ has a more “holiness uproach” because it believes in “Entire sanctification subsequent to regeneration, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ”…exactly like the Church of the Nazarene…however, the A/G believes that sactification is “progressive” and it is not something subsequent to “salvation”…the A/G maintains that it (santification) if it does happen…it happens at “salvation”…

The website for the GOCIC states:

**
****Our Church is commonly known as being Holiness or Pentecostal in nature because of the importance ascribed to the events which occurred on the Day of Pentecost, the 50th day after the Passover, or Easter as being necessary for all believers in Christ Jesus to experience. ****

So, we see that the COGIC discribes itself as being “holiness/pentecostal”…
The following comes from the *Pentecostal Evangel *(The official publication of the A/G:

you can read it yourself at:

pentecostalevangel.ag.org/conversations2003/4637_cogic.cfm

**
**

PE: Bishop Patterson, please describe the Church of God in Christ.

PATTERSON: The Church of God in Christ has its roots in the original Azusa Street Pentecostal revival that swept America in 1906-1907. Our founder, Charles Harrison Mason, was one of those persons who actually received the gift of the Holy Ghost in that Azusa revival directly under the ministry of W.J. Seymour. Our church has spread across this nation faster than any other, and we have held to our basic Pentecostal doctrines and traditions. We are closer in doctrine to the Assemblies of God than any other Pentecostal or charismatic body that exists in the world today.

So, anyway…hope this helps as well…I would say that the COGIC is a Holiness Pentecostal organization simply because of its differing beliefs reguarding sanctification…

The official motto of the GOIC is:

“Saved, Sanctified, and Filled With The Holy Ghost”

this very motto implies that each of these is a seperate experience…and the A/G does not hold to this at all!..But to keep the peace, and to restore communication from a once race centered past the two organizations have chosen to recongize each other as “Sister organization.”

Hope this helps,

Cody
**
 
I understand your sadness. Try to find comfort at the fact that he is still worshiping and trying to serve God.

I don’t want to spark any controversy. I’ve long told protestants that its better to seek Him in a catholic church than no where, and I believe the reverse is true as well. At least he hasn’t left church altogether.

Blessings.
 
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