The Assemblies of God is the U.S.'s oldest
Pentecostal denomination. (Assemblies of God)
Worldwide members of the Assemblies of God (AG), one of the fastest-growing
international protestant denominations, will join together in the U.S. this
fall to celebrate the AG's 100th anniversary year, the unity they have shared
for the past century and the remarkable growth of the denomination globally.
Established as an outgrowth of the 1906 Azusa Street Revival among
Pentecostals in the U.S., the General Council of the Assemblies of God was
formed in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in April 1914 as a broad coalition of
ministers who desired to work together to fulfill common objectives, such as
sending missionaries around the world and providing fellowship and
accountability.
"This centennial event will be a moment of revival, a moment of
celebration and a moment of focusing on our mission, to complete the great
unfinished task of ensuring every person has a chance to hear of Jesus' love
for them," said Dr. George O. Wood, General Superintendent of the
Assemblies of God. "This 100th anniversary gives us the opportunity to
focus on what God still has for us to do as we look with joy to our past
history, give thanks for the present and look forward to what we still have to
accomplish in the future."
Following its formation in 1914, the Assemblies of God quickly took root in
other countries and formed indigenous national organizations. The Assemblies of
God throughout the world now exceeds 67.5 million adherents, including more
than 3.1 million members in the U.S. The denomination has experienced 24 years
of consecutive growth, bucking the trend among most other U.S. denominations in
recent years.
The Centennial Celebration will be a truly international event, with guest
speakers from AG churches all over the world. In addition to Dr. Wood, keynote
addresses will be delivered by Yong Mok Cho of South Korea, Juan Carlos Escobar
of Spain, Edward A. Grabovenko of Russia, Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi, Barnabas
Mtokambali of Tanzania, Ivan Satyavrata of India, José Wellington of Brazil and
Max Schläpfer of Switzerland. Other U.S. speakers include Hal Donaldson, John
Lindell, Wilfredo "Choco" De Jesús, Nam Soo Kim, Jason Frenn (who
ministers in Latin America) and Raegan Glugosh, a U.S. missionary to Romania.
The Centennial Celebration is expected to be one of the largest
international gatherings of AG members, with more than 5,000 individuals
traveling from 112 different countries to attend.
In addition, many of the sessions will be carried live via direct simulcast
and international television networks. Churches throughout the U.S. will serve
as live simulcast hosts, while Unsión will broadcast live to Latin America,
where the AG has over 30 million adherents, and LMTV will broadcast live to
Africa, where the AG has over 17 million adherents.
Source: Charisma
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