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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 . HISTORY The ''Assemblies of God'', or ''AG'' for short, was founded in 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. The early denomination suffered an ideological split when the Jesus Only Controversy arouse. Between the World Wars the movement kept a relative isolation from other Pentecostal and Evangelical groups, but after the WWII the AG started an aproximation with pentecostal groups overseas, like the Federation of Pentecostal Churches in Germany, and as well as establishing fellowship within the national borders, through the Pentecostal Fellowship of North America and the National Association Of Evangelicals . The AG received the influence of the Latter Rain Movement in the 1950's, which the General Council condemned. Today 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 {Link without Title} . The American AG is very ethnically diversified, reaching people of different races and cultures. 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. BELIEFS The Assemblies of God holds to a Conservative Arminian 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. NOTABLE PEOPLE WITH ASSEMBLIES OF GOD CONNECTIONS
U.S. BASED FELLOWSHIPS
COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES AND INSTITUTES A number of institutions of higher learning are endorsed by the General Council of the Assemblies of God United States . {Link without Title} . Institutes and Schools
Colleges
Universities
Worldwide Distance Learning
Seminaries CHURCHES AND MINISTRIES Assemblies of God Megachurches Affiliated Ministries
EXTERNAL LINKS
See also
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