In making a study of the Pentecostal movement, one is confronted with a long list of churches. Religious Bodies, 1936, issued by the U.S. Census Bureau, gives data on nine different kinds, and this does not cover them all.
A study of any one of these would doubtless prove interesting, but we are concerned with but one in this brief paper—the Assemblies of God, with headquarters in Springfield, Missouri. "The Assemblies of God is not the only organized Pentecostal work in this country. There are several others . . . standing for the same fundamental truths."—S. H. FRODSH AM, With Signs Following, p. 51.
Origin and Beginnings.—The General Council of the Assemblies of God came into existence as a result of a spiritual revival that began early in the twentieth century, and spread to all parts of the world in a short time. Revivals were experienced in Tennessee and Kansas as early as 1900 and 1901, and spread to Oklahoma, Texas, and California. This rapid spread of the Pentecostal message characterized the work as a movement, and the term Pentecostal Movement was applied to any and all groups teaching the need for baptism in the Holy Spirit, as evidenced by speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gave utterance.
The leaders began to feel a great need for unifying and standardizing the teachings and practices of the movement. Varying schools of thought and opinion had sprung up, and the movement had no head or central body to determine standards. Because of this need, a group of Pentecostal ministers decided to issue a call for a General Council, patterned after the council described in Acts 15. The first General Council was held at Hot Springs, Arkansas, in 1914. and at this time the Assemblies of God was officially organized. This council Was attended by sixty-eight ministers representing various independent assemblies.
The second General Council was held in St. Louis, Missouri, and at this time it was decided to move the headquarters and publishing plant to the same place. The fourth General Council was held in 1916, and during this council their Statement of Fundamental Truths was adopted. The effect of this decision was soon felt all over the country, and other Pentecostal ministers of independent assemblies and a large number of assemblies soon made application for admittance into the Assemblies of God. In 1918 the headquarters was moved to Springfield, Missouri, and has been there ever since.
Tongues Movement.—The doctrinal teaching that led to its organization was baptism in the Holy Spirit, accompanied by speaking in tongues. The Pentecostal experience is the one excuse for its very existence as a religious body, separate from other organizations of similar faith.
The influence of this church on Christianity at large is questionable. To give them credit where credit is due, they are zealous. They are not ashamed of their religion, and they spend much time in prayer. But their services often turn into irreverent bedlam in their efforts to talk or dance in the spirit. They claim to speak in foreign languages as a point for their "tongues" movement, but try just as hard to talk in tongues whether strangers are present or not. They would like to have everyone believe that their fantastic tongues movement is the normal way to react at conversion. "Possibly ninety per cent of the membership claim to have received this New Testament experience, and the rest firmly believe in it."
If they can gain a loophole in other churches, they will get their preachers in to preach the Pentecostal doctrine. After the newness wears off many are dissatisfied, but the ideas have become a habit and they cannot seem to get away from it.
Educational institutions.--Education for youth is stressed. They do not have schools for children, but have colleges for ministers and missionaries. in 1941 there were about 1,800 young people attending twelve Pentecostal Bible Schools of God in the United States of America.
Their largest school, the C.B.I. (Central Bible Institute), is located at Springfield, Missouri. They have other schools at Waxahochie, Texas; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Seattle, Washington; San Francisco and Pasadena, California; Atlanta, Georgia; and Green Lane, Pennsylvania. The curriculum of these schools includes English, Greek, church history, Sunday school organization, and so forth, but special emphasis is given to Bible.
Missionary work.—They carry on home mission work, and foreign mission work is encouraged and sponsored by them. Recently they sent eighty "missionaries" to Kentucky and West Virginia. The Assemblies of God have over 600 foreign missionaries under appointment, operating in more than 50 distinct mission fields. Adherents in these fields number about 160,000, the largest group being in Brazil, where there are approximately 100,000 adherents.
Doctrines.—Their present doctrines are tabulated, and are probably somewhat similar to the original doctrines. They believe that they have the latter rain, and that it has been a Pentecostlike effusion of the Holy Ghost.
In the statement of their beliefs in 1926, we find that this denomination stresses belief in the inspiration of the Scriptures as the only sufficient rule of faith and practice, and does not emphasize systematic theology. Membership in the church is obtained only by genuine repentance, water baptism in Jesus' name, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost as evidenced by speaking in other tongues.
They believe in divine healing for the body, the personal premillennial return of Christ, entire sanctification, final rewards for the righteous and judgment for those who are not written in the book of life ; gospel work should be supported by tithes and freewill offerings only; they should have no connection with labor unions or secret societies, since this is forbidden in the Bible. Although support and obedience to the law are inculcated, they hold that the sixth commandment forbids war and the bearing of arms.
The ordinances of the Lord's supper and baptism are practised regularly. They believe that the millennial reign of Christ on earth is a Scripture promise and the world's hope. Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement, and is the privilege of all believers. No mention is made of the sixth commandment.
They believe in Sunday as the Sabbath. Many are sensibly dressed. They appear interested in temperance, but do not take it too seriously. They believe in the return of Jesus, but teach false doctrines about the millennium.
Organization.—Their work is divided into districts. The general officers are superintendent, assistant superintendent, secretary-treasurer, missionary secretary, principal of the Bible Training Institute, and so on. Each district has its own divisional officers, similar to those at headquarters. They like to reach the poorer classes, also the Negroes, but they find their way into the hearts of the upper middle class, too, and get many good workers from them.
Their church paper, The Pentecostal Evangel (formerly called The Christian Evangel), is published weekly, and has a circulation of approximately 120,000.
Membership.—In regard to the membership of the Assemblies of God there has been rapid growth. In fact, it is said to be the fastest growing denomination in the United States during the past twenty years. We quote from the "Minutes of the Twenty-first General Council of the Assemblies of God," page 46: "At the close of the fiscal year our records reveal that we now have 5,300 churches with an enrolled membership of approximately 241,782. The number of ordained ministers has increased also to 5,or6." (Springfield, Mo., September, 1945).
REFERENCES USED
Origin and Development of the Assemblies of God by J. R. Flower, Gospel Publishing House, Springfield, Mo., 1946 (5 cents).
With Signs Following, by S. H. Frodsham, Gospel Publishing House.
OTHER REFERENCES: "A Baptist Chaplain Testifies" (pamphlet) ; Tongues Like as of Fire, by Robert C. Dalton, i945; Upon All Flesh, by Donald Gee, 1935. (All printed by Gospel Publishing House, 336 W. Pacific Street, Springfield, Mo.)
