Religious Bodies 10 PDF

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Notes on Religious Bodies/Denominations in America....

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Religious Bodies in America: A Personal Research Journal Pentecostal or Charismatic I.

Key Figures in the Tradition Historical European Leader(s): [Write NA if not applicable.] Assemblies of God USA: NA Pentecostal Church of God: NA International Church of the Foursquare Gospel: NA

American Representative(s) of the tradition: [Give their full names, dates, and where they did most of their activity] Assemblies of God USA: Eudorus N. Bell- Born in Lake Butler, Florida in 1866, Eudorus N. Bell was one of the members of a conference of Pentecostal Christians who established the Assemblies of God USA. Bell initially sought to be a Baptist pastor. After his early studies at Stetson University and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1903, he acquired a higherlevel degree from the University of Chicago. He then served as a pastor in several Baptist churches throughout Texas. In 1908, he decided to travel and find out about the growing Pentecostal movement that was taking place. Thereafter, the movement left such an impression on him that he decided to leave his Baptist congregation and join the movement. Aforementioned, he was apart of the conference in Hot Springs, Arkansas that led to the establishment of the Assemblies of God USA. He then became its first president. He was editor of several Pentecostal magazines, including The Apostolic Faith and Pentecostal Evagel.

Pentecostal Church of God: Charles Fox Parham- Although he was not directly involved in the creation of the Pentecostal Church of God, Charles Fox Parham is one of two figures that are said to have started the religious revival and movement known as Pentecostalism. Parham was born in Iowa in 1873. Interestingly, he began conducting religious services at the age of 15. He attended school at a Methodist institution called Southwestern College in Kansas until he came to the belief that education would prevent him from being an effective minister. Thereafter, he began a career working, though not ordained, in the Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1895, he started to disagree with parts of Methodism and eventually rejected it and all other denominations. He then began formulating his own ministry that preached on the ideas formed by the holiness movement. In 1900, Parham founded

Bethel Bible College in Topeka, Kansas. This precisely where Pentecostalism can be traced to. All who prayed and studied the Word carefully were welcome to attend tuitionfree. He then began to develop the idea of receiving Baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. His efforts, along with William J. Seymour, caused Pentecostalism to come into existence. The distinctive doctrine he developed sets him apart from most other major Christian church figures.

International Church of the Foursquare Gospel: Aimee Semple McPherson- 20th century evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson was born on October 9, 1890 in Canada. When she was 17, she attended a revival service being held by Robert Semple, to whom she would eventually marry, a Pentecostal evangelist. The message of repentance, in turn, brought her to do so and she accepted Christ as her Savior. Her marriage to Robert lasted only two years until his death. She eventually married again, this time to businessman Harold McPherson. As her own ministry began to grow, she quietly divorced Harold. She discovered herself to have the unique ability of interpreting the speaking of tongues. Perhaps her most famous moments came during her time in Los Angeles, California in 1919. She conducted a series of meetings that religious meetings that eventually grew to such a gathering that the largest auditoriums in Los Angeles could not hold enough people. In 1923, Angelus Temple was dedicated, a venue that could hold up to 5,300 people for her worship services. She is most known for her remarkable speaking ability, and it garnered her national fame during her time. She is credited with being the founder of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel.

II. III.

Church Body or Association: [List the church or group here and give a brief history of the church body or group in America (one short paragraph)] Assemblies of God USA: The Assemblies of God USA (also known as the General Council of the Assemblies of God) came to fruition when several founding fathers and mothers met in Hot Springs, Arkansas in 1914 gathered together. It finds its roots in the Pentecostal movement that attracted the attention of people from across the country. Their goals were to establish legal standing and doctrinal stability, to coordinate their mission enterprise, and to establish a ministerial school. The formation of nearly 300 delegates were a representation of variety of Pentecostal churches of the time. A critical discussion took place during the conference: should the Assemblies accept the traditional Trinitarian doctrine, or abandon it for a modalistic monarchian view of God? Ultimately, they chose to uphold their Trinitarian doctrine. Pentecostal Church of God: The Pentecostal Church of God, or PCG, was founded in 1919 by a group of ministers. The group of ministers decided that they did not want to be

apart of the Assemblies of God any longer due to doctrinal differences and, therefore, they decided to come together and form their own church group. John C. Sinclair was elected as first moderator of the PCG, but after disputes of the leadership of the newfound church group, a meeting was organized in 1922 to re-structure church leadership. Since 1927, the denomination has re-located its headquarters several times; they currently reside in Bedford, Texas and are composed of almost 5,000 congregations.

International Church of the Foursquare Gospel: The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel began with the ministry of Aimee Semple McPherson in Los Angeles, California when she opened the Angelus Temple in early 1923. Later that year, the first church-branch began in Long Beach, California. Soon after, three more branches emerged in Santa Monica, Pasadena, and Santa Ana. The four church-branches are still in existence today. The term “Foursquare Gospel” is derived from the book of Ezekiel, to whom God revealed Himself to as having four different faces: a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle. The name stuck after McPherson gave a riveting sermon in front of thousands in 1922. Two big initiatives of the early Foursquare church were missions and schooling. Aimee Semple McPherson wanted to extend the message into foreign countries, and she sent missionaries to the Philippines in 1927. Likewise, she wanted to establish a school where Foursquare ministers could be trained. Thus, she opened the Echo Park Evangelistic and Missionary Institute in 1923. Today it is known as Life Pacific College.

IV.

Creed, Code, and Cultus

CREED: [Here you would list and briefly describe the creedal documents of this group. This is usually mentioned in the church’s history if it is not mentioned in “What we believe”.] Assemblies of God USA: There are several core doctrines which the Assemblies of God USA. They include: salvation, divine healing, baptism in the Spirit, and the Second Coming of Jesus. Likewise, they have established several “We Believe” statements which they describe as Fundamental Truths. Those truths include their belief that: Scripture is inspired by God, Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a special experience after being saved, sanctification begins at salvation, and the millennial reign of Christ which says that He will return during His second coming and will rain for 1,000 years.

Pentecostal Church of God: The Pentecostal Church of God has several stated beliefs. They hold the Bible to be the inspired Word of God. They believe that man fell from through Adam’s transgression and that humankind was then redeemed by Jesus Christ. They practice water baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and they also hold that Baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs in a believer and is accompanied by speaking in tongues. They teach that divine healing is wrought by the power of God and occurs through the laying of hands on the one who is ill. They also hold a pre-millennial viewpoint of the Second Coming of Christ, and that the one who physically dies in his sins, without Christ, is lost in the (literal) Lake of Fire, or Hell, and damned.

International Church of the Foursquare Gospel: The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel resides its beliefs to a Declaration of Faith, as composed by Aimee Semple McPherson. They believe that the Bible is the truly inspired Word of God, that Christ is truly divine, and they profess the doctrine of the Trinity. They teach that, after someone becomes a believer, the existence of free will can allow a person to turn away and abandon their faith. They observe Baptism and the Lord’s Supper as ordinances. Likewise, they teach of Baptism of the Holy Spirit, an event separate from conversion. This Spirit-filled life will lead to the ability of the believer to speak in tongues. They also believe in divine healing and that someone can be healed in response to prayer.

CODE (personal, social and ethical stance): [Here you will want to summarize how they live the Christian life. You may want to give a few examples of this group’s social concerns—life and death (abortion, physician-assisted suicide, euthanasia, etc.), sexuality, birth control, political views. Assemblies of God USA: The AG takes several positional statements on social issues occurring today. They call their members into a life of total abstinence from alcohol. They also oppose abortion and assisted suicide, citing the sacredness of all human life. They oppose gambling and see it as irresponsible and inconsistent with Scripture, and they allow women to have roles within the church and be ordained. In regards to homosexuality, they believe that marriage and relations should be kept between a man and a woman. However, they note that if a believer is struggling with homosexual thoughts, it is the responsibility of fellow Christians to reach out to the individual in humility and encourage them to rid themselves of those thoughts. Pentecostal Church of God: The Pentecostal Church of God doesn’t take deliberate stances on social issues, and they have nothing written in response to them. However, it can be said that, like most other Pentecostal churches, the PCG is against the practice of homosexuality.

International Church of the Foursquare Gospel: The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, or ICFG, does not make any direct stances on social issues available. However, it is known that they are opposed to homosexuality, seeing it as a violation of Scripture’s stance of marriage consisting of only a man and a woman.

CULTUS: [Here explain how they worship. Why do they come together? What do they do? To help your thinking, consider the following comparisons: formal vs. casual; God-to-us or Us-toGod; informational vs. experiential; liturgical vs. contemporary; stable atmosphere vs. emotional, etc.] Assemblies of God USA: The worship of the Assemblies of God USA varies from congregation to congregation. There are several different types of AG congregations. A traditional congregation is more heavily focused on speaking in tongues and baptism of the Holy Spirit. A charismatic AG congregation emphasizes spiritual gifts, but does not identify with as well with Pentecostalism. Evangelical AG congregations, which are most common, do identify with Pentecostalism, although they are starting to move away from many ideas. And alternative AG congregations do not identify as well with the AG and their “Pentecostal experiences” are much lower. Pentecostal experiences, of course, involve the work of the Holy Spirit.

Pentecostal Church of God: The PCG practices the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. As far as the time and frequency of communion, is is left up to each individual congregation. They, of course, teach that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is noted with the physical sign of the Spirit’s presence in the speaking of tongues. They also practice foot-washing and, like communion, leave the frequency of the practice up to the individual congregations. International Church of the Foursquare Gospel: The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel is a Spirit-filled church. Large parts of their worship consist of the work of the Holy Spirit, causing them to speak in tongues and also allowing divine healing to take place for those who are being prayed upon. They administer the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is performed by full immersion, and they practice open communion. They also practice tithing and anointing of the sick. Summary Statement of this group (use your own words)

Assemblies of God USA: The Assemblies of God USA is a Pentecostal church group that has grown into one of the larger denominations in the United States. They are a conservative group that holds such conservative stances on social issues, while maintaining their Pentecostal roots found in their core doctrines. They came together as a blend of several different Pentecostals and they, ultimately, are a church group who uses mission work to evangelize and worship God. They currently have nearly 13,000 congregations and are composed of over 3 million members.

Pentecostal Church of God: The Pentecostal Church of God has retained much of its Assemblies of God and Pentecostal roots. It is smaller Pentecostal church group that, like most Pentecostals, emphasizes spiritual gifts and the power of the Holy Spirit evident in the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They are a Trinitarian Pentecostal church that there is truly only one God who exists in three persons: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. To the PCG, those persons are totally equal and are all co-eternal. They currently consist of almost 5,000 congregations and an estimated 620,000 members. International Church of the Foursquare Gospel: The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel is a church group that began from the revivalist thinking of Aimee Semple McPherson in the early 1900’s. Her demonstrations of healing in front of large crowds led to the emergence of a Pentecostal church group that still teaches the same substance of divine healing. They are a group that, like other Pentecostal groups, focuses on the edification of the church through spiritual gifts and the work of the Holy Spirit. It is a denomination that has spread worldwide and is active in evangelism, consisting of nearly 60,000 churches in as many as 144 countries....