AG History: 1914-1927
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Transcript AG History: 1914-1927
AG History: 1914-1950
The Early Years: 1914-1927
Development: 1927-1949
The Early Years
1914-1926
A Call to Gather
E.M. Bell called for a special
convention in the Word and Witness
publication:
“This call is to all Churches of God in
Christ, to all Pentecostal or Apostolic
Faith Assemblies who desire with
united purpose to cooperate in love
and peace to push the interests of
the kingdom of God everywhere. This
is, however, only for saints who
believe in the baptism with the Holy
Ghost with signs following.” (1913)
Reasons for the
Convention
The following reasons were published
in the Word and Witness for the
meeting:
Unity among the churches
Conservation of the work at home
and on foreign fields
Better support for missionaries
Chartering with a legal name
Bible school training for ministers
The First General Council
August 1914
Ministers and Missionaries were
half the delegates
First 4 days dedicated to prayer
and fellowship
Mack Pinson’s Keynote Sermon:
“The Finished Work of Christ”
General Council of the Assemblies
of God
Voluntary Cooperation
Two Restrictions for
Marriage
Divorce:
Disapproved except for adultery
Divorced person should remain single
No credential for anyone with two living
spouses
Women in Ministry
Ordained only as Evangelists and
Missionaries
Not to be ordained as pastors (until 1935)
AG First Two Leaders
E. N. Bell, General Superintendent
(1914; 1920-1923)
Well-educated Baptist background,
tall and 22 years older than Flower.
Just began his first pastorate in
Arkansas. Edited Word and Witness.
Ideas about women in ministry strong
influence. Supported tongues as initial
evidence. He was a shaper of AG
doctrine in its formative stages.
Two Leaders (con’t)
J Roswell Flower, General Secretary
(1914 -1916) (Executive until 1959)
Immigrant from Canada. No formal
training for ministry. Before his call,
he read law. Founder of the
Pentecostal Evangel, along with his
wife. Strong upholder of AG
doctrines.
General Superintendent
E. N. Bell 1914 and 1920-1923
Arch P. Collins 1914-1915
Baptized in Spirit while pastoring a
Baptist Church
John W. Welch 1915
Protector and Shaper of AG beliefs
Problems of the nature of the
Godhead
The New Issue
1913-1916
Overemphasis of Jesus Christ as
Savior, Healer, Baptizer, soon coming
King.
Jesus Only
Re-baptizing believers in Jesus name
only (Acts 2:38)
1916 General Council statement
against “the new move of
God”/Oneness
Split: ¼ leave AG
Tongues
1918 General Council issue over
Tongues as the Initial Physical
Evidence of Spirit Baptism
Reaffirmed that tongues for the
AG was “our distinctive
testimony” (Aug 1914)
Expansion
1915 General Council officially affirmed
the evangelization of the heathen by NT
methods.
1919 Missionary Department established
with J Roswell Flower-funds to 206 Foreign
Missionaries
John Welch in 1920: “The General Council
of the Assemblies of God was never
meant to be an institution; it is just a
missionary agency.”
HQ: Findlay, Ohio- St. Louis- Springfield
(1918)
nd
2
General Council
November 1914
Meeting at the Stone Church in
Chicago
"As a Council, ... we commit
ourselves and the Movement to
Him for the greatest evangelism
that the world has ever seen."
Why? Jesus is coming
What Grew The
Assemblies of God?
Henry C. Ball– Reaching the Spanish-
speakers
Ethel and Marcus Musick- She
preached, he supported
Robert and Mary Craig- sobering
drunks and training leaders
Evangelist: Aimee Semple McPherson-
The Queen of the Evangelists
Challenges for Missions
1914-1927 were the most unstable
years for AG missions.
Many early GC missionaries dropped
out because of difficulties
Age, illness, poorly trained and
prepared, hardships on the field and
some unable to work under manmade guidelines/policy
AG Missiology
The Key: Evangelizing in Light of Jesus
Soon Return
Alice E. Luce, India: First significant AG
missiologist. She wrote “New
Testament Methods” influenced by
Roland Allen’s Book: Missionary
Methods: St. Paul’s or Ours?
To the 3-Self Formula, Luce added:
Signs and Wonders
Early Missionary
Characteristics
Aim: Establish 3-Self Churches that
could reproduce themselves
Lillian Thrasher: compassion, courage,
and good business sense
Ivan Voronaeff: sacrifice
W.E. Simpson: Martyr for China/Tibet
Victor Plymore: Paid with his family
1900-1921: Summary Decisions
that Framed AG Missions
1. April 1914: Reason for Being: Missions
2. Nov. 1914: Commitment to greatest world
evangelism
3. 1915: New Testament Methods
4. 1917: First Mission’s Committee
5. 1919: Foreign Mission’s Department Formed
6. 1920: Survey of the Fields
7. 1921: Alice Luce: Pauline Methodology
1900-1921: Lessons Learned
1. Spirit baptism is empowerment to bear
witness to the ends of the earth.
2. Understanding that not all practices and
trends are are or equally effective. The
guidance of the Spirit and Structure.
3. Deep commitment to the Bible. “Anything
goes in the name of the Spirit” is not biblical.
4. Balance of the Spirit and the Word.
5. 1921 General Council stated the objective
of missions was to produce indigenous
churches, but it took a long time to work
out.
Years of Development
1928-1947
Indigenous Churches
1914: there were 40 AG missionaries, years of
instability
1920-1924: missionary numbers—221
First indigenous churches and national
bodies began to appear in the 1930s: El
Salvador and then Burkina Faso (1934)
Problems with missionaries and old ways and
resistance from US churches.
Compassion/ Charitable
Work
1920: J Roswell Flower, first mission’s
secretary wrote about Pentecostal
Standard: Preaching as priority, with no time
for schools, hospitals, etc.– the latter were
distractions.
However, in real life on the field compassion
and proclamation went together.
Dislike of
Denominationalism
Pentecostals wanted to be Spirit-
led, not man-led.
Distrust of man-made organizations.
Slow change of attitude and
understanding of reality.
“Cooperative Fellowship” or “The
Fellowship” preferred.
Growth
Ernest S. Williams elected Superintendent in 1929
and served 20 years.
During this period:
The Home Missions and Education Departments
were created: 1937 Busy Bee- Buddy Barrel
Bible Institutes multiplied
Gospel Publishing House increased publications
Evangelicals began to recognize Pentecostals
Women were ordained as pastors
War
Initially, WWII was not a worry– Jesus was
coming soon.
In 1941, Noel Perkin reported that 104
missionaries had reached field– only 4 failed.
1941: Mission’s Dept offered to pay for
missionaries in China, Hong Kong and
Philippines to come home, but too late.
New Fields opened after the war
Strategic Planning
Rapid Changes between 1943 and 1959
Continued development of Mission’s
Department and strengthening of the role of
the department– not appreciated by
independent-minded missionaries
By 1959, AG Missions was well-recognized by
other agencies.
1943 Mission’s Conference
Plans
Develop positions of field secretaries
Add 500 new missionaries
Develop an advisory groups of pastors and
laymen
Provide missionaries with better training
Promote missions better in US
Raise $5 million for missions.
AG History 1950’s and
Beyond
Passingthe Baton
Controversies
New Order of the
Latter Rain 1949
Healing
Controversies
A New Generation for
New Era
Thomas Zimmerman (1912-1991) Elected
one of 4 Assisstant General Superintendents
in 1953 and General Superintendent in 1959.
“Let us never get the idea tat God has
brought us to our present plateau to
terminate progress– His command is, ‘Go
Forward.” (1968)
Philip Hogan, Executive Director of DFM in
1959
Decade of Harvest
G. Raymond Carlson: 1990s Decade of
Harvest
Members and Adherents from 16 million to
30 million
Bible Schools increased by 43%
Total National Ministers increased 48%
The Charismatic
Movement
May 1960, Episcopal Priest Dennis Bennett
baptized in the Spirit and spoke with other
tongues.
Revival within the Catholic Church. Feb.
1967 at Duquesne University: 30 students
and 2 theologians. Influence by David
Wilkerson’s Cross and the Switchblade.
David du Plessis (1905-1987): Pentecostal
Ambassador
Condemnation of the World Council of
Churches
Key Missionaries
Melvin Hodges (1909-1988): The Indigenous
Church
J. W. Tucker: Assembly of God Martyr
Mission’s Developments
Light For the Lost
Chaplaincy
Prison Ministry
Speed the Light
BGMC
Faith Promise
Local Church Mission’s Convention
Establish a regular income for missions
Getting people committed and involved
J Philip Hogan: “I have been selling missions
to churches on a money-back guarantee
for many years… If they set aside a portion
for the lost abroad, God will help them in
the local church” (1963).
Missionary Life Became
More Complex
Promotional duties
Financial pressures
Hostility and danger
Qualifications
Scandal
Jim and Tammy Bakker 1987
Jimmy Swaggart 1988
Partnership
1980’s change in the church around the
world– partners in God’s work
Morris O. Williams, The Indigenous Church
and the Missionary (1978)
Mission’s Leaders
Loren Tripplett (1989-1997): stressed the
Spirit’s supernatural role in calling people to
enter the last days’ harvest in expectation of
Christ’s return.
The Fall of the Soviet Union opened up
many fields previously closed, increasing
urgency of the task
AGWM still thinking in terms of geography,
not people groups.
John Bueno (1997-2012): Partnership
Mission’s Core
Our Four Pillars
The widest possible evangelism (REACHING)
Establishment of NT churches (PLANTING)
Training national beleivers (TEACHING)
Showing the Compassion of Jesus to the
suffering (TOUCHING)
Unreached People’s
“The ends of the earth” Acts 1:8
Lack of strategy
Partnership may have eroded pioneering
Hostility
Center for Ministry to Muslims/ Global
Initiative
International Ministry Department and
Compassion