Please help to define.

[yogi bear]

Can anyone one tell me what is the difference between Assemblies of God and Pentecostals?
I thought that they were pretty much the same.
Is one a branch off the other?      If so which one was established first?

[princessofgod]

I never heard 'Assemblies of God'!
What is it? Can anyone tell me more about them?

[Wycliffes_Shillelagh]

What do we want to know?  I grew up in an A of G church, though I'm not currently part of one.

Also, my grandfather used to be a missionary, and is currently a pastor for the A of G, my grandmother worked in the state HQ for 20+ years, and my great-grandmother was one of the first women pastors in the A of G back in the days when they still have brush-arbor meetings outside of town.

The World Assemblies of God Fellowship, or Assemblies of God (A/G) for short, is the world's largest Pentecostal denomination, with over 283,413 churches and outstations in over 110 countries (including 11,300 churches in the U.S.) and approximately 60 million adherents worldwide.[1][2][3] It prefers to be referred to as a cooperative fellowship instead of a denomination.[4]

The Assemblies of God has missions programs that are designed to establish self-propagating, self-supporting, and self-governing national church bodies in every country. As of late 2006, the Assemblies of God World Missions Research Office reported constituencies in 110 countries and territories, with over 5,000 adherents added per day.[5] As of 2005, the fellowship operated 859 Bible schools, 1,131 extension programs and 39 seminaries outside of the United States.[6]

[llewksgood]

The Assemblies of God are Pentecostal, but not all Pentecostals are Assemblies of God.

In Southern Africa, where I was born, there were three mainstream Pentecostal churches as I recall. There was the Full Gospel Church, which followed the teachings of Amy Semple-MacPherson [if I recollect correctly], The Apostolic Faith Mission, which was founded by John G Lake, and the Assembly of God, formated by the Mullen Brothers.

(I was born, and was a child during this time so please forgive me if I'm not entirely correct.)

Besides these there were other independent Pentecostal works.

[kensington]

"back in the days when they still have brush-arbor meetings outside of town."

We still do that, and we still baptize in the river at camp meetings. We still have tent revival meetings also.

[Elaine]

"back in the days when they still have brush-arbor meetings outside of town."

We still do that, and we still baptize in the river at camp meetings. We still have tent revival meetings also.

So, you attend the Assembly of God Church? Sounds great.
Can you say more?  What's it like? I've never been to this section of the forum. I've been missing out.
I've never been to an A/G. But I may now!
Thanks Elaine

[Bonnie]

"back in the days when they still have brush-arbor meetings outside of town."

We still do that, and we still baptize in the river at camp meetings. We still have tent revival meetings also.

Your post thrills my heart. I love tent revivals; and I was baptized in Febuary in the icy cold waters of the lake.

[Bigdog]

Can anyone one tell me what is the difference between Assemblies of God and Pentecostals?
I thought that they were pretty much the same.
Is one a branch off the other?      If so which one was established first?

I would say the Pentecostals started first. In Acts 2.
 The current Pentecostal movements origin began at a revival at Bethel Bible College in Topeka, Kansas on Jan. 1, 1901. Basically The Assemblies of God are the same thing.

[ex cathedra]

We have a big AOG Church.  Next to our little WELS Church.

AND they have a big beautiful cross on their church to.

and so does our little wels church.

Most of the people in town go to L-D-S church's that dont have a cross.

I am Glad our churches do.

[llewksgood]

We have a big AOG Church.  Next to our little WELS Church.

AND they have a big beautiful cross on their church to.

and so does our little wels church.

Most of the people in town go to L-D-S church's that dont have a cross.

I am Glad our churches do.

I'm sorry, what is WELS?

[antiaging]

What do we want to know?  I grew up in an A of G church, though I'm not currently part of one.

Also, my grandfather used to be a missionary, and is currently a pastor for the A of G, my grandmother worked in the state HQ for 20+ years, and my great-grandmother was one of the first women pastors in the A of G back in the days when they still have brush-arbor meetings outside of town.

The World Assemblies of God Fellowship, or Assemblies of God (A/G) for short, is the world's largest Pentecostal denomination, with over 283,413 churches and outstations in over 110 countries (including 11,300 churches in the U.S.) and approximately 60 million adherents worldwide.[1][2][3] It prefers to be referred to as a cooperative fellowship instead of a denomination.[4]

The Assemblies of God has missions programs that are designed to establish self-propagating, self-supporting, and self-governing national church bodies in every country. As of late 2006, the Assemblies of God World Missions Research Office reported constituencies in 110 countries and territories, with over 5,000 adherents added per day.[5] As of 2005, the fellowship operated 859 Bible schools, 1,131 extension programs and 39 seminaries outside of the United States.[6]

After I got saved I started going to Assemblies of God churches. I did that for years. I agree with everything they preach except the pre tribulation rapture. I believe the bible plainly says the rapture is post tribulation.
I also came to strongly suspect that their are preachers in the assemblies of God (as in other churches) that are faking the miracles. In 1985, I started reading literature by Jack Chick, I think he is baptist. I read about Alberto Rivera, a former Jesuit catholic priest that got saved, and he started saying that all of the churches have roman catholic spies in them that are pretending to be protestant, and they fight against the protestant churches behind the scenes, in an undercover way. Some of those catholics are protestant pastors and teachers etc. Well, I was raised catholic and know that church inside and out. I live in the most catholic city in the US. New Orleans. I started checking out if I could pick out any catholic spies in the Assemblies of God churches and other churches in the area. Based on what I have seen personally, I suspect that their are roman catholic spies pretending to be Assemblies of God pastors and evangelists and they are faking the miracles. They will also cause fake scandals, [like Bakker. Marvin Gorman and Swaggart] to make protestant churches look bad and destroy the faith of the protestants in the church. This sort of thing is going on in all the church denominations now as the apostacy or falling away from the true faith is underway preceding the revelation of the antichrist, as is prophecied in 2 Thessalonians.
It seems to me the preachers that say they have a word of knowledge about someone sitting in a certain area of the church and he has a certain ailment, and he is asked to stand up, and then he gets healed; that is the sort of thing the fake healers are faking.--spies in the congregation are participating and are in on the deception.
Note: Jesus himself did not know who got healed when the woman touched his clothes, and he had to ask "Who touched me". This use of the word of knowledge saying that someone has a certain disease, sitting in a certain place seems to be fake.
Jesus said that false preachers would show great miracles to deceive the very elect, if it were possible.
Matthew 24:24   For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

I think the assemblies of God, [and other full gospel churches] that practice the miracles, are going to be more susceptible to being deceived by fake miracles, than the churches like the baptists that don't emphasize the miracles.

Note scriptures about false brethren:
Galatians 2:4   And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:

Paul said he was in perils of false brethren; they can be dangerous.
Alberto Rivera said they collect names of protestants and put them in the vatican computer for use during any future inquisitions.
See online magazine Alberto, at chick.com.

[kensington]

Evidently, you do not know who Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart really are.  Catholics, they are NOT.

Jimmy Swaggart is the cousin to Jerry Lee Lewis, the famous country singer who married his 13 year old cousin and crashed his career.  He recorded numerous gospel albums and started preaching at a very young age, his steps can be traced back to his birth and he never joined the Catholic church.  He still hasn't.  He is ruined now and barely even gets a few people together for a Bible study. 

Jim Bakker famous for being married to the "Make-up" queen Tammy, also can be traced back to his first .... VERY FIRST preaching gig. 

Neither of them gave the Body of Christ a black eye or made us look bad.  They ruined themselves... it's no reflection on me or anyone I met.  Infact, the fall of both of these men, has given me more opportunities to speak the love of God to those who did not understand and asked me time and time again... "What do you think of that?" 

I am happy to tell them not only what I think, but what the word of God says about that mess.  It's been the best witness tool. 
It didn't ruin the faith of one bonafide born again Christian that I knew...  regardless of the church they attend.  It actually made most of us more diligent to be in the WORD and to know the weapons of the enemy of our soul that we might not be tempted and sin as they did. 

Why would the Catholic church need to send liars among us?  I'm not saying they wouldn't, but I am saying you are wrong about Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker being those spies. 

[antiaging]

Evidently, you do not know who Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart really are.  Catholics, they are NOT.

Jimmy Swaggart is the cousin to Jerry Lee Lewis, the famous country singer who married his 13 year old cousin and crashed his career.  He recorded numerous gospel albums and started preaching at a very young age, his steps can be traced back to his birth and he never joined the Catholic church.  He still hasn't.  He is ruined now and barely even gets a few people together for a Bible study. 

Jim Bakker famous for being married to the "Make-up" queen Tammy, also can be traced back to his first .... VERY FIRST preaching gig. 

Neither of them gave the Body of Christ a black eye or made us look bad.  They ruined themselves... it's no reflection on me or anyone I met.  Infact, the fall of both of these men, has given me more opportunities to speak the love of God to those who did not understand and asked me time and time again... "What do you think of that?" 

I am happy to tell them not only what I think, but what the word of God says about that mess.  It's been the best witness tool. 
It didn't ruin the faith of one bonafide born again Christian that I knew...  regardless of the church they attend.  It actually made most of us more diligent to be in the WORD and to know the weapons of the enemy of our soul that we might not be tempted and sin as they did. 

Why would the Catholic church need to send liars among us?  I'm not saying they wouldn't, but I am saying you are wrong about Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker being those spies. 

Evidently, you have not considered what I meant when I said spies. He is someone pretending to be something he is not. Alberto Rivera said that catholic spies were infiltrating protestant churches as far back as the second boat load of pilgrims that arrived in America. They are closet catholics, taking orders from the catholic priesthood while pretending to be members of other religions.
Catholicism has been putting spies in other churches for centuries.
Note this:

Why should it be considered extreme to claim that Roman Catholic Jesuits would infiltrate Protestant and other churches? Does not the Bible warn us that we must watch out for infiltrators who will creep into the true church of Jesus Christ "not sparing the flock?"

"For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock." Acts 20:29

"For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation . . ." Jude 4

Nino Lo Bello, in his book, The Vatican Papers - published by New English Library 1982, in the 19th chapter entitled, "The Vatican's Spy Network," makes it very clear that the Vatican has the most efficient and widespread spy network in the whole world. It outclasses even the Russian KGB. He states that this group of espionage agents came to be known by the popes as Sodalitium Pianum, and it includes every priest, nun and monk anywhere on earth.

He calculates the Pope's spy network to be in the region of 1.605 million persons consisting of diocesan priests, regular priests, seminarians, religious males and nuns, and that indeed, there are many full time trained agents.

Now what do agents do but infiltrate other organizations, and what organizations would Catholic spies infiltrate if not other churches, especially true churches of Jesus Christ?

Permit me to quote a passage from the reliable old Protestant classic, The History Of Protestanism by Rev. J. A. Wylie, page 412, Vol. 11:

"There was no disguise they (the Jesuits) could not assume, and therefore, there was no place into which they could not penetrate. They could enter unheard the closet of the Monarch, or the Cabinet of the Statesman. They could sit unseen in convocation or General Assembly, and mingle unsuspected in the deliberations and debates.
"There was no tongue they could not speak, and no creed they could not profess, and thus there was no people among whom they might not sojourn, and no church whose membership they might not enter and whose functions they might not discharge. They could execrate the Pope with the Lutheran, and swear the Solemn League with the Covenanter."


Alberto is by no means the only person suggesting that Roman Catholic spies infiltrate other churches. Anyone who has read any reputable history books must come to the same conclusion.

From the online book, Is Alberto For Real by Sydney Hunter
http://www.chick.com/reading/books/199/0199_01a.asp

I have seen reasons to think that I do know who they are.

Billy Graham can be traced back to his first gig also. Former Jesuit Alberto Rivera said Billy Graham is working with the Jesuits, see website:
https://www.chick.com/reading/books/153/153_08.asp

He also said he knew for sure that the late healing evangelist Kathryn Kuhlman was a catholic spy. In the magazine Double-Cross at chick.com, there is a photograph of her kissing pope Paul VI on the hand. This is not allowed for a non catholic.
She also had a catholic mass funeral.
Note: Benny Hinn took over her ministry after her death; he was trained by her.

[kensington]

WOWSA!  That is some imagination you have there.  Anyone who thinks Billy Graham is a Catholic spy... 

And Katherine Kuhlman?  NO SHE DID NOT   >>>> 

At 8:20 PM on Friday, February 20, 1976, Kathryn Kuhlman went home to be with Jesus. She was 68 years old.

Oral Robert's presided over her funeral at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, CA. Kathryn was buried in the same cemetery a half mile from Aimee Semple McPherson's vault.

She did not have a Catholic funeral nor is she burried in a Catholic cemetery. 

[antiaging]

WOWSA!  That is some imagination you have there.  Anyone who thinks Billy Graham is a Catholic spy... 

And Katherine Kuhlman?  NO SHE DID NOT   >>>> 

At 8:20 PM on Friday, February 20, 1976, Kathryn Kuhlman went home to be with Jesus. She was 68 years old.

Oral Robert's presided over her funeral at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, CA. Kathryn was buried in the same cemetery a half mile from Aimee Semple McPherson's vault.

She did not have a Catholic funeral nor is she burried in a Catholic cemetery. 

At that website it says that in a Billy Graham crusade there are catholic workers. When a catholic goes forward in an alter call for salvation, he is referred to catholic workers to be received back into the catholic church. People on another forum said that this is true.
The reason that Graham would fill the stadiums in South America, is that a call would go out from the jesuits to the catholic churches telling the catholics to go to his crusades; Mr. Rivera said that.
And you don't think it is suspicious that a real protestant preacher in South America would be run out of town, or his church burned down, or he would be beaten up...
And when Billy Graham went there, he would get stadiums full of catholics to hear him!
I think it is very suspicious.

I loaned my copy of Double-Cross to someone and he did not give it back. In the magazine it says a catholic mass was said for Kathryn Kuhlman. Maybe it was not her funeral service but it was a catholic mass. In the catholic church when someone dies, money is collected to have masses said for the person. This is supposed to allow them to spend less time suffereing in the fictional place called purgatory, that catholicism invented.
[Note: That photograph of Ms. Kuhlman kissing pope Paul VI hand is not imagination. She did that. Mr. Rivera said this is not allowed for a non catholic.]
Mr. Rivera said that one of the main reasons that catholics participated in the torture and murder of people in other religions, during the times of the inquisitions, was that the priests promised them that if they murdered these people, they would get less time suffering in purgatory.
Purgatory is one of the biggest money making con games ever invented.
See online book, THE VATICAN BILLIONS, BY Avro Manhattan.