Thursday 7 August 2014

MEGA EVENTS:: Thousands Expected at Assemblies of God 100th Anniversary Celebration; Estimated 10.5 Million to View AG's Centennial Live This Sunday

Thousands of attendees are expected to attend the Assemblies of
God 100th anniversary celebration in Springfield, Missouri, this
week, including several international dignitaries. AG is one of
the world's fastest-growing Protestant movements and the
largest Pentecostal denomination.

"It's a great celebration of our church which is bringing in
delegates from all over the world and all across America," says
Dr. George Wood, the General Superintendent of Assemblies of
God, as reported by Ozarks First. "There is a strong focus on
evangelism - sharing the good word of Jesus Christ with those
who don't know him."

In addition to AG General Superintendent Dr. George O. Wood,
keynote addresses will be delivered by an array of international
speakers, such as Yong Mok Cho of South Korea, Juan Carlos
Escobar of Spain, Edward A. Grabovenko of Russia, Lazarus
Chakwera of Malawi, Barnabas Mtokambali of Tanzania, Ivan
Satyavrata of India, José Wellington of Brazil and Max Schläpfer
of Switzerland. Other U.S. speakers include Hal Donaldson,
John Lindell, Wilfredo "Choco" De Jesús, Nam Soo Kim, Jason
Frenn (who ministers in Latin America), and Raegan Glugosh, a
U.S. missionary to Romania.

Dignitaries in attendance include President John Dramani
Mahama of Ghana, who will be recognized as a special guest the
evening of Aug. 7, the opening day of the event. Mahama is a
widely published author who is proficient in eight languages.
Angie Miller, third place finalist in the 2013 season of American
Idol, will lead worship at the Centennial Celebration grand finale
on Sunday evening, Aug. 10.

AG reports that it is celebrating remarkable denominational
growth. In 100 years, the Assemblies of God has grown from 300
ministers in Hot Springs, Arkansas, to now more than 67.5
million global adherents attending over 366,000 churches. In the
US, the denomination has experienced 24 consecutive years of
growth with a marked 21% increase among Millennials,
according to AG. And 54% of AG adherents in the US are under
the age of 35 and more than 40% are ethnic minority.

The denomination is represented in 190 visa-granting countries
with more than 67.5 million global adherents. Attendees arriving
in Springfield include people from 120 nations.

"While the landscape of American religion has been markedly
divided among racial lines, the Assemblies of God has become
increasingly diverse," organizers said. "Over 40% of AG
adherents are nonwhite ethnic minorities, just above the overall
U.S. population at 37% minority. The Centennial events will
include elements such as a 100 voice choir from a New York-
based Korean church and a keynote address from AG pastor
Wilfredo De Jesús, the leading voice in Hispanic
evangelicalism."

In 1914, founders of the Assemblies of God committed the
movement to "the greatest evangelism the world has ever
known." At 100 years, the denomination is reaffirming that
commitment in a global initiative called "The Human Right."
Organizers said, "While the denomination is active in addressing
social justice needs and human rights throughout the world, the
AG believes the most essential human right is that everyone
should have an opportunity to hear and respond to a clear
presentation of the gospel."

In what is considered a historic moment, hundreds of Assemblies
of God churches throughout the U.S. have registered to serve as
host sites for the denomination's Centennial celebration. Pastor
Adelita Garza will serve as the simulcast host for the evening's
Spanish viewers and AG General Secretary James Bradford will
host the English feed.

An estimated 10.5 million viewers are anticipated to view the
AG's Centennial live on August 10. In addition to the thousands
joining live in Springfield, and remotely at hundreds of church
sites, the Centennial will be broadcast through Unsión TV to
Latin America, where the Assemblies of God has more than 30
million adherents. LMTV will broadcast the service throughout
Africa, where the AG has over 17 million adherents.

source: christianpost

No comments:

Post a Comment