The Assembly of God is one of the world’s most famous Pentecostal Christian denominations and boasts a mammoth following. They have taken time to spread their roots all over and now have branches of the church worldwide. Despite having a huge following, there has recently been a mass exodus of believers from the church. This exodus has raised eyebrows, and curious Christians have been asking the critical question, why are people leaving the Assembly of God denomination?
Several reasons have been given by individuals who have left the denomination ranging from biblically questionable practices to scandals involving some of their top leaders, among other reasons. Each shared gave a sensible reason for departing from the denomination that hosts over 50 million adherents.
The assemblies of god denomination have offered a community to a good number of Christians all over the world. Seeing a large group of people leave the denomination is quite worrying and proves that there could be a problem somewhere that needs to be sorted out. Continue reading this article to discover why members are leaving the Assemblies of God and understand their teachings.
4 Reasons why members are leaving the Assembly of God denomination.
Scandals
Some members have cited scandals from some of their major leaders as to why they decided to leave the ministry. These are global leaders who have been hosting major crusades and have been appearing on screens worldwide. Since these are the leaders tasked with tendering the flock of Christ, much is expected from them as the vast following emulates them.
Some Assembly of God leaders has failed to live up to their responsibilities. They have been caught in substantial embarrassing scandals, including sex scandals and even embezzlement of church funds. These scandals have become humiliation points for some members looking up to these leaders, who decided to quit the church. Some leaders mentioned in scandals include David Yonngi Cho (embezzlement of church funds) and Jimmy Swaggart (sex scandal).
Claims of false miracles
Other members have accused the denomination of running sham revival and healing crusades. The members claim that in most places where they ran crusades, there had been no evidence of the miracles they had claimed to perform. Some miracles, like the growing back of limbs, could not be documented after the crusades. They also claim that in places where people reportedly gave their lives to Christ in large numbers, there was no change recorded on issues such as crime.
These instances made some question the ministry’s credibility and whether the miracles performed were legitimately from God. These constant questions increased their doubt that some ended up leaving the denomination.
Claims of false teachings
Some members have boldly claimed they have experienced false teachings from some preachers. They claim these contradictory teachings cannot be proven by the Bible but are religiously supported by some gullible preachers. These teachings end up being more beneficial to the preacher than the congregants. These contradictions have ended up worrying a good number of the flock.
1st Thessalonians 5:21 says, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” This is a command to believers that they should carefully examine the doctrines they are given in church and only follow those supported by the word of God. The members have counterchecked some of the principles put forward by some preachers with the word of God and have found disparities. This has forced them to move to other denominations.
Contradiction by leaders
Some members have also cited the tendency of some leaders to purposefully snatch God’s glory and portray themselves as unique vessels God uses to heal. This happens even though one of their fundamental doctrines that they teach is that only God heals and not the preachers. The contradictory behavior has forced some members out.
What does the Assembly of God believe in?
The Bible
The Assembly of God has got quite a number of beliefs. They first believe in the Holy inspired Scriptures. On this, one of their doctrinal statements boldly says that when it comes to the word of God, they will not add or subtract any information. This means that their teachings are wired according to the holy Bible and are supposed to be proven only from the Bible.
The Trinity
The Assembly of God is also Trinitarian. This means that they believe in the Holy Trinity of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. They are also described as being Arminian. This means that they accept the doctrines of grace and free will.
Divine Healing
The Assembly of God denomination believes in divine healing. They believe that God ordained his leaders to pray for His people and that God himself does the healing. The members are asked to pray and then leave everything else to God. “The faith that saves also heals” is a statement that is engraved on their website to mean that they are of the belief that faith in God can lead to prayers being answered.
Baptism by Immersion
They also believe in baptism by immersion in water. During the baptism, they ensure that the entire body is immersed in water, which is characteristic of the baptism of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, they also participate in the Lord’s supper and believe in the sanctification of the body.
Evangelism and Missions
The Assembly of God also emphasizes mission works and evangelism. They participate in home and foreign missions and revival and healing crusades. Their mission works include visiting prisons and taking care of the disabled.
Does the Assembly of God’s teachings contradict biblical teachings?
There is no proof that the Assembly of God’s teachings contradicts biblical teachings. All their doctrines seem to be perfectly in line with the teachings of the Bible. From believing in the holy trinity to baptism and Holy Communion to mission works and evangelism, there has been no proof of contradiction with the Bible.
However, this does not mean there have been no controversial preachers in the Assembly of God. Some have been there with teachings that contradict the Bible. However, they were not presenting the church’s doctrines; rather, they were presenting their selfish interests.
References
History of the Assembly of God
The Bible Stand on Assemblies of God
As a devout Christian, I have always been passionate about the Christian faith. This inspired me to pursue a degree in Religious studies and a Masters in Theology in college. I have also been privileged to teach 4 Christian courses in a college and university. Since I am dedicated to spreading the word of God, I am actively involved in the Church. Additionally, I share his word online and cover diverse topics on the Christian faith through my platform. You can read more about me on the about us page.
