Assemblies of God in Australia

The Assemblies of God in Australia (AOG) was formed in 1937 and is the Australian organisation of the Assemblies of God, a pentecostal denomination originating in the United States of America. From April 2007, the movement adopted a public name of Australian Christian Churches, however is still incorporated as the Assemblies of God in Australia. Member churches work together to provide support for each other and cooperate in evangelisation. The movement is lead by Brian Houston, the National President of the Assemblies of God in Australia. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... The Pentecostal movement within Protestant Christianity places special emphasis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      A denomination, in the... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Brian Houston is the Senior Pastor of Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia, a Pentecostal Christian church, affiliated with the Assemblies of God. ... The National President of the Assemblies of God in Australia is the title given to the leader of the Australian branch of the Assemblies of God (AOG). ...

History

Australian Pentecostalism in the early years was greatly influenced by such figures as Mrs. Janet Lancaster, AC Valdez, Smith Wigglesworth, C L Greenwood and P B Duncan but none of these were individually responsible for the formation of the Assemblies of God in Australia. The Assemblies of God in Australia formed out of a conference of the Assemblies of God - Queensland and the Pentecostal Church of Australia in Sydney, Easter 1937. It was recognised by the leaders of both movements that a more harmonious, co-operative and unified relationship was needed. C.L Greenwood was elected the first Chairman of the Assemblies of God in Australia and every state was granted autonomy in its own affairs as was each registered assembly. Smith Wigglesworth (1859 - 1947), was a British religious figure and an important figure in the early history of Pentecostalism. ... Capital Brisbane Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Quentin Bryce Premier Peter Beattie (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 28  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $158,506 (3rd)  - Product per capita  $40,170/person (6th) Population (End of November 2006)  - Population  4,164,590 (3rd)  - Density  2. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

In the early years of the movement growth was very slow but firm foundations were set in place. In 1948 the Commonwealth Bible College (now known as Southern Cross College) was established in order to train men and women for ministry. Various leaders also arose to bring leadership and direction to the movement such as Henry Wiggins, Philip Duncan, Edward Irish, James Wallace, Alec Davidson and Ralph Read. 1977 was a turning point for growth when Pastor Andrew Evans became the General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God in Australia. During his term in office from 1977 to 1997, the AOG in Australia experienced great growth multiplying by over 13 times in the number of members and adherents and planting over 700 churches. 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... Southern Cross College is a tertiary education provider in Chester Hill, New South Wales, Australia. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Andrew Evans Andrew Evans OAM (born June 1935), is an Australia politician and Assemblies of God pastor. ... Year 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar). ...

In May 1997, Pastor Brian Houston was elected the National President of the Assemblies of God in Australia. Houston initiated the launch of Australian Christian Churches, a network of Pentecostal and Charismatic churches in 2000. This umbrella organisation became the largest Pentecostal group in Australia, it included the Assemblies of God, the Apostolic Church, Bethesda and the Waverley Christian Fellowship. In April 2007, at the Assemblies of God in Australia National Conference, the public name of the movement was changed to Australian Christian Churches, still incorporated as Assemblies of God in Australia. The movement currently has over 1,100 churches and 180,000 members across Australia. Year 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar). ... The Pentecostal movement within Protestant Christianity places special emphasis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. ... Charismatic is an umbrella term used to describe those Christians who believe that the manifestations of the Holy Spirit seen in the first century Christian Church, such as healing, miracles and glossolalia, are available to contemporary Christians and ought to be experienced and practiced today. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Apostolic Church is a Pentecostal Christian denomination which can trace its origins back to the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival. ... CityLife Church, formerly known as Waverley Christian Fellowship, is a non-denominational megachurch in Australia. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

Leadership

The current National Assemblies of God in Australia leadership;

• President: Brian Houston
• Vice President: Alun Davies
• Secretary: Keith Ainge
• Executive Members: Ashley Evans, Danny Guglielmucci, Ian Woods, Michael Murphy, Steve Penny, Wayne Alcorn

The current State Presidents of the Assemblies of God in Australia;

• New South Wales: Ian Woods
• Queensland: Wayne Alcorn
• South Australia: Ashley Evans
• Victoria: Alun Davies
• Western Australia: Neil Smith
• Tasmania: Dermot Cottuli

Doctrine

Similar to the doctrine of other Assemblies of God internationally, the Assemblies of God in Australia believe;

• That the Bible is God's Word. It is accurate, authoritative and applicable to our every day lives.
• In one eternal God who is the Creator of all things. He exists in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. He is totally loving and completely holy.
• That sin has separated each of us from God and His purpose for our lives.
• That the Lord Jesus Christ as both God and man is the only One who can reconcile us to God. He lived a sinless and exemplary life, died on the cross in our place, and rose again to prove His victory and empower us for life.
• That in order to receive forgiveness and the 'new birth' we must repent of our sins, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and submit to His will for our lives.
• That in order to live the holy and fruitful lives that God intends for us, we need to be baptised in water and be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit enables us to use spiritual gifts, including speaking in tongues which is the initial evidence of baptism in the Holy Spirit.
• That God has individually equipped us so that we can successfully achieve His purpose for our lives which is to worship God, fulfil our role in the Church and serve the community in which we live.
• That God wants to heal and transform us so that we can live healthy and prosperous lives in order to help others more effectively.
• That our eternal destination of either Heaven or hell is determined by our response to the Lord Jesus Christ.
• That the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back again as He promised.

Churches

There are more than 1,100 churches with over 180,000 members, making it the largest Pentecostal denomination in Australia. Member churches include a number of megachurches, including; The interior of Rev. ...

• Hillsong Church in Baulkham Hills and Waterloo, Sydney (20,000)
• Paradise Community Church in Paradise, Adelaide (6,000)
• Brisbane City Church in Brisbane, Queensland, (4000)
• Shire Christian Centre in Sutherland, Sydney (3,200)
• Garden City Christian Church in Mt Gravatt, Brisbane (3,000)
• Edge Church in Reynella, Adelaide (3,000)
• Planetshakers City Church in East Melbourne, Melbourne (3,000)
• Liverpool Christian Life Centre in Hoxton Park, Sydney (2,000)
• Kings Christian Church in Buderim and Noosa, Sunshine Coast (2,000)
• Faith! Christian Church in Dandenong North, Melbourne (2,000)
• Penrith Christian Life Centre in Orchard Hills, Sydney (1,750)
• Generation Church in Varsity Lakes, Gold Coast

Hillsong Church logo. ... Baulkham Hills is a suburb in the North West of Sydney, Australia. ... Cabbage Hotel, Botany Road, Waterloo Waterloo is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. ... The Sydney Opera House on Sydney Harbour Sydney (pronounced ) is the most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of 4,119,190, and 151,920 in the City of Sydney, as of the 2006 census. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Paradise (34°52′ S 138°40′ E, postcode 5075) is a northeastern suburb of Adelaide in South Australia. ... Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of South Australia, and is the fifth largest city in Australia, with a population of over 1. ... The suburb of Sutherland is the seat of Sutherland Shire, Australia. ... The Sydney Opera House on Sydney Harbour Sydney (pronounced ) is the most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of 4,119,190, and 151,920 in the City of Sydney, as of the 2006 census. ... Garden City Christian Church is a Pentecostal Christian church, affiliated with the Assemblies of God. ... Mount Gravatt is a suburb of Brisbane. ... Brisbane (pronounced ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, as well as the third largest city in Australia, with a greater metropolitan population of 1. ... Edge Church Advertisement for Miss Spent Edge Church (formerly Southside Christian Church) is a Pentecostal megachurch in South Australia. ... Reynella () is a metropolitan suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. ... Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of South Australia, and is the fifth largest city in Australia, with a population of over 1. ... Planetshakers was originally a Christian conference that began in South Australia and founded by Russell Evans at Paradise Community Church. ... East Melbourne is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... Melbournes CBD has grown to straddle the Yarra River in three major precincts. ... Hoxton Park is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. ... The Sydney Opera House on Sydney Harbour Sydney (pronounced ) is the most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of 4,119,190, and 151,920 in the City of Sydney, as of the 2006 census. ... Kings Christian Church is a Pentecostal Christian church, affiliated with the Assemblies of God. ... Buderim ( ) is a mountain town in the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia about an hours drive north of Brisbane. ... Noosa is located on the Sunshine Coast in the Australian state of Queensland. ... There are several places around the globe that use the name Sunshine Coast. ... Faith! Christian Church (formerly known as Dandenong AOG) is a Pentecostal church of over 2000 people in Dandenong North, in the southeast of Melbourne, Australia. ... Dandenong North is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... Melbournes CBD has grown to straddle the Yarra River in three major precincts. ... Penrith Christian Life Centre is a Pentecostal Christian church, affiliated with the Assemblies of God. ... Orchard Hills is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. ... The Sydney Opera House on Sydney Harbour Sydney (pronounced ) is the most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of 4,119,190, and 151,920 in the City of Sydney, as of the 2006 census. ... The subject of this article may not satisfy the notability guideline or one of the following guidelines for inclusion on Wikipedia: Biographies, Books, Companies, Fiction, Music, Neologisms, Numbers, Web content, or several proposals for new guidelines. ... Varsity Lakes is a suburb of the Gold Coast, Queensland. ... Gold Coast is a city and local government area in the southeast corner of Queensland, Australia. ...

Bible Colleges

A number of bible colleges are registered with the denomination, they are: A Bible college is a tertiary education institution for the purpose of instructing students to prepare them for ordination to Christian ministry (i. ...

• Garden City College of Ministries
• Harvest Bible College
• Hillsong International Leadership College
• ICI College Australia
• Paradise College of Ministries
• Rhema College of Christian Ministries
• Southern Cross College
• Strikeforce Ministry Training Institute

Garden City Christian Church is a Pentecostal Christian church, affiliated with the Assemblies of God. ... Hillsong International Leadership College is the training college of Hillsong Church, a Pentecostal Christian church, affiliated with the Assemblies of God. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Southern Cross College is a tertiary education provider in Chester Hill, New South Wales, Australia. ...

Ministries

The Assemblies of God in Australia has many ministries in place to serve the church and effectively outreach to the people in Australia. These include;

• AOG World Mission
• Australian Christian Services
• Chaplaincy Australia
• Rangers Australia
• Youth Alive

The Assemblies of God in Australia supports many charitable organisations including Mercy Ministries, Teen Challenge and Compassion Australia. Mercy Ministries is a charity that focuses on the welfare of young women aged 16-28 dealing with the effects of eating disorders, unplanned pregnancy, self-harm, addictions, depression and abuse. ... Teen Challenge is an evangelical Christian rehabilitation program and a network of autonomous Christian social and evangelizing work centers. ... Compassion Australia is a Christian child sponsorship organization dedicated to the long-term development of children living in poverty around the world. ...

Family First Party

There has been significant attention drawn to the denomination's relationship to the Family First Party, particularly in light of the party's founder, Andrew Evans, being a former superintendent of the movement, and its one-time leader, Andrea Mason, attending an AOG church. Both the Assemblies of God and the Family First Party maintain that links are historical only, and that there is no organisational connection at the present time.[1] The Family First Party (FFP/F1) is a political party in Australia, with policies that generally mirror socially conservative and family values. ... Andrew Evans Andrew Evans OAM (born June 1935), is an Australia politician and Assemblies of God pastor. ... Andrea Mason is an Australian politician. ...

See also

• National President of the Assemblies of God in Australia

The National President of the Assemblies of God in Australia is the title given to the leader of the Australian branch of the Assemblies of God (AOG). ...

References

• Clifton, S. J., (2005), An Analysis of the Developing Ecclesiology of the Assemblies of God in Australia, PhD thesis Australian Catholic University accessed 25 August 2006

External links

• Assemblies of God in Australia
• New South Wales Assemblies of God
• Queensland Assemblies of God
• Victoria Assemblies of God
• Western Australia Assemblies of God
• Tasmania Assemblies of God