Philippines General Council of the Assemblies of God
| Philippines General Council of the Assemblies of God | |
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| Classification | Protestant |
|---|---|
| Orientation | Pentecostal |
| Leader | Rev. Reynaldo A. Calusay |
| Associations | Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches, World Assemblies of God Fellowship |
| Geographical areas | Philippines,worldwide.[1][2] |
| Origin | 1926 Baguio City |
| Branched from | Assemblies of God USA |
| Congregations | 4,000 |
| Nursing homes | 1 |
| Tertiary institutions | 2 |
| Official website | www.pgcag.com |
The Philippines General Council of the Assemblies of God (PGCAG) is a Pentecostal Christian denomination in the Philippines. It has 4,000 churches, claims to be the largest evangelical group in the country, and was led by General Superintendent Rev. David A. Sobrepeña from 2000 until 2006.[3] The General Council was established in 1953, but the history of the Philippines Assemblies of God goes back to the 1920s. It is at present led by Rev. Reynaldo A. Calusay a member of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship.
History [edit]
The first missionary of the Assemblies of God in the United States of America to work in the Philippines was Benjamin H. Caudle and his wife who arrived in 1926. However due to his wife's illness, Caudle was forced to return to the U.S.[4] In the 1930s, Filipinos who had graduated from Assemblies of God Bible schools began requesting that the denomination send an appointed missionary to organize the church there. At the time, the Philippines were a U.S. protectorate, and legally, the AG needed a missionary appointed by the U.S. body to be registered as a religious organization. In December 1939, the Assemblies of God USA responded by sending a missionary, Leland E. Johnson, to organize and superintend the Philippines District Council of the Assemblies of God.[5] The first convention was held in March 1940 at San Nicolas, Villasis, Pangasinan, and the district was incorporated in July.[6] Other missionaries would arrive, especially from China as conflict with Japan escalated. In 1941, Bethel Bible Institute was opened in Baguio City to train pastors and evangelists.[7]
During World War II, Japanese military forces occupied the Philippines. The Bible institute, like all schools, was closed, and the missionaries were interned. During these years the district was led entirely by Filipinos. After the war, the missionary presence was revived and Bethel Bible Institute was reopened. Immanuel Bible Institute in Cebu City was founded in 1951, and in 1953, Bethesda Children's Home was founded by Elva Vanderbout, a missionary to the Igorots of the Mountain Province in Northern Luzon.[8] After 14 years under the Assemblies of God USA, the work in the Philippines became fully independent with the creation of the Philippines General Council of the Assemblies of God in 1953.[4] Rodrigo C. Esperanza was the first general superintendent.
References [edit]
- ^ "World Missions Department". Retrieved 2010-10-18.
- ^ "PGCAG Global District". PGCAG website. Retrieved 2010-10-18.
- ^ World Assemblies of God Fellowship. Description of the Philippines Assembly of God. Accessed September 23, 2010.
- ^ a b Philippines General Council of the Assemblies of God. History. Accessed September 23, 2010.
- ^ Seleky, Trinidad E. (2005), "The Organization of the Philippines Assemblies of God and the Role of Early Missionaries", Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies 8 (2): 271–272
- ^ Seleky, 273.
- ^ Seleky, 275.
- ^ Seleky, 279-280.
External links [edit]
- Official website
- Chi Alpha (Student Movement of the Philippines General Council of the Assemblies of God
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