Philippines General Council of the Assemblies of God

Philippines General Council of the Assemblies of God
Classification Evangelical Protestant
Orientation Pentecostal
General Superintendent Rev. Reynaldo A. Calusay
Associations Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches,
World Assemblies of God Fellowship, Asia Pacific Assemblies of God Fellowship
Region Philippines,worldwide.[1][2]
Origin 1940
San Nicolas, Villasis, Pangasinan
Branched from Assemblies of God USA
Congregations 3,600
Members 360,000+
Nursing homes 1
Tertiary institutions 2
Official website http://www.pgc.ag/

The Philippines General Council of the Assemblies of God is a national missionary movement of Pentecostal churches and credentialed ministers who voluntarily enter into mutual agreement to form a cooperative fellowship based upon the values of unity, equality, cooperation, and Christian love.

The Philippines General Council of the Assemblies of God is composed of different District Councils organized in particular geographical areas, comprising a fellowship of local assemblies and wherein the General Council exercises its prerogatives and implements its programs. They are established under the authority of the General Council and operate according to the PGCAG Constitution and Bylaws.

History

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.[3] 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.[4] The first convention was held in March 1940 at San Nicolas, Villasis, Pangasinan, and the district was incorporated in July.[5] 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.[6]

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.[7] 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.[3] Rodrigo C. Esperanza was the first general superintendent.

Unlike most countries with an Assemblies of God presence, the Fellowship began through the evangelism of national believers rather than a pioneer missionary effort. Expatriate Filipinos originally came to the United States searching for gold, but they found God instead. After attending Assemblies of God Bible schools, they returned to the Philippines in 1939 and organized the Philippines Assemblies of God. The Fellowship's first meeting was conducted in the house of Sobrepeña's grandfather, H.P. Abrenica. In the 1930s Abrenica went to California but failed to find his fortune. Depressed, he was en route to the Golden Gate Bridge to commit suicide when he heard the gospel from a street preacher. Abrenica accepted Christ and attended Bethany College of the Assemblies of God. Because the Philippines was still a U.S. protectorate, the new Fellowship initially formed under the auspices of the U.S. Assemblies of God. Missionaries from the United States arrived in 1940 to help with the beginning stages of the work.

References

  1. ↑ "World Missions Department". Retrieved 2010-10-18.
  2. ↑ "PGCAG Global District". PGCAG website. Retrieved 2010-10-18.
  3. 1 2 Philippines General Council of the Assemblies of God. History. Accessed September 23, 2010.
  4. ↑ 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
  5. ↑ Seleky, 273.
  6. ↑ Seleky, 275.
  7. ↑ Seleky, 279-280.

More links: 9. PSA (formerly NSO) Recognizes Rev. Calusay as PGCAG Head 10. SEC Recognizes Court-Declared PGCAG Leaders 11. AGWM Letter of Affirmation of GS Rey Calusay August 2012


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