1.
Albumin
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The albumins are a family of globular proteins, the most common of which are the serum albumins. All the proteins of the family are water-soluble, moderately soluble in concentrated salt solutions. Albumins are commonly found in plasma and differ from other blood proteins in that they are not glycosylated. Substances containing albumins, such as egg white, are called albuminoids, a number of blood transport proteins are evolutionarily related, including serum albumin, alpha-fetoprotein, vitamin D-binding protein and afamin. Albumin binds to the surface receptor albondin. Serum albumin is the protein of human blood plasma. It binds water, cations, fatty acids, hormones, bilirubin, thyroxine and pharmaceuticals, alpha-fetoprotein is a fetal plasma protein that binds various cations, fatty acids and bilirubin. Vitamin D-binding protein binds to vitamin D and its metabolites, as well as to fatty acids, the isoelectric point of albumin is 4.9. The 3D structure of human serum albumin has been determined by X-ray crystallography to a resolution of 2.5 ångströms, albumin is a 65–70 kDa protein. Albumin comprises three homologous domains that assemble to form a heart-shaped protein, each domain is a product of two subdomains that possess common structural motifs. The principal regions of ligand binding to serum albumin are located in hydrophobic cavities in subdomains IIA and IIIA. The human version is human serum albumin, and it constitutes about 50% of human plasma protein. Serum albumins are important in regulating blood volume by maintaining the pressure of the blood compartment. For this reason, it is referred as a molecular taxi. Competition between drugs for albumin binding sites may cause drug interaction by increasing the free fraction of one of the drugs, specific types include, human serum albumin bovine serum albumin or BSA, often used in medical and molecular biology labs. Normal range of human serum albumin in adults is 3.5 to 5 g/dL, for children less than three years of age, the normal range is broader,2. 9–5.5 g/dL. Low albumin may be caused by disease, nephrotic syndrome, burns, protein-losing enteropathy, malabsorption, malnutrition, late pregnancy, artefact, genetic variations. High albumin is almost always caused by dehydration, in some cases of retinol deficiency, the albumin level can be elevated to high-normal values
2.
Globulin
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The globulins are a family of globular proteins that have higher molecular weights than albumins and are insoluble in pure water but dissolve in dilute salt solutions. Some globulins are produced in the liver, while others are made by the immune system, Globulins, albumins, and fibrinogen are the major blood proteins. The normal concentration of globulins in human blood is about 2. 6-4.6 g/dL, the term globulin is sometimes used synonymously with globular protein. However, albumins are also globular proteins, but are not globulins, all other serum globular proteins are globulins. Being the heaviest, the gamma globulins are among the slowest to segregate in gél electrophoresis, the immunologically active gamma globulins are also called immunoglobulins or antibodies. The normal concentration of globulins in human blood is about 2. 6-4.6 g/dL, globulin proteins exist not only in other animal species, but also in plants. Vicilin and legumin, from peas and other legumes, function as protein storage within seeds and these proteins can cause allergic reactions if they bind with human IgE antibodies. Pseudoglobulins are a class of globulins that are soluble in ammonium sulfate than euglobulins. Pseudoglobulins are also soluble in water, while euglobulins are not. Cornell Globulins at the US National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings
3.
Protestantism
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Protestantism is a form of Christianity which originated with the Reformation, a movement against what its followers considered to be errors in the Roman Catholic Church. It is one of the three divisions of Christendom, together with Roman Catholicism and Orthodoxy. The term derives from the letter of protestation from German Lutheran princes in 1529 against an edict of the Diet of Speyer condemning the teachings of Martin Luther as heretical. Although there were earlier breaks from or attempts to reform the Roman Catholic Church—notably by Peter Waldo, John Wycliffe, Protestants reject the notion of papal supremacy and deny the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, but disagree among themselves regarding the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The Five solae summarize the reformers basic differences in theological beliefs, in the 16th century, Lutheranism spread from Germany into Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, the Baltic states, and Iceland. Reformed churches were founded in Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Scotland, Switzerland and France by such reformers as John Calvin, Huldrych Zwingli, the political separation of the Church of England from Rome under King Henry VIII brought England and Wales into this broad Reformation movement. Protestants developed their own culture, which made major contributions in education, the humanities and sciences, the political and social order, the economy and the arts, some Protestant denominations do have a worldwide scope and distribution of membership, while others are confined to a single country. A majority of Protestants are members of a handful of families, Adventism, Anglicanism, Baptist churches, Reformed churches, Lutheranism, Methodism. Nondenominational, evangelical, charismatic, independent and other churches are on the rise, and constitute a significant part of Protestant Christianity. Six princes of the Holy Roman Empire and rulers of fourteen Imperial Free Cities, the edict reversed concessions made to the Lutherans with the approval of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V three years earlier. During the Reformation, the term was used outside of the German politics. The word evangelical, which refers to the gospel, was more widely used for those involved in the religious movement. Nowadays, this word is still preferred among some of the historical Protestant denominations in the Lutheran and Calvinist traditions in Europe, above all the term is used by Protestant bodies in the German-speaking area, such as the EKD. In continental Europe, an Evangelical is either a Lutheran or a Calvinist, the German word evangelisch means Protestant, and is different from the German evangelikal, which refers to churches shaped by Evangelicalism. The English word evangelical usually refers to Evangelical Protestant churches, and it traces its roots back to the Puritans in England, where Evangelicalism originated, and then was brought to the United States. Protestantism as a term is now used in contradistinction to the other major Christian traditions, i. e. Roman Catholicism. Initially, Protestant became a term to mean any adherent to the Reformation movement in Germany and was taken up by Lutherans. Even though Martin Luther himself insisted on Christian or Evangelical as the only acceptable names for individuals who professed Christ, French and Swiss Protestants preferred the word reformed, which became a popular, neutral and alternative name for Calvinists
4.
Pentecostalism
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The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, the Greek name for the Jewish Feast of Weeks. For Christians, this event commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the followers of Jesus Christ, like other forms of evangelical Protestantism, Pentecostalism adheres to the inerrancy of scripture and the necessity of accepting Christ as personal Lord and Savior. It is distinguished by belief in the baptism in the Holy Spirit that enables a Christian to live a Spirit-filled and empowered life and this empowerment includes the use of spiritual gifts such as speaking in tongues and divine healing—two other defining characteristics of Pentecostalism. For this reason, some Pentecostals also use the term Apostolic or Full Gospel to describe their movement, Pentecostalism emerged in the early 20th century among radical adherents of the Holiness movement who were energized by revivalism and expectation for the imminent Second Coming of Christ. In 1900, Charles Parham, an American evangelist and faith healer, the three-year-long Azusa Street Revival, founded and led by William J. While virtually all Pentecostal denominations trace their origins to Azusa Street, an early dispute centered on challenges to the doctrine of the Trinity. As a result, the Pentecostal Movement is divided between trinitarian and non-trinitarian branches, there are over 279 million Pentecostals worldwide, and the movement is growing in many parts of the world, especially the global South. Together, Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity numbers over 500 million adherents, Pentecostalism is an evangelical faith, emphasizing the reliability of the Bible and the need for the transformation of an individuals life through faith in Jesus. Like other evangelicals, Pentecostals generally adhere to the Bibles divine inspiration and inerrancy—the belief that the Bible, Pentecostals emphasize the teaching of the full gospel or foursquare gospel. The central belief of Pentecostalism is that through the death, burial and this is the Gospel or good news. The fundamental requirement of Pentecostalism is that one be born again, the new birth is received by the grace of God through faith in Christ as Lord and Savior. In being born again, the believer is regenerated, justified, adopted into the family of God, Pentecostal soteriology is generally Arminian rather than Calvinist. The security of the believer is a doctrine held within Pentecostalism, nevertheless, Pentecostals believe in both a literal heaven and hell, the former for those who have accepted Gods gift of salvation and the latter for those who have rejected it. For most Pentecostals there is no requirement to receive salvation. Baptism with the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues are not generally required, a notable exception is Oneness Pentecostalism, most adherents of which believe both water baptism and Spirit baptism are integral components of salvation. Pentecostals identify three distinct uses of the baptism in the New Testament, Baptism into the body of Christ. Every believer in Christ is made a part of his body, the Holy Spirit is the agent, and the body of Christ is the medium. Baptism with the Holy Spirit, This is an experience distinct from baptism into the body of Christ
5.
George O. Wood
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George O. Wood is an American Pentecostal minister. He previously served as General Secretary of the AG from 1993 to 2007, before his election to national office in the AG, he was Assistant Superintendent of the Southern California District of the AG. For 17 years he was pastor of Newport Mesa Church in Costa Mesa, from 1965 until 1971, he was director of Spiritual Life and Student Life at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri. Wood’s education includes a B. A. from Evangel University and he also received a J. D. from Western State University College of Law in Fullerton, California and is a member of the California State Bar
6.
Christian denomination
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A Christian denomination is a distinct religious body within Christianity, identified by traits such as a name, organisation, leadership and doctrine. Individual bodies, however, may use alternative terms to describe themselves, groups of denominations—often sharing broadly similar beliefs, practices, and historical ties—are sometimes known as branches of Christianity or denominational families. Individual Christian groups vary widely in the degree to which they recognize one another, several groups claim to be the direct and sole authentic successor of the church founded by Jesus Christ in the 1st century AD. Others, however, believe in denominationalism, where some or all Christian groups are legitimate churches of the same regardless of their distinguishing labels, beliefs. Because of this concept, some Christian bodies reject the term denomination to describe themselves, however, the Catholic Church does not view itself as a denomination, but as the original pre-denominational church. This view is rejected by other Christian denominations, Protestant denominations account for approximately 37 percent of Christians worldwide. Together, Catholicism and Protestantism comprise Western Christianity, Western Christian denominations prevail in Western, Northern, Central and Southern Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Americas and Oceania. The Eastern Orthodox Church, with an estimated 225–300 million adherents, is the second-largest Christian organization in the world, unlike the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church is itself a communion of fully independent autocephalous churches that mutually recognize each other to the exclusion of others. The Eastern Orthodox Church, together with Oriental Orthodoxy and the Assyrian Church of the East, Eastern Christian denominations are represented mostly in Eastern Europe, North Asia, the Middle East and Northeast Africa. Christians have various doctrines about the Church and about how the church corresponds to Christian denominations. Both Catholics and Eastern Orthodox hold that their own organizations faithfully represent the One Holy catholic and Apostolic Church to the exclusion of the other, sixteenth-century Protestants separated from the Catholic Church because of theologies and practices that they considered to be in violation of their own interpretation. But some non-denominational Christians do not follow any particular branch, though regarded as Protestants. Each group uses different terminology to discuss their beliefs and this section will discuss the definitions of several terms used throughout the article, before discussing the beliefs themselves in detail in following sections. A denomination within Christianity can be defined as an autonomous branch of the Christian Church, major synonyms include religious group, sect, Church. Some traditional and evangelical Protestants draw a distinction between membership in the church and fellowship within the local church. Becoming a believer in Christ makes one a member of the universal church, a related concept is denominationalism, the belief that some or all Christian groups are legitimate churches of the same religion regardless of their distinguishing labels, beliefs, and practices. Protestant leaders differ greatly from the views of the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, each church makes mutually exclusive claims for itself to be the direct continuation of the Church founded by Jesus Christ, from whom other denominations later broke away. These churches, and a few others, reject denominationalism, Christianity can be taxonomically divided into five main groups, the Church of the East, Oriental Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, and Protestantism
7.
Azusa Street Revival
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The Azusa Street Revival was a historic Pentecostal revival meeting that took place in Los Angeles, California and is the origin of the Pentecostal movement. It was led by William J. Seymour, an African American preacher and it began with a meeting on April 9,1906, and continued until now. The revival was characterized by ecstatic spiritual experiences accompanied by amazing physical healing miracles, dramatic worship services, speaking in tongues, the participants were criticized by the secular media and Christian theologians for behaviors considered to be outrageous and unorthodox, especially at the time. Today, the revival is considered by historians to be the primary catalyst for the spread of Pentecostalism in the 20th century. Neely Terry, an African American woman who attended a small holiness church pastored by Julia Hutchins in Los Angeles, once home in California, Terry suggested that Seymour be invited to speak at the local church. Seymour received and accepted the invitation in February 1906, and he received financial help, Seymour arrived in Los Angeles on February 22,1906, and within two days was preaching at Julia Hutchins church at the corner of Ninth Street and Santa Fe Avenue. During his first sermon, he preached that speaking in tongues was the first biblical evidence of the inevitable infilling in the Holy Ghost, on the following Sunday, March 4, he returned to the church and found that Hutchins had padlocked the door. Elders of the church rejected Seymours teaching, primarily because he had not yet experienced the blessing about which he was preaching, condemnation of his message also came from the Holiness Church Association of Southern California with which the church had affiliation. However, not all members of Hutchins church rejected Seymours preaching and he was invited to stay in the home of congregation member Edward S. Lee, and he began to hold Bible studies and prayer meetings there. Seymour and his group of new followers soon relocated to the home of Richard. White families from local churches began to attend as well. The group would get together regularly and pray to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. On April 9,1906, after five weeks of Seymours preaching and prayer, a few days later, on April 12, Seymour spoke in tongues for the first time after praying all night long. News of the events at North Bonnie Brae St, members of the audience included people from a broad spectrum of income levels and religious backgrounds. Hutchins eventually spoke in tongues as her whole congregation began to attend the meetings, soon the crowds became very large and were full of people speaking in tongues, shouting, singing and moaning. Finally, the front porch collapsed, forcing the group to begin looking for a new meeting place, a resident of the neighborhood described the happenings at 216 North Bonnie Brae with the following words, They shouted three days and three nights. By the next morning there was no way of getting near the house, as people came in they would fall under Gods power, and the whole city was stirred. They shouted until the foundation of the gave way
8.
Assemblies of God USA
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It is the U. S. branch of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, the worlds largest Pentecostal body. With a constituency of over 3 million, the Assemblies of God was the ninth largest denomination in the United States in 2011 and it defines for itself a fourfold mission to evangelize others, worship God, disciple believers, and show compassion. The fellowships polity is a hybrid of presbyterian and congregational models and this tension between local independence and national authority is seen in the AGs historical reluctance to refer to itself as a denomination, preferring the terms fellowship and movement. The national headquarters are in Springfield, Missouri, where the administrative and executive offices and it maintains relationships with other Pentecostal groups at both regional and national levels through the Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America and the Pentecostal World Fellowship. It is also a member of the Wesleyan Holiness Consortium and the National Association of Evangelicals, the central beliefs of the Assemblies of God are summarized in its Statement of Fundamental Truths. The following is a summary of these 16 non-negotiable Truths, The Bible is inspired by God and is the infallible, authoritative rule of faith, there is only one true God who exists as a Trinity. Jesus Christ is the Son of God and, as the person of the Trinity, is God. Man was created good by God but was separated from God through original sin, salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. Believers baptism by immersion is a declaration to the world that the believer has died and been raised together with Christ, becoming a new creation. The Lords Supper is a symbol expressing the believers sharing in the nature of Christ, a memorial of Christs suffering and death. Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a separate and subsequent experience following conversion, Spirit baptism brings empowerment to live an overcoming Christian life and to be an effective witness. Speaking in tongues is the physical evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Sanctification is. an act of separation from that which is evil and it occurs when the believer identifies with, and has faith in, Christ in his death and resurrection. It is not believed to be a definite work of grace, as in some other Pentecostal denominations. The Churchs mission is to seek and save all who are lost in sin, divinely called and scripturally-ordained ministers serve the Church. Divine healing of the sick is provided for in the atonement, the imminent and blessed hope of the Church is its rapture preceding the bodily return of Christ to earth. The rapture of the Church will be followed by the return of Christ. There will be a judgment and eternal damnation for the wicked dead
9.
Missionary
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A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to proselytize and/or perform ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development. The word mission originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin missionem, meaning act of sending or mittere, meaning to send. The word was used in light of its usage, in the Latin translation of the Bible. The term is most commonly used for Christian missions, but can be used for any creed or ideology, a Christian missionary can be defined as one who is to witness across cultures. The Lausanne Congress of 1974, defined the term, related to Christian mission as, Missionaries can be found in many countries around the world. Jesus instructed the apostles to make disciples of all nations and this verse is referred to by Christian missionaries as the Great Commission and inspires missionary work. The New Testament-era missionary outreach of the Christian church from the time of St Paul expanded throughout the Roman Empire and beyond to Persia, in 596, Pope Gregory the Great sent the Gregorian Mission into England. In their turn, Christians from Ireland and from Britain became prominent in converting the inhabitants of central Europe, about the same time, missionaries such as Francis Xavier as well as other Jesuits, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Dominicans started moving into Asia and the Far East. The Portuguese sent missions into Africa and these are some of the most well-known missions in history. While some missions accompanied imperialism and oppression, others were relatively peaceful, contemporary Christian missionaries argue that working for justice forms a constitutive part of preaching the Gospel, and observe the principles of inculturation in their missionary work. Over time, the Vatican gradually established a church structure in the mission areas, often starting with special jurisdictions known as apostolic prefectures. The two 9th-century saints Cyril and Methodius had extensive success in central Europe. The Byzantines expanded their work in Ukraine after a mass baptism in Kiev in 988. The Serbian Orthodox Church had its origins in the conversion by Byzantine missionaries of the Serb tribes when they arrived in the Balkans in the 7th century, Orthodox missionaries also worked successfully among the Estonians from the 10th to the 12th centuries, founding the Estonian Orthodox Church. The Russian St. Nicholas of Japan took Eastern Orthodoxy to Japan in the 19th century, the Russian Orthodox Church also sent missionaries to Alaska beginning in the 18th century, including Saint Herman of Alaska, to minister to the Native Americans. Quaker publishers of truth visited Boston and other mid-17th century colonies, the Danish government began the first organized Protestant mission work through its College of Missions, established in 1714. This funded and directed Lutheran missionaries such as Bartholomaeus Ziegenbalg in Tranquebar, India and he also got to know a slave from the Danish colony in the West Indies. Within thirty years, Moravian missionaries had become active on every continent, and they are famous for their selfless work, living as slaves among the slaves and together with the Native Americans, the Delaware and Cherokee Indian tribes
10.
Baptism with the Holy Spirit
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In Christian theology, baptism with the Holy Spirit is distinguished from baptism with water. It is frequently associated with incorporation into the Christian Church, the bestowal of spiritual gifts, the term baptism with the Holy Spirit originates in the New Testament, and all Christian traditions accept it as a theological concept. Nevertheless, different Christian denominations and traditions have interpreted its meaning in a variety of ways due to differences in the doctrines of salvation and ecclesiology. In Christian theology, the work of the Holy Spirit under the Old Covenant is viewed as less extensive than that under the New Covenant inaugurated on the day of Pentecost, the Spirit was restricted to certain chosen individuals, such as high priests and prophets. Often termed the “spirit of prophecy” in rabbinic writings, the Holy Spirit was closely associated with prophecy and it was anticipated that in the future messianic age God would pour out his spirit upon all of Israel, which would become a nation of prophets. The baptism was spoken about by John the Baptist, who contrasted his water baptism for the forgiveness of sins with the baptism of Jesus. In Mark and John, the Baptist proclaimed that Jesus will baptize in Holy Spirit, while in Matthew and Luke, he will baptize with Holy Spirit, Jesus is considered the first person to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus during his baptism and anointed him with power, afterward, Jesus began his ministry and displayed his power by casting out demons, healing the sick, and teaching with authority. The phrase baptized in the Holy Spirit occurs two times in Acts, first in Acts 1, 4-5 and second in Acts 11,16, other terminology is used in Acts to indicate Spirit baptism, such as filled. Baptized in the Spirit indicates an outward immersion into the reality of the Holy Spirit, both terms speak to the totality of receiving the Spirit. The baptism with the Holy Spirit is described in various places as the Spirit poured out upon, falling upon, to pour out suggests abundance and reflects John 3,34, God gives the Spirit without limit. Another expression, come upon is related to a statement by Jesus in Luke 24,49, but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high. The language of come on and clothed with suggest possession by, the narrative of Acts begins after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. After his ascension, he was given authority to pour out the Holy Spirit, in the New Testament, the messianic expectations found in early Judaism were fulfilled on the day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts. The Christian community was gathered together in Jerusalem when a sound from heaven like rushing wind was heard and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues, miraculously praising God in foreign languages. He then explained how the Spirit came to be poured out, recounting Jesus’ ministry and passion and then proclaiming his resurrection, in response, the crowd asked Peter what they should do. He responded that they should repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins in order to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Peter finished his speech stating that the promise is for you and for children and for all who are far off
11.
Glossolalia
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Glossolalia is practiced in Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity as well as in other religions. The term derives from glōssais lalō, a Greek phrase used in the New Testament meaning speak in, with, the related phenomenon xenolalia or xenoglossy is when the language being spoken is a natural language previously unknown to the speaker. Glossolalia is constructed from the Greek word γλωσσολαλία, itself a compound of the words γλῶσσα, meaning tongue or language and λαλέω, to speak, talk, chat, prattle, the Greek expression appears in the New Testament in the books of Acts and First Corinthians. The exact phrase speaking in tongues has been used at least since the translation of the New Testament into Middle English in the Wycliffe Bible in the 14th century, frederic Farrar first used the word glossolalia in 1879. In 1972, William J. Samarin, a linguist from the University of Toronto, Samarin found that glossolalic speech does resemble human language in some respects. The speaker uses accent, rhythm, intonation and pauses to break up the speech into distinct units and that the sounds are taken from the set of sounds already known to the speaker is confirmed by others. Felicitas Goodman, a psychological anthropologist and linguist, also found that the speech of glossolalists reflected the patterns of speech of the native language. Samarin found that the resemblance to human language was merely on the surface, humans use language to communicate but glossolalia does not. Therefore, he concluded that glossolalia is not a specimen of human language because it is internally organized nor systematically related to the world man perceives. Practitioners of glossolalia may disagree with linguistic researchers and claim that they are speaking human languages, felicitas Goodman studied a number of Pentecostal communities in the United States, the Caribbean and Mexico, these included English-, Spanish- and Mayan-speaking groups. She compared what she found with recordings of non-Christian rituals from Africa, Borneo, Indonesia, an example is the account in the Testament of Job where the daughters of Job were given sashes enabling them to speak and sing in angelic languages. Martin, glossolalia accorded high status in the ancient world due to its association with the divine, Alexander of Abonoteichus may have exhibited glossolalia during his episodes of prophetic ecstasy. As part of his attack on early Christianity, the Greek philosopher Celsus may include an account of Christian glossolalia, references to speaking in tongues by the Church fathers are rare. 5th century St. Patrick of Ireland, in The Confession of St. Patrick, records hearing a strange language being prayed by the Holy Spirit in a dream. And on a second occasion I saw Him praying within me, and I was as it were, inside my own body and he was praying powerfully with sighs. And in the course of this I was astonished and wondering, but at the end of the prayer it was revealed to me that it was the Spirit. And so I awoke and remembered the Apostles words, Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for utterance. And again, The Lord our advocate intercedes for us
12.
Samoan Assemblies of God
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The Sāmoan Assemblies of God International or SAOG is a Pentecostal fellowship of churches. Established in 1928 on the Islands of American Sāmoa, it reached the Western Islands and outer countries with large Sāmoan communities, such as New Zealand, America and it has over 530 churches worldwide with over 97,000 adherents. The Samoan Assemblies of God fellowship is a movement under the Assemblies of God Worldwide. As an international fellowship, the denominations are entirely independent and autonomous, however, they are united by shared beliefs. The Assemblies originated from the Pentecostal revival of the early 20th century and this revival led to the founding of the Assemblies of God in the United States in 1914. Through foreign missionary work and establishing relationships with other Pentecostal churches and it was not until 1976, however, that the world fellowship was formed. As a Pentecostal fellowship, the Assemblies of God believes in the Pentecostal distinctive of baptism in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues, unlike other evangelical and charismatic Sāmoan groups, the Sāmoan Assemblies of God has rejected many traditional Samoan cultural practices. In 2011 Dr Pulepule resigned from all his posts, and his son Pastor Onesemo Pulepule became his successor, in the year 2014, Prophet Siaosi Mageo from American Samoa was elected as the Samoan Assemblies of God Worldwide Chairman and was succeeded by Reverend Joe Amosa in 2016. There are similar-sounding organizations which are distinct from the SAOG and these include the following, Sāmoan Independent Assemblies of God, and Assembly of God Church of Sāmoa. The central beliefs of the Samoan Assemblies of God are summarized in its Statement of Fundamental Truths, numerous other Christian groups share some or all of these tenets, and some positions are considered more central to the faith than others. The following is a summary of these 16 non-negotiable Truths, The Bible is inspired by God and is the infallible, authoritative rule of faith, there is only one true God who exists as a Trinity. Jesus Christ is the Son of God and, as the person of the Trinity, is God. Man was created good by God but was separated from God through original sin, salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. For more information, see the Core beliefs section below, believers baptism by immersion is a declaration to the world of the believers faith in Christ. The Lords Supper is a remembrance of Christs suffering and death. Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a separate and subsequent experience following conversion, Spirit baptism brings empowerment to live an overcoming Christian life and to be an effective witness. For more information, see the Core beliefs section below, speaking in tongues is the initial physical evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil and it occurs when the believer identifies with, and has faith in, Christ in his death and resurrection
13.
Japan Assemblies of God
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The Japan Assemblies of God is a Pentecostal Christian denomination in Japan affiliated with the World Assemblies of God Fellowship. It claims 10,766 adherents and 211 churches and it is also a member of the Japan Evangelical Association. In 1913, the missionaries Carl and Frederike Juergensen arrived in Japan and began evangelizing the populace, in 1914, the Assemblies of God in the United States of America was formed, and the Juergensens became the first Assemblies of God missionaries to Japan. An Assemblies of God USA affiliated district of Japan was organized under the direction of missionaries in 1920, under pressure from the Japanese wartime government, Assemblies of God churches joined the United Church of Christ in Japan in 1941 but withdrew after World War II. In 1949, the self-governing Japan Assemblies of God was formed with 19 ministers and 17 congregations
14.
Indonesia
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Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a unitary sovereign state and transcontinental country located mainly in Southeast Asia with some territories in Oceania. Situated between the Indian and Pacific oceans, it is the worlds largest island country, with more than seventeen thousand islands. At 1,904,569 square kilometres, Indonesia is the worlds 14th-largest country in terms of area and worlds 7th-largest country in terms of combined sea. It has an population of over 260 million people and is the worlds fourth most populous country. The worlds most populous island, Java, contains more than half of the countrys population, Indonesias republican form of government includes an elected legislature and president. Indonesia has 34 provinces, of which five have Special Administrative status and its capital and countrys most populous city is Jakarta, which is also the most populous city in Southeast Asia and the second in Asia. The country shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor, other neighbouring countries include Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines, Australia, Palau, and the Indian territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Despite its large population and densely populated regions, Indonesia has vast areas of wilderness that support the second highest level of biodiversity. The country has abundant natural resources like oil and natural gas, tin, copper, agriculture mainly produces rice, palm oil, tea, coffee, cacao, medicinal plants, spices and rubber. Indonesias major trading partners are Japan, United States, China, the Indonesian archipelago has been an important region for trade since at least the 7th century, when Srivijaya and then later Majapahit traded with China and India. Local rulers gradually absorbed foreign cultural, religious and political models from the early centuries CE, Indonesian history has been influenced by foreign powers drawn to its natural resources. Indonesia consists of hundreds of native ethnic and linguistic groups. The largest – and politically dominant – ethnic group are the Javanese, a shared identity has developed, defined by a national language, ethnic diversity, religious pluralism within a Muslim-majority population, and a history of colonialism and rebellion against it. Indonesias national motto, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, articulates the diversity that shapes the country, Indonesias economy is the worlds 16th largest by nominal GDP and the 8th largest by GDP at PPP, the largest in Southeast Asia, and is considered an emerging market and newly industrialised country. Indonesia has been a member of the United Nations since 1950, Indonesia is a member of the G20 major economies and World Trade Organization. The name Indonesia derives from the Greek name of the Indós, the name dates to the 18th century, far predating the formation of independent Indonesia. In 1850, George Windsor Earl, an English ethnologist, proposed the terms Indunesians—and, his preference, in the same publication, one of his students, James Richardson Logan, used Indonesia as a synonym for Indian Archipelago. However, Dutch academics writing in East Indies publications were reluctant to use Indonesia, they preferred Malay Archipelago, the Netherlands East Indies, popularly Indië, the East, and Insulinde
15.
Pentecostal Church in Poland
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The Pentecostal Church in Poland is a Pentecostal Christian denomination in Poland. With 23,000 adherents and 230 congregations, it is the second largest Protestant church in Poland after the Evangelical-Augsburg Church and it is the largest Pentecostal denomination in Poland and a part of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship. He Kosciol Zielonoswiatkowy emerged from the United Evangelical Church of Poland and it has three Bible schools with extension programs training about 150 students and facilitates several ministries. Assemblies of God workers labor alongside this Pentecostal Church and report that about 300 ministers now serve approximately 20,000 members and adherents in 191 churches, official website of the Pentecostal Church in Poland
16.
Assembleias de Deus
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The Assembléias de Deus are a group of Pentecostal denominations in Brazil founded by Daniel Berg and Gunnar Vingren who came to Brazil as missionaries from the Swedish Pentecostal movement. Assembleias de Deus are related to worldwide Pentecostal movement, and some groups are affiliated with the Assemblies of God, currently, the organization is one of the largest Protestant denominations worldwide. The Assembléias de Deus began when Daniel Berg and Gunnar Vingren and they arrived in Belém, Pará, where in 1911 founded the Missão de Fé Apostólica, which later changed its name in 1918 to Assembleia de Deus. Initially the Assembleia de Deus was intimately linked to the Scandinavian Pentecostal movement, led by Lewi Pethrus, the Swedish Pentecostals gave autonomy to the Brazilian Assembleia de Deus in a General Convention in 1932. Walter Hollenweger explains such relation as follows, In the mission statistics of the North American Assemblies of God, in contrast, the Brazilian Pentecostals regard themselves as an independent church. Since the 1980s the Assembleias de Deus have suffered several schisms, as a consequence, many Conventions and Ministérios left using the same name assemblea de Deus, though being totally independent organizations. The CGADB had nearly 3.5 million members in 2001, the CGADB owns the publishing house of the Assemblies of God, headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, which meets significant portion of Brazilian evangelical community. At CGADB also owns Evangelical College, in addition, there are also state legislators and even mayors and councilors, all under the auspices of churches linked to CGADB. In the election campaign of 2011,22 deputies were elected to Federal Chambers at the 54th Legislature and it has an episcopal governance, but doctrinally is similar to the GCADB. It had about 2 million members in 2001, Assembleia de Deus Betesta - headquartered in Fortaleza, Ceará. It has nearly 200 churches, serving mostly middle class, Assembleia de Deus Vitória em Cristo, formerly the Assembly of God of Penha district in Rio. It spun off the CGADB with its leader, Silas Malafaia, there are almost a hundred small ministérios and independent conventions. Altogether, the churches that bear the name Assembleias de Deus in Brazil had 8.5 million adherents in 2001, the Brazilian Assembleia de Deus has always sent missionaries abroad, starting in 1913 when a returning Portuguese immigrant was commanded to Portugal. Today, there are Brazilian missionaries in Latin America and in the Portuguese-speaking Africa, the Assembleias de Deus have a non-territorial episcopal polity where each Ministerio is a directed by a mother-church under a pastor-president with affiliated congregations and preaching points. The mother-church receive tithes and manages the funds of the local churches. There is an influence of pastoral leadership on the decision-taking process. As the ministerio structure overlaps many territorial boundaries, there usually is no much organizational collaboration among ministérios, virtually, each ministério operates independently, and end up becoming an independent denomination on itself. Among the major ministérios stands the Assembly of God Bethlehem Ministry, in 2008, Ministério do Belém was chaired by Pr José Wellington Bezerra da Costa, who succeeded Pr. Cicero Canuto de Lima, who also chaired the CGADB
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Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada
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The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada is a Pentecostal Christian denomination and the largest evangelical church in Canada. It reports 239,267 adherents and 1,076 member congregations throughout Canada and its headquarters is located in Mississauga, Ontario. The PAOC is theologically evangelical and Pentecostal, emphasizing the baptism with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues and it historically has had strong connections with the Assemblies of God in the United States and is one of three Canadian branches of the Assemblies of God. The other two are the Canadian Assemblies of God and the Pentecostal Assemblies of Newfoundland and Labrador, the central beliefs of the Pentecostal Assemblies are summarized in its Statement of Fundamental and Essential Truths. The statement is consistent with general evangelical and Pentecostal beliefs and it subscribes to the doctrine of the Trinity, believing that God exists as three persons, the Father, the Son who is Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. The Pentecostal Assemblies believes that salvation has been provided for all humanity through the atonement of Christ upon the cross, and those who have faith in Christ and repent are born again of the Holy Spirit and receive eternal life. The person who repents and has faith in Christ is justified, not because of the believers own merit, the Pentecostal Assemblies teach that the sanctification of a believer is both instantaneous and progressive. The believer is sanctified as the Holy Spirit teaches the believer through the Word of God, consistent with Pentecostal theology, the denomination teaches that Christians should seek the baptism with the Holy Spirit, which is an experience distinct from and subsequent to the new birth. With this experience comes a more knowledge of Christ and an empowerment to witness. The initial evidence of receiving the baptism with the Holy Spirit is speaking in other tongues, through spiritual gifts believers can minister effectively by both building up the church and demonstrating the presence of God within the church. The Pentecostal Assemblies believes that healing is provided within Christs atonement. The denomination teaches that the church is the Body of Christ. Local churches observe two ordinances, the Lords Supper and water baptism by immersion, the PAOC believes in a dispensationalist and premillennialist eschatology which includes the pre-Tribulation rapture of the church and the Second Coming of Christ. The Pentecostal Assemblies believe that marriage is a union between one man and one woman. The marriage vow can only be broken by marital unfaithfulness involving adultery, homosexuality, even in those circumstances, however, the PAOC believes reconciliation is the desired option, and it discourages divorce for all other reasons. It views remarriage as acceptable in the event of a spouses death, in cases where the former spouse committed marital unfaithfulness. PAOC members are encouraged to tithe, the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada is organized as a cooperative fellowship. At the local level, Pentecostal Assemblies adhere to congregational polity, congregations appoint pastors, elect governing boards, and manage their own local affairs
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Christianity
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Christianity is a Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, who serves as the focal point for the religion. It is the worlds largest religion, with over 2.4 billion followers, or 33% of the global population, Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the savior of humanity whose coming as the Messiah was prophesied in the Old Testament. Christian theology is summarized in creeds such as the Apostles Creed and his incarnation, earthly ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection are often referred to as the gospel, meaning good news. The term gospel also refers to accounts of Jesuss life and teaching, four of which—Matthew, Mark, Luke. Christianity is an Abrahamic religion that began as a Second Temple Judaic sect in the mid-1st century, following the Age of Discovery, Christianity spread to the Americas, Australasia, sub-Saharan Africa, and the rest of the world through missionary work and colonization. Christianity has played a prominent role in the shaping of Western civilization, throughout its history, Christianity has weathered schisms and theological disputes that have resulted in many distinct churches and denominations. Worldwide, the three largest branches of Christianity are the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the denominations of Protestantism. There are many important differences of interpretation and opinion of the Bible, concise doctrinal statements or confessions of religious beliefs are known as creeds. They began as baptismal formulae and were expanded during the Christological controversies of the 4th and 5th centuries to become statements of faith. Many evangelical Protestants reject creeds as definitive statements of faith, even agreeing with some or all of the substance of the creeds. The Baptists have been non-creedal in that they have not sought to establish binding authoritative confessions of faith on one another. Also rejecting creeds are groups with roots in the Restoration Movement, such as the Christian Church, the Evangelical Christian Church in Canada, the Apostles Creed is the most widely accepted statement of the articles of Christian faith. It is also used by Presbyterians, Methodists, and Congregationalists and this particular creed was developed between the 2nd and 9th centuries. Its central doctrines are those of the Trinity and God the Creator, each of the doctrines found in this creed can be traced to statements current in the apostolic period. The creed was used as a summary of Christian doctrine for baptismal candidates in the churches of Rome. Most Christians accept the use of creeds, and subscribe to at least one of the mentioned above. The central tenet of Christianity is the belief in Jesus as the Son of God, Christians believe that Jesus, as the Messiah, was anointed by God as savior of humanity, and hold that Jesus coming was the fulfillment of messianic prophecies of the Old Testament. The Christian concept of the Messiah differs significantly from the contemporary Jewish concept, Jesus, having become fully human, suffered the pains and temptations of a mortal man, but did not sin
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Reformation
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The period is usually considered to have begun with the publication of the Ninety-five Theses by Luther in 1517 to the Thirty Years War and ended with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. The Protestant position, however, would come to incorporate doctrinal changes such as sola scriptura, the initial movement within Germany diversified, and other reform impulses arose independently of Luther. The spread of Gutenbergs printing press provided the means for the dissemination of religious materials in the vernacular. The largest groups were the Lutherans and Calvinists, Lutheran churches were founded mostly in Germany, the Baltics and Scandinavia, while the Reformed ones were founded in Switzerland, Hungary, France, the Netherlands and Scotland. The new movement influenced the Church of England decisively after 1547 under Edward VI and Elizabeth I, there were also reformation movements throughout continental Europe known as the Radical Reformation, which gave rise to the Anabaptist, Moravian and other Pietistic movements. The Roman Catholic Church responded with a Counter-Reformation initiated by the Council of Trent, much work in battling Protestantism was done by the well-organised new order of the Jesuits. In general, Northern Europe, with the exception of most of Ireland, southern Europe remained Roman Catholic, while Central Europe was a site of a fierce conflict, culminating in the Thirty Years War, which left it devastated. The oldest Protestant churches, such as the Unitas Fratrum and Moravian Church, the later Protestant Churches generally date their doctrinal separation from the Roman Catholic Church to the 16th century. The Reformation began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church, by priests who opposed what they perceived as false doctrines and ecclesiastic malpractice. They especially objected to the teaching and the sale of indulgences, and the abuses thereof, and to simony, the reformers saw these practices as evidence of the systemic corruption of the Churchs hierarchy, which included the pope. Unrest due to the Great Schism of Western Christianity excited wars between princes, uprisings among the peasants, and widespread concern over corruption in the Church, New perspectives came from John Wycliffe at Oxford University and from Jan Hus at the Charles University in Prague. Hus rejected indulgences and adopted a doctrine of justification by grace through faith alone, the Roman Catholic Church officially concluded this debate at the Council of Constance by condemning Hus, who was executed by burning despite a promise of safe-conduct. Wycliffe was posthumously condemned as a heretic and his corpse exhumed and burned in 1428, the Council of Constance confirmed and strengthened the traditional medieval conception of church and empire. The council did not address the national tensions or the theological tensions stirred up during the century and could not prevent schism. Pope Sixtus IV established the practice of selling indulgences to be applied to the dead, Pope Alexander VI was one of the most controversial of the Renaissance popes. He was the father of seven children, including Lucrezia and Cesare Borgia, in response to papal corruption, particularly the sale of indulgences, Luther wrote The Ninety-Five Theses. The Reformation was born of Luthers dual declaration – first, the discovering of Jesus and salvation by faith alone, the Protestant reformers were unanimous in agreement and this understanding of prophecy furnished importance to their deeds. It was the point and the battle cry that made the Reformation nearly unassailable
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Methodism
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Methodism, or the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity which derive their inspiration from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and Johns brother Charles Wesley were also significant leaders in the movement and it originated as a revival within the 18th century Church of England and became a separate Church after Wesleys death. Because of vigorous missionary work, the movement spread throughout the British Empire, Wesleys theology focused on sanctification and the effect of faith on the character of a Christian. Distinguishing Methodist doctrines include an assurance of salvation, imparted righteousness, the possibility of perfection in love, the works of piety and the primacy of Scripture. Most Methodists teach that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for all of humanity and that salvation is available for all, in theology and this teaching rejects the Calvinist position that God has pre-ordained the salvation of a select group of people. However, Whitefield and several others were considered Calvinistic Methodists and held to the latter position, Methodism emphasises charity and support for the sick, the poor and the afflicted through the works of mercy. These ideals are put into practice by the establishment of hospitals, orphanages, soup kitchens and schools to follow Christs command to spread the gospel, the movement has a wide variety of forms of worship, ranging from high church to low church in liturgical usage. Denominations that descend from the British Methodist tradition are generally less ritualistic, Methodism is known for its rich musical tradition and Charles Wesley was instrumental in writing much of the hymnody of the Methodist Church. In Britain, the Methodist Church had an effect in the early decades of the making of the working class. In the United States, it became the religion of many slaves who later formed black churches in the Methodist tradition. The Methodist revival began with a group of men, including John Wesley and his younger brother Charles, the Wesley brothers founded the Holy Club at the University of Oxford, where John was a fellow and later a lecturer at Lincoln College. The club met weekly and they set about living a holy life. They were accustomed to receiving Communion every week, fasting regularly, abstaining from most forms of amusement and luxury and frequently visited the sick, the fellowship were branded as Methodist by their fellow students because of the way they used rule and method to go about their religious affairs. John, who was leader of the club, took the attempted mockery, unsuccessful in their work, the brothers returned to England conscious of their lack of genuine Christian faith. They looked for help to Peter Boehler and other members of the Moravian Church, at a Moravian service in Aldersgate on 24 May 1738, John experienced what has come to be called his evangelical conversion, when he felt his heart strangely warmed. Charles had reported an experience an few days previously. Considered a pivotal moment, Daniel L. John Wesley came under the influence of the Dutch theologian Jacobus Arminius, Arminius had rejected the Calvinist teaching that God had pre-ordained an elect number of people to eternal bliss while others perished eternally. Conversely, George Whitefield, Howell Harris, and Selina Hastings, George Whitefield, returning from his own mission in Georgia, joined the Wesley brothers in what was rapidly to become a national crusade
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Restorationism
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Fundamentally, this vision seeks to correct faults or deficiencies by appealing to the primitive church as a normative model. Efforts to restore an earlier, purer form of Christianity are often a response to denominationalism, the relative importance given to the restoration ideal, and the extent to which the full restoration of the early church is believed to have been achieved, also varies between groups. Landmarkism is more properly a theory of the continuation of the pure Church through the centuries, recognizable by certain key doctrines, many groups have attempted a history of their movement and an ecclesiology that falls somewhere in between the two ideas of Restorationism and Successionism. The term restorationism is sometimes used specifically as a synonym for the American Restoration Movement. The terms restorationism, restorationist and restoration are used in several senses within Christianity, Restorationism is called apostolic as representing the form of Christianity that the twelve Apostles followed. These themes arise early in history, first appearing in the works of Iranaeus. A variety of more contemporary movements have also described as restorationist. Restorationism has been described as a component of some Pentecostal movements such as the Assemblies of God. The terms Restorationism movement and Restorationist movement have also applied to the British New Church Movement. Capitalized, the term is used as a synonym for the American Restoration Movement. The term restorationism can also include the belief that the Jewish people must be restored to the land in fulfillment of biblical prophecy before the Second Coming of Christ. Christian restorationism is generally used to describe the 19th century movement based on this belief, the term primitive, in contrast with other uses, refers to a basis in scholarship and research into the actual writings of the church fathers and other historical documents. Since written documents for the underground first-century church are sparse, the church passed down its knowledge verbally. To do this, they revive practices found in the Old Testament, the term apostolic refers to a nonmainstream, often literal, apostolic succession or historical lineage tracing back to the Apostles and the Great Commission. These restorationist threads are sometimes regarded critically as being Judaizers in the Ebionite tradition, the restoration ideal has been interpreted and applied in a variety of ways. Four general historical models can be identified based on the aspect of early Christianity that the individuals and these are, Ecclesiastical Primitivism, Ethical Primitivism, Experiential Primitivism, and Gospel Primitivism. Ecclesiastical primitivism focuses on restoring the ecclesiastical practices of the early church, huldrych Zwingli, John Calvin and the Puritans all advocated ecclesiastical primitivism. The strongest advocate of ecclesiastical primitivism in the United States was Alexander Campbell, Ethical primitivism focuses on restoring the ethical norms and commitment to discipleship of the early church
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Holiness movement
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The movement is defined by its emphasis on John Wesleys doctrine of a second work of grace leading to Christian perfection. As of 2015 Holiness-movement churches had an estimated 12 million adherents, though it became a multi-denominational movement over time and was furthered by the Second Great Awakening which energized churches of all stripes, the Holiness movement has its roots in Wesleyanism. The Methodists of the 19th century continued the interest in Christian holiness that had started by their founder. They continued to publish Wesleys works and tracts, including his famous A Plain Account of Christian Perfection, in 1835, Palmers sister, Sarah A. Lankford, started holding Tuesday Meetings for the Promotion of Holiness in her New York City home. In 1837, Palmer experienced what she called entire sanctification and had become the leader of the Tuesday Meetings by 1839, at first only women attended these meetings, but eventually Methodist bishops and hundreds of clergy and laymen began to attend as well. At the same time, Methodist minister Timothy Merritt of Boston founded a journal called the Guide to Christian Perfection and this was the first American periodical dedicated exclusively to promoting the Wesleyan message of Christian holiness. In 1865, the Palmers purchased The Guide which at its peak had a circulation of 30,000, at the Tuesday Meetings, Methodists soon enjoyed fellowship with Christians of different denominations, including the Congregationalist Thomas Upham. Other non-Methodists also contributed to the Holiness movement in the U. S. in 1836, Mahan experienced what he called a baptism with the Holy Spirit. Mahan believed that experience had cleansed him from the desire. Finney believed that experience might provide a solution to a problem he observed during his evangelistic revivals. Some people claimed to experience conversion but then slipped back into their old ways of living, finney believed that the filling with the Holy Spirit could help these converts to continue steadfast in their Christian life. This phase of the Holiness movement is referred to as the Oberlin-Holiness revival. Hannah Whitall Smith, an English Quaker, experienced a personal conversion. Sometime in the 1860s, she found what she called the secret of the Christian life—devoting ones life wholly to God and her husband, Robert Pearsall Smith, had a similar experience at the camp meeting in 1867. The couple became figureheads in the now-famous Keswick Convention, which rise to what is often called the Keswick-Holiness revival. Also representative was the revivalism of Rev. James Caughey, an American missionary sent by the Wesleyan Methodist Church to work in Ontario and he brought in the converts by the score, most notably in the revivals in Canada West 1851–53. Phoebe Palmers ministry complemented Caugheys revivals in Ontario circa 1857, at least two major Wesleyan denominations broke away from Methodism during this period. In 1843 Orange Scott organized the Wesleyan Methodist Connection at Utica, roberts and John Wesley Redfield founded the Free Methodist Church on the ideals of slavery abolition, egalitarianism, and second-blessing holiness
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Charles Fox Parham
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Charles F. Parham was an American preacher and evangelist. Together with William J. Seymour, Parham was one of the two figures in the development and early spread of Pentecostalism. It was Parham who associated glossolalia with the baptism in the Holy Spirit, Parham was the first preacher to articulate Pentecostalisms distinctive doctrine of evidential tongues, and to expand the movement. Parham, one of five sons of William and Ann Parham, was born in Muscatine, Iowa, on June 4,1873 and moved with his family to Cheney, Kansas, William Parham owned land, raised cattle, and eventually purchased a business in town. The next year his father married Harriet Miller, the daughter of a Methodist circuit rider, Harriet was a devout Christian, and the Parhams opened their home for religious activities. He married Sarah Thistlewaite, the daughter of a Quaker and their engagement was in summer of 1896, and they were married December 31,1896, in a Friends ceremony. Parham began conducting his first religious services at the age of 15, in 1891, he enrolled at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas, a Methodist affiliated school. He attended until 1893 when he came to believe education would prevent him from ministering effectively and he then worked in the Methodist Episcopal Church as a supply pastor. Parham left the Methodist church in 1895 because he disagreed with its hierarchy and he complained that Methodist preachers were not left to preach by direct inspiration. Rejecting denominations, he established his own itinerant evangelistic ministry, which preached the ideas of the movement and was well received by the people of Kansas. Sometime after the birth of his son, Claude, in September 1897, attributing their subsequent recovery to divine intervention, Parham renounced all medical help and committed to preach divine healing and prayer for the sick. In 1898, Parham moved his headquarters to Topeka, Kansas, where he operated a mission and it was also in Topeka that he established the Bethel Healing Home and published the Apostolic Faith magazine. Parham operated on a faith basis and he did not receive offerings during services, preferring to pray for God to provide for the ministry. Parham, deciding to know fully the latest truths restored by the later day movements, took a sabbatical from his work at Topeka in 1900. From Parhams later writings, it appears he incorporated some, but not all, in addition to having an impact on what he taught, it appears he picked up his Bible school model, and other approaches, from Sandfords work. When he returned from this sabbatical, those left in charge of his home had taken over and, rather than fighting for control. The school was modeled on Sandfords Holy Ghost and Us Bible School and he invited all ministers and Christians who were willing to forsake all, sell what they had, give it away, and enter the school for study and prayer. The only text book was the Bible, and the teacher was the Holy Spirit, prior to starting his Bible school, Parham had heard of at least one individual in Sandfords work who spoke in tongues and had reprinted the incident in his paper
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William J. Seymour
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William Joseph Seymour was an American minister, and an initiator of the Azusa Street Revival. Seymours emphasis on racial equality drew many historically disenfranchised people to the movement, Seymour was born to former slaves Simon and Phyllis Salabar Seymour in Centerville, Louisiana. He was baptized at the Roman Catholic Church of the Assumption in Franklin, in the 1890s, Seymour left the South in order to travel north, to places such as Memphis, St. Louis, and Indianapolis. By doing this, he escaped the violence aimed at African Americans in the south during this period. Though he would continue to face racial prejudice in the north, in 1895, Seymour moved to Indianapolis, where he attended the Simpson Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church. It was at this church where Seymour became a born-again Christian, during Seymours travels, he was influenced by Daniel S. Warners Evening Light Saints, a Holiness group dedicated to racial equality. Their view of a racially egalitarian church would influence his theology for the rest of his life, in 1901, Seymour moved to Cincinnati, where his views on holiness and racial integration were shaped by a Bible school he attended. During this time, he contracted smallpox and subsequently went blind in his left eye, after overcoming the smallpox Seymour was ordained by the Evening Light Saints. Seymour then traveled to Jackson, Mississippi, where he visited Charles Price Jones, in 1906, due to the encouragement of his friend Lucy F. Farrow, Seymour joined a newly formed Bible school founded by Charles Parham in Houston, Texas. Parhams teachings on the baptism of the Holy Spirit stuck with Seymour and influenced his later doctrine, Seymour did not agree, however, with some of Parhams more radical views. He developed a belief in glossolalia as a confirmation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit when he witnessed it from one of his followers and he believed this proved that the person was born-again and could then go to Heaven. Seymour did not remain at the school for very long — he spent just six weeks there, in late January or early February 1906, Neely Terry asked Seymour to pastor a church in Los Angeles. Feeling called by God, Seymour took the opportunity against Parhams wishes, Seymour arrived in Los Angeles on February 22,1906, and began preaching at Julia Hutchinss Holiness Church two days later. Less than two weeks later, he was expelled from the mission by Hutchins, who had padlocked the door shut due to outrage over Seymours claims on tongue-speech. Without a place to go, Seymour began staying at Edward Lees home, the group quickly grew too large, and it was moved to Richard Asberrys house. On April 9,1906, Lee spoke in tongues after Seymour laid hands on him, Seymour himself received the Holy Spirit baptism three days later, on April 12. Soon the group grew too large for the Asberrys house as well, the mission moved to an old African Methodist Episcopal church building on Azusa Street, thus giving the movement its name. At the beginning, the movement was racially egalitarian, blacks and whites worshiped together at the same altar, against the normal segregation of the day
