Apostolic Church of Pentecost
Apostolic Church of Pentecost | |
---|---|
Classification | Evangelical Churches of Pentecost 1953 |
Congregations | 153 in Canada[2] 3000 worldwide[3] |
Members | 24,000 in Canada[2] worldwide unknown |
Official website | ACOP.ca |
The Apostolic Church of Pentecost (ACOP) is a
Structure
Unlike traditional denominations that are usually based on top-down organizational structures, ACOP describes itself as a "fellowship." The different term emphasizes that ACOP originated as a "grass-roots organization with a minimal amount of organization."[6] This kind of organizational structure allows local churches to work autonomously, under the umbrella of ACOP's covering but without a head office dictating what each church must do, or the programs it must offer.[7]
Beliefs
Theologically, ACOP is in the
The ACOP considers that the Biblical inspiration of the Bible makes it the authoritative and infallible written word of God. It believes that there is one God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; in the virgin birth of Jesus; that Jesus is humanity's only possible savior; in the total depravity of humanity; that all of humanity needs to hear the gospel and turn to Christ in faith for redemption; in the reality of a spiritual realm, which includes God, Heaven, Satan, the personal return of Jesus Christ, and a final judgment; in communion; and in baptism by immersion.[8]
As a Pentecostal fellowship, the ACOP believes in the Pentecostal distinctive of
History
Historical precursors (1906-1920)
Like many Pentecostal denominations, the ACOP originates from the modern
The PAOC organization held to three distinctive beliefs: to
Origins of ACOP (1920-1950)
On 1 January 1920 Rev. Frank Small, a member of PAOC, wrote a letter to his organization stating "if you feel that I am unworthy of your further fellowship owing to my doctrinal stand, I shall leave my further fellowship to your judgment as to whether I am recognized as one of you" (the doctrinal differences are later clarified in Small's private correspondence as his belief in the finished work and the oneness doctrine).[14] This letter was not recognized in any formal capacity by the PAOC, but Frank Small's name was removed from the next PAOC ministerial list.[15]
Small then founded a new Pentecostal denomination, called the Apostolic Church of Pentecost, which was granted Dominion charter on 25 October 1921.[16] "With the doctrinal break in fellowship, he founded an organization that for many years endured as the only native Canadian Oneness organization."[17] Small believed strongly that organization should never take precedence over Scripture.[18] A big part of Small's focus was a belief that "God was bypassing the 'old denominations' and restoring the pure apostolic truth and practice to the church in the last days before the return of Christ."[19]
He considered that the oneness of the Godhead was being revealed. He published a paper called Living Waters[20] in which he said that the Trinitarians had given Christ an "inferiority complex in the eyes of the world" by "separating Christ from his fatherhood."[21] He also said that "Any teaching that minimizes the Lord Jesus Christ to second place in the Godhead in authority or power, is to be laid at the door of the enemy."[21]
The first ACOP conference took place in
Merger (1950-1953)
In 1950 an interfellowship meeting was held in
Post-Merger Years (1954-Present)
Before the merger with ECP, there were approximately 80 churches in the ACOP. After the merger, the ACOP experienced an increase in churches. In the decade from 1951 to 1961 ACOP had a growth spurt of about 40 new churches (compared to only about 20 in each of the previous three decades).[26] From 1960 to 1980, growth went down but this trend was reversed in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Since that time there has been positive growth, and there are now about 150 churches a part of ACOP.[2]
After the merger, ACOP's growth prompted a desire to organize various departments to help stimulate further growth. Some of these include: Apostolic Women's Ministries (AWM), Apostolic Youth Ministries (AYM), and the Apostolic Missions Division. More recently, there has been a shift away from providing departmental direction, toward making the departments into "resource centers" designed to empower people in their own churches to serve in individualized contexts.[7] The main ACOP ministries that serve in this way are described in the section below on Divisional Ministries.
Divisional Ministries
Apostolic Women's Ministries
The role of women in ACOP has always been important. Officially, women can hold leadership roles within ACOP,[27] and several have been ordained into the pastorate.[28] There is also a formal organization within ACOP that provides venues for women within ACOP to work together to support each other and work on common projects. This organization is called Apostolic Women's Ministries (AWM).
Apostolic Youth Ministries International
The Apostolic Youth Ministries International (AYMI) ministry was founded to serve the youth of ACOP. Originally called Apostolic Youth Ministries it was formed at the first ACOP convention after the merger of the ACOP and ECP. At that convention it was decided that Stanley Paulson would direct the ministry of AYM. Stan was a pastor and alumnus of FGBI. One of the earliest activities Stan organized for youth was
AYMI publishes a quarterly publication called Up, which can be viewed at: https://web.archive.org/web/20110706164830/http://www.aymi.ca/up/.
Missions Division
The Apostolic Missions Division finds its origins early in ACOP's history, and its stated purpose is "to evangelize people throughout the world with the goal of establishing indigenous local churches, to train national leadership, and to support any aspect of missionary work."[34] Supporting missionaries has been at the heart of ACOP's interests from the fellowship's earliest years.[35] Although it is hard to know for certain how many missionaries have been sent out by ACOP over the years, ACOP historian, Linda Wegner reports that from 1921 to 2001, there were at least 226 missionaries sent out to many different nations.[36] As a result of ACOP's missionary activity "there are 18 national organizations in 16 countries that are affiliated with the Apostolic Church of Pentecost of Canada", and "there are approximately 3000 ACOP churches worldwide."[3]
Orphan Care
Orphan Care is a partnership between ACOP and its affiliated churches in Africa. The goal of the partnership is to care for orphans who have lost their parents due to the
One of the reasons the program is set up this way is because the philosophy behind Orphan Care is "that Christian homes provide a more stable and favorable atmosphere than orphanages."[37]
Currently, the program is in operation in both Zimbabwe and Malawi, and approval has been granted to extend the program into Zambia as well.[38]
Global Harvest Fund
In 1997, ACOP's dream of creating a professionally managed fund to support missionaries became a reality. The fund was specifically designed to help new missionaries get established, but is also intended "to assist missionaries who are supported through the ACOP office to help cover costs such as vehicles for the field, upgrades to computer equipment, airfare, conference fees, etc."[39]
The fund is called the Global Harvest Fund (GHF), and it has two main components: an Endowment Fund and an Operating Fund. All donations to the GHF are divided equally between these two components. All returns on investment in the Endowment Fund are channeled into the Operating Fund.[40]
2020 Vision
The 2020 Vision is the name of ACOP's church planting initiative to launch 50 new churches in Canada by 2020, ACOP's
Associated Ministries
Organizations
- Bridges of Hope, http://www.bridgesofhope.ca/
- Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, http://www.evangelicalfellowship.ca/
- Free Bible Study-Lessons, https://web.archive.org/web/20110318230343/http://www.free-bible-study-lessons.com/free-newsletter.html
- God is Able Ministries, https://web.archive.org/web/20110301010119/http://godisableministries.com/
- Gospel Mission, http://www.gospelmission.net/
- House of the Risen Son
- Linda Wegner (Words of Worth), http://www.wordsofworth.ca/
- King's Heart Ministries, http://www.shoutlife.com/kingsheart
- Oasis Retreats Canada, https://web.archive.org/web/20110228191451/http://www.oasisretreatscanada.com/whatisoasis.php
- House of Judah, http://www.houseofjudah.com/
- The Dwelling Place, http://thedwellingplace.faithweb.com/
- World Relief Canada, http://www.wrcanada.org/
ACOP Camps
- Cowichan River Bible Camp, http://www.cowichancamp.com/
- Eagle Lake Bible Camp, http://www.eaglelakebiblecamp.org/home.htm
- Kedleston Gospel Camp, http://www.kedlestongospelcamp.com/
- Moose Lake Gospel Camp, https://archive.today/20130115123127/http://www.mlgc.ca/home/
- Pembina Bible Camp, http://pembinabiblecamp.ca/
- Shiloh Bible Camp, http://www.shilohbiblecamp.com/
- Southern Alberta Bible Camp, http://www.sabc.ca/
- Springside Bible Camp, http://www.springsidecamp.com/
- Trossachs Gospel Camp, http://www.trossachscamp.ca/
- Veteran Full Gospel Camp, http://www.veteran-camp.com/
- Victory Bible Camp, http://www.victoryretreatcenter.com/default.asp?Key=1
National Groups
The following are national groups affiliated with ACOP Canada:
- Full Gospel Praise Centres Malta, https://web.archive.org/web/20110509032104/http://www.fullgospel.eu/home.php
- Apostolic Church of Pentecost of Brazil, http://www.acopbrasil.com.br/
- Apostolic Church of Pentecost of India, http://www.acopindia.com/
Publications
- FellowshipFOCUS, internet newsletter, discontinued May 2009. Archives available from https://web.archive.org/web/20110210094156/http://www.acop.ca/general/fellowshipfocus.asp.
- This Week In ACOP, a weekly communication from the Apostolic Church of Pentecost of Canada, recapping prayer requests, current events and news items of specific interest to ACOP members & churches. Available from http://www.acop.ca/.
Moderators/Presidents
ACOP originally called the head of the fellowship its "moderator." Recently, this was changed to reflect the more modern term "president."
- Rev. Franklin Small (1921–1952)
- Rev. G. A. Batke (1952–1960)
- Rev. G. S. Mclean (1960–1961)
- Rev. G. A. Batke (1961–1964)
- Rev. E. L. McRae (1964–1968)
- Rev. Lorne Pritchard (1968–1969)
- Rev. Dan Breen (1969–1984)
- Rev. Wes Schindel (1984–1990)
- Rev. G. O. B. Killam (1990–2004)
- Rev. Wes Mills (2004-)
Educational Institution
References
- ^ "About Us". ACOP. Archived from the original on 10 February 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
- ^ a b c d "White Trinitarian Pentecostals". Melton's Encyclopedia of American Religions. Gale. 2009. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
- ^ a b "The ACOP Missions Division". ACOP. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
- ^ For further information regarding membership statistics see "Apostolic Christian Churches of America". Adherent Statistic Citations: Membership and Geography Data for 4,300+ Religions, Churches, Tribes, Etc. Preston Hunter. 2009. Archived from the original on September 25, 2003. Retrieved 21 February 2011.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Find an ACOP Church in Your Area". ACOP. Archived from the original on 18 June 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-9734043-5-7.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-9734043-5-7.
- ^ a b "ACOP's Official Statement of Faith". ACOP. Archived from the original on 9 February 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2011.
- ^ "Joint Declaration on Marriage" (PDF). 9 November 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2011.
- ^ "Religious Leaders Sign Declaration on Marriage". Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. 9 November 2006. Retrieved 21 February 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-9734043-5-7.
- ISBN 978-0-9734043-5-7.
- ISBN 978-90-04-18574-6.
- ^ Larden, Robert (1971). Our Apostolic Heritage – An Official History of the Apostolic Churchof Pentecost of Canada Incorporated. Saskatoon, SK: Kyle Printing. p. 90.
- ^ Larden, Robert (1971). Our Apostolic Heritage – An Official History of the Apostolic Churchof Pentecost of Canada Incorporated. Saskatoon, SK: Kyle Printing. p. 93.
- ^ Larden, Robert (1971). Our Apostolic Heritage – An Official History of the Apostolic Churchof Pentecost of Canada Incorporated. Saskatoon, SK: Kyle Printing. p. 92.
- ISBN 978-90-04-18574-6.
- ISBN 978-0-9734043-5-7.
- ISBN 978-90-04-18574-6.
- ^ Small, Franklin (n.d.). Living Waters: A Sure Guide for Your Faith. Winnipeg. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
- ^ ISBN 978-90-04-18574-6.
- ISBN 978-0-9734043-5-7.
- ISBN 978-0-9734043-5-7.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-9734043-5-7.
- ISBN 978-0-9734043-5-7.
- ISBN 978-0-9734043-5-7.
- ^ "Becoming a Member of the Apostolic Church of Pentecost" (PDF). ACOP. 27 February 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-9734043-5-7.
- ISBN 978-0-9734043-5-7.
- ^ "AYMI Home Page". AYMI. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
- ^ "Street Invaders Home Page". Street Invaders. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
- ^ "Life Force Home Page". Life Force. Archived from the original on 2 February 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-9734043-5-7.
- ^ "Biblical Mandate". ACOP. Archived from the original on 21 February 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-9734043-5-7.
- ISBN 978-0-9734043-5-7.
- ^ a b c "Orphan Care Brochure" (PDF). ACOP. June 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
- ^ "Orphan Care Update". FellowshipFOCUS. ACOP. December 2007. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
- ^ "Global Harvest Fund". ACOP. Archived from the original on 10 February 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-9734043-5-7.
- ^ Mills, Wes (July 2010). "2010 President's Report for ACOP's Biennial Conference" (PDF). ACOP. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
- ^ Mills, Wes (July 2010). "2020 Vision Launched with $2 Million Fund" (PDF). FellowshipFOCUS. ACOP. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
Further reading
- Mills, Wes (2009). "Subculture or Counterculture?". Faith Today: 41. Retrieved 2011-02-10. Article on the original purpose of ACOP and its place in society today.