The AOG, the fastest growing Christian Church in the U.S.

[Ben W]

I am not wrapped up in the figures for the Mormon or Catholic churches, yet to see the AOG has moved into the number one spot for the fastest growing Protestant church is awesome!

- RELIGION

Assemblies of God fastest growing faith

Tribune news services
Published April 7, 2006

NEW YORK -- The Assemblies of God, the Mormon church and the Roman Catholic Church were the fastest-growing major denominations in the United States last year, according to the just-released 2006 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches.

The Assemblies of God, a Pentecostal church, grew 1.81 percent to just under 2.8 million members. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints increased 1.74 percent to nearly 6 million people. And the Catholic Church, by far the largest denomination in the United States, grew .83 percent to 67.8 million.

Only three mainline Protestant churches remain among the 10 biggest U.S. denominations. The United Methodist Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A., stayed in the top 10 despite declines in membership last year.

The Methodists ranked third, with about 8.2 million members. The Evangelical Lutherans Ranked seventh, with nearly 4.9 million people. And the Presbyterians ranked ninth with just under 3.2 million congregants.

The Southern Baptist Convention remains the largest U.S. Protestant group, with 16.3 million members. It is the second-largest denomination in the country.

The yearbook has been published for 89 years by the National Council of Churches.

http://snipurl.com/p14k

 

[DeclareHim]

This doesn't surprise me a whole lot. They are really big especially out west here. We have two AoG churches here that run 800+ and two more have just started. They seem excited to serve God. I have nothing but praise for them. The Kalispell Christian Center (AoG) is our valley leader if you will they hold all the concerts and they hold most of the purity rally's.
Kalispell AoG

 

[drfuss]

The AoG churches I belonged to over 14 years ago, updated their membership rolls once a year. If you were not there in the past three months, you were dropped unless you had a good excuse for your long term absence. Most Baptist churches that I am familiar with, hardly ever update their membership rolls.

Of the 2.8 million AoG members, Well over 2 million members plus their families probably attend every Sunday. The AoG does not stress membership like Baptist do. Normally, new christians have to attend for at least three months before they are asked to join church.

My experience has been that Baptist hardly ever update their membership rolls. In my Baptist church, probably about 20% of the members still attend our church. Others who are still members haven't been there in years.

If my experience is typical of Baptist and AoG churches, then the SBC churches have about 4 million actually attending and the AoG churches have over 2 million attending each Sunday.

 

[atestring]

I could be wrong ,but I think the AOG Membership worldwide is larger than the Southern Baptist.
I know that the AOG is growing by leaps and bounds in Cnetral And South America as well as Nigeria and India.

 

[Pete]

Originally posted by Ben W:
I am not wrapped up in the figures for the Mormon or Catholic churches, yet to see the AOG has moved into the number one spot for the fastest growing Protestant church is awesome!

AOG & Mormons...both into false prophets and warm fuzzy feelings...one growing is good and the other growing is bad...oooooooooooooo k

 

[Ben W]

I would be the first to admit that there are certainley some AOG congregations out there that are heavilly into the Prosperity Gospel and false speaking in Tounges, I think that often in those groups people see one person doing something and copy to feel a part of the group, or to look for experiential evidence of God with is foolish at best.

Conversley I have been to AOG meetings where there have been no public displays of sign gifts, and solid preaching in the word.

The Mormons are not Trinitarian, the AOG are. The Oneness Pentecostals are not Trinitarian, the AOG are. The Trinity to me is the dividing line as to whether or not I will even consider fellowshipping with a group. I think that the negatives associated with AOG Pentecostalism, often out weigh disproportinatley the good that God is working through those churches.

 

[Jim1999]

I don't think growth in numbers always indicates that one group or the other is prospering in God.

I would rather see a few strong believers assembled than multitudes of mediocre attendees.

One thing I noticed in our Anglican Churches is a solid group of quiet believers. They may not be so vocal and open, but when met one-on-one they are confident in Whom they have believed and willing to share that sound belief in the Lord Jesus. Anyone can beat a drum, but not everyone can play the drum musically.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[Dustin]

yes, Pentecostals get Roman Catholics to be filled with the Holy Spirit and speak in tounges. Funny how it's gotten so much bigger over the years and Charismatics bringing denomonations together. The scriptures never promised a great revival this side of the tribulation. We all need to test the spirits as Scipture teaches.

 

[gb93433]

I wonder how many of those Southern Baptists go to church at least three tiems a month in an SBC Church. The I wonder are spiritual reproducers.

If one goes along with the typical statistics in the SBC then about 1/3 of the membership actually attends the church where they are a member. Of those who attend regularly about 10 percent share their faith. That leaves 10% of 33.33 percent leaving a grand total of 3.33 percent who actually share their faith. That is 528,000 out of 16 million who share their faith on the SBC membership roles. That is quite close to paganism.