The Assemblies of God in New Zealand is a

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

and a member of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, the world's largest Pentecostal denomination. In 2007, the denomination had nearly 200 congregations and preaching points and 30,000 members and adherents, mostly in the North Island, and it sends missionaries to South Asia and Oceania. In 2016, the largest congregation was the Harbourside Church A/G in

Takapuna Takapuna is a suburb located on the North Shore of Auckland, New Zealand. The suburb is situated at the beginning of a south-east-facing peninsula forming the northern side of the Waitematā Harbour. While very small in terms of population, it ...

, founded in the 1950s, with a weekly attendance of 1,500 people.

History

The Pentecostal movement in New Zealand started by the crusades of evangelist

Smith Wigglesworth Smith Wigglesworth (10 June 1859 – 12 March 1947) was a British evangelist who was influential in the early history of Pentecostalism. Early life Smith Wigglesworth was born on 10 June 1859 in Menston, Yorkshire, England, to an impoverished ...

in 1922 and 1923, which led to the establishment of the

Pentecostal Church of New Zealand The Pentecostal Church of New Zealand (PCNZ) was a Pentecostal denomination established in 1924 that was the first attempt at organizing the Pentecostal movement in New Zealand. After a series of splits, the church disbanded in 1952. The roots of P ...

. As the result of an internal dispute, 13 congregations and some pastors withdrew from the PCNZ and in March 1927 sent a cablegram to the General Council of the Assemblies of God of the United States asking for affiliation. The 1930s were hard years for the Assemblies of God in New Zealand because of internal doctrinal disputes, the proselitism of the Apostolic Church, fragile relations with the PCNZ and economic distress generated by the

1929 Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagion ...

. However, frequent visits of preachers such as

Aimee McPherson Aimee Elizabeth Semple McPherson (née Kennedy; October 9, 1890 – September 27, 1944), also known as Sister Aimee or Sister, was a Canadian Pentecostalism, Pentecostal Evangelism, evangelist and media celebrity in the 1920s and 1930s,Ob ...

and A. C. Valdez helped to sustain the movement. During the 1960s, the Assemblies of God in New Zealand experienced regrowth and came to be the largest Pentecostal denomination in the country. In 1975, the AGNZ was one of the founders of the Associated Pentecostal Churches of New Zealand, which counts more than 700 congregations. The 60th General Council, meeting at City West Church A/G in New Plymouth in 2011, saw the election of its first non-European General Superintendent in Samoan-born minister Iliafi Esera. This was also the first time the General Superintendency was held by a minister in a small New Zealand city (

Wanganui Whanganui (; ), also spelled Wanganui, is a city in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. The city is located on the west coast of the North Island at the mouth of the Whanganui River, New Zealand's longest navigable waterway. Whang ...

). The 60th General Council also elected its first woman to the Executive Presbytery, Pastor Mina Acraman of Miracle Centre A/G,

Hastings Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...

Leadership

Leaders of the AoG in New Zealand From 1927 until 1944 the AoG leadership body was called the General Council (or the General Council Executive). From then until 1997 it was called the Executive Council. It was then renamed the Executive Presbytery. Originally the leader of this body was simply referred to as Chairman. In 1962 the title of the Leader of the Council was changed to General Superintendent.Pentecost at the Ends of the Earth, Ian G Clark , 2007

National Conference

The A/G New Zealand holds an annual National Conference that bi-annually includes a General Council meeting. Here is the recorded history of these national gatherings. The 2020 and 2021 National Conferences were cancelled due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. These conferences were originally scheduled to be held at Church Unlimited in Auckland.

Notes

References

Assemblies of God in New Zealand website
* Associated Pentecostal Churches of New Zealand: ''Directory''. 2005 *Roberts, H,V, ''New Zealand's Greatest Revival under Smith Wigglesworth''. 1951 *Worsfold, James E. ''A History of the Charismatic Movements in New Zealand''. 1974 *Ian G. Clark ''Pentecost at the Ends of the Earth: The History of the Assemblies of God in New Zealand (1927-2003)''. {{AOG

Pentecostalism in New Zealand Pentecostal churches in New Zealand Christian organizations established in 1927 Finished Work Pentecostals Christian denominations in New Zealand Pentecostal denominations in Oceania