Destiny Church Groningen is a neo-charismatic church denomination which was founded in 1992 in Groningen, the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, by Johan and Tessa Proost.

Origin

Destiny Church follows a Charismatic and

Apostolic Apostolic may refer to: The Apostles An Apostle meaning one sent on a mission: *The Twelve Apostles of Jesus, or something related to them, such as the Church of the Holy Apostles *Apostolic succession, the doctrine connecting the Christian Churc ...

interpretation of Biblical principles. Its membership is predominantly Antillians from the island of Curaçao.

Development

Destiny Church started with a membership of 17 people and within three years had grown to 600. Destiny Church has a network of 10 churches in the

, Aruba,

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

and Rwanda. The church provides religious guidance and a range of social services such as

homework Homework is a set of tasks assigned to students by their teachers to be completed outside the classroom. Common homework assignments may include required reading, a writing or typing project, mathematical exercises to be completed, informatio ...

groups, help in choosing schools, and helping young women who have been abused for prostitution. From 1994 to 2005 Destiny Church was part of an apostolic organisation. Since 2005 it has been autonomous.

Characteristics and beliefs

Like other neo-charismatic churches, it embraces many of the doctrines and practices found within

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement

and Charismatic churches; however, it is not specifically aligned with either movement. According to its webpage it is known as a

Word of Faith Word of Faith is a movement within charismatic Christianity which teaches that Christians can get power and financial prosperity through prayer, and that those who believe in Jesus' death and resurrection have the right to physical health. The ...

and a dominion-minded church with a

New Apostolic Reformation The New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) is a movement which seeks to establish a fifth branch within Christendom distinct from Catholicism, Protestantism, Oriental Orthodoxy, and Eastern Orthodoxy. The movement largely consists of churches nominally ...

church structure. This mixture of beliefs and theology is very common in neo-charismatic churches.

References

* Burgess and van der Maas, introduction to ''

The New International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements ''The New International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements'' is a comprehensive reference work on charismatic Christianity which includes the three streams of Pentecostalism, the Charismatic Movement, and the Neocharismatic move ...

'', 20 * Barron, Bruce. 1992. ''Heaven on Earth? The Social & Political Agendas of Dominion Theology''. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan.

External links

* * * {{URL, www.cfaith.com, Charismatic Organisation Charismatic denominations Christian organizations established in 1992 Protestantism in the Netherlands