Evangelism: World Assembly Aims to Grow

World Assembly of God Fellowship aims to triple its size.

The World Assembly of God Fellowship (WAG) has a new leader with a bold goal: to nearly triple the organization’s membership over the next 14 years.Assembly leaders want the fellowship to grow from 35 million in membership to 100 million by 2014, the year of the denomination’s 100th anniversary. “It’s now time to look ahead and cast vision,” Thomas E. Trask said after being named the new WAG chairman in August. At the World Congress and 2000 Celebration in Indianapolis this past summer, Trask joined 35,000 Assembly of God representatives to experience spiritual renewal and discuss effective strategies. Superintendents from 147 countries attended the event.How does Trask plan to gain 65 million new followers? By continuing evangelism efforts with the same “fervor and passion” that have contributed to the denomination’s success since its birth 86 years ago. According to World Assembly statistics, 10,000 people daily are being added to the fellowship either by conversion, transfer from other churches, or growth in individual families.Pentecostals say the strategic key to their growth is church autonomy. Local pastors work within their culture to build a church free of interfering influences. The strategy to remain indigenous has paid off. Despite the modest number of foreign missionaries that the U.S. denomination has commissioned, Pentecostals worldwide gained 3 million members and started 14,000 new churches last year alone. In order for the World Assembly to achieve its growth goals, it will need to add 4.65 million new members annually on average, which is more than 50 percent more than its current average annual increase. The specific global plans to achieve such ambitious growth targets have yet to be released publicly.

Related Elsewhere

:Visit the Assemblies of God’s official site , and the official site of the World Congress and 2000 Celebration .The World Congress site also offers more news on the meeting.Read the text of the Assemblies of God Vision 2000 Proclamation .Mainstream news coverage of the meeting includes The [Louisville, Ky.] Courier-Journal and the Chicago Tribune .Previous Christianity Today stories involving Assembly of God churches include:Sowing Seed, Growing Churches | Central American farmers gather more than one harvest. (July 27, 2000) Pensacola Outpouring Poised to Cover the Globe | Florida revival to launch mission initiatives. (Feb. 8, 1999) Brownsville Revival Rolls Onward | But success brings intense scrutiny for Pensacola Pentecostal church. (Feb. 9, 1998) Pensacola Outpouring Keeps Gushing | But unlike the bubbly Toronto Blessing, repentance is foremost at this revival. (March 3, 1997) Maximum Security Unlikely Setting for Model Church | Almost half of Buenos Aires prison’s inmates are members. (Sept. 4, 1996)

Copyright © 2000 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Also in this issue

Divided by Faith? Why a new book on race and evangelicals captured out attention.

Cover Story

We Can Overcome

Briefs: North America

In the Word: The Kosovo Phenomenon

Prostrating Before Politics

Hallowing Halloween

Quotations on Time and Eternity

Furthermore: The Fullness of Time

MAD No More

Inside Politics: Love the President, Hate the Policy

Pentecostal Shakes up Canadian Politics

Politics and the Observant Jew

Radio: Broadcasters Resist Low-Power FM Licenses

Healthcare: Bearing (some but not all) Burdens

Maid in Hong Kong

Briefs: The World

Pakistan: Rapes of Christians Put Pakistani Justice on Trial

Iraq: Death by Sanctions

Wire Story

Schools OK Decalogue Book Covers

Doers of the Word

Different Worlds

Some Day: Empty Windows

A Cry in the Nuclear Wilderness

The Burning Bush from Texas

From Mass Evangelist to Soul Friend

The Lord in Black Skin

Shoulder to Shoulder in the Sanctuary

Common Ground in the Supermarket Line

Color-Blinded

Divided by Faith?

Review

Singing Briner's Praises

Review

Slivers of Enlightenment

Wire Story

Alabama Schools Gain Church Funding

View issue

Our Latest

Latino Churchesโ€™ Vibrant Testimony

Hispanic American congregations tend to be young, vibrant, and intergenerational. The wider church has much to learn with and from them.

Review

Modern โ€˜Technocultureโ€™ Makes the World Feel Unnaturally Godless

By changing our experience of reality, it tempts those who donโ€™t perceive God to conclude that he doesnโ€™t exist.

The Bulletin

A Brief Word from Our Sponsor

The Bulletin recaps the 2024 vice presidential debate, discusses global religious persecution, and explores the dynamics of celebrity Christianity.

News

Evangelicals Struggle to Preach Life in the Top Country for Assisted Death

Canadian pastors are lagging behind a national push to expand MAID to those with disabilities and mental health conditions.

Excerpt

The Chinese Christian Who Helped Overcome Illiteracy in Asia

Yan Yangchu taught thousands of peasants to read and write in the early 20th century.

What Would Lecrae Do?

Why Kendrick Lamarโ€™s question matters.

No More Sundays on the Couch

COVID got us used to staying home. But itโ€™s the work of Godโ€™s people to lift up the name of Christ and receive Godโ€™s Wordโ€”together.

Review

Safety Shouldnโ€™t Come First

A theologian questions our habit of elevating this goal above all others.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube