what we believe

16 FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS 
OF THE ASSEMBLIES OF GOD

These are nonnegotiable tenets of faith that all Assemblies of God churches adhere to.

This list is derived from the official Statement of Fundamental Truths.


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  • We believe the Scriptures are inspired by God and declare His design and plan for mankind.

  • We believe there is only One True God revealed in three persons...Father, Son and Holy Spirit (commonly known as the Trinity).

  • We believe in the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. As God's son Jesus was both human and divine.

  • We believe though originally good, man willingly fell to sin ushering evil and death, both physical and spiritual, into the world. 

  • We believe every person can have restored fellowship with God through 'Salvation' (accepting Christ's offer of forgiveness for sin).

  • We believe and practice two ordinances (1) Water Baptism by Immersion after repenting of one's sins and receiving Christ's gift of salvation, and (2) Holy Communion (the Lord's Supper) as a symbolic remembrance of Christ's suffering and death for our salvation.

  • We believe the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a Special Experience Following Salvation that empowers believers for witnessing and effective service, just as it did in New Testament times. 

  • We believe the initial physical evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues, as experienced on the Day of Pentecost and referenced throughout Acts and the Epistles.

  • We believe sanctification initially occurs at salvation and is not only a declaration that a believer is holy, but also a progressive lifelong process of separating from evil as believers continually draw closer to God and become more Christlike.

  • We believe the Church has a mission to seek and save all who are lost in sin. We believe 'the Church' is the Body of Christ and consists of the people who, throughout time, have accepted God's offer of redemption (regardless of religious denomination) through the sacrificial death of His son Jesus Christ. 

  • We believe a divinely called and scripturally ordained leadership ministry serves the Church. The Bible teaches that each of us under leadership must commit ourselves to reach others for Christ, to worship Him with other believers, and to build up or edify the body of believers the Church.

  • We believe divine healing of the sick is a privilege for Christians today and is provided for in Christ's atonement (His sacrificial death on the cross for our sins).

  • We believe in the blessed hope when Jesus raptures His Church prior to His return to Earth (the second coming). At this future moment in time all believers who have died will rise from their graves and will meet the Lord in the air, and Christians who are alive will be caught up with them, to be with the Lord forever.

  • We believe in the Millennial reign of Christ when Jesus returns with His saints at His second coming and begins His benevolent rule over earth for 1,000 years. This millennial reign will bring the salvation of national Israel and the establishment of universal peace.

  • We believe a final judgment will take place for those who have rejected Christ. They will be judged for their sin and consigned to eternal punishment in a punishing lake of fire.

  • We believe and look forward to the perfect New Heavens and a New Earth that Christ is preparing for all people, of all time, who have accepted Him. We will live and dwell with Him there forever following His millennial reign on Earth. 'And so shall we forever be with the Lord!'

FAQ / about what we believe...

Why do we sing as we do?

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” (Colossians 3:16)

“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:18 & 19)


Why do we lift our hands?

The act of lifting our hands is a form of praising the Lord. More than fifty times in the Psalms the word “Towday” or “Yadah” is translated “praise” where in actuality the word to extend the hands in praise. Some other scriptures that mention praise are: “Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.” (Psalm 63:4)

“I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” (1 Timothy 2:8)


Why do we clap our hands?

The act of clapping our hands is a form of praise which is mentioned frequently in scriptures.

“O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.” (Psalm 47:1)

“For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” 

(Isaiah 55:12)


Why do we praise the Lord out loud?

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.” 

(Psalm 100: 1 & 2)

“And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: ...And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.”

(Revelation 19:1 & 6)


Why do we sing and pray in tongues and in English? 

“For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.” (1 Corinthians 14:14 & 15)

“I would that ye all spake with tongues but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.” (1 Corinthians 14:5)


What is prophesy and how is it used?

Prophesy is a supernatural utterance from God in an understood or known tongue.

“But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.” 

(1 Corinthians 14:3)

“Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.” 

(1 Corinthians 14:1)

“Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.” 

(1 Corinthians 14:39)


Why do we have speaking with tongues and interpretations of those tongues in the church?

Various kinds of tongues are a supernatural utterance by the Holy Spirit in a language that was never learned by the speaker nor is it understood by the speaker. The interpretation of tongues is the supernatural showing forth by the Holy Spirit the meaning of an utterance in other tongues.

“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal ...To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues.” (1 Corinthians 12:7 & 10)

“Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.” (1 Corinthians 14:39)

“I would that ye all spake with tongues but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.”

(1 Corinthians 14:5)

“If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.” (1 Corinthians 14:27)


Why are musical instruments a part of the worship service?

“Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.” (Psalm 150:3-5)

“And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps.” (Revelation 14:2)


Why does the whole church pray at once for specific needs?

“And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is.”

(Acts 4:24)

“Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 18:19)


Why do we pray for the sick and anoint with oil?

“Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”

(James 5:14 & 15)


Why do we practice laying on of hands?

“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” 

(Mark 16:17 & 18)

“Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.” (Luke 4:40)

“And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.” (Acts 19:6)