The Great Assemblies Of God Nigeria You Know Nothing About

Assemblies of God (AG) churches have long been known for their passionate worship, fervent prayer, and deep hunger to spiritual growth. In fact, during the era of strict conservatism, the worship experiences in AG churches were shaped by cultural norms and carefully cooked theological emphases. Of course, such emphases are now foreign to today’s congregations. We are referring to a period often associated with the mid-20th century.

To reflect on these experiences will reveal not only the evolution of worship within the denomination but it will also broaden our understanding on the cultural shifts that have influenced modern Pentecostalism. These shifts are the factors that have brought AG to the unfortunate spiritually state it is today. Now, let’s step in…

1. Extended Altar Calls

One hallmark of worship during this era was the extended altar call. At the close of nearly every service, the speaker invited congregants to the altar for prayer, repentance, or seeking the baptism of the Holy Spirit. These moments often stretched for an hour or more. The participants would cry out to God in intense intercession. Individuals would kneel or lie prostrate at the altar, sometimes weeping or speaking in tongues for long periods.

While altar calls are still a part of many AG services today, the prolonged and emotionally charged nature of these gatherings has become less common. Modern-day services now adhere to tighter schedules at the expense of those difficult-to-explain sweet moments in God’s Presence.

2. Public Confession and Testimonies

Public confession of sins and testimonies of deliverance were regular features of AG worship. (That is difference from what is common today, where testimonies center on earthly or material things than spiritual exploits). Believers would openly share their struggles with sin and testify to God’s redemptive work in their lives. This practice fostered a sense of communal accountability and spiritual transparency. It encouraged many secret or open sinning Christians to face their own challenges in the same line and win.

However, the willingness to make such confessions in Assemblies of God churches today has become rare. People now hide their personal struggles or manage to address them in smaller groups or counseling settings. No wonder sin, that mindless taskmaster that thrives in secrecy, is gaining more hold over people by the day.

3. Strict Dress Codes

During the conservative era, a significant emphasis was placed on modesty and separation from worldly fashion. Women, out of respect for purity, an intentional act to avoid becoming temptation tools to others, and a personalized sense of accountability, naturally wore long dresses or skirts. They avoided makeup and jewelry, and covered their heads during congregational meeting and in their homes.

Men wore formal traditional attire in a way that never violated the Bible. They also wore suits and ties more often than other clothes during services. This dress code was viewed as a reflection of holiness and reverence for God. They chose such dressing so that once a person sees them and sees an unsaved person, the person would see a striking difference between them and the other.

While modesty is still valued today, the seriousness that glorified the sharp contrast between the world and the church has largely gone down. Many churches – especially Assemblies of God churches – now embrace casual attire to create a sense of welcoming atmosphere.

4. Lengthy, Spirit-Led Services

AG worship services during this era were known for their unpredictability. Without strict adherence to time constraints, services often extended for several hours. Preachers and worship leaders followed the leading of the Holy Spirit in everything they did. Congregants experienced intense and often unexpected spontaneous prayer sessions. This culminated in extended periods of singing, impromptu sermons, miraculous events they hardly made noise about, revelation of spirit realms, and mass conversion of sinners.

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There were reported cases where mentally deranged people, passing near Assemblies of God churches, were hit by God’s Presence and they regained sanity. No one prayed for them. The churches were only in service session and this happened outside the building.

Today, while Pentecostal worship still values the movement of the Spirit, many churches operate within structured timeframes to accommodate modern lifestyles. It’s even pathetic to see how people worship God with minds seemingly programmed to follow a particular pattern. No more hearts in services in recent years. Everything is tailored to worship the god called self.

5. Prohibitions Against Secular Activities

Strict conservatism also extended beyond the church walls. Activities such as dancing worldly tunes, attending movie theaters, and listening to secular music and entertainments were prohibited. Believers willingly avoided anything that could put them in the light as compromising their faith. They did not only know sin and its trappings; they know its appearances before it matured. Hence, they took proactive measures to cut it off.

These restrictions shaped worship by creating a sharp distinction between “sacred” and “secular” activities. In contrast, modern AG churches tend to take a more nuanced approach. They now emphasize relying on discernment alone rather than adding blanket prohibitions to it.

6. Frequent Revivals and Camp Meetings

Revivals and camp meetings formed the central spiritual life and regular experiences of AG churches during this period. These multi-day events featured fiery preaching, dynamic worship, and a focus on personal and corporate renewal.

Entire communities would gather, often in large tents or outdoor settings, to seek a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit. While revival services still occur today in small pockets, they are less frequent. Their impacts, too, are too shallow. In fact, modern churches have turned it into different forms, manifesting now as weekend empowerment conferences, seminars, workshops or special events.

7. Speaking in Tongues as a Public Marker

Speaking in tongues was not only a private prayer language but also a public marker of spiritual vitality in Assemblies of God churches. Congregants frequently engaged in vocal expressions of tongues during worship, often accompanied by interpretations. This practice reinforced the Pentecostal lifeline of the church, strengthening the emphasis on the gifts of the Spirit.

Today, while speaking in tongues remains a distinctive feature of AG theology, it is often expressed more privately or in specific prayer settings. Interpretation of tongues has become a thing of the past. It has gone into oblivion and no little or one seems to care!

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8. Strict Gender Roles in Ministry

During the conservative era, gender roles in ministry were more rigidly defined. Women played significant roles in prayer meetings, teaching children, and leading women’s ministries and that was all. Their opportunities to serve as pastors or preach in mixed-gender settings never existed. Over time, with the global clamor for gender equality, the AG has grown more inclusive. In many places, it shows increasing recognition of women’s leadership abilities. Some preachers now broaden their interpretation of biblical texts to connect them to that aspect of the commission.

Conclusion

The era of strict conservatism in Assemblies of God churches was marked by practices and norms that reflected a deep commitment to holiness, spiritual fervor, and community accountability. Many of these practices have evolved or diminished in prominence. But they laid a foundation for the vibrant worship and spiritual configuration that continue to define the church today.

Outsiders and many who have left Assemblies of God church know these things. At the slightest provocation, they use them to judge the church as a whole. By understanding these historical roots, modern AG believers can appreciate the legacy of their spiritual forebears.

They can now see the ways their own modern worship practices have suffered deviation. Their desires to accommodate diverse views have resulted in a shift that has corrupted the contents of their cultural and theological life. This doesn’t look good for the church.

Citations

1. Synan, Vinson. The Holiness-Pentecostal Tradition: Charismatic Movements in the Twentieth Century. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997.
2. Blumhofer, Edith L. Restoring the Faith: The Assemblies of God, Pentecostalism, and American Culture. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1993.
3. Hollenweger, Walter J. The Pentecostals. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1972.
4. Assemblies of God USA. “Our History.” https://ag.org/About/History
5. Poloma, Margaret M. The Assemblies of God at the Crossroads: Charisma and Institutional Dilemmas. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1989.

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