HOW WE DO MISSIONS TOGETHER
We have the Spirit, the System and the Structure:
SPIRIT. Power. ACT 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
SYSTEM: Partnership. PHI 1:5…because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 1:27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel. 4:15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only.
Undivided Efforts: MAT 12:25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.
STRUCTURE: Plan. The General council was so designed so we can synergize together. “The Assemblies of God is defined in its constitution as a “cooperative fellowship” of “churches and credentialed ministers”. It has a representative form of government derived from presbyterian polity and organized in three levels of administration: congregations, district councils and the General Council.
The General Council: Oversees the missions work (local and global) through its officers. ARTICLE XII – Duties Of Officers, Section 1. Duties Of The General Superintendent/President: 1. Shall serve as the overseer of the PGCAG. 2. Shall formulate programs in keeping with the policy and directive of the General Council which shall be implemented at all levels of the organization.
The Districts Council: Functions as branches of the General Council, especially in the implementation of missions programs and the promotion of participation of churches and ministers. ARTICLE XIII – District Councils. Section 1. The District Councils are formed as territorial, supervisional, jurisdictional and organizational subdivisions of the Philippines General Council of the Assemblies of God, Inc. to carry out its purpose, exercise its prerogatives, and realize its principles and foster fellowship among its constituents.
SECTION 4. Relationship 1. The District is an integral part of and in full cooperation with the Philippines General Council of the Assemblies of God. Inc. and, shall recognize and be subject to the said Philippines General Council of the Assemblies of God as the parent body. 2. The local churches are and shall always be related to the District where located and General Council; 3. Every District shall implement the General Council programs and policies which shall be adapted to the District level. All that pertain or belong to the PGCAG works within any District shall be subject to the program and policies of the District where they belong.
ARTICLE XVIII – DEPARTMENTS: All Departments of the PGCAG, Inc. shall function and work in close coordination with the Executive Presbytery through the General Superintendent. They shall serve as the implementing agency of the program of the PGCAG, Inc. in fulfilling its three- fold mission, i.e., worship of God, building up of the Body of Christ, being perfected in the image of His Son and evangelizing of the world.
ARTICLE XXVII – HOME MISSIONS DEPARTMENT. SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION AND PURPOSE 1. The Philippines General Council of the Assemblies of God, shall assume responsibility and do all within its power for the spread of the Gospel. In keeping with this obligation, there shall be an extension Home Missions Department emphasis at all times. 2. The work of the Department shall include: a. The Church Extension on the local church. b. Specialized ministries needed among those people of the Republic of the Philippines who must be evangelized but are neglected because of language barriers, physical confinement, handicaps, and comparative isolation due to religious prejudices or geography.
LOCAL ASSEMBLIES: The secret of the Assemblies of God movement is the empowered local churches. If the local church is weak, the movement is weak. But when the local churches are strong, the movement is strong.
ARTICLE XIV- LOCAL ASSEMBLIES:… 3. It shall fully enjoy the privileges and obligations of a local church of the PGCAG with regards to its local activities. It is under obligation to consistently support its own pastor and workers in an exemplary and dignified life. It is under obligation to underwrite the expenses of its own operations. 4. Its activities shall be conditioned by its relationships with the District and the Philippines General Council of the Assemblies of God, Inc. It shall embody and carry out the policies and programs of the District and the PGCAG, Inc. 5. It is not an isolated and absolutely autonomous entity. Rather, it is an integral part of the whole body of Christ, through the PGCAG, Inc.
