| Philippines General Council of the Assemblies of God | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | PGCAG |
| Type | Christianity (Western) |
| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | Evangelical |
| Theology | Pentecostal |
| General Superintendent | Rev. Reynaldo A. Calusay |
| Assistant General Superintendent | Rev. Fidel C. Monzon |
| General Secretary | Rev. Alex B. Fuentes |
| Associations | |
| Region | Philippines |
| Language | Filipino(lingua franca),Native Philippine regional languages,English |
| Headquarters | 1440 Gov. I. Santiago Rd |
| Origin | March 1940; 85 years ago (1940-03) Villasis,Pangasinan |
| Branched from | Assemblies of God USA |
| Congregations | 7,000 |
| Ministers | 2,400 |
| Slogan | "All the Gospel" |
ThePhilippines General Council of the Assemblies of God, orPGCAG, is a pentecostal evangelical church denomination based in the Philippines.
The first missionary of theAssemblies of God in the United States of America to work in the Philippines was Benjamin H. Caudle and his wife, who arrived in 1926.[1] However, Caudle was forced to return to theUnited States due to his wife's illness.
In the 1930s,Filipinos who had graduated fromAssemblies of God Bible schools began requesting for an appointed missionary to be sent to the country and organize the church there. At the time, the Philippines was anAmerican protectorate. Therefore, the AG legally needed a missionary appointed by the U.S. body to be registered as a religious organization.
In December 1939, the Assemblies of God USA responded by sending a missionary, Leland E. Johnson, to organize and superintend the Philippines District Council of the Assemblies of God.[2] The first convention was held in March 1940 at Villasis, Pangasinan, and the Council was incorporated on June 19 that same year.[3] Other missionaries would arrive, especially fromChina, as conflict withJapan escalated. In 1941, the Bethel Bible Institute was opened inBaguio to train pastors and evangelists.[4]
DuringWorld War II, Japanese military forcesoccupied the Philippines. The Bible institute, like all schools, was closed, and the missionaries were interned. During these years, the district was led entirely by Filipinos.
After the war, the missionary presence was revived and the Bethel Bible Institute was reopened. Immanuel Bible Institute inCebu City was founded in 1951, and in 1953, Bethesda Children's Home was founded by Elva Vanderbout, a missionary to theIgorots of theMountain Province in NorthernLuzon.[5] In 1958, it had 12,022 members.[6]
Central Luzon District Council (CLDC)
North Bicol District Council (NBDC)
Northeastern Luzon District Council (NELDC)
Northeastern Ilocandia District Council (NIDC)
Northern Luzon District Council (NLDC)
Palawan District Council (PDC)
South Bicol District Council (SBDC)
South-Central Cordillera District Council (SCCDC)
Tagalog District Council (STDC)
Zambales District Council (ZDC)
Central Visayas Lower District Council (CVLLDC)
Eastern Visayas District Council (EVDC)
Negros Occidental District Council (NODC)
Northwestern Visayas District Council (NWVDC)
Western Visayas District Council (WVDC)
North Central Mindanao District Council (NCMDC)
Northeastern Mindanao District Council (NEMDC)
Northwestern Mindanao District Council (NWMDC)
Southeastern Mindanao District Council (SEMDC)
Southern Mindanao District Council (SMDC)
Southwestern Mindanao District Council (SWMDC)