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TheIndependent Assemblies of God International (IAOGI) is apentecostalChristian association with roots in a revival of the 1890s among the ScandinavianBaptist andPietist communities in the United States.Independent Assemblies of God International is a member of thePentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America. International offices are located inLaguna Hills, California.
In 1907, the Mission ofWilliam Howard Durham inspired many congregations and individuals to learn about the Pentecostal movement through Mission inChicago.[1] One of his assistant elders, F. A. Sandgren, published theFolke-Vennena a periodical for Scandinavians and many Midwest churches joined the Pentecostal movement. In 1918, the denomination was organized as theScandinavian Assemblies of God in the United States of America, Canada and Foreign Lands with A. W. Rasmussen.[2] In 1935, at the annual convention inMinneapolis, Minnesota, they merged with another group named theIndependent Pentecostal Churches, and became Independent Assemblies of God International. In the 1940s and 1950s and organization was deeply influenced and closely connected to theLatter Rain movement andWilliam Branham.Joseph Mattsson-Boze, pastor of the Philadelphia Church in Chicago, became a leader in the movement and hisHerald of Faith publication served as a publicity tool for the group. The Latter Rain movement had few requirements for ordaining a minister. In 1959, a split in the IAoG led to the formation of theFellowship of Christian Assemblies who wanted stricter requirements on the qualifications to become a minister. The IAOGI has congregations in Africa, Canada, Guatemala, India, Mexico, the Philippines, Romania, and the United States. The churches meet in an annual convention. There are approximately 1500 churches worldwide. They are present in India since the second half of the 20th century[3] The area of their work includesNagaland.
TheIndependent Assemblies of God International believes some of the uniqueness that sets it apart from other Pentecostal bodies is "its conviction of the sovereignty of the local church". The IAOGI's doctrinal statement reflects the following beliefs:[4]
The Independent Assemblies of God International should not be confused with theAssemblies of God International Fellowship, theInternational Assemblies of God Fellowship, and theAssemblies of God, all of which are Pentecostal denominations that have good fellowship with one another as organizations.