How about we uncover the story of Mount Wellington Assembly of God? This church has deep roots in New Zealand’s religious history. It also reflects the global Assemblies of God movement.
The story of Mount Wellington Assembly of God actually starts earlier. The Assemblies of God movement has ancient and modern roots. Its testimony to the Holy Spirit stretches back almost two thousand years. It goes back to the day of Pentecost. The Church was born then. In the early 20th century, students at a Bible school in Topeka Kansas made a conclusion. They decided that the biblical evidence of baptism in the Holy Spirit was speaking in other tongues. Spiritual revivals then broke out. They were accompanied by Pentecostal phenomena. The Welsh Revival of 1904 and Azusa Street Los Angeles in 1906 were such revivals. The Pentecostal message spread widely. But it met opposition. Pentecostals found it necessary to form their own church structures. The Assemblies of God is one such structure. It is now found in many countries.
Interest in Pentecostal Christianity appeared in New Zealand before World War I. But it was evangelist Smith Wigglesworth’s visits between 1922 and 1924 that launched the Pentecostal Movement here. The Assemblies of God in New Zealand was organised after a meeting in Wellington on March 29 1927.
Mount Wellington Assembly of God is part of a movement with clear objectives. These aims foster worldwide evangelisation. They also nurture and equip Christians. The movement establishes churches. Here God is worshipped. Worship is in spirit and truth. It is according to scripture. The movement approves scriptural teachings. It also approves methods and conduct. Unscriptural elements are not approved.
Assemblies of God movements recognize local church autonomy. But they also see New Testament evidence of churches linking together. This happens in particular areas. The Assemblies of God in New Zealand tries to emulate this. It seeks self-governing churches cooperating in fellowship.
Mount Wellington Assembly of God adheres to fundamental truths. These form a basis of fellowship. It is not claimed that they contain all biblical truth. But they address present needs. These truths include belief in the Scriptures. Both Old and New Testaments are inspired by God. They are God’s revelation to humanity. They form the infallible rule of faith and conduct.
Another core belief is in one true God. He reveals Himself as the self-existent “I AM.” He is the creator. He embodies relationship as Father Son and Holy Spirit. God exists as a Trinity. These three persons are coequal and coeternal. They are never identical but exist in fellowship and love. No person in the Godhead works independently.
Mount Wellington Assembly of God shares these beliefs with Assemblies of God churches around the world. This faith emphasizes cooperative fellowship. It also values scriptural teachings. The church aims to glorify God. It grows in faith. It instructs in the Word. It practices fellowship. It observes ordinances. It communicates the good news. This reflects a deep connection. It connects to the broader Assemblies of God movement in New Zealand and globally. The Lord’s Supper is a key part of the worship. It commemorates Jesus’s death. Baptism symbolizes a believer’s new life.