Ready to explore the Epping Assembly of God? This church is part of a larger story. It is part of the Assemblies of God in South Africa.
The Assemblies of God has a rich history. It started in 1908. Charles Chawner from Canada and Henry Turney from the USA came to South Africa. Both men were Pentecostal. They wanted to work with the African population.
Other missionaries soon joined them. William Elliott wrote about Chief Klein Seth Ramaube. The chief invited them to his farm in 1910. He wanted them to start a Pentecostal mission. The mission was located near Middelburg. Many people converted. They were baptized. They were filled with the Holy Spirit.
Henry Turney started a church in Pretoria. In 1914 the American Assemblies of God was formed. Turney applied for recognition as an AOG missionary. It was granted. In 1917 he registered the Assemblies of God with Home Affairs in Pretoria. This gave the movement an official start.
Missionaries came from England, Europe and North America. They focused on the Transvaal, Natal, Mozambique and Basutoland. They did not plan to start a denomination. They began to work together under the name Assemblies of God. This made the AOG in South Africa an experiment in Pentecostal ecumenism. This arrangement was formalized around 1938.
Each missionary group remained answerable to its sending body overseas. Each group held its own property. At the same time, they were part of the AOG. The AOG is a church consisting of groups. At that stage, they were all missionary groups. They worked among Africans. F.W. Mullan joined in 1936. He had three white congregations.
One missionary group joined the AOG in 1938. It was Emmanuel Mission. H.C. Phillips led it at Nelspruit. James Mullan and Nicholas Bhengu came with him. They were pioneers. They greatly influenced the AOG’s development.
James Mullan and Nicholas Bhengu started their own groups. They moved to Port Elizabeth in the 1940s. They pioneered where the AOG had no congregations. They were very successful. Within two decades, they outgrew all other groups. They spread across South Africa and into neighboring states.
Growth led to clashes. There were splits in 1964 and 1981. New movements formed. Reconciliation began in the late 1980s. It was formalized in 2002. The AOG functions as a single denomination again. It is based on the 1938 agreement.
Over one hundred years have passed since the AOG’s beginnings. The movement has thrived. It is estimated that there are now more than two thousand churches. They are spread throughout South Africa and neighboring states. The Epping Assembly of God is one of these churches.
The AOG Group has several leaders. Byron Chicken is the Group National Leader. He is also the KwaZulu Natal Regional Leader. Jason Render is a National Leader. He is the Eastern Cape Regional Leader. Sean Phillipps is a National Leader. He is the Western Cape Regional Leader. Trevor Coleman is a National Leader. He is the Northern Region Regional Leader. Donovan Coetzee was the Late Previous Group National Leader.
Anthony Liebenberg is on the National Advisory Team. Dr. Elijah Mahlangu is on the National Advisory Team. Geoff Bond is on the National Advisory Team. Graham Evans is on the National Advisory Team. Pedro Erasmus is on the National Advisory Team.
Today the Epping Assembly of God continues this legacy. It serves its community. It is a testament to the enduring power of faith. It is a beacon of hope in Elsies River Cape Town. The Epping Assembly of God is one of many Assemblies of God churches in the Western Cape.