The Alabama Messenger September 2023

WHOSE REPORT WILL YOU BELIEVE

The Psalmist wrote: “For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever. He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trus>ng in the Lord” (Psalm 112:6-7). We need to understand that the one who records bad news and false opinions is not in charge of the church’s des>ny—God is. God told Jeremiah: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

I recently preached from Isaiah 53, wherein there had been prophecies of doom and gloom—bad news in the preceding chapters. God said in this sec>on of Isaiah that he would heal His people. It is here that the redemp>on promise is given: “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniqui>es; upon him was the chas>sement that brought us peace, and with his wounds, we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). The cross is in view way back in Israel’s history.

The chapter begins, “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?” (Isaiah 53:1). Whose report will you believe?

Do you remember the song: Whose Report Will You Believe?

Whose report will you believe?

We shall believe the report of the Lord (4x)

His report says - I am healed. His report says - I am filled.

His report says - I am free.

His report says victory.

Whose report will you believe? We shall believe the report of the Lord.

We can’t afford to listen to the enemy’s report. The church isn’t finished. The devil is a liar! The Lord said in Joel 2:28-32, “And it shall come to pass aberward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days, I will pour out my Spirit. “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” That’s a good report!

We can’t afford to be a “non-prophet” organiza>on. Yes, I spelled that right. We need prophets to rise in this fellowship again. We need to hear what God has to say about this hour we are living in. Don’t listen to the BAD report—we are finished! List to the GOOD report—our best days are ahead of us. Claim God’s promises! Operate in His anoin>ng!

MICHAEL D. SHARP, D.MIN.

NETWORK SECRETARY-TREASURER

msharp@amnag.org

OUR LIMITS and LIBERTIES

Many Assemblies of God (AG) ministers are oben unaware of our limits and liber>es in several areas of doctrine and prac>ce. That includes, but is not limited to, the area of eschatology. For years I have received a steadily increasing number of ques>ons from studious ministers young and old regarding various passages of Scripture, doctrinal posi>ons, theological issues, and historical events, including ques>ons on eschatology.

Since our founding there have been a variety of eschatological views held by our ministers. This has been accommodated for decades by the “allowance clause” in our General Council (GC) Bylaws. This clause inten>onally permits AG ministers to hold any of the orthodox posi>ons on eschatology (such as amillennial, premillennial, dispensa>onalist), even if they disagree with our current “official” posi>on. However, we are not permijed to teach other posi>ons with the intended purpose of leading people to adopt them. Due to the increasing number of AG ministers who do hold perspec>ves other than our current official posi>on, the Execu>ve Presbytery (EP) proposed, the General Presbytery (GP) affirmed, and the GC in session approved a few minor changes to our Bylaws (without changing our Statement of Fundamental Truths (SFTs)).

In conversa>ons with officials months ago, and in briefings and conversa>ons since our GC in August, it was confirmed to me that the Execu>ve Presbytery intended to assure our liber>es on issues of eschatology specifically and on other issues in general. The summarized explana>on of the result is as follows:

1. AG ministers and laity are free to embrace eschatological posi>ons other than our official posi>on, and they can openly describe their perspec>ve without fear of censure or retribu>on.

2. We are free to teach in any sekng, or share informally, all the strengths and weaknesses of all eschatological perspec>ves, including their biblical, historical, theological strengths and weaknesses.

3. We are encouraged to teach and preach (frequently!) that Christ’s coming is imminent, and that no other events must occur before Christ’s return.

4. We are not free to share, teach, or preach eschatological perspec>ves other than our official denomina>onal posi>on with the declared intent of leading others to adopt different perspec>ves.

5. We are not free to set >me frames for Christ’s return, and we are discouraged from specula>on.

The EP and GP had also recommended that the word “amillennialism” be removed as a “disapproved” word, but an amendment from the floor prevented that, to the disappointment of the original sponsors. There was also great disappointment and disagreement from our scholars with an ajempt from the floor to equate amillennialism with an>semi>sm, for this equa>on is simply untrue. Thankfully, our allowance clause remains, and the end result is that an AG minister may embrace any eschatological perspec>ve as described above.

The EP also proposed, the GP supported, and the GC approved removing the word “fully” from the phrase “fully agree with the Statement of Fundamental Truths” on our annual creden>al renewal forms, for the preamble in the SFTs states that “the phraseology used in this Statement is not inspired or contended for.” For instance, there can be differences in defini>on or understanding of issues such as the precise nature of water bap>sm and the Lord’s Supper. The SFTs of the AG in other na>ons do not always completely agree with our own SFTs. We were also reminded that our ministers do not have to affirm our Posi>on Papers but are free to disagree with them.

We want our ministers and laity to know that while we do have some limits in our doctrine and prac>ce in the Assemblies of God, there is also great liberty and variety in this vibrant Fellowship, just as there was in the New Testament church. This liberty and these differences are signs of a healthy church with a bright future!

WOMEN’S RETREAT

We are so excited to see YOU at Engage Women’s Retreat at Springville Camp and Conference Center. We have a great group of teachers lined up for the workshops on Friday. Vincent Revival Center is ready to lead us in worship, and Pastor Darla Rakes is so excited to be with us as our guest speaker!

The schedule for the weekend is listed here, but if you have any other questions please email trussell@amnag.org.

The main question we keep getting is, “Is it too late to register?” The answer is “No - we’d love to have your church come join us!” It’s a weekend full of fun and fellowship with women who are seeking hard after the presence of God.

It’s going to be a great weekend!

Our new schedule layout is below. ALSOM students may take any cou rses needed during each quarter.

Quarter 1

January – March

Courses Open for Purchase: January 1

Last Day to Purchase: March 10th

Tests Must be Submitted by March 31st

Quarter 2

April – June

Courses Open for Purchase: April 1

Last Day to Purchase: June 10th

Tests Must be Submitted by June 30th

Quarter 3

July – September

Courses Open for Purchase: July 1

Last Day to Purchase: September 10 th

Tests Must be Submitted by September 30 th

Quarter 4

October – December

Courses Open for Purchase: October 1

Last Day to Purchase: December 10th

Tests Must be Submitted by December 31 st

Each quarter, we will post our entire ALSOM catalog for purchase. The courses required for each level of credentialing are listed below.

Level One (Certified)

BIB 214 Old Testament Survey

BIB 212 New Testament Survey

BIB 121 Introduction to Hermeneutics: How to Interpret the Bible

BIB 114 Christ in the Synoptic Gospels

THE 211 Introduction to Theology

THE 114 Introduction to Pentecostal Doctrine

THE 152 Assemblies of God History, Missions, and Governance

MIN 171 A Spirit-Empowered

Church: An Acts 2 Ministry Model

MIN 181 Relationships and Ethics in Ministry

MIN 191 Beginning Ministerial Internship

Level Two (Licensed)

BIB 115 Acts: The Holy Spirit at Work in Believers

BIB 117 Prison Epistles

BIB 215 Romans: Justification by Faith

THE 245 Eschatology: A Study of Things to Come

MIN 123 The Local Church in Evangelism

MIN 223 Introduction to Homiletics

MIN 251 Effective Leadership

MIN 261 Introduction to Assemblies of God Missions

MIN 281 Conflict Management for Church Leaders

MIN 291 Intermediate Ministerial Internship

Level Three (Ordained)

THE 311 Prayer and Worship

BIB 313 The Corinthian Correspondence

BIB 318 The Pentateuch

BIB 322 The Poetic Books

MIN 325 Preaching in the Contemporary World

MIN 327 Church Administration, Finance, and Law

MIN 381 Pastoral Ministry

MIN 391 Advanced Ministerial Internship

To enroll in an ALSOM course, please visit https://alsom.edvance360.com/. Across the top of the page, you will see several tabs. Click on “Store” to purchase a course. Once you add a course to your cart and proceed to check out, you will be prompted to login. If you are a first -time user, you will be asked to enter your email information. After you complete your purchase, an email will be sent to you to create a username and password. When you purchase the course, you will receive access to the course. To access the course, click on the tab “Courses.” This is where you will do all the work for your course. Each course has a pdf textbook. Some courses have additional content such as video lectures, PowerPoint presentations, and additional reading. Your test will come from content from all sources.

CREDENTIALING PROCESS OVERVIEW

Seeing individuals in Alabama work toward and receive their ministerial credentials is one of the most rewarding processes that our office participates in. It is our hope that providing information about the process helps prospective ministers have a better understanding of the steps that must be taken to receive credentials with The Assemblies of God. This process is continually being refined and the Secretary-Treasurer’s office is the only office that can give you up-to-date information and guidance. Avoid outdated information and delays by contacting our office first and always!

There are three levels of credentials: Certified, Licensed, and Ordained Typically, individuals begin with an application for credentials at the Certified level, then upgrade to Licensed level, and after a two -year tenure at the License level and final coursework, they may upgrade to Ordained. In some circumstances, an individual may qualify to begin the process at the License level. Contact the Secretary-Treasurer’s office and Credentialing Specialist Jennifer Harris for details. For each level, there is an application process including financial and criminal background checks, reference checks, communication of your call to ministry and beliefs, and a commitment to abide by the policies set forth by the General Council. In addition to these requirements, there are also educational requirements for each level as listed below. These courses may be waived in part or completely (depending on your degree) if you gained a degree at one of our AG Universities. If you graduated from one of our AG Universities, or from another properly accredited university, contact us with any questions about your transcripts. Once credential applicants have completed or are nearing completion of the required courses for each level listed below, they can contact our office for a current application packet and exam study guides. (Always contact the Secretary-Treasurer’s office to determine the legitimacy of any “school” before attending! Your credits might not be acceptable, and you might still be required to take some or all the courses below.)

Certified – 10 courses and passing of the Bible Knowledge Exam and Doctrine Exam

Licensed – 10 courses and passing of the Polity Exam

Ordained – 8 courses + Licensed for 2 years (no additional exam at this time)

Circumstances that May Impact the Credentialing Process

• If the applicant or the spouse have a previous spouse still living, the General Council must approve that divorce. There are five allowances for divorce approvals. They are abandonment of the believer by the unbeliever, spousal infidelity, preconversion, domestic violence, and ecclesiastical annulment.

• If the applicant has filed for bankruptcy and/or has past due payments displayed on their credit report, additional documentation and/or waiting period may be required.

• If the applicant is currently struggling, or has struggled in the past, with life controlling substances or issues, the General Council will ask that the application not be submitted until a certain benchmark of time has been obtained with freedom from those struggles. Contact us for details.

Prospective ministers who feel they may fall into one of the categories above should reach out to the SecretaryTreasurer’s office for conversations about what impact this may have and the correct next steps.

Network Secretary-Treasurer, Michael D. Sharp, D.Min. Executive Assistant and Credentialing Specialist, Jennifer Harris