General Presbytery passes resolution on 2000 Celebration

Meeting this week in Springfield, Mo., the General Presbytery of the Assemblies of God passed a resolution outlining the Fellowship's commitment to an unprecedented worldwide gathering in Indianapolis, Ind., in 2000.

Called "2000 Celebration," the announced congress of Assemblies of God representatives from around the world is scheduled for August 8-10, 2000. The resolution describes the General Presbytery's endorsement of 2000 Celebration "as a time for the entire Assemblies of God family to gather together to thank God for His great grace in the past and present; and ask for His blessing in the future."

Presbyters noted that "the turn of the millennium affords a most precious and unique opportunity to celebrate what the Lord has done through the Assemblies of God, to renew commitment to the task of completing the Great Commission, and to collectively as a worldwide Assemblies of God family make intercession for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the new millennium."

Such a prayer for the Holy Spirit's outpouring reflects the earliest heritage of the Assemblies of God. According to the resolution, "The 20th century began with an outpouring of the Holy Spirit which has resulted in the worldwide Pentecostal Movement; and an integral part of the Pentecostal Movement is the Assemblies of God, formed in 1914 with 300 delegates."

Several hundred people gathered in 1914, and hundreds of thousands are expected in Indianapolis. Thousands of foreign delegates will be joining Assemblies of God pastors and laypeople from churches across the United States. Assemblies of God missionaries are also planning to attend from around the world.

2000 Celebration is the third triennial gathering of the Assemblies of God World Congress, but the first to be held in the United States. It's scheduling, coming at the turn of the millennium, offers a unique opportunity to evaluate the Assemblies of God's role during a time many Christians believe to be the final era of human history.

Presbyters resolved that "we ask the Lord of the Harvest to make 2000 Celebration... an epicenter for the outpouring of His Spirit upon the Assemblies of God as we enter a new century and a new millennium; that we will indeed witness a new Pentecost as the Assemblies of God comes all together at one time in one place from the nations of this earth in the most international gathering ever witnessed by this Church."