Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ
Encyclopedia
The Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ (ALJC) is a Oneness Pentecostal
Christian denomination
formed in 1952 by the merger of the Assemblies of the Church of Jesus Christ, the Jesus Only Apostolic Church of God, and the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The organization describes itself as "a continuation of the great revival that began on the day of Pentecost
at Jerusalem, A.D. 30, and is founded upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets
, Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief cornerstone, (Acts 2:1-41; Ephesians 2:19, 20)."
of God, as well as baptism in Jesus' name and infilling of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38).
Similar to the United Pentecostal Church, they hold to holiness standards of dress, behavior, and lifestyle. The ALJC also discourages its members from joining the Armed Forces
in regards to combat. Though in regard to other forms of national service it says, "We, therefore, exhort our members to freely and willingly respond to the call of our Government except in the matter of bearing arms."
with over 1500 licensed ministers. Internationally the organization is currently supporting 10 missionaries who are overseeing works in 17 different nations. The ALJC is primarily centered in Indiana
, Ohio
, Louisiana
, Mississippi
, Tennessee
, Georgia
, North Carolina
, and Texas
.
The church is led by an Executive Board, consisting of a General Superintendent, three Assistant General Superintendents (each from a different region of the United States), and a General Secretary/Treasurer. The current Executive Board is made up of the following ministers: Rev. Robert Martin, Rev. Mark McCool, Rev. Danny St. Clair, Rev. David King, and Rev. Roger Gray.
The Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ supports Parkersburg Bible College, Blue Mountain Children's Home, New Beginnings Adoption program, and an international Shortwave Radio broadcast.
Oneness Pentecostal
Oneness Pentecostalism refers to a grouping of denominations and believers within Pentecostal Christianity, all of whom subscribe to the nontrinitarian theological doctrine of Oneness...
Christian denomination
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
formed in 1952 by the merger of the Assemblies of the Church of Jesus Christ, the Jesus Only Apostolic Church of God, and the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The organization describes itself as "a continuation of the great revival that began on the day of Pentecost
Pentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
at Jerusalem, A.D. 30, and is founded upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets
Nevi'im
Nevi'im is the second of the three major sections in the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh. It falls between the Torah and Ketuvim .Nevi'im is traditionally divided into two parts:...
, Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief cornerstone, (Acts 2:1-41; Ephesians 2:19, 20)."
Beliefs
In doctrine, the ALJC is similar to other Oneness Pentecostal churches. They believe in the onenessOneness Pentecostalism
Oneness Pentecostalism refers to a grouping of denominations and believers within Pentecostal Christianity, all of whom subscribe to the nontrinitarian theological doctrine of Oneness...
of God, as well as baptism in Jesus' name and infilling of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38).
Similar to the United Pentecostal Church, they hold to holiness standards of dress, behavior, and lifestyle. The ALJC also discourages its members from joining the Armed Forces
Armed Forces
Armed Forces is Elvis Costello's third album, his second with the Attractions, and the first to officially credit the Attractions on the cover. It was released in the UK by Radar Records and in the U.S. by Columbia in 1979...
in regards to combat. Though in regard to other forms of national service it says, "We, therefore, exhort our members to freely and willingly respond to the call of our Government except in the matter of bearing arms."
Structure
The Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ has approximately 420 churches in North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
with over 1500 licensed ministers. Internationally the organization is currently supporting 10 missionaries who are overseeing works in 17 different nations. The ALJC is primarily centered in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
The church is led by an Executive Board, consisting of a General Superintendent, three Assistant General Superintendents (each from a different region of the United States), and a General Secretary/Treasurer. The current Executive Board is made up of the following ministers: Rev. Robert Martin, Rev. Mark McCool, Rev. Danny St. Clair, Rev. David King, and Rev. Roger Gray.
The Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ supports Parkersburg Bible College, Blue Mountain Children's Home, New Beginnings Adoption program, and an international Shortwave Radio broadcast.
Notable Churches
- Cornerstone Apostolic Church in White Hall, ArkansasWhite Hall, ArkansasWhite Hall is a city in Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States, with a population of 4,732 in the 2000 U.S. census. It is included in the Pine Bluff, Arkansas Metropolitan Statistical Area and like Pine Bluff, adjoins the Pine Bluff Arsenal...
- First Apostolic Church in Maryville, TennesseeMaryville, TennesseeMaryville is the county seat of Blount County, Tennessee, in the Southeastern United States. The city is located south of Knoxville. Maryville's population was 27,258 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Knoxville Metropolitan Area. Maryville has received a number of accolades for its...
- Life Source in Wellston, OhioWellston, OhioWellston is a city in Jackson County, Ohio, United States, in the southeastern part of the state. Founded in 1873 as an iron and coal producing center, the city was named after founder Harvey Wells, a member of the Ohio Constitutional Convention. The city was incorporated in 1876. The population...
- First Apostolic Church in Knoxville, TennesseeKnoxville, TennesseeFounded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
- Victory Church in New Albany, MississippiNew Albany, MississippiNew Albany is a city in Union County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 8,526 at the 2010 census. New Albany is the county seat of Union County. New Albany was first organized in 1840 at the site of a grist mill and saw mill on the Tallahatchie River and was developed as a river port...