Apostolic Church of Pentecost
| Apostolic Church of Pentecost | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Protestant |
| Theology | Pentecostal |
| Governance | Members attending a bi-annual General Conference elect a president to carry out the work of ACOP’s Mission, Vision, and Core Values. |
| Region | International |
| Founder | Rev. Frank Small |
| Origin | 1921 |
| Separated from | Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada 1921 |
| Absorbed | Evangelical Churches of Pentecost 1953 |
| Congregations |
153 in Canada 3000 worldwide |
| Members |
24,000 in Canada worldwide unknown |
| Official website | ACOP.ca |
153 in Canada
24,000 in Canada
The Apostolic Church of Pentecost (ACOP) is a Pentecostal Christian denomination with origins in the Pentecostal revival of the early 20th century. Although multi-national, ACOP has its strongest membership in Canada. In 2002 ACOP reported "approximately 24,000 members in Canada, with 450 ministers and 153 churches." There are ACOP churches in all the provinces of Canada. ACOP’s headquarters is in Calgary, Alberta.
Unlike traditional denominations that are usually based on top-down organizational structures, ACOP describes itself as a "fellowship." The different term emphasizes that ACOP originated as a "grass-roots organization with a minimal amount of organization." This kind of organizational structure allows local churches to work autonomously, under the umbrella of ACOP’s covering but without a head office dictating what each church must do, or the programs it must offer.
Theologically, ACOP is in the Pentecostal tradition of Protestant Christianity, and aligns itself with the evangelical movement.
The ACOP considers that the Biblical inspiration of the Bible makes it the authoritative and infallible written word of God. It believes that there is one God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; in the virgin birth of Jesus; that Jesus is humanity’s only possible savior; in the total depravity of humanity; that all of humanity needs to hear the gospel and turn to Christ in faith for redemption; in the reality of a spiritual realm, which includes God, Heaven, Satan, the personal return of Jesus Christ, and a final judgment; in communion; and in baptism by immersion.
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