We have discussed biblically based theological values held to by the founders of the Assemblies of God. Our message is Jesus Christ. Our method is Pentecostal. Our mandate is holiness. Our mindset is dependency on God. And now, we must ask, to what end? Truly, these theological values will enrich our personal lives, usher us into the presence of God, and be a springboard to a more intimate relationship with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Equally important, however, theological values must find fulfillment in our Christ-given mission to reach everyone, everywhere with the gospel and to make disciples in all nations. Failing to address what we call “The Great Commission” would cause us to miss the heart of God and result in failing to live in the fullness of who we were created to be.

Biblical Foundation

The starting point for a biblical basis for world missions begins in Genesis 1:26 when God said, “Let us make mankind in our own image, in our likeness.” Just as God was in a personal relationship with Adam and Eve, He wants to be in relationship will all of His creation. We know that He is “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9).

We will not take the time to trace the biblical thread of God reaching out to His creation with reconciliation and a saving relationship, but rather focus on the “The Great Commission,” as found in Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:14-18, Luke 24:44-49, and John 20:19-23. We will briefly consider seven aspects of Matthew’s Great Commission.

1. All authority belongs to Jesus Christ (Matt. 28:18). Matthew has just written twenty-eight chapters to tell us that Jesus Christ is King. Jesus is the Messiah. He was born with the lineage of a King, lived a sinless life, taught with unparalleled authority, was obedient to the Heavenly Father even to the point of suffering and death, and rose again to conquer sin and death. He is the King of Kings, The Giver of Life, The Conqueror of Death, and The Ruler for Eternity. Acts 4:12 states it this way, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Jesus is the Ultimate Authority.
2. We must be people of the “therefore” (v. 19). It is because of what Christ has done and by His authority that “we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Our King, our Master, is now calling us to live in the “therefore.” Therefore, we are compelled to serve the King by sharing with others the story of the One who gives Life. Living in the “therefore” means that we declare to Him, “not my will but your will be done!” instead of degrading Him to the place where our wish is His command. Therefore, we must proclaim Christ as King to the world.
3. We must go (v. 19). The Good News, this Gospel, must be It must be proclaimed in word and in deed by you and by me. If we understand truly the love of Christ, we are compelled to action. We are to be willing to go to anyone, anywhere, at any time.
4. We must make disciples of all nations (v. 19). The construction of the sentence in Greek directs us to go with purpose. We do not just “go” for the sake of making motion. We go with the specific purpose of making disciples of all nations. We are to journey with others to lead them to the Lord, to help them grow in the Lord, and to become the people that God created them to be. We are to go to all people and to all nations.
5. Specifically, we are to baptize people into the fullness of God and into the family of God (v. 19). New believers are to be baptized in the fullness of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Baptism is an outward expression of an inner work. It is more than just a public ceremony; it signifies that we belong to God and that we are members in the family of We have a new identity in Christ and we live in a new community of faith.
6. We must teach others to obey everything that Christ commanded (v. 20). Christ’s teaching is now the standard upon which we base our lives. His Words are Life! We express our love to Jesus by obeying Him, as stated in John 14:15. Disciples identify with the fullness of God, live in the family of God, and obey everything that Christ commanded.
7. Our reward is living in the presence of God (v. 20). The promise of proclaiming Christ as King is that we will be in His presence today, tomorrow, and for eternity. In His presence there is healing, hope, order, peace, and purpose. There is no greater reward than being in the presence of God, as Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden.

Our Pentecostal Forefathers

One of the purposes for the call of “General Convention of Pentecostal Saints and Churches of God in Christ” in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in 1914 was world missions. However, the call to meeting was not a challenge to begin a world missions outreach but to do it more effectively:

We come together for another reason, that we may get a better understanding of the needs of each foreign field, and may know how to place our money in such a way that one mission or missionary shall not suffer, while another not any more worthy, lives in luxuries. Also that we may discourage wasting money on those who are running here and there accomplishing nothing, and may concentrate our support on those who mean business for our King.19

At the end of the second General Council of the Assemblies of God, held at the Stone Church in Chicago, Illinois, in November 1914, they “resolved to achieve ‘the greatest evangelism that the world has ever seen.’”20 Built into the blueprint of the movement was a deep desire to see everyone in the world come to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. They did not focus on what they lacked, such as finances, personnel, and how to relate to new cultures, customs, and languages, but rather on their love for Christ, empowerment and enablement by the Holy Spirit, and their unwavering dedication to express their love to their Savior by fulfilling His Great Commission. Our spiritual leaders had the foresight to know that their mission to reach the world was the heart of their existence; in fact their raison d’etre.

Why We Must Address This Value

We must address the theological value of our mission being world missions because many Assemblies of God churches in the United States do not allow missionaries to speak in their churches nor do these churches give funds through Assemblies of God World Missions to propagate the gospel worldwide. In 2015, of the 12,897 AG churches only 52.2% of them, or 6,727, had at least one service with a missionary speaker.21 Missionaries readily recognize that churches that allow missionary speakers will give more funds to missions, pray more for world evangelism, and see more people from their church called to missionary fields of service.

According to the 2016 Assemblies of God Statistical Report, 13,023 Assemblies of God churches reported a total membership of 1,818,941 with 3,240,258 adherents and 2,004,897 attending in their “major worship service.”22 It is admirable that they gave $212.3 million in 2016 to Assemblies of God World Missions.23 If one divides the total dollars given to AGWM in 2016 by the number of people attending a major worship service in 2016, it would indicate that, on average, each person gave $105.89 for the year, or $8.82 per month.

We rejoice for the churches that allow for missionary speakers and for the significant funds raised through the Assemblies of God, USA. Nevertheless, the Assemblies of God could make a greater impact on missions if every Assemblies of God church would embrace the theological value that our mission must be World Missions.

Churches that embrace the Great Commission will be churches that grow in influence, membership, finances, and, most importantly, in intimate relationship with God. It behooves each attendee of an Assemblies of God church to take an overseas missions trip to see how people in other countries live and the state of their spiritual condition. I believe this would help many American believers to understand why missions is the heartbeat of God and thus, experience an expansion or transformation of their world view.

Network211

Network211 is a ministry that uses 21^st century technology to communicate the 1^st century gospel with the purpose of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ to everyone, everywhere. Dr. Because George M. Flattery founded Network211, it has its roots in International Correspondence Institute (ICI), ICI University (ICIU), and now Global University.

ICI officially launched in 1967 and used the technology of that day, correspondence, to spread the gospel in evangelism, make disciples, and lead people into local churches. Individuals around the world would receive a brochure called, “The Great Questions of Life,” offered in multiple languages that reveal how Jesus Christ is the Answer to their question. These individuals would answer questions in the back of the brochure, mail it to an ICI office, and receive the next brochure. Then, they would receive discipleship materials in this same format. Through the years, ICI received millions of responses from people around the world who shared salvation testimonies.

ICI was a ministry of the Assemblies of God Division of Foreign Missions (AG-DFM). It utilized the ministry of missionaries in the home office as well as missionaries in nations around the world. Local believers and local churches were engaged in the creation, distribution, and follow up of materials. Ultimately, individuals received discipleship training and became part of the church—the local communities of faith.

Dr. Flattery incorporated Global Colleagues, now Network211, in December of 1997 and used the ICI blueprint with the internet as the updated means of communication. The main evangelism site is “Journey Answers” and addresses thirteen relevant life issues that people around the world Google. Network211 is an Assemblies of God World Missions (AGWM) ministry within International Ministries (AGWM-IM) and utilizes the ministry of missionaries in the home office as well as missionaries in the nations of the world. Like ICI, local believers and local churches are engaged in the creation of materials and in the follow up of individuals. Presently, Journey Answers is presented in the top ten languages of the Internet and sixteen languages overall.

People from 244 countries and territories have visited Network211 evangelism sites—even people in nations closed to missionaries and Americans. They visit from the major nations of the world such as China and Russia and from the smallest territories in the world. They access our sites from the Islamic world and from the countries that comprise the 10/40 window. Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Agnostics, and Atheists all access the sites. Matthew 24:14 says, “This Gospel will be preached to all nations and then the end will come.” Truly, the endeavors of Network211 contribute to the fulfillment of this end-time Scripture.

We praise the Lord for His abundant blessing to us! The promise that He will be with us always (Matt. 28:20) is a wonderful intimate relationship of forgiveness, acceptance, and love and is our greatest reward. However, the Bible teaches and our Pentecostal forefathers believed that the Master’s plan for humanity is that everyone should be reconciled to the Father and in right relationship with Him. Our role, as servants to the Master, is to realize that we are blessed to be a blessing to others and that we must take His Name to the ends of the earth. Until the last person has called upon Him as Savior and Lord, our task is incomplete.

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19. Rodgers, “Fully Committed: 100 Years of the Assemblies of God,” 6.

20. Ibid., 9.

21. Assemblies of God (USA) Official Web Site, “Index to 2015 AG Statistical Reports,” accessed September 25,
2017, https://ag.org/About/Statistics.

22. Assemblies of God (USA) Official Web Site, “2016 Vital Statistics District Summary and National Church Size
by Attendance,” accessed September 25, 2017, https://ag.org/About/Statistics.

23. Assemblies of God (USA) Official Web Site, “AGWM Vital Statistics: 2017 Issue 4,” accessed September 25,
2017, https://agwm.com/assets/agwmvitalstats.pdf.