AG Ceylon celebrates 100th anniversary
View(s):The Assemblies of God of Ceylon (AG Ceylon) is celebrating its 100th anniversary of the Assemblies of God in Sri Lanka.
A celebration of praise and thanksgiving was held at the Havelock Sports Club Grounds as the focal event of a series of celebratory events executed in this regard.
To celebrate this significant event that falls in 2014, AG Ceylon organised a series of celebrative events in the historic regions where the church had initially marked its presence – Kandy, Jaffna, Ja-Ela and Galle – culminating in the main event in Colombo. A commemorative postage stamp was also issued to mark the event.
The Assemblies of God (AG) was established in the USA in 1914 as a result of the great Pentecostal revival, by around 300 individuals from diverse Pentecostal groups.
Today, the Assemblies of God of Ceylon (AG Ceylon) marks its presence across 11 Regions with tens of thousands attending services weekly. It biennially elects the Chairman (General Superintendent) and Executive Presbytery under whose purview the work progresses.
AG Ceylon is also part of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, which brings together over 150 national Assemblies of God churches representing a worldwide fellowship of 56 million people. The church is also a leading participant in many inter-denominational organisations, where it sees the significance of its role in contributing to the community.
The Ceylon Bible Institute which was reopened with just three students in 1971, today has its own campus in Ja-Ela under the name ‘Assemblies of God Bible College’ (AGBC). This institution offers Certificate, Diploma, Bachelors, and Masters study courses in Bible and Theology, and awarded its first Doctorates in 2013.