Democratic People in a Theocratic Kingdom

Abstract

I believe we may have a cultural problem within our church group Assembly of God (AG) in the United States. As a country we are a politically democratic culture, as a country, that is both the envy and scorn of other nations. We have attempted to introduce democracy as the politically supreme way of social justice and order to other countries. The basis of our democratic culture is often quoted from the thrilling speech President Abraham Lincoln gave “…that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” I completely subscribe to this liberty and freedom with its responsibilities in the United States and to the democratic political system. The problem, as I see it, may be that this is also a lifestyle within the theocratic local church, its Districts and National Office, in how we govern. In this study I research this cultural collision of democracy and theocracy within the AG in the United States historically, theologically and conceptually. I will show how a political platform of democracy is generally how we form our church governance, and that the political climate in our country often alters our attitude within the theocratic local church, its Districts and National Office. I will also show how this possibly hinders our growth in established AG churches and reduces the ability to plant out of those congregations to establish new churches. My intent is not simply to criticize, but to offer insights that are critical to the AG development and influence within the culture(s) of the United States.