Missouri's Mega Church, James River Church, has announced its unanimous decision to end its affiliation with the the Assemblies of God(AOG).
In a statement to The Christian Post on Thursday, the church clarified that while it will no longer be part of the Assemblies of God, it remains committed to its doctrine.
“Recently, the James River Church Board of Trustees reached the decision to discontinue our formal denominational affiliation with the Assemblies of God. We are thankful for the Assemblies of God, and we intend to continue partnering with the Assemblies of God in a variety of ways — including our continued support of missionaries and missions efforts to take the Gospel around the world,” the church stated.
The church emphasized, “James River Church is not changing its doctrine, and the church remains committed to preaching the Bible and impacting the local community and the world for the cause of Christ.”
The Southern Missouri Ministry Network of the Assemblies of God, which consists of AOG congregations in the region, has not yet responded to the announcement. Don Miller, superintendent of the network, informed CP that the network is working to facilitate James River Church's disaffiliation.
“James River Church has informed the Southern Missouri Ministry Network of their decision to leave the Assemblies of God. We are aware of the impact that James River has made for the Kingdom and have been thankful to have them part of the Assemblies of God,” Miller remarked. “In the Assemblies of God, there is a process in place to work through matters of this nature, and Southern Missouri will be following that process.”
An official from the AOG's national office, who was not authorized to speak with the press, told The CP that while they recognize James River Church's “rich legacy of ministry” within the denomination, they were blindsided by the decision.
“They informed everyone, public and AOG alike, at their Wednesday evening service,” the official noted. The church had not indicated any plans to leave the denomination prior to the announcement, the official added.
“James River Church has a rich legacy of ministry and service within the Assemblies of God, and our prayers are now with them for God's blessing and continued effective ministry,” the AOG representative added.
Founded in 1991 and formerly known as James River Assembly, the church is led by Pastor John Lindell and reports a weekly attendance of 16,000.
