George O. Wood, who leads the Assemblies of God from its headquarters in Springfield, Mo., said Palin should not be expected to be responsible for, or supportive of, words of Pentecostal pastors any more than Obama should be held responsible for his spiritual leader.
“I don’t think that’s fair,” he said.
A.G. Miller, associate professor of religion at Oberlin College and an Ohio pastor of a small Pentecostal church, said: “Obviously, politics is not always fair. … It makes you even think twice about whether you want to put your sermons online.”
Several churches cited for ties to Palin have posted statements online extolling her leadership but saying they cannot speak for her or endorse her.
Palin, at the appearance last June at Wasilla Assembly of God, jokingly referred to her travels around the state as governor, when pastors might warn her that she might be surprised by the raising of hands or clapping in a congregation she visits.
“I say, I grew up at Wasilla Assembly of God,” she said. “Nothing freaks me out about the worship service.”
I was “filled with the Spirit” in a Pentecostal church (AoG), attended a Church of God for Bible study, and attended a Charismatic Prayer Group with Sunday Charismatic Mass starting in my Junior year of High School through college.
Nothing about the Pentecostals/Charismatics freaks me out, either, but I do prefer the Liturgical worship experience. Prayer meetings, on the other hand, are a lot more FUN when the Spirit is free to act.
Peace
Jim E. <><
Vinson Synan’s book, The Holy Spirit in the 20th Century, is a good read on this subject. The mainline has become the sideline. I still prefer a litrugical church but more Christians today owe their faith to the Azusa street revival than to the protestant reformation.
Here’s to hoping Obamatrons make Palin’s church an issue, thus opening the way for Crazy Jerry to be an issue again.
There are several points of difference between Gov. Palin’s 20 years in the Assemblies of God, and Sen. Obama’s 20 years at Trinity UCC. First, she never declared her pastor to be her mentor. Second, she left Wasilla AG 6 years ago, while Sen. Obama left Trinity in the heat of a presidential campaign when his mentor began acting a fool all over the country.
What interests me, however, is what a “Bible Church” in Alaska might be. Here in Texas, a “Bible Church” is most emphatically NOT pentecostal. So did she change theological traditions as well as congregations? And when the mayor of a small town changes churches, that has to be a big deal.
Pentacostal – schmentacostal -Who cares? As Paul and Silas said to the jailer, “He who believes in the Lord Jesus is saved – you and your household.” (Acts 16:31). (or see Romans 3:22–24).
#4 WordsMatter–Yes, I’ve also been curious about that. Around here, “Bible Churches” are what would technically be called “Reformed Baptists”–strongly Calvinist but they believe in “believer’s baptism” and reject “infant baptism.” But I don’t know if that is true in other states. I’ve looked at Wasilla Bible Church’s website and they seem to be fairly mainstream conservative Christianity. However, it looks like they also use modern instruments and forms of worship in their services. The Bible Churches I’ve visited generallly follow the “regulative principle” and reject most modern worship, such as choirs, organs or instruments. They often emphasize a cappella singing, as well as singing arrangements of the Psalms which are quite nice. Sermons generally also tend to follow the Puritan expositional model, and run for an hour at least.
Jim – that sound like “Bible Churches” in Texas, although most will have contemporary worship, I believe. The only a cappella tradition here is in the “Church of Christ”, the conservative remnant of the old Campbellite movement of the late 1800s. The New York Times article on the other thread suggests the Alaska “Bible Churches” are in this mold, as well.
At one point in my life I was a member of “The Church of Christ” in Anchorage, AK and attended the same in a Kentucky church when on trips there. The a-capella round (shape note) singing was beautiful and quite moving. If we could get singing like that in an Anglican church, I would vote on moving the organ out.
Jim and Words — Here in Northern VA the Bible Churches I am familiar with have bands and use contemporary worship music.
The Church of Christ Non-instrumental is a whole different story.
Mike and I were also wondering about her shift from the AoG to a Bible Church. Seems incongruous. Makes me think something happened.
Peace,
Pat Kashtock
Take It For What It’s Worth
According to what I heard on CNN last night (and take it FWIW), the Wasilla Assembly of God went off on a tangent about Alaska being a “refuge” state in the last days. The Palins changed congregations at that point, although it’s said she attends an Assembly church in Juneau when she’s there.
Again, I stress the source: CNN.