Assyrian Pentecostal Church
Encyclopedia
The Assyrian Pentecostal Church , in (Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...

: کلیسای پنطیکاستی آشوری), began in villages across the Urmia
Urmia
- Demographics :According to official census of 2006, the population of Urmia is about 871,204.- Language :The population of Urmia is mainly Azerbaijani people, with Kurdish, Assyrian Christian, and Armenian minorities...

 region in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...

, and spread to the Assyrians
Assyrian people
The Assyrian people are a distinct ethnic group whose origins lie in ancient Mesopotamia...

 living in the adjacent cities. The current church's doctrine and tradition is a continuation of the spiritual revival movements that took place in Western Iran during the 1930s. In 1940, with great diligence and personal sacrifice a young pastor, named Tooma (Thomas) Nasseri began his evangelical ministry throughout Western Iran and built churches and established congregations in villages, towns, and major metropolitan cities in Iran. With the seed of Protestant Christianity planted Assyrian Protestant Church's began to emerge throughout greater Iran in the 1950s. Currently, the Assyrian Pentecostal Church has several congregations in California, Illinois, Canada, Australia, Austria, and Iran. The Church is an affiliate with the Assemblies of God
Assemblies of God
The Assemblies of God , officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely-associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination...

. Today, the church may have from 12 to 20 thousand adherents.

Name of the church

The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost
Pentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...

, or the Jewish Feast of Weeks, which commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...

 upon the followers of Jesus Christ as described in the Book of Acts, Chapter . Thus, the Church's name originates from the biblical passages contained within the Acts of the Apostles
Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of the Apostles , usually referred to simply as Acts, is the fifth book of the New Testament; Acts outlines the history of the Apostolic Age...

 which refers to the day of Pentecost.

Statement of beliefs

  • The scriptures:

The Bible is the inspired Word of God.
(II Timothy 3:16)
  • The God Head:

Our God is one, but manifested in three persons, The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
(John 16: 13-15)
  • Man, His Fall and Redemption:

Through Adam's transgression and fall, sin came into the world.
(Romans 5:12-21)
  • The New Birth:

Through Jesus' death and resurrection, righteousness comes to all who believe.
(John 3:3-5)
  • Water Baptism:

Baptism in water, by immersion.
(Matt 28:16)
  • Baptism in the Holy Ghost:

The baptism in the Holy Ghost and fire is a gift from God.
(Mathew 3:11, Acts 1:8, Acts 2: 1-4)
  • Divine Healing:

It is provided in the atonement of Christ and is the privilege of every member of the church today.
(James 5: 14-15, Mark 16:18, Isaiah 53:4, Matthew 8:17)
  • Resurrection of the just and the return of our Lord Jesus Christ:

His coming is imminent. The dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we that are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
(I Thess 4: 16-17, Acts 1:11)

Current Leaders

  • Pastor William Abraham of Assyrian Pentecostal Church in Turlock
  • Pastor Robert Barcham of Assyrian Pentecostal Church in Urmia
  • Pastor Jonathan Nader of Assyrian Pentecostal Church in Chicago
  • Pastor William Neesan of Assyrian Pentecostal Church in Los Gatos
  • Pastor Isac Warda of Assyrian Pentecostal Church in Sydney
  • Pastor Victor Tamraz of Assyrian Pentecostal Church in Tehran

The Iranian Government has closed the Church in Tehran (Pr. Victor Tamraz) and the Assembly of God in Urumieh bringing them to a very difficult situation even to subsist.
By closing the churches the Islamic regime of Iran is forcing the people to abandon the Christian Faith and encouraging the pastors to emigrate abroad. The secret police call first the pastors for an interview when they are "politely" told to leave the region and better emigrate abroad. When they don't do so, the next step follows... Imprisonment, Church closure and oppression.
The aim seems to be the eradication of all Christian Churches in Iran through persecution, imprisonment and torture of Christian leaders like happened to PR. Wilson Issavi (Kermanshah) released from prison in April 2010 after 55 days. The Assyrian Pentecostal Church of Kermanshah has been also closed, Pr. Wilson forbidden of any activity and the Church may not be re-opened.
Pr. Wilson was also forced to leave the region and his house and still suffers on emotional and physical disturbances caused by the mistreatment in prison (having been seen recently in June 2010).

http://www.fcnn.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=721:the-arrest-of-the-assyrian-leader-of-the-kermanshah-church&catid=127:iranian-christian&Itemid=593

Language

The liturgical language spoken by the members, church choir, and the pastor is Assyrian Neo-Aramaic
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic is a Neo-Aramaic dialect, spoken by an estimated 220,000 people , formerly in the area between Lake Urmia, north-western Iran, and Siirt, south-eastern Turkey, but now more widely throughout the...

, a language descended and closely entwined with Aramaic. Prayers and scripture is read and recited from an Assyrian Aramaic Bible.

Observed Holidays

The adherents of the Assyrian Pentecostal Church observe the following holidays:
  • Christmas: (Eda Surah) also referred to as Christmas Day, is an annual holiday
    Holiday
    A Holiday is a day designated as having special significance for which individuals, a government, or a religious group have deemed that observance is warranted. It is generally an official or unofficial observance of religious, national, or cultural significance, often accompanied by celebrations...

     celebrated on December 25 that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ
    Jesus
    Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...

    .

  • New Year's Eve: (Sheetah Khatah)

  • Easter: (Eda Gurah) Assyrian Pentecostals celebrate Jesus Christs resurrection
    Resurrection of Jesus
    The Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus states that Jesus returned to bodily life on the third day following his death by crucifixion. It is a key element of Christian faith and theology and part of the Nicene Creed: "On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures"...

     from the dead three days after his crucifixion
    Crucifixion of Jesus
    The crucifixion of Jesus and his ensuing death is an event that occurred during the 1st century AD. Jesus, who Christians believe is the Son of God as well as the Messiah, was arrested, tried, and sentenced by Pontius Pilate to be scourged, and finally executed on a cross...

    , and celebrate this resurrection on Easter Day, or Easter Sunday, two days after Good Friday
    Good Friday
    Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...

    .

  • Pentecost: (Yomit Pantacostayeh) Assyrian Pentecostals commemorate the descent of the Holy Spirit
    Holy Spirit
    Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...

     upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus
    Jesus
    Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...

     as described in the Book of Acts, Chapter .

See also

  • Assyrian Neo-Aramaic
    Assyrian Neo-Aramaic
    Assyrian Neo-Aramaic is a Neo-Aramaic dialect, spoken by an estimated 220,000 people , formerly in the area between Lake Urmia, north-western Iran, and Siirt, south-eastern Turkey, but now more widely throughout the...

  • Assyrian People
    Assyrian people
    The Assyrian people are a distinct ethnic group whose origins lie in ancient Mesopotamia...

  • Pentecostalism
    Pentecostalism
    Pentecostalism is a diverse and complex movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, has an eschatological focus, and is an experiential religion. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, the Greek...

  • Syriac Christianity
    Syriac Christianity
    Syriac or Syrian Christianity , the Syriac-speaking Christians of Mesopotamia, comprises multiple Christian traditions of Eastern Christianity. With a history going back to the 1st Century AD, in modern times it is represented by denominations primarily in the Middle East and in Kerala, India....

  • Assyrians in Iran
    Assyrians in Iran
    Assyrians in Iran was a thriving community, but was diminished from around 200,000 prior to the Islamic Revolution in Iran to a mere 50,000....


External links

  • Religion and Nation: http://books.google.com/books?id=xJ8CLhx7pqMC&pg=PA199&lpg=PA199&dq=assyrian+pentecostal+church+in+iran+-east+-iraq&source=web&ots=zIbyi9vTP0&sig=GNz-EhCybrA54a7wHMWZ4PzBhJs&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=5&ct=result#PPA199,M1
  • http://www.baylor.edu/Truett/journal/index.php?id=20626
  • Acts 2:1-13 (New International Version) http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%202:1-13
  • http://books.google.com/books?id=KBhuAAAAMAAJ&q=assyrian+protestant&dq=assyrian+protestant&lr=&pgis=1
  • Official Website for Turlock Branch: http://www.assyrianpentecostalchurch.org/APC/index.php broken link
  • Official Website for San Jose Branch: http://www.assyrianpentecostalchurch.com/ broken link
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