Global Alliance of Affirming Apostolic Pentecostals
Encyclopedia
The Global Alliance of Affirming Apostolic Pentecostals (GAAAP) is an LGBT
affirming, Oneness Pentecostal
denomination, headquartered in Thonotosassa, Florida
.
GAAAP was organized in 2007 by Rev. Robert Morgan of Tampa, Florida
. GAAAP originally began as a ministerial fellowship, with 17 ministers by early 2008. In April 2010, GAAAP acquired Apostolic Restoration Mission (ARM), formerly known as the National Gay Pentecostal Alliance (NGPA). NGPA had been the first LGBT-affirming Apostolic denomination, having formed in 1980 in Schenectady, New York
. By late summer 2010, the organization claimed 50 ministers in 19 States and 5 nations. It was in 2010 that GAAAP amended its constitution to become a denomination and began to affiliate churches. Another significant development in the administrative structure of the organization was the official consecration of Robert Morgan and Robert Stamper as Presiding and Assistant Bishops respectively in August, 2011. The organization hosts an annual leadership retreat in February, in Tampa, FL and an annual ONE Conference that rotates between cities.
The church is non-trinitarian
in theology, holding to the belief that all the fullness of God resides bodily in Jesus
, and teaches that repentance, water baptism
by immersion in the name of Jesus Christ, and the Baptism of the Holy Ghost are essential elements of the Apostolic era church that must be retained in the church of God
today. They also believe that speaking in tongues is the initial physical evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost. The church is affirming of gay people but doesn't not promote itself as a gay organization.
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
affirming, Oneness Pentecostal
Oneness Pentecostal
Oneness Pentecostalism refers to a grouping of denominations and believers within Pentecostal Christianity, all of whom subscribe to the nontrinitarian theological doctrine of Oneness...
denomination, headquartered in Thonotosassa, Florida
Thonotosassa, Florida
Thonotosassa is an unincorporated census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The population was 6,091 at the 2000 census.-History:...
.
GAAAP was organized in 2007 by Rev. Robert Morgan of Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
. GAAAP originally began as a ministerial fellowship, with 17 ministers by early 2008. In April 2010, GAAAP acquired Apostolic Restoration Mission (ARM), formerly known as the National Gay Pentecostal Alliance (NGPA). NGPA had been the first LGBT-affirming Apostolic denomination, having formed in 1980 in Schenectady, New York
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
. By late summer 2010, the organization claimed 50 ministers in 19 States and 5 nations. It was in 2010 that GAAAP amended its constitution to become a denomination and began to affiliate churches. Another significant development in the administrative structure of the organization was the official consecration of Robert Morgan and Robert Stamper as Presiding and Assistant Bishops respectively in August, 2011. The organization hosts an annual leadership retreat in February, in Tampa, FL and an annual ONE Conference that rotates between cities.
The church is non-trinitarian
Nontrinitarianism
Nontrinitarianism includes all Christian belief systems that disagree with the doctrine of the Trinity, namely, the teaching that God is three distinct hypostases and yet co-eternal, co-equal, and indivisibly united in one essence or ousia...
in theology, holding to the belief that all the fullness of God resides bodily in Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, and teaches that repentance, water baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
by immersion in the name of Jesus Christ, and the Baptism of the Holy Ghost are essential elements of the Apostolic era church that must be retained in the church of God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
today. They also believe that speaking in tongues is the initial physical evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost. The church is affirming of gay people but doesn't not promote itself as a gay organization.
Affiliated, Endorsed and Cooperative Churches
- Under His Wings Ministries- Thonotosassa, FL - Rev. Robert Morgan
- New Journey Fellowship - Tampa, FL - Rev. Joe Parramore
- Open Worship Church of Hope - Bloomington, IL - Rev. Robert Stamper
- Pentecostal Affirming Ministries - Charleston, WV - Rev. Tiffany Brashear
- Grace Restoration Fellowship - Lakeland, FL - Rev. Lee Steele
- Bridge of Hope Church - Indianapolis, IN - Rev. Robert Stamper
- Cornerstone Fellowship - Houston,TX - Rev. Joe Bales
- Redemption Hill Church - Phoenix, AZ - Rev. Andrew Haywood
- Good News Fellowship - Jackson, MS - Rev. Matt Higdon
- Oasis Fellowship Ministires - Orlando, FL - Rev. Brei Taylor
See also
- Gay Apostolic PentecostalsGay Apostolic PentecostalsGay Apostolic Pentecostals are people who adhere to the beliefs and theology of the Oneness Pentecostal churches, but who identify as LGBT, which is unacceptable in mainline Apostolic churches. Gay Apostolic Pentecostals first began to organize separately from mainline Apostolic churches in 1980 in...
- Oneness Pentecostals