Takapuna Assembly of God
Encyclopedia
Harbourside Church ,
Harbourside Church , (formerly Takapuna Assembly of God located in Auckland
, is one of New Zealand
's largest churches, with an average weekly attendance of about 1500. Its 1800-seat auditorium was built in 1985.
The church is Pentecostal in theology and holds to a fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible. The church believes in salvation by personal faith and commitment to Jesus Christ, and that Biblical miracles are true, and are able to be duplicated in the present day.
Founded in the 1950s, the congregation had 20-25 members for most of its early history. In 1975 Wayne Hughes
was appointed Pastor. A dynamic preacher, Hughes began attracting larger crowds. Within five years, the congregation had grown to 400, and by the mid-1980s, to 700. On 31 December 1999, Hughes announced his vision of growing the congregation to ten thousand members, which would make it the largest congregation in New Zealand. Over the last five years the church has been restructuring to facilitate outreach and growth.
The church has forged a close relationship with the Brownsville Assembly of God
in Pensacola
, Florida
, a dynamic church in the Pentecostal world, which has attracted pilgrims from all over the world since 1995. The church also has a relationship with Korea's
Yoido Full Gospel Church
, whose Senior Pastor, Dr David Yonggi Cho
, conducted a major conference hosted by Takapuna Assembly of God in 1996.
Wayne Hughes
pastored the church for 30 years, before retiring in April 2005. He announced that he was stepping down after allegations of sexual impropriety surfaced in the media. Hughes denied the allegations, but said he was stepping down to protect the church from negative publicity. In May, Martin Steel, a missionary
and evangelist
, was named to succeed him.
The evangelist of Portuguese
origin Luis Cabral] divides his time between Takapuna Assembly of God, where he serves as an Associate Pastor, and his crusade ministry, both in New Zealand and internationally.
Harbourside Church , (formerly Takapuna Assembly of God located in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, is one of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's largest churches, with an average weekly attendance of about 1500. Its 1800-seat auditorium was built in 1985.
The church is Pentecostal in theology and holds to a fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible. The church believes in salvation by personal faith and commitment to Jesus Christ, and that Biblical miracles are true, and are able to be duplicated in the present day.
Founded in the 1950s, the congregation had 20-25 members for most of its early history. In 1975 Wayne Hughes
Wayne Hughes
Wayne Hughes was a New Zealand Pentecostal minister. Until early 2005, he was the Senior Pastor of the Takapuna Assembly of God in Auckland. A photographer by training, Hughes became Pastor of the Takapuna Assembly of God in 1975. Under his leadership spanning three decades, it grew from 25 members...
was appointed Pastor. A dynamic preacher, Hughes began attracting larger crowds. Within five years, the congregation had grown to 400, and by the mid-1980s, to 700. On 31 December 1999, Hughes announced his vision of growing the congregation to ten thousand members, which would make it the largest congregation in New Zealand. Over the last five years the church has been restructuring to facilitate outreach and growth.
The church has forged a close relationship with the Brownsville Assembly of God
Brownsville Revival
The Brownsville Revival was a widely-reported religious phenomenon that began within the Pentecostal movement on Father's Day June 18, 1995 at Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola, Florida...
in Pensacola
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, a dynamic church in the Pentecostal world, which has attracted pilgrims from all over the world since 1995. The church also has a relationship with Korea's
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
Yoido Full Gospel Church
Yoido Full Gospel Church
Yoido Full Gospel Church is a Pentecostal church on Yeouido in Seoul, South Korea. With about 1,000,000 members , it is the largest Pentecostal Christian congregation in South Korea, and the world...
, whose Senior Pastor, Dr David Yonggi Cho
David Yonggi Cho
David Yonggi Cho is a Korean Christian minister. He is Senior Pastor and founder of the Yoido Full Gospel Church , the world's largest congregation with a membership of 1,000,000...
, conducted a major conference hosted by Takapuna Assembly of God in 1996.
Wayne Hughes
Wayne Hughes
Wayne Hughes was a New Zealand Pentecostal minister. Until early 2005, he was the Senior Pastor of the Takapuna Assembly of God in Auckland. A photographer by training, Hughes became Pastor of the Takapuna Assembly of God in 1975. Under his leadership spanning three decades, it grew from 25 members...
pastored the church for 30 years, before retiring in April 2005. He announced that he was stepping down after allegations of sexual impropriety surfaced in the media. Hughes denied the allegations, but said he was stepping down to protect the church from negative publicity. In May, Martin Steel, a missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
and evangelist
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
, was named to succeed him.
The evangelist of Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
origin Luis Cabral] divides his time between Takapuna Assembly of God, where he serves as an Associate Pastor, and his crusade ministry, both in New Zealand and internationally.