The Assemblies of God is grateful for all who have bravely shared their stories. Mr. Campbell was never ordained for ministry by the Assemblies of God. As a “licensed” minister in the 1980s, he would not have been a member of the General Council (national) and his relationship would have been with the district council(s) in which he served. The first reports of Mr. Campbell’s actions reached the AG National Office in 1988 and he was dismissed from ministry by February 1989 as a result of the district’s investigation. His reported actions were duly reported to the appropriate legal authorities. We continue to pray that justice will be served.
An NBC News report has alleged 29 Royal Rangers volunteers have been accused of sexual abuse over the past 50 years. Even one instance of abuse is too many. Our hearts are broken for each child affected. We continue to look for ways to help local churches that choose to use the Royal Rangers curriculum adopt and strengthen rigorous standards.
It is disappointing that out of three statements provided to the NBC News reporters, only two partial sentences were included in the report. As such, the reporters failed to accurately represent many important facts.
We continue to urge churches and ministries to adopt strict preventative measures.
Abuse of any kind has no place in the Assemblies of God. Abuse against minors is especially reprehensible and unconscionable. But the report published by NBC News is profoundly disappointing because it was peppered with misleading information.
The Assemblies of God grieves with anyone who has been hurt by the actions of an abuser. One instance of abuse is too many. And the General Council of the Assemblies of God is committed to child safety and has an established track record of leadership in this area.
The NBC News report appears to have done a survey of court filings and other news articles mentioning the Assemblies of God from the past 50 years and compiled numbers based on those records, but failed to omit unsubstantiated allegations or filings where the Assemblies of God was dismissed or potentially named in error. Importantly, the article inaccurately states that the Assemblies of God has resisted background checks, screenings, and mandatory reporting. This is false. Background checks and screenings are a well-established part of the Assemblies of God credentialing process and the General Council voluntarily considers itself a mandatory reporter. The article suggests that there was a path to restore ministers guilty of child sexual misconduct as late as 2021, but this has been strictly prohibited for decades. No minister may obtain or retain AG credentials if they have been found guilty of sexual misconduct with a minor.
No, the Assemblies of God has no pathway for perpetrators of child sexual abuse to hold credentials, nor is there any type of restoration or rehabilitation available for them. A position of “zero tolerance” for any credentialed minister guilty of sexual misconduct with a minor has been in place for decades. This also includes anyone involved in the manufacture, distribution, possession, or use of child pornography. The General Council remains committed to child safety.
The General Council’s child protection standards are more stringent than those of many public schools and have been in place for decades. Thorough background and reference checks are among many preventative requirements for any level of credentials in the Assemblies of God. The General Council has been at the leading edge of child safety policies as the standards of care have advanced in culture with the advent of new information, technology and other resources. While only the credentialing of ministers is within the purview of The General Council, we have produced a wealth of resources to aid churches within the Assemblies of God and other denominations to protect minors. General Presbytery and General Council meetings have regularly included a segment on child protection best practices and resources for decades urging all churches—which are autonomous based on our Scriptural beliefs on church polity—to adopt stringent standards to provide a safe and nurturing environment for children to hear the gospel.
No. The Assemblies of God has required criminal background checks for all ministerial candidates for decades. In fact, the requirements existed before the State of Missouri, where the Assemblies of God National Office is located, began requiring criminal background checks for public school staff.
While The General Council does not retain records of local church personnel, an estimate of well over one million volunteers, staff, and ministers have served in Assemblies of God churches during this timeframe.
The Assemblies of God is not a hierarchical denomination and functions as a “voluntary cooperative fellowship” where churches and districts in the Assemblies of God are autonomous entities and independent in the creation of their bylaws, policies, operations, and staffing. Thus, The General Council does not have authority over the employment or volunteer practices of a local church or district and functions much like a state bar or professional association in that its purview is limited to approving or terminating AG credentials.
While only the credentialing of ministers is within the purview of The General Council, we have produced a wealth of resources over the span of these decades to aid churches within the Assemblies of God and other denominations to protect minors. Long-time legal counsel, Richard Hammar, is well-regarded as the leader of child protection best practices and for many years child protection best practices have regularly been incorporated in the annual General Presbytery meetings as well as the biennial General Council meeting open to all credential holders. In addition, The General Council has offered regular voluntary trainings and these practices and training opportunities continue.
Yes, men and women applying for any level of ministry credentials with the Assemblies of God are subject to a rigorous process, which includes background and personal references checks, testing, and in-person interviews administered by his or her district council, which offers recommendation of approval to The General Council. Final approval and issuance of ministerial credentials is made by the General Council Credentials Committee.
