The West Texas District
Welcome to the website of the West Texas Assemblies of God. It has been designed to be informational and inspirational. Please visit it often to stay abreast of what is happening in our district. May the Lord richly bless you as you spend time perusing this site. DonateOur history & mission
Our History
The West Texas District Council (comprising the territory now known as West Texas District and New Mexico District) was initially organized in 1931 with A.C. Bates presiding as District Superintendent. In 1940, the West Texas District Council was organized with H.M. Reeves as District Superintendent. At that time, there were less than 70 churches scattered throughout the District; today, there are a total of 109 Assemblies of God churches. God has blessed the ministers and churches of West Texas as they have endeavored over the years to reach this area with the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Mission
The mission statement that was adopted several years ago suggests the purpose of West Texas Assemblies of God churches. Each Assemblies of God church in the West Texas District exists for Ministry: to the Lord in Worship; to the body of believers in discipleship; and to the world in evangelism. The Assemblies of God churches of West Texas are also a part of the national organization known as the General Council of the Assemblies of God (www.ag.org). There are approximately 12,277 churches in the United States. According to the most recent statistics, Assemblies of God churches in the United States of America have 2,779,095 adherents.
“Upward in Worship
Inward in Discipleship
Outward in Evangelism”
Our Beliefs & Values
WHAT WE VALUE is a special emphasis on the ‘Four Core Beliefs’ of the Assemblies of God: Salvation, Baptism in the Holy Spirit, Divine Healing and the Second Coming of Christ.
Two years after its founding, the AG established 16 doctrines as a standard to reach, preach and teach its people. These doctrines became our Statement of Fundamental Truths. Four of these truths are considered our core beliefs due to the key role they play in reaching the lost and building the believer and the church both now and for the future.
1. The Scriptures Inspired
The Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct.
2. The One True God
The one true God has revealed Himself as the eternally self-existent “I AM,” the Creator of heaven and earth and the Redeemer of mankind. He has further revealed Himself as embodying the principles of relationship and association as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
3. The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ
The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. The Scriptures declare: His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His substitutionary work on the cross, His bodily resurrection from the dead, and His exaltation to the right hand of God.
4. The Fall of Man
Man was created good and upright; for God said, “Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness.” However, man by voluntary transgression fell and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God.
5. The Salvation of Man
Man’s only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
Conditions to Salvation
Salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, being justified by grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God, according to the hope of eternal life.
The Evidence of Salvation
The inward evidence of salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit. The outward evidence to all men is a life of righteousness and true holiness.
6. The Ordinances of the Church
Baptism in Water
The ordinance of baptism by immersion is commanded by the Scriptures. All who repent and believe on Christ as Saviour and Lord are to be baptized. Thus they declare to the world that they have died with Christ and that they also have been raised with Him to walk in newness of life.
Holy Communion
The Lord’s Supper, consisting of the elements –bread and the fruit of the vine– is the symbol expressing our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ, a memorial of his suffering and death, and a prophecy of His second coming, and is enjoined on all believers “till He come!”
7. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit
All believers are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek ...
…the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian Church. With it comes the enduement of power for life and service, the bestowment of the gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry. This experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the new birth. With the baptism in the Holy Spirit come such experiences as: an overflowing fullness of the Spirit, a deepened reverence for God, an intensified consecration to God and dedication to His work, and a more active love for Christ, for His Word and for the lost,
8. The Initial Physical Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit
The baptism of believers in the Holy Spirit is witnessed by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives them utterance. The speaking in tongues in this instance is the same in essence as the gift of tongues, but is different in purpose and use.
9. Sanctification
Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil, and of dedication unto God. The Scriptures teach a life of ...
…”holiness without which no man shall see the Lord.” By the power of the Holy Spirit we are able to obey the command: “Be ye holy, for I am holy.” Sanctification is realized in the believer by recognizing his identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, and by the faith reckoning daily upon the fact of that union, and by offering every faculty continually to the dominion of the Holy Spirit.
10. The Church and its Mission
The Church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of...
… her great commission. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven.
Since God’s purpose concerning man is to seek and to save that which is lost, to be worshipped by man, to build a body of believers in the image of His Son, and to demonstrate His love and compassion for all the world, the priority reason for being of the Assemblies of God as part of the Church is:
- To be an agency of God for evangelizing the world.
- To be a corporate body in which man may worship God.
- To be a channel of God’s purpose to build a body of saints being perfected in the image of His Son.
- To be a people who demonstrate God’s love and compassion for all the world.
The Assemblies of God exists expressly to give continuing emphasis to this reason for being in the New Testament apostolic pattern by teaching and encouraging believers to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. This experience:
- Enables them to evangelize in the power of the Spirit with accompanying supernatural signs.
- Adds a necessary dimension to worshipful relationship with God.
- Enables them to respond to the full working of the Holy Spirit in expression of fruit and gifts and ministries as in New Testament times for the edifying of the body of Christ and care for the poor and needy of the world.
11. The Ministry
A divinely called and scripturally ordained ministry has been provided by our Lord for the fourfold purpose of leading the Church in:
- Evangelization of the world.
- Worship of God.
- Building a body of saints being perfected in the image of His Son.
- Meeting human need with ministries of love and compassion.
12. Divine Healing
Divine healing is an integral part of the gospel. Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement, and is the privilege of all believers.
13. The Blessed Hope
The resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord is the imminent and blessed hope of the church.
14. The Millennial Reign of Christ
The second coming of Christ includes the rapture of the saints, which is our blessed hope, followed by the visible return of Christ with His saints to reign on earth for one thousand years. This millennial reign will bring the salvation of national Israel, and the establishment of universal peace.
15. The Final Judgment
There will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life, together with the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, will be consigned to the everlasting punishment in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.
16. The New Heavens and the New Earth
“We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.”
