Originating in 1919, and unrelated to the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada is the largest evangelical church body in Canada.
Headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, the PAOC is evangelical and Pentecostal. Together with the Canadian Assemblies of God and the Pentecostal Assemblies of Newfoundland and Labrador, the PAOC is a branch of the Assemblies of God.
Organized as a cooperative fellowship, local churches are governed by congregational polity, calling their own pastors, electing board members, and managing their own financial affairs.
Member churches are organized into geographical jurisdictions known as districts, each governed by an annual conference, which is made up of credential holders with voting privileges, as well as local church delegates. Minister candidates are examined and credentialed by districts. District executives have jurisdiction over the activities of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada within the borders of the district. The PAOC also has branches, which are similar to districts except that they are not geographical in scope, but confined to specific ethnicities or language groups.
The governing body of the denomination is the General Conference, which meets every two years. The General Conference is made up of all ordained ministers of the denomination, other credential holders, including missionaries, and some ex officio members who serve in official capacities within the denomination. In addition, each local congregation may appoint one lay delegate to the General Conference. Large churches may send one lay delegate for every one hundred members.
The General Executive handles the affairs of the PAOC in between General Conferences. The General Executive is made up of the executive officers, district superintendents, regional directors of international missions programs, five additional credential holders, and three lay people elected by the General Conference. The executive officers are also elected by the General Conference.
The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada is affiliated with several Bible colleges, academies, and seminaries, including Aboriginal Bible Academy, Canadian Pentecostal Seminary, Global University Canada, Horizon College and Seminary, Master's College and Seminary, Quebec Bible Institute, Summit Pacific College, and Vanguard College.
The Pentecostal Assemblies hold that the Bible is the Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and the sole source of faith and practice.
The denomination is Trinitarian, believing that God exists as three persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
According to its doctrine, salvation is made available to mankind through the atonement of Christ, in His death on the cross, proven by his resurrection and ascension into heaven. Those who have come to faith in Jesus Christ, and who repent, are born again of the Holy Spirit, by which they attain eternal life. Faith and repentance bring justification, which occurs solely because the believer has accepted Christ as savior, and not through human achievement.
The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada believe that sanctification is both instantaneous and progressive. The believer is sanctified through the Word of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, which together produces the character of Christ within the believer.
The PAOC teaches that Christians should seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which brings are more intimate knowledge of Christ, spiritual growth, and empowerment to witness for Christ. The outward evidence of the baptism with the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues, but the other gifts of the Spirit spoken of in the New Testament are also relevant to today, including divine healing.
The PAOC teaches that the church is the Body of Christ, and made up of everyone who has been born again.
Two ordinances are observed by the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada: baptism by immersion in water and the Lord's Supper.
The PAOC is dispensational and premillennial. Its beliefs include a pre-tribulation rapture of the church, as well as the Second Coming of Christ.
The denomination holds that marriage is between a man and a woman, and intended to be a lifetime commitment, which can be broken only by marital unfaithfulness through adultery, homosexuality, or incest. Even then, the church encourages reconciliation over divorce. Remarriage is acceptable only in the event of the death of a former spouse, when the spouse has been unfaithful, or when the spouse has remarried.
The focus of this category is on the denomination known as the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. Websites representing denominational, regional, or international missions of the denomination are appropriate for this category, as are any affiliated organizations, publishing companies, or corporations.
Recommended Resources
Established as Ontario Pentecostal Bible School in 1939, the Peterborough, Ontario school consists of an on-campus Bible college, an international distance education program, and a church-based seminary. Affiliated with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, its courses are accredited by the Association of Theological Schools. Its programs, courses, and options are set forth, along with its admissions policies, financial aid programs, and contacts.
http://mpseminary.com/
Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada
The Pentecostal Christian denomination is the largest evangelical Christian body in Canada and a branch of the Assemblies of God. The official denominational website presents a history and profile of the fellowship, an overview of its beliefs, practices, and programs, annual initiatives and projects, and administrative contacts. Its publications, fellowship services, international missions, and home missions are outlined.
https://paoc.org/
Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, British Columbia and Yukon District
Headquartered in Langley, British Columbia, the district represents PAOC churches, camps, and ministries within the provinces of British Columbia and Yukon. Its campus ministries, church building, international and ethnic ministries, ministry investors group, next generation ministries, and worship and creative arts programs are highlighted here, and member churches may be located through the site.
http://www.bc.paoc.org/
Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, Eastern Ontario & Nunavut District
One of eight districts in the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, the district’s borders extend from the eastern half of the City of Toronto eastward along the Saint Lawrence Seaway to Quebec Province, and north to the Upper Ottawa Valley, as well as the territory of Nunavut in the Canadian Arctic. Upcoming events, event registration, ministry opportunities, and a directory of member churches are included.
http://eod.paoc.org/
Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, Saskatchewan District
The SK district of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada represents local churches and associated ministries of the denomination in the Saskatchewan province. A directory of member churches is provided, including locations, contacts, and web addresses. Churches may also be located within a geographical area. The district’s credentialing and counseling services, youth and family camps, and a calendar of events are included.
https://www.skpaoc.com/
Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, Western Ontario District
WOD is the denominational office for Western Ontario. Headquartered in Burlington, the district offices oversees the operations of member churches, provides funding to new church plants, and assists churches and ministries of the denomination within the district. Member churches may be located by city or church name. Its history, camps and youth programs, colleges, and ministries are outlined..
http://www.wodistrict.org/
