Assembly of God churches are part of a nationwide evangelical religious movement. Technically, they are Protestant groups, although they have little in common with other religious organizations that fall into this category. For example, Presbyterian Christians believe in the doctrine of predestination, which the Assembly of God does not accept. The word protestant simply means non-Catholic, so there are lots of different protestant sects that have divergent and even contradictory tenets. The history of the Assembly of God churches begin in early 20th century America. The sect was founded by a diverse group of ministers and parishioners who were dissatisfied with other local churches for whatever reason. One of their biggest gripes was a perceived lack of enthusiasm, orthodoxy, and commitment to sending missionaries abroad. Its founding coincides with other so-called grass roots religious revivals that took place at that time in the United States such as the temperance movement. Some historians consider this time period the third Great Awakening, which is a reference to two previous movements that took place during the 18th and 19th centuries. The first official meeting took place in Hot Springs, Arkansas. There, a collection of dedicated individuals created a church and established a training facility for future ministers. This gathering was immediately followed by intense dogmatic disputes that lead to splintering within the movement.
