The General Presbytery of the Assemblies of God approved five position papers during its Aug. 4–5, 2025, meeting in Orlando, Florida.

“Christians and Citizenship” and “Misuse of Spiritual Leadership” are new position papers.

“Modern-Day Apostles,” “Modern-Day Prophecy,” and “Women in Ministerial Leadership” are revisions of existing position papers.

Christians and Citizenship

Drawing on Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John 17, “Christians and Citizenship” enumerates six principles that help believers engage the tension between living “in the world” but “not of this world.” These principles are informed by biblical teaching and historical precedents.

“Believers must be mindful of their core identity as people of another kingdom. Allegiance to Christ as the only Lord and the defining role as His witnesses is crucial. As Christians act in love and as salt and light, under the guiding power of the Holy Spirit, they lead others to God, proclaim the gospel, and improve the world around them,” the position paper concludes.

Misuse of Spiritual Leadership

Spiritual abuse has emerged as an urgent conversation among American Christians. “Misuse of Spiritual Leadership” defines what spiritual abuse is, contrasts it with how the Bible portrays spiritual leadership, and identifies four practices Christian communities need to learn to prevent it from happening.

The paper concludes: “Abusing the position and influence of spiritual leadership does great harm to the gospel, the reputation of the church, and to individual believers. Spiritual leadership empowers and edifies believers; it does not coerce and control in the self-interest of the leader.”

Modern-Day Apostles

If New Testament spiritual gifts continue today, does the New Testament office of apostleship continue too?

“The Assemblies of God has consistently responded that the church maintains an apostolic function without needing apostolic offices or titles. At the same time, they have recognized that missions and church planting are more uniquely representative of the apostolic function of the church,” concludes “Modern-Day Apostles.”

This position paper responds to contrary claims by advocates of the New Apostolic Reformation. Grounded in the Bible and informed by church history, the paper offers five guidelines AG ministers and ministries should follow.

Modern-Day Prophecy

“The Church needs to recognize and respond to the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit through the gift of prophecy given to the Church today,” says “Modern-Day Prophecy.”

In its 2010 position paper, the general presbytery examined apostleship and prophecy together. It divided that paper in two to discuss both topics in greater detail, especially prophecy.

“Modern-Day Prophecy” outlines the nature of prophecy in the Bible, focusing on what 1 Corinthians 12–14 teaches about its use in Christian congregations. The paper reminds believers of their duty to judge prophecies (1 Corinthains 14:29), then enumerates guidelines for the proper use of prophecy in Assemblies of God ministries.

“Both men and women may expect to exercise the gift of prophecy in varied ways, as seen in the New Testament, to the glory of Jesus and the good of the Church,” the paper concludes.

Women in Ministerial Leadership

The leadership of women ministers is a longstanding practice of the Assemblies of God.

“Women in Ministerial Leadership” makes a biblical case for this practice, affirming that the Bible, not contemporary culture, is the final authority for our beliefs. It emphasizes the women Paul named, whose titles and activities clearly designated them as ministers engaged in the same activities as men.

In addition, the paper examines disputed Pauline passages, especially 1 Corinthians 14:34–35 and 1 Timothy 2:12, that seem to limit women’s leadership: “When viewed in light of Paul’s other statements and practices, they cannot be absolute prohibitions of the ministry of women. Instead, they dealt with specific, local problems in need of correction.”

The position paper concludes with recommended guidelines for normalizing the leadership of women ministers: “The Church of Jesus is healthiest when women and men are empowered to fulfill their calling at every level of ministerial leadership.” 

All position papers are available online in English and Spanish at AG.org/Beliefs/Position-Papers.