The Pentecostal Assemblies of the World is the oldest apostolic Pentecostal church organization. It practices water baptism in the name of Jesus and the witness of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in tongues. As with most modern pentecostal organizations, the P.A.W.'s scriptural roots can be traced to the New Testament "Day of Pentecost" in 33 A.D (Acts of the Apostles,
Chapter 2). Its modern day roots are connected to a religious revival of this biblical revelation that began in the United States in the late 1800s. This revival expanded into a full-fledged movement in 1906 at Los Angeles' Azusa Street Mission, with meetings led by William Seymour. As an outgrowth of the Asuza Street movement, an already established fellowship of "pentecostal assemblies" met in October 1907 in Los Angeles, and followed-up with similar meetings in subsequent years. Stephen Jacob Jackson (J..J.) Frazee (the P.A.W.'s first General Superintendent) and several other future P.A.W. leaders participated in these meetings. In 1918, Frazee chaired a business meeting in St. Louis from which the General Assembly of Apostolic Assemblies (GAAA) joined the P.A.W. This expanded group kept the name Pentecostal Assemblies of the World. Later that year, E.W. Doak became Chairman and W.E. Booth-Clibborn, grandson of the Booths who founded the Salvation Army in London, became Secretary. On January 25, 1919, the P.A.W. was incorporated by E.W. Haywood, and D.C.O. Opperman in the state of Indiana. Accordingly, its headquarters was moved from Portland, OR to Indianapolis. Following G.T. Haywood being selected as the organization's Chairman in 1924, there was a significant split among the organization's membership. In 1925, the leadership structure was changed and Haywood became the organization's first Presiding Bishop. After Bishop Haywood's passing, a failed merger took place with the Apostolic Churches of Jesus Christ in 1931 and most the P.A.W.'s Bishops. The attempted merger formed an organization known as the Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ. This merger left only two of the organization's Bishops - Douglas and Lewis -- still with the P.A.W. In 1931, the remaining leadership of the P.A.W. re-organized at a meeting in Dayton (OH). Elder Samuel J. Grimes was elevated to the office of Bishop, then elected Presiding Bishop of the P.A.W. the following year. It was under Grimes’ leadership the P.A.W. re-established itself. matured, and expanded into a significant international organization. Through the years, no less than 12 major Pentecostal organizations were born directly or indirectly from the womb of the P.A.W. Today, the P.A.W. is one of the world's largest pentecostal church organizations, featuring churches in all 50 United States and more than 27 other nations around the globe. The organization operates the Aenon Bible College in Indianapolis to train ministers and lay members. The school has affiliate institutes in cities around the U.S. and two international affiliates in Liberia- the Samuel Grimes Bible Institute and the Haywood Mission School.
