Despite their sincerity, Pentecostalists were frequently derided as heretical and non-Christian by ministers of older Protestant denominations. In 1913 a Pentecostal publication, the Word and Witness , called for the various Pentecostal churches to band together for fellowship, doctrinal unity, and to share resources for missionary work, religious training, etc. In this meeting, a somewhat loose organizational structure was conceived in which most aspects of church life are controlled by the local church, yet many key doctrines and practices are standardized throughout the fellowship. Most of the earlier anti-Pentecostal fervor died down in the latter half of the 1900s, as Pentecostal Christians grew in numbers and gained respect for the strength of their movement, and as certain elements of the movement were integrated into some older churches. Today, the Assemblies of God is the largest, most widespread Pentecostal denomination in the world.
Members reside in every state in the United States.
The Assemblies of God constitute the third largest international Christian religious body in the world. It claims 32 million total members and adherents. The Assemblies of God have successfully implemented tithing among much of its membership . General Social Survey project directed by James A. Davis and Tom W. Smith. Some of these counties are simply very populous counties, and are likely to show up on many similar lists for other denominations.