PRESENTATION
In the world the “Assemblies of God” count 300,000 Churches and are present at the moment in 250 nations, with a number of believers estimated in 53 millions of members. In Italy our Church is associated to others 1094 Evangelical Christian Communities of pentecostal faith, scattered everywhere, and known like the “Assemblee di Dio in Italia ”: ADI *. The ADIs were born under the impulse of that great movement of the evangelical revival, come up in the beginning of 1900.
Historically the “Italian Pentecostal Movement ” must be referred to the Revival of Los Angeles in 1906, as a result of which the pentecostal testimony fastly diffused all over the United States; in Chicago it reached a group of Italian evangelical emigrants who very soon became one community with strong missionary spirit . Towards the end of 1908 one of those members, Giacomo Lombardi, left for Italy founding small evangelical groups in Rome, La Spezia and in Abruzzo; in his different travels he passed also through Reggio Calabria directed to a small village: Bruzzano.
Later, other emigrants returned to their native Country with the aim to testify to their own families and friends; so other Communities all over Italy were opened, above all in the South. After a time of open persecution, before (1935 - 1945), and of intolerance, later (1945 -1959), because of some old laws that were still enforced. They obteined the full religious freedom thanks tothe legal acknowledgment the 5 December 1959, n° 1349. In performance of the article n.8 of the Italian Constitution, the relationships with the State were now regulated, thanks to the Law of Understanding: 22 November 1988, n° 517.
Our church
Reggio Calabria is a city, a port and a provincial capital of Calabria. It is located on the eastern shore of the Strait of Messina, at the foot of the Mount Aspromonte, where the Italian peninsula ends. This city has Greek origins and was founded towards the middle of the eighth century B.C. by Chalcidic colonists who called it Rhegion.
In Reggio Calabria area there are three Evangelical Christian "Assemblies of God Churches in Italy" (ADI) : this site refers to one of those, another one is located in Pellaro which is mothered by the former. There is another one in the center of the town.
The Church of Reggio Calabria was born in 1952 by the testimony carried by a few ADI believers from another little town of the hinterland. They were badly-hit moved into Reggio Calabria. P. Tedesco settled there and boosted the work of evangelization.
Several Pastors pastored the Church:
C. Monetti (1953-1955);
G.Basile (1955-1960);
G.Ielo (1960-1969);
R.Ruggiero (1969-1973);
G.Melara (1974-1980);
Since November the 1st, 1980, the church has been led by the current Pastor:
D. Di Iorio
Born in Napoli the 26 June 1956, he caught the divine calling, and he began to preach in a very young age. After attending the I.B.I. (Italian Biblical Institute) of ADIs, he he started his mandate, by collaborating with the pastor of Florence and Prato churches since October 1977 to February 1979. Then he leaded the community of Ascoli Piceno and Teramo since Murch 1979 to October 1980, the year in which he came to Reggio Calabria.
The present church bulding, which accomodates our Assembly of believers, has been dedicated to the Lord on November the 1st, 1989. It comprises a meeting hall that is arranged on two levels and seats over 700 people, three apartments, and a hall in the low auditorium set aside for several activities: Sunday School, special meetings, and a fellowship gatherings. A large parking lot allows the believers' automobiles to be easily parked. With regard to our Belief, which is shared by all ADI Churches, go to the link of the official site:
http://www.assembleedidio.org/lineamenti.php
ACTIVITIES
The Sunday Service is being broadcasted live on the Internet (audio-video) and Radioevangelo (107,700 MHz), that is our local radio. Our Church also produces a TV program called " Abbiate fede in Dio " (Have faith in God) that contains the sermon the Pastor has preached during the previous Sunday service, a witness and some songs. It is broadcasted on a Reggio Calabria channel, "Telereggio", on Wednesdays at 5:40 p.m. and Sundays at 11:30 a.m., reaching Reggio Calabria and Messina provinces.
The service "Voce Amica" (Friendly Voice) is working at the telephone number of +39-0965-51119.
The Assembly spreads its witness and new places have been reached with the Gospel (click on " ELSEWHERE ").
*
30/04/2005
| 
