Assembleias de Deus - Schism

Schism

Since 1980s the Assembleias de Deus suffered several schisms and splits and many Conventions and Ministérios left using the same name. The most significant are:

• General Convention of the Assemblies of God of Brazil (CGADB) - the largest and most traditional convention, the only group that has official fellowship with the American Assemblies of God, headquartered in Rio de Janeiro and considers itself the heir of the Swedish mission. The CGADB had nearly 3.5 million members in 2001.
• National Convention of the Assemblies of God- Also known as the Assembleias de Deus Ministerio Madureira - started as an internal ministerio of the CGADB in 1958, with headquarters in the Madureira neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, but in 1989 was expelled from the General Convention, taking 1/3 of its membership and churches. It has an episcopal governance, but doctrinally is similar to the GCADB. It had about 2 million members in 2001.
• Assembleia de Deus Betesta - headquartered in Fortaleza, Ceará. It has nearly 200 churches, serving mostly middle class.
• There are almost a hundred small minsterios and independent conventions.

Altogether, the churches that bear the name Assembleias de Deus in Brazil had 8.5 million adherents in 2001.