PE Radically Expands Readership

For a century, “All the gospel to all the world” has been the missional focus of the Assemblies of God. The Pentecostal Evangel (PE) became the official voice of the Fellowship, providing informative and timely stories of what happened among the diverse ministries and people within the Assemblies of God.  

The legendary voice of the PE quickly became a staple for the Assemblies of God community and a trailblazer in Christian communication throughout the nation.  

In January 2015, PE became PE News — a daily online news source delivering news from the Assemblies of God to the world. This major shift to digital content allowed for unprecedented global distribution, free access, and real-time reporting in a way that print could not facilitate.  

And the readership has responded.  

The print circulation when the magazine ceased publication in December 2014 hovered around 104,000. In the most radical expansion of PE readership in its 101-year history, PE News content already has reached more than 1.4 million people in 173 countries in its six weeks of existence.   

 Sol Arledge, chief operating officer of the Assemblies of God says, "These are not only people who receive the news — these numbers reflect people who read the article content."   

“The depth and the breadth of what God is doing through the Assemblies of God in inconceivable,” says AG general superintendent, Dr. George O. Wood. “PE News is giving us an opportunity to share these stories each day.”  

PEnews.org releases daily content through its website, RSS feed, and social media. Readers also may subscribe to a weekly e-newsletter that provides a glance at the latest breaking Assemblies of God news stories for the week.  

For those without access to a smartphone or Internet, PE News makes a free weekly download available to churches. The weekly download is designed to print on two standard sheets of 8.5- by 11-inch paper, folded in half to fit into a bulletin. Each Friday, a new version is published with summaries of that week’s stories.  

“This is the best of both worlds,” Arledge says. “Readers can print as many copies as they would like to distribute throughout their community, while many others will share it instantly with thousands across the globe at the click of a button.”  

PE News will release a smartphone app by the end of March 2015. The app will allow readers to subscribe to content that best fits their interests.  

“Our message is too important to be on the lagging edge of technology,” says Wood. “With urgency, we are compelled to be on the leading edge of technology to share the great things He has done with those who do not yet believe.”