The Assembly Band Movement is the department of pastoral care, and its purpose is to ensure each member is provided with the proper care and discipleship.

In accordance with the principles of government as described in Exodus 18:13-26, the shepherd separates the sheep of the local church into various bands for supervision. The leaders of these bands, or subpastores, are given supervision of the band. His duties include conducting monthly band services to encourage members towards spiritual growth and development, writing to the appropriate band members, and praying for the spirituality of the band. Band leaders are expected to report monthly to keep the pastor informed of the needs facing band members.

The Assembly Band Movement will prove to be a greater asset in the Church of God in the very near future as the zeal of the Lord enlightens and gives life to the courageous men and women who have accepted the burden of being your brothers and sisters of the possessors.

History of the Assembly Band Movement
The Assembly Band Movement began in these latter days in 1916, and is presently for the saints in the same spirit in which it was intended when first introduced in the days of Moses for the government of the children of Israel. It is not known whether or not the early Church had an auxiliary such as the Assembly Band Movement within its car policy for members, however there are dozens of Scriptures in the New Testament which establish the need of such auxiliaries in the Body of Christ as an aid to the care of the sheep. Paul declares that God has established and helps governments (1 Corinthians 12:28) in the Body of Christ to build up in love. The aspect of “…carrying one another’s burdens and thus fulfilling the law of Christ…” (Galatians 6:2), certainly establishes the need for an organized method and unified effort to keep the sheep safe in the fold (the Church).

Currently, in the Church of God, there are great men and women, band leaders or sub-pastors of the Assembly Band Movement, working energetically to keep the sheep safe and secure within the Church. Jesus’ speaking in Matthew 18:11-14 reveals the depth of his concern for a single little sheep that has strayed. “For the Son of Man has come to save what was lost. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has strayed, does he not leave the ninety-nine, and go to the mountain, and who seeks that had gone astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices more than the sheep, than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so, it is not the will of his Father that he is in Heaven that one of these little ones perish (Matthew 18:11-14).

Before the founding of the Church in the wilderness (Exodus 19:5-6, 24:1-7), God knew that he would need a proper form of government for its effective and efficient operation. Before the alliance that was established at Sinai (Exodus 24:1-7), God moved over Jethro to give Moses advice to govern the people in a more satisfactory way. It was while in this same Spirit that A.J. Tomlinson, General Overseer, moved to present before the 1916 General Assembly what he called “watchmen over tens.” This concept was accepted in the Assembly and has always been practiced in the Church of God. The inspiration for this recommendation came from the Scriptures in Exodus 18:13-26.