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Pentecostalism

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The Pentecostal movement within Evangelical Christian places special emphasis on the direct personal experience of God through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as shown in the Biblical account of the Day of Pentecost. Pentecostalism is similar to the Charismatic movement, but developed earlier and separated from the mainstream church. Charismatic Christians, at least in the early days of the movement, tended to remain in their respective denominations.

Beliefs

Pentecostals believe that one must be saved by believing in Jesus as Lord and Savior for the forgiveness of sins and to be made acceptable to God. Being descended from Methodism and the Methodist Holiness Movement, Pentecostal soteriology is thoroughly Arminian rather than Calvinist, believing that the ability to believe in Jesus is a power of the human free will.

This is in fact one of the distinctions that separates Pentecostal traditions from those of the Second Wave Charismatic and Evangelical Churches which tend toward a calvinistic soteriology. One of the main points of division is the definition of eternal security which is thoroughly Calvinist in the later Evangelical denominations and follows the Arminian tract in Pentecostal churches and denominations. This is most clearly illustrated by the belief, held in Pentecostal groups, that crediting the charismatic gifts and expressions to demonic or carnal motives and spirits, qualifies as an unpardonable sin (Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit). In Charismatic and Evangelical churches this view is marginalized or replaced with the belief that refusing to convert to Christianity before death is the only unpardonable sin.[citation needed]

Pentecostals believe in water baptism as an outward sign of conversion, and that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is a distinct spiritual experience that all who have believed in Jesus should receive. Most classical Pentecostals believe that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is always accompanied initially by the outward evidence of speaking in tongues. It is considered a liberalizing tendency to teach contrary to this historic position. This is another major difference between Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians, who believe that a Christian who is baptized in the Holy Spirit may exhibit certain supernatural signs, which may include speaking in tongues, "being slain in the spirit" (where people fall to the ground as if asleep or in convulsions), prophecy (i.e. a vision or a word of God, spoken or felt in the spirit), miraculous healings, miraculous signs, etc.

Most major Pentecostal denominations reject any connection between personal salvation or conversion and the baptism in the Holy Spirit and teach that it is not necessary for salvation, but a gift from God available to all Christians regardless of denominational affiliation. This doctrine was a development of the teachings of Stephen Galbraith regarding what he called the Third Moment of Grace and as such is linked to soteriology. Many early Pentecostals believed that the revival of the gifts of the Spirit were a sign from God of the latter rain, a period of restoration before the end of the age and the coming millenial reign of Christ. Traditional Protestants believe that one is baptized with or in the Holy Spirit upon Regeneration, the work of the Holy Spirit that enables faith and belief in the unbelieving heart. Pentecostals would not deny that regeneration is an activity of the Holy Spirit or that it results in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the believer. Instead they distinguish this indwelling from a subsequent more intense relationship with the Holy Spirit.

They most often reject such concepts as a "second grace" though not rejecting the idea of periodic or even weekly renewal through repentance and the ordinances of the church. Pentecostals also typically believe, like most other evangelicals, that the Bible has definitive authority in matters of faith.

Classical Pentecostals, unlike their Charismatic or evangelical counterparts, hold a peculiar form of sacerdotalism. For this reason many will not use the term Sacrement preferring the term sacerdotal function or ordinance. This belief invests the efficacy of the ordinance in the obedience and participation of the believer and the witness of the celebrant and the congregation. This view stems from a highly developed concept of the priesthood of the individual believer. The activity of the ordinance takes on a sacerdotal rather than sacremental role in that it is a sacrificial act offered by the believer on his or her own behalf, rather than a ritual which has an inherent power of its own.

Theology

Theologically, most Pentecostal denominations are aligned with Evangelicalism in that they emphasize the reliability of the Bible and the need for the transformation of an individual's life with faith in Jesus. Pentecostals also adhere to the doctrine of Biblical inerrancy. Pentecostals differ from fundamentalists by placing less emphasis on personal spiritual experience and more emphasis on the Holy Spirit's work within a person than other Protestants.

Dr. Jackie David Johns, in his work on Pentecostal formational leadership, states that the Scriptures hold a special place in the Pentecostal worldview because the Holy Spirit is always active in the Bible. For him, to encounter the Scriptures is to encounter God. For the Pentecostal, the Scriptures are a primary reference point for communion with God and a template for reading the world. This template is often referred to as "Types and Shadows", which is a reference to the Midrashic view of prophecy.

One of the most prominent distinguishing characteristics of Pentecostalism from Evangelicalism is its emphasis on the work of the Holy Spirit. Pentecostals believe that everyone who is genuinely saved has the Holy Spirit with them. But unlike most other Christians they believe that there is a second work of the Holy Spirit called the baptism of the Holy Spirit, in which the Holy Spirit dwells more fully them, and which opens a believer up to a closer fellowship with God and empowers them for Christian service. Speaking in tongues, also known as glossolalia, is the normative proof, but not the only proof, of the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Most major Pentecostal churches also accept the corollary that those who don't speak in tongues have not received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This claim is uniquely Pentecostal and is one of the few differences from Charismatic theology.

Some ministers and members admit that a believer might be able to speak in tongues, but for various personal reasons (such as a lack of understanding) might not. In these cases however, a demonstrated tendency toward a supernatural love and the gifts of the Spirit would indicate a definite deviation in the character and capacity of the believer. This would be the only case where a believer would be filled with the Holy Spirit, but not exhibit the so-called "initial physical evidence" of speaking in tongues. This, however, would be a minority perspective.

Pentecostals believe it is essential to repent for the remission of sins and believe in Jesus as Savior in order to obtain salvation. They believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is an additional gift that is bestowed on believers, generally subsequent to an intermediary step termed sanctification. Sanctification refers to a work of grace wherein the effect of past sins are ameliorated and the natural tendency toward a sin nature is likewise set aside through the working of the Holy Spirit.

Pentecostals believe that there are different types of instances of speaking in tongues. They believe that someone who has been given the gift of speaking in tongues may speak in tongues in a church service or other Christian gathering for everyone to hear. They believe that the person, or another Christian with the gift of interpretation of tongues will be able to speak what the first person did in the language of the audience so that everyone can understand what was said. They believe that only some people are given the gift of speaking in tongues while everyone has the opportunity to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and develop a "prayer language" with God.

Critics charge that this doctrine does not mesh well with what they believe to be Paul's criticism of the early Corinthian church for their obsession with speaking in tongues. They argue that Paul stated that speaking the language is only one of the gifts of the Spirit and is not gifted to all.[citation needed]

Dr. Dale A. Robbins writes in regards to charismatic beliefs that church history argues against the idea that charismatic gifts went away shortly after the apostolic age. Dr. Robbins quotes the early church father Irenaeus (ca. 130-202) as writing, "...we hear many of the brethren in the church who have prophetic gifts, and who speak in tongues through the Spirit, and who also bring to light the secret things of men for their benefit [word of knowledge]...". Dr. Robbins also cites Irenaues writing, "When God saw it necessary, and the church prayed and fasted much, they did miraculous things, even of bringing back the Spirit to a dead man." According to Dr. Robbins, Tertullian (ca. 155–230) reported similar incidents, as did Origen (ca. 182 - 251), Eusebius (ca. 275 – 339), Firmilian (ca. 232-269), and Chrysostom (ca. 347 - 407).[1]

The majority of Pentecostal denominations hold to a Trinitarian theology in accordance with mainstream Protestantism. The world's largest Pentecostal denomination, the Assemblies of God, holds to this belief, [1] as does the Elim Pentecostal Church, Church of God, the Church of God in Christ, and the Foursquare Church.

Some Pentecostal churches, however, hold to Oneness theology, which decries the traditional doctrine of the Trinity as unbiblical. The largest Pentecostal Oneness denomination in the United States is the United Pentecostal Church. The major Trinitarian Pentecostal organizations, however, including the Pentecostal World Conference and the Fellowship of Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches of North America, have condemned Oneness theology as a heresy and refuse membership to churches holding this belief. This same holds true for the Oneness Pentecostals towards Trinitarian churches. In the UK, the term "Apostolics" refers to members of the "Apostolic Church (UK)" - a denomination which adheres to traditional evangelical teaching on the Trinity. This animosity has given rise to heated polemic in the guise of organized dabates sponsored by the Oneness churches, in particular the United Pentecostal Church.

Most Pentecostal churches hold that preaching the Gospel to unbelievers as extremely important. "The Great Commission" to spread the "Good News of the Kingdom of God", spoken by Jesus directly before his Ascension,[2] is perceived as one of the most important commands that Jesus gave.

History

The Pentecostal movement was also prominent in the Holiness movement who were the first to begin making numerous references to the term "Pentecostal" such as in 1867 when the Movement established The National Camp Meeting Association for the Promotion of Christian Holiness with a notice that said: [We are summoning,] irrespective of denominational tie...those who feel themselves comparatively isolated in their profession of holiness…that all would realize together a Pentecostal baptism of the Holy Ghost....

Although the 1896 Shearer Schoolhouse Revival in Cherokee County, North Carolina may rightfully be regarded as the literal beginning of the modern Pentecostal movement, the remoteness of this region very likely played a role in this event remaining localized for so long. Around 1901, however, Pentecostalism was to stand on a larger stage, as that was when Agnes Ozman received the gift of tongues (glossolalia) during a prayer meeting at Charles Fox Parham's Bethel Bible College in Topeka, Kansas in 1901. Parham, a minister of Methodist background, formulated the doctrine that tongues was the "Bible evidence" of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Further, Pentecostals point to the "upper room" experience of the gathered disciples of Jesus as described in Acts 2:1 and Peter's instructions in Acts 2:38 as justification for their practices.

Parham left Topeka and began a revival meeting ministry. The most significant and controversial is his link to the Azusa Street Revival conducted by his student, the African-American, William J. Seymour. Parham taught W.J.Seymour in his school in Houston, Texas. Although W.J. Seymour was African-American, he was only allowed to sit outside the room to listen to Parham.

This racial separation was deeply influenced by the social, national and political structures of the time. The Supreme Court, in the landmark decision, Plessy vs Ferguson in 1896, legalized racial segregation throughout the United States and ended Reconstruction. This national political influence resulted in an "achilles heel" for the early Pentecostal movement in the U.S. and long-term impact concerning racial unity, equality and doctrinal nuances. For example, many African-American Pentecostal leaders maintained affinities, close ties, cordial relationships and even fellowship with their African-American Holiness leaders. In fact, the Trinitarian-Oneness division within the Assemblies of God had little or no impact to many African-American trinitarian Pentecostal churches who maintained cordial relationships with newly organized African-American Oneness organizations.

Although many instances of glossolalia occurred prior to 1906, The Azusa Street Revival led by William J. Seymour is the watershed of the Pentecostal movement in the U.S and worldwide. Beginning April 9, 1906 in Los Angeles, California at the home of Edward Lee who claimed the infilling of the Holy Spirit as of such date. William J. Seymour claimed that he was overcome with the Holy Spirit on April 12, 1906. On April 18, 1906, the Los Angeles Times ran a front page story on the revival, "Weird Babel of Tongues, New Sect of fanatics is breaking loose, Wild scene last night on Azusa Street, gurgle of wordless talk by a sister". By the third week in April, 1906, the small but growing congregation rented an abandoned African Methodist Episcopal Church at 312 Azusa Street and subsequently became organized as the Apostolic Faith Mission. Almost all mainline Pentecostal denominations today trace their historical roots to the Azusa Street Revival.

Pentecostalism, like any other major movement, has given birth to a large number of organizations, denominations, churches,sects, para-churches, separatists and even cults with political, social or theological differences. The movement's inception was counter-cultural to the social and politcal norms of society. Record numbers of African-American men and women, both Black and white were initial leaders. As the Asuza Revival began to wane, doctrinal differences began to surface as well as the pressure from social, cultural and political events of the time. As a result, major divisions, separation, isolationism, sectarianism and even the increase of extremism were apparent. Not wishing to affiliate with the Assemblies of God, formed in 1914, a group of ministers from predominantly white churches formed the Pentecostal Church of God in Chicago, Illinois in 1919. George Went Hensley, a preacher who had left the Church of God, Cleveland Tennesee (the oldest Pentecostal denomination in America) when it finally stopped embracing snake handling, is credited with creating the first church dedicated to this extreme practice in the 1920s. This became widely practiced in poor, rural areas of the Appalachians. In urban African-American communities of the 1940s, there were Father Divine with his Peace Mission and Daddy Grace, both claiming divinity, encouraging their followers to practice the estaticism of Pentecostalism.

In the early part of the 21st Century the Word of Faith movement, the Toronto Blessing and the Brownsville movement are some of the better know splinter groups who have appropriated the mantle of Pentecostalism to lend creedence to extreme practices and dogma which are rejected by the mainstream movement. These include the practice of divine laughter, Dominionism, ecstatic barking, Creative Visualization, Fetishism, and making Seed Money donations in order to cooerce divine reward.

The role of African-Americans and women cannot be underestimated in the early Pentecostal movement. The first decade of Pentecostalism was marked by interracial assemblies, "...Whites and blacks mix in a religious frenzy,..." according to a local newspaper account at a time when the Supreme Court of the United States declared in its landmark case, Plessy vs Ferguson of 1896 that government facilities were to remain racially separate, but equal. The decision ushered the JIM CROW practices of apartheid in the United States with racially separate and unequal facilities in the U.S. The forward interracial, gender equality and enthusiasm of the Asuza Revival lasted until 1924, when divisions occurred along racial (see Apostolic Faith Mission), gender and doctrinal lines. Interracial services continued for many years, even in parts of the segregated Southern United States, although after the waning years of the Asuza Revival, the practice of interracial services were merely non-existent in many white Pentecostal churches. The Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee, prior to the split in 1923, made significant inroads across racial divides, with missionary ministry to the Bahamas and elsewhere. After the 1923 divide, the bulk of the black membership followed Overseer A.J. Tomlinson into the Church of God of Prophecy.

This racial isolation, as well as doctrinal splinters, issues of church authority and autonomy, separated denominations such as the A/G and other churches from each other for many years. When the Pentecostal Fellowship of North America was formed in 1948, it was made up entirely of Anglo-American Pentecostal denominations. The Oneness organization, United Pentecostal Church would not join because of their doctrinal stance and their interracial policy throughout its history. After major, national, cultural, religious, political events such as the 1963 Civil Rights Movement led by The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Charismatic Movement, many Pentecostal denominations moved from isolationism to cooperative fellowship. In 1994, segregated Anglo Pentecostals returned to their roots of racial reconciliation. Another watershed within the Pentecostal movement is the MEMPHIS MIRACLE, a meeting by Anglo Pentecostal leaders to African-American Pentecostal leaders. This unification occurred in 1998 in Memphis, Tennessee at the headquarters of the largest African-American Pentecostal body, the Church of God in Christ. The unification of Anglo and African-American leaders led to the restructuring of the Pentecostal Fellowship of North America to become the Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America.

Some Holiness leaders who chose not to participate in the early 20th Century Pentecostal Movement remained highly respected by Pentecostal leaders of the 20th Century. Albert Benjamin Simpson became closely involved with the growing Pentecostal movement. It was common for Pentecostal pastors and missionaries to receive their training at the Missionary Training Institute that Simpson founded. Because of this, Simpson and the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) (an evangelistic movement that Simpson founded) had a great influence on Pentecostalism, in particular the Assemblies of God and the Foursquare Church. This influence included evangelistic emphasis, C&MA doctrine, Simpson's hymns and books, and the use of the term 'Gospel Tabernacle,' which evolved into Pentecostal churches being known as 'Full Gospel Tabernacles.' Charles Price Jones, the African-American Holiness leader and founder of the Church of Christ (Holiness) is another example. His hymns are widely sung at National Coventions of the Church of God in Christ and many Pentecostal churches both African-American and Anglo.

In the United Kingdom, the first Pentecostal church to be formed was the Apostolic Church. This was later followed by the Elim Foursquare Gospel Alliance, later to be known as the Elim Pentecostal Church, founded in 1914 by George Jeffreys.

From the late 1950s onwards, the Charismatic movement, which was to a large extent inspired and influenced by Pentecostalism, began to flourish in the mainline Protestant denominations, as well as the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches, fostered in Britain by organizations such as the Fountain Trust, founded by Michael Harper in 1964. Unlike "Classical Pentecostals," who formed strictly Pentecostal congregations or denominations, Charismatics adopted as their motto, "Bloom where God planted you."

In Sweden, the first Pentecostal church was Filadelfiaförsamlingen in Stockholm. Pastored by Lewi Pethrus, this congregation, originally Baptist, was expelled from the Baptist Union of Sweden in 1913 for doctrinal differences. Today this congregation has about 7000 members and is the biggest Pentecostal congregation in northern Europe. As of 2005, the Swedish pentecostal movement has approximately 90,000 members in nearly 500 congregations. These congregations are all independent but cooperate on a large scale. Swedish Pentecostals have been very missionary-minded and have established churches in many countries. In Brazil, for example, churches founded by the Swedish Pentecostal mission claim several million members.

The history of Pentecostalism in Australia has been documented by Dr Barry Chant in Heart of Fire (1984, Adelaide: Tabor).

Pentecostal denominations and adherents

Main article: List of Christian denominations § Pentecostalism

Estimated numbers of Pentecostals vary widely. Christianity Today reported in an article titled World Growth at 19 Million a Year that according to historian Vinson Synan, dean of the Regent University School of Divinity in Virginia Beach, about 25 percent of the world's Christians are Pentecostal or charismatic.

The largest Pentecostal denominations in the United States are the Assemblies of God, the Church of God in Christ, New Testament Church, Church of God (Cleveland), Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the United Pentecostal Church. According to a Spring 1998 article in Christian History, there are about 11,000 different pentecostal or charismatic denominations worldwide.

The size of Pentecostalism in the U.S. is estimated to be more than 20 million including approximately 918,000 (4%) of the Hispanic-American population, counting all unaffiliated congregations, although the numbers are uncertain, in part because some tenets of Pentecostalism are held by members of non-Pentecostal denominations in what has been called the charismatic movement.

Pentecostalism was estimated to number around 115 million followers worldwide in 2000; lower estimates place the figure near to 22 million (eg. Cambridge Encyclopedia), while the highest estimates apparently place the figure between 400 and 600 million. The great majority of Pentecostals are to be found in Developing Countries (see the Statistics subsection below), although much of their international leadership is still North American. Pentecostalism is sometimes referred to as the "third force of Christianity." The largest Christian church in the world is the Yoido Full Gospel Church in South Korea, a Pentecostal church. Founded and led by David Yonggi Cho since 1958, it had 780,000 members in 2003. The True Jesus Church, an indigenous church founded by Chinese believers on the mainland but whose headquarters is now in Taiwan. The Apostolic Church is the fastest growing church in the world.

According to Christianity Today, Pentecostalism is "a vibrant faith among the poor; it reaches into the daily lives of believers, offering not only hope but a new way of living." [2]. In addition, according to a 1999 U.N. report, "Pentecostal churches have been the most successful at recruiting its members from the poorest of the poor." Brazilian Pentecostals talk of Jesus as someone real and close to them and doing things for them including providing food and shelter.

Outside the English speaking world

Pentecostal and charismatic church growth is rapid in many parts of the world. Missions expert David Barrett estimated in a Christianity Today article that the Pentecostal and charismatic church is growing by 19 million per year.

On November 9, 2003, St. Petersburg Times writer Sharon Tubbs stated in an article entitled Fiery Pentecostal Spirit Spreads into Mainstream Christianity that Pentecostalism is the world's fastest-growing Christian movement.

Jeffrey K. Hadden at the Department of Sociology at the University of Virginia collected statistics from the various large pentecostal organizations and from the work by David Stoll (David Stoll, "Is Latin American Turning Protestant?" published Berkeley: University of California Press. 1990) demonstrating that the Pentecostals are experiencing very rapid growth as can be seen on his website. In Myanmar, the Assemblies of God of Myanmar is one of the largest Christian denominations. The pentecostal churches Igreja do Evangelho Completo de Deus, Assembleias de Deus, Igrejas de Cristo and the Assembleias Evangelicas de Deus Pentecostales are among the largest denominations of Mozambique. In Brazil Igreja Pentecostal e Apostólica Missão Jesus is a small church focused on social action and human rights defense of the poor. Among the Indian charismatic denominations are Apostolic Church of Pentecost, Apostolic Pentecostal Church, Assemblies of Christ Church, Assemblies of God, Bible Pattern Church, Church of God (Full Gospel) in India, Church of God of Prophecy, Church of the Apostolic Faith, Elim Church, Nagaland Christian Revival Church, New Life Fellowship, New Testament Church,The Pentecostal Mission, Open Bible Church of God, Pentecostal Free Will Baptist Church, Pentecostal Holiness Church, Pentecostal Mission,United Pentecostal Church in India, and India Pentecostal Church of God.

Statistics

See List of Christian denominations by number of members. The list indicates there may be 150 million Pentecostals with the largest Pentecostal denominations (claiming 2 million or more adherents) being:

Independent, loosely affiliated and free Pentecostal churches - 50 million

While not as large as some of the above organizations the following have made quite an impact on Pentecostalism:

Geographical distribution

Source: Operation World by Patrick Johnstone and Jason Mandryk, 2000, unless otherwise indicated.

Leaders

Main page: Category:Pentecostals

Precursors

Early history

Theologians

Pentecostal theologians are listed in the article Renewal Theologians.

See also

Studies

Academic - Centres and Journals

  1. ^ See Statement of Fundamental Truths of the Assemblies of God
  2. ^ This imperative can be found in Mark 16:15 and Matthew 28:19-20
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