It is not a coincidence that Pentecostalism was born and raised in America. As a result of the religious intolerance of Europe that drove the pilgrims to the New World, religious liberty has proudly been a characteristic of the country allowing for many different independent religions to flourish. While it was a splinter sect of Protestantism, members of Pentecostalism see the movement as a restoration of the fundamental truths of early Christianity. “The Pentecostal revival seeks to return as much as possible to the doctrine, faith and practice of original Christianity in all manner, ” and to spread the gospel by evangelism: preaching and ministering to the people.
The early 1900’s saw the real beginning of the Pentecostal Movement. There was an urgency in the call to minister especially in light of the imminent apocalypse prophesied of in the Bible in the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Revelation, and others. The cessation of miracles since apostolic times was seen as problematic, and the scriptures were literally interpreted by early leaders to testify against the teachings of other churches and in support of Pentecostalism. In the Holy Bible in the Book of Mark, Jesus says to his followers,
“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them: they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:17-18 The Bible KJV).
If God was the omnipotent, all-powerful being depicted in the Bible, it was only logical that the power to perform these miracles should still exist. And so, if they were to truly represent a restoration of original Christianity, it would require the restoration of such charismatic gifts as speaking in tongues and supernatural healing. Pentecostalism had no established ministry nor did it claim any divine authority like the Catholic Church did. It had no common creed nor did it have any theological literature other than a staunchly literal interpretation of scripture. For this reason there was no single founder of the movement, rather after a series of similar “revivals,” there was a certain momentum behind it which drew many to follow. Azuza Street in Los Angeles was home to a dilapidated evangelical church which, in April 1906 was the site of one of the most influential revivals in the birth of the Pentecostal movement.
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| (Photo: A collage of newspaper clippings depicting the Azusa Street Mission http://cupandcross.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/2009_0315_apostolic_faith_collage_580x2901.jpg) |
By the End of WWII the Pentecostal church was experiencing its greatest proliferation yet as was shown by the growth and development of three main organized Pentecostal churches: the Church of God, Assemblies of God, and the Pentecostal Holiness Church. The central doctrine of Pentecostalism became the “abiding possibility and importance of the supernatural element…particularly as contained in the manifestation of the Spirit.” The fact of the matter was, while there had been many minor charismatic evangelical preachers in the first half of the century, most of them ran into financial trouble especially during the Depression. When America experienced a financial boom after the Second World War, the country was again ready for a revival. The “Great Healing Revival” that took place during the years from 1947 to 1952 brought with it new hope.
Present Day Pentecostals
The Pentecostal Church continues today to place strong emphasis on missionary work, especially in the Third World, which adds greatly to its swelling numbers. Unfortunately, it is still struggling to gain real acceptance by mainstream Christianity. In recent years the World Council of Churches (WCC) has allowed delegates from the Pentecostal Church to observe meetings, but not fully participate (Anderson 2004, 486). One Pentecostal scholar expressed hope despite the reluctance of the council to accept the church saying, “I think there may be a time when my church may join the World Council of Churches...my church is a full member of the national council in Korea” (The Christian Century 2005, 16). This illustrates not only the desire of many Pentecostals to enter into the international Christian community, but also the vast worldwide presence that Pentecostals have managed to create. David de Plessis, a prominent Pentecostal leader today, perhaps said it best when he sent a letter of goodwill to the International Missionary Council in Germany in the hopes of bridging a substantial gap between the Pentecostals and the Council,
[The Pentecostal Church] believe[s] they have something to gain by larger fellowship with all who truly belong to Christ. They are greatly encouraged by many world-wide tokens that old prejudices are melting and a new era of mutual appreciation dawning. Brethren, let us receive one another, as Christ also received is to the glory of God (McGee 2010, 204-205).
