Pentecostalism
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- Pentecostal can also mean "pertaining to Pentecost".
Pentecostalism is a movement within Evangelical Christianity that places special emphasis on the direct personal experience of God through the baptism 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
There are two basic streams of Pentecostal churches. The majority believe that one must be saved by believing in Jesus as Lord and Savior for the forgiveness of sins. To this first group, speaking in tongues is the sign of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, but not necessary for salvation. The other group falls under an "Acts 2:38" based salvation message which says that a person needs to repent and be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and then receive the Holy Spirit. Receiving the Holy Spirit is necessary for salvation and includes speaking in tongues. Those that fall under the Acts 2:38 based churches have become widely known as: of "Jesus Name," or "Oneness" Pentecostals. They are characterized by their unwavering belief that Christians should baptize in Jesus' name only, and those that baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are in error.
Because many Pentecostal denominations are descended from the Methodist Holiness Movement, Pentecostal soteriology is generally Arminian rather than Calvinist, believing that the ability to believe in Jesus is a power of the human free will.
Pentecostals believe in water baptism as an outward sign of conversion and that the baptism in the Holy Ghost is a distinct spiritual experience that all who have belief in Jesus should receive.
A nuance of Pentecostalism that has had a profound effect on Protestant worship overall is the hyper-emotionalism in worship and prayer. Pentecostals are known for raising their hands while singing and praying. They tend to be very vocal and expressive in their prayers, with cries of "Yes, Lord!," "Thank you, Jesus!," "Hallelujah!" and other spontaneous expressions of praise.
Some large Pentecostal denominations reject any connection between personal salvation or conversion and the baptism in the Holy Ghost 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. However, some Pentecostal denominations regard such scriptures as Rom. 8:9, John 3:5, and Acts 2:37-39 as pointing to the necessity of Holy Ghost baptism to salvation. 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 Ghost upon regeneration, the work of the Holy Ghost that enables faith and belief in the unbelieving heart. Pentecostals would not deny that regeneration is an activity of the Holy Ghost or that it results in the indwelling of the Holy Ghost in the believer. Instead, they distinguish this indwelling from a subsequent, more intense relationship with the Holy Spirit.
Protestants most often reject such concepts as a "second grace," while not rejecting the idea of periodic or even weekly renewal through repentance and the ordinances of the church. Classical Pentecostals, unlike their Charismatic or evangelical counterparts, hold a peculiar form of sacerdotalism. For this reason many will not use the term Sacrament, 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 Ghost'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 world view because the Holy Ghost 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.
Unlike most other Christians, some Pentecostals believe that there is a second work of the Holy Ghost called the baptism of the Holy Spirit, in which the Holy Ghost dwells more fully in them, and which opens a believer up to a closer fellowship with God, empowering them for Christian service. Other Pentecostals believe that Holy Ghost baptism is the actual event of the Holy Ghost taking up residence in the believer's heart rather than a "fuller dwelling" or "second filling." Most Pentecostals cite speaking in tongues, also known as glossolalia, as the initial evidence of the Holy Ghost baptism.
Pentecostals believe it is essential for salvation to repent for the remission of sins and believe in Jesus Christ as Savior. Other Pentecostals believe that Holy Ghost Baptism is a necessary step in God's plan of salvation, citing Peter's answer to the crowd on the Day of Pentecost. The crowd asked Peter what they must do to be saved, and Peter told them to repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and that they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:37-8).
Pentecostals vary in their beliefs of the types of speaking in tongues (1 Cor. 12:28). The following are some possible distinctions. First, there is the evidence at the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. This is when a believer speaks in tongues when they are baptized by the Holy Ghost. This may or may not be the only time an individual ever speaks in tongues. Secondly, there is the gift of tongues. This is when a person is moved by God to speak in tongues during a church service or other Christian gathering for everyone to hear. The gift of tongues may be exercised anywhere; but many denominations believe that it must only be exercised when a person who has the gift of "interpretation of tongues" is present (whether that be another person or the one who gives the tongue). The interpreter may interpret the tongue into the language of the gathered Christians so that they can understand the message (1 Cor. 14:13, 27-28).
Critics charge that Pentecostal 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 (1 Cor. 12:12-31). However, the recognition of different types of tongues more accurately represents the entirety of the biblical account. For example, the tongues of Spirit baptism are mentioned in Acts 2:38-9 and Acts 10:44-46, the gift of tongues is discussed in 1 Cor. 12:10 and 1 Cor. 14:5, and tongues as a prayer language in 1 Cor. 14:14-15.
Some of Pentecostal denominations hold to a Unitarian or (Oneness) theology. In this view, the division of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are some of God's manifestations rather than persons; furthermore they are seen as titles to Jesus. The world's largest Pentecostal denomination, the Assemblies of God, holds to the belief in Trinitarian theology — that God is manifested in three distinct beings.
History
Pentecostalism traces its original roots to the day of Pentecost when a week after Jesus ascended into Heaven (Acts 1), there were 120 believers waiting for the promise of the Father, that is the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2:4, when the Holy Spirit came upon the believers they all spoke in tongues (other languages).
Throughout the last 2000 years there are many references to the in-filling of the Holy Spirit and outward sign of glossolalia (speaking in tongues). Modern revival movements over the past few hundred years have appeared and are referenced below.
A revival of glossolalia (speaking in tongues) began with a Prussian Guards officer, Gustav von Below, in 1817. He and his brothers started holding charismatic meetings on his estates in Pomerania. A Lutheran commission sent to investigate was at first suspicious but found the phenomenon to be "of God." This led to a growth in charismatic meetings across Germany which quickly crossed the Atlantic during the great German migrations of the nineteenth century. The Pentecostal movement also became prominent in the Holiness movement, which was 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 Ghost. 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. Since 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. It began on April 9, 1906, in Los Angeles, California, at the home of Edward Lee, who claimed the infilling of the Holy Spirit. William J. Seymour claimed that he was overcome with the Holy Ghost 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 political norms of society. Record numbers of African-American men and women, both Black and white were initial leaders. As the Azusa 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 last part of the 20th 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. Dominionism, Creative Visualization, Fetishism, and Seed Money doctrines were never a part of the Toronto or Brownsville revivals, nor are they embraced or endorsed by any major Pentecostal denomination today.
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 Azusa 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 Azusa Revival, the practice of interracial services were nearly 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 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 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
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. Toronto Canada, has a large Pentecostal population. The influence of immigrants from Jamaica, Africa, Latin America, Korea and basically everywhere, have created diverse churches throughout the city.
In Australia, Hillsong is the largest church with a membership exceeding 19,000. Many of their songs are sung accross the Pentecostal churches.
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 Pentecostal Christian church in the world is the Yoido Full Gospel Church in South Korea. Founded and led by David Yonggi Cho since 1958, it had 780,000 members in 2003.
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." [1]. 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.
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.
According to last census in Brazil 25% are protestants, most of them are pentecostals or charismatics (Eg. Assemblies of God, Christian Congregation of Brazil, Foursquare Gospel, Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, Charismatics Baptists) the biggest denomination are the Assemblies of God (Assembléia de Deus) - about 10 million members.
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, The Pentecostal Mission (New Testament Church), Open Bible Church of God, Pentecostal Free Will Baptist Church, Pentecostal Holiness Church, Pentecostal Mission,United Pentecostal Church in India, India Pentecostal Church of God, Sharon Fellowship Church, Kerala, India (Founded by Pr. Thomachayan) has planted numerous Churches throughout the world.
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:
Denomination Statistics
- Assemblies of God - 51 million
- Independent - 50 million
- Church of God in Christ - 9 million
- The Apostolic Church - 6 million
- The Pentecostal Mission -6.7 million
- Church of God (Cleveland) - 5 million
- United Pentecostal Church International - 4 million
- Christ Apostolic Church - 2.8 million
- Christian Congregation of Brazil- 2.5 million
- Zion Christian Church - 2.5 million
- Church of the Lord Aladura - 2.5 million
- International Church of the Foursquare Gospel 2 million
- Universal Church of the Kingdom of God - 2 million
- Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada - 1 million
- Christian Outreach Centre - less than 1 million
- Christian City Church = less than 1 million
- World Christian Ministries Association - less than 1 million
While not as large as some of the above organizations the following have made quite an impact on Pentecostalism:
- Northgate Pentecostals (Dallas - Fort Worth, Texas, USA [Colleyville, TX 76034])
- Church of Jesus Christ of Prophecy (AKA Mercy Tabernacle, Benton Tennessee)
- International Church of Jesus Christ (Columbus, Ohio)
- Potter's House Christian Fellowship (Prescott, Arizona)
- Apostolic Brethren (Columbus, Ohio)
- United Christian Church (Cleveland, Tennessee)
- Igreja Pentecostal e Apostólica Missão Jesus (São Paulo, Brazil)
- Revival Centres International and The Revival Fellowship in Australia
Geographical distribution
- Africa: 41.1 million
- America: 58.9 million
- United States: Total of: 30 million; 20.2 million (30.0 million [6]; 80.0 million including Charismatics and Neo-charismatics [7])
- Brazil: 15.0 million (20-90 million [8]; 84 million [9])
- Argentina: 3.5 million
- Mexico: 2.7 million
- Guatemala: 2.0 million (7.2 million [10])
- Chile: 1.8 million (4.8 million [11])
- Canada: 1.3 million
- Haiti: 0.325 million [12]
- Barbados: 0.022 million
- Asia: 15.3 million
- Europe: 9.5-11.0 million
- England: 0.9-1.7 million
- Ukraine: 1.2-1.5 million
- Russia: 1.0 million
- Italy: 0.55 million
- Romania: 0.33 million [20]
- Germany: 0.3 million [21]
- Spain: 0.28 million
- France: 0.2-0.3 million
- Netherlands: 0.15 millions [22]
- Belorussia: 0.15 million [23]
- Bulgaria: 0.11 million [24]
- Hungary: 0.11 million
- Switzerland: 0.1 million
- Sweden: 0.1 million
- Norway: 0.045 million (source: Statistics Norway 2004)
- Finland: 0.045 million (source: Wikipedia in Finnish and Seurakuntaopas 2006) (with charismatics 0.35 million}
- Greece: 0.03 million
- Estonia: 0.015-0.02 million
- Austria: 0.005 million
- Oceania: 3.3 million
- Papua New Guinea: 0.4 million
- Australia: 0.4 million
- New Zealand: 0.11 million
- Source: Operation World by Patrick Johnstone and Jason Mandryk, 2000, unless otherwise indicated.
- [25]
- Statistics on pentecostal renewalists
- World Christian Database
Leaders
Precursors
- William Boardman
- John Alexander Dowie (1848-1907)
- Edward Irving
- Albert Benjamin Simpson (1843-1919)
Early history
- Maria Woodworth-Etter (1844 - 1924)
- Smith Wigglesworth (1859 - 1947)
- Charles Fox Parham (1873 - 1929) Father of Modern Pentecostalism
- William J. Seymour (1870 - 1922) Azusa Street Mission Founder (Azusa Street Revival)
- Bishop R.A.R. Johnson (1876 -1940) Founder of the House of God, Holy Church of the Living God, The Pillar and the Ground of the Truth, The House of Prayer for All People. A Commandment (Sabbath) keeping Pentecostal organization.
- George Jeffreys (1889 - 1972) Founder of the Elim Foursquare Gospel Alliance and the Bible-Pattern Church Fellowship in Britain
- Aimee Semple McPherson (1890 - 1944) American Female Evangelist and organizer of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
- Joseph Ayo Babalola (1904 - 1959) Oke - Ooye, Ilesa revivalist in 1930. Also, spiritual founder of Christ Apostolic Church
- David du Plessis (1905 - 1987) South-African Pentecostal church leader, one of the founders of the Charismatic movement
- Kathryn Kuhlman (1907 - 1976) American female evangelist who brought Pentecostalism into the mainstream denominations
- William M. Branham (1909 - 1965) Healing Evangelists of the mid 20th century
- Jack Coe (1918 - 1956) Healing Tent Evangelist of the 1950s
- A. A. Allen (1911 - 1970) Healing Tent Evangelist of the 1950s and 1960s
- Oral Roberts (b.1918) Healing Tent Evangelist who made the transition to televangelism
- Rex Humbard (b.1919) The first successful TV evangelist of the mid 1950s, 1960s, and the 1970s and at one time had the largest television audience of any televangelist in the U.S.
Theologians
Pentecostal theologians are listed in the article Renewal Theologians.
See also
- Apostolic Church
- Apostolic Faith Mission
- Bible-Pattern Church Fellowship
- British Israelism
- Charismatic
- Christ Apostolic Church
- Christian Right
- Christian views of women
- Elim Pentecostal Church
- Free Apostolic Church of Pentecost
- Full Gospel
- History of Church activities in Zambia
- List of Pentecostal Denominations
- Montanism
- Neocharismatic
- Oneness Pentecostalism
- Pentecostal Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
- Pentecostal Charismatic Peace Fellowship
- Pentecostal World Fellowship
- Religious pluralism
- Prophecy
- Left Behind Series
- Summary of Christian eschatological differences
Notes
Studies
- Paul Alexander, (2000), "An Analysis of the Emergence and Decline of Pacifism in the History of the Assemblies of God," PhD Dissertation, Baylor University.
- Grant Wacker, (2001), Heaven Below: Early Pentecostals and American Culture, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA - An academic history of early Pentecostalism.
- Walter Hollenweger, (1972), The Pentecostals: the charismatic movement in the churches, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, ISBN 0-8066-1210-X
- Walter Hollenweger, , (1997), Pentecostalism : origins and developments worldwide, Peabody, Mass. : Hendrickson Publishers, ISBN 0-943575-36-2
- Clifton, S. J., (2005), An Analysis of the Developing Ecclesiology of the Assemblies of God in Australia, PhD thesis Australian Catholic University
- Matthew Steel, (2005), Pentecostalism in Zambia : Power, Authority and the Overcomers, MSc Dissertation - an examination of the growth and effects of of Pentecostalism on development, University of Wales
- Pentecostalism losing its youth? [26]
Academic - Centres and Journals
- Journal of Pentecostal Theology is published by SAGE publications. The editorial board is comprised of members of the Church of God Theological Seminary faculty.
- The REFLEKS journal is published by REFLEKS-Publishing in Oslo, Norway and contains scholarly Scandinavian and English articles on Pentecostalism and neo-Pentecostalism.
- Encounter: Journal for Pentecostal Ministry is a published by the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary (AGTS)
- The European Research Network on Global Pentecostalism (GloPent) is an initiative by three leading European Universities in Pentecostal studies networking academic research on Pentecostal and Charismatic movements.
- Hollenweger Center for the interdisciplinary study of Pentecostal and Charismatic movements at the Free University of Amsterdam
- Cyberjournal for Pentecostal Charismatic Research
- Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center (Assemblies of God archives), one of the largest collections of materials documenting the global Pentecostal movement; website contains free research tools, including over 200,000 digitized pages of periodicals and online catalog with over 55,000 entries.
- Pentecostalism
- Lecture on "Pentecostalism"
- Map showing Percentage of Pentecostal Population in USA by county from Valparaiso University
- Apostolic Herald Online newsletter sharing Pentecostal and Apostolic concepts written primarily by pentecostal authors.
- Pentecostal Conference of the North American Keralites
- Australasian Pentecostal Studies journal
- Pew Religious Forum Pentecostal Hub
- Some statistic
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