Pentecostalism Varieties And Contributions

Pentecostalism: Varieties and Contributions

Vinson

Synan*

The twentieth

century

has been influenced and

shaped by several popular

movements that have overshadowed all others. In the

political world,

the most

pervasive

forces have been those fostered by

Marxist revolutionists who have

exploited rising popular nationalistic tides in

many

nations to foster communist revolutions. The

popular

reaction to these Socialist and Communist revolutions has been those ultra conservative forces that

produced Nazism and Italian Fascism. The wars of the

past

half

century

have been

essentially struggles

between these

popular

forces.

In the

religious world, many popular

forces have also arisen during

this

century, developing parallel

in time to the

foregoing political

movements. The two most

important

of these are Pente- costalism

among Christians,

and Islamic fundamentalism

among Moslems. Of course, there have been untold numbers of lesser

religious

movements that have arisen in the

religious

world

during this era with

varying degrees

of importance and

permanence.

Although many

of these have had a great impact on

society

at large,

and have attracted much attention from

religious

leaders and the

press,

for the most

part they

have been movements initiated from above without a large

popular following among

the common people.

Such movements as Christian and Islamic fundamentalism are of enormous

importance

in the

long

run because

they

rise

up from the common

people

grass-roots popular movements,

in contrast to those forces that have their

origins

in some theoretical ideology

theology imposed

from above.

Pentecostalism is the popular Christian movement of the twentieth century.

It has

spread

practically every

nation and

people group in the world in less than a

century.

is, furthermore,

a mass ‘ movement which,

though

began

with the lower

classes,

has demonstrated an

appeal

persons of every social,

educational and economic class. It thrives in diverse environments that

range

from

Black and

Hispanic

storefront churches in

Harlem,

to the

upper reaches of

European royalty,

and even inside the Vatican itself.

Because of its tremendous

growth

and

vitality,

Pentecostalism deserves the attention of the

religious

establishment. Its

long-term importance

is underscored

the fact that Pentecostal

Christians, rather than those from the Reformation

Churches,

now make

up the

largest body

of Protestants in the world. In

1985,

there were over

168,000,000

classical Pentecostals and charismatic Pente- costals in the mainline churches of the world,

making up

over 10%

of the Christian

family. By AD 2000,

Pentecostals are

expected

to number some

440,000,000 persons,

or 20% of all the Christians in the world.2

1. The

Variety

of Pentecostal Movements

In order to discuss the contributions and lessons of Pente-

costalism for the modern

church,

it might be well to define first the movement and to describe the

great variety

organizations

and ministries that are involved in Pentecostalism

today.

brief,

Pentecostalism is a twentieth

century phenomenon

with roots in the

evangelical, Methodistic,

and

perfectionist

movements of the nineteenth

century. Although

modern Pentecostalism

began in the United States in

1901,

its

theological

roots are found in British

evangelical

movements which also

produced

Fundamental- ism,

the

“Higher

Life” movements

centering

around the Keswick conferences,

and the

prophecy

movement which stressed the premillenial rapture

of the church.3

Most of the above-mentioned movements stressed the

ministry of the

Holy Spirit,

and

indeed,

a subsequent “baptism in the

Holy Spirit”

as an enduement of

power

for service. Where Pente- costalism

separated

from

previous groups

was in their

rejection

of the cessation of the charismata

theory

which had

pervaded Christian

thought

since the

days

of St.

Augustine.4

Although

many

minds Pentecostalism was and remains a “tongues movement,”

represents

much more than that narrow focus. Kilian McDonnell has defined Pentecostals and charis- matics as:

Those Christians who stress the power and presence of the

Holy Spirit

and the Gifts of the Spirit directed toward the

proclamation

that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God

the Father.’

The crucial

point

of demarcation between Pentecostals and other Christians is the

unique

Pentecostal

emphasis

on the

person, work, and

gifts

of the

Holy Spirit.

With this broad

definition,

it might be helpful

survey

the

major

streams of Pentecostalism in order to observe how each one

perceives

of itself.

1. The Classical Pentecostal Movements. The

groups

now classified as the “Classical Pentecostal” churches owe their

origins to the

teachings

of Charles Fox Parham

(Topeka, 1901)

and William J.

Seymour (Los Angeles, 1906).

What

distinguishes

these groups

is the

acceptance

of the “initial evidence”

theory

which holds that

glossolalia

is the

necessary

first evidence of receiving the “baptism

in the

Holy Spirit.” Although

there are

perceived differences between these

groups

over

questions pertaining

to sanctification,

divine

healing,

and the

Godhead, they represent

one

historic stream with a

growing – presence

in most nations of the world.6

2. Mainline Protestant Charismatics. The charismatic move-

ment in the mainline Protestant churches

began

about 1960 and the first

participants

were called “neo-Pentecostals.”

Early

leaders in “this movement were Harold Bredeson

(Lutheran

and Dutch Reformed, 1947),

Gerald Derstine

(Mennonite, 1954), Tommy Tyson (Methodist, 1954),

Richard Winkler

(Episcopalian, 1956), and above all Dennis Bennett,

(Episcopalian, 1960). Derstine might be ‘ considered

typical

of the thousands of ministers who were expelled

from their churches

prior

1960,

while Winkler and Bennett

represent

the thousands of clergy since that time who have been allowed to remain in their churches

despite

their Pentecostal beliefs and

practices.

These “Neo-Pentecostals” differed from their

predecessors

in that

they

seldom subscribed to the “initial evidence”

theory

and that

they practiced

a more restrained form of

worship

than their more demonstrative Pentecostal

counterparts. They

also were generally

from a

higher

socio-economic level and attained

higher levels of education and

theological training.

The

development

of an “organic

view” of

spiritual experience

avoided the

problems

of subsequence posed by

the classical Pentecostal “second

blessing” teaching,

thus

making

Pentecostals more accessible to those in the liturgical

and sacramental traditions.7

3. The Catholic Charismatics.

Beginning

in 1967 at

Duquesne University

in Pittsburg, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal

developed rapidly

in the United States and around the world

during

the next two decades. From the

beginning,

this movement

grew

under the scrutiny

of the

heirarchy

and was accorded serious

study by

both theologians

and

sociologists.

In most

ways,

the Protestant and Catholic renewals

developed along

similar

paths,

both

borrowing

and

contributing

to each other in

significant ways. Yet, beyond many

similarities with both classical and Protestant Pentecostal

movements,

the Catholic Charismatic Renewal

developed

a unique

style

and structure which made it an

indigenous

Catholic movement ‘with little of the theology

and “cultural

baggage”

of Protestant Pentecostalism.8

4. The

Independent Groups.

As Pentecostalism

developed,

it spawned many independent groupings

which were not

organically connected with the

foregoing

historical

expressions

of the move- ment. The

development

of the charismatic ministries of individual leaders has led to a

proliferation

of new movements

centering around

magnetic personalities

and variant

teachings

that have not always

been

accepted by

the

major groups.

among

trail of these

magnetic

leaders.

These “latest move of God”groups divide the overall

movement, causing shifting

the faithful. Often

bitterness,

Simpson (the

and Kenneth

just

a few

continually arise, change,

and

alliances and

loyalties strife and schism follow the

churches),

and the

Among

these

groups

could be cited the followers of Charles

“Covenant”

churches),

the followers of Kenneth Hagin Copeland (The

“Faith”

followers of Earl

Paulk, (The “Kingdom

Now”

churches).

These are

of the host of smaller movements that almost

defy description.

In general, it has been estimated that for every classical Pentecostal

to a historic Pentecostal church such as the Assemblies of

historic

Pentecostal not related to a

pendent

orthodox Pentecostal

can be classified

only

These are sometimes

assigned churches because

Although deny any relationship

God,

there is one

“independent”

Pentecostal church. Much of the

growth

of these

“independ- ents” is due to the

expert

use of the mass

media, especially

radio and television.

These

groups proliferate

also on the mission fields as literature and

preaching

crusades

spread

their

teaching.

In time

many

of them will in all

probability

become

major

denominations.9

5. Third World

Indigenous Groups.

The

fastest-growing

Pente- costal movements in the world,

however,

are not

directly

related to the above

groups,

but consist of

indigenous

movements inde-

Western mission boards. Some of these observe

worship

and

theological

as semi-Christian.

forms,

while others

to the Pentecostal similarities in

worship

family

of and the

years leaders.)10

superficial

practice of glossolalia.

classical Pentecostal bodies often

with

them,

these

groups

are

usually

classified

“Pentecostal” because

they obviously

do not fit well into

any other

category.

The Zionist

Apostolic

movement in South Africa with over

3,000,000

members is a case in point, (although in recent

this

group

has

gained

acceptance among

Pentecostal

among

and

ecclesiologies

As Pentecostals theological camps not

yet

been

II. The

Theologies

of Pentecostalism

There exists a wide

variety

theologians

Classical Pentecostals that is not

always perceived outsiders. All Pentecostals

agree

on the

presence

and demon- stration of the charismata in the modern

church,

but

beyond

this common

agreement

there is as much

diversity

as in all the other branches of

Christianity.

have seen

themselves,

the

following major

exist which stress different

positions

that have

resolved:

Wesleyan

Pentecotals. emphasized

sanctification.

evidenced

by glossolalia pentecostal”

fication

churches. Church

organization episcopal

and

connectional, centralized

government.

Representative

(Cleveland, Tn.),

the

Wesleyan

doctrine

They simply

added the

Baptism

as a “third

blessing.”

movements still

place

great emphasis

and in

many places

are better known as “holiness”

costalism

The first wave of Pentecostalism

of “second

blessing”

instant

in the

Holy Spirit

These “holiness-

on sancti-

in these denominations tends to be with

highly developed

forms of

of the Assemblies

bodies in this

group

include the Church of God

the Pentecostal Holiness Church

(Oklahoma

City, Ok.),

and the Church of God in Christ

(Memphis, Tn.).”

Baptistic

Pentecostals. The second wave of American Pente-

came into

being

with the

organization

of God in 1914. These bodies

rejected

the strict

Wesleyanism of the

earlier

groups, stressing gradual

sanctification and more

presbyterial ‘

and

congregational

forms of church

government.

Called the

“finished work” movement in the

early days,

this stream of

Pentecostalism was less

legalistic

and

perfectionistic

than the first

stream

Most Pentecostal movements

(Springfield,

Mo.)

Pentecostals theological departure

in the world formed after 1914

the most radical

denies

Father, Son, order to be saved,

of Pentecostals salvation.

have been influenced

by this model. In time,

the Assemblies of God

became an

important

standard bearer for most of the Pentecostal

groups

in the world

3. Oneness Pentecostals. The “Oneness” or “Jesus Name”

began

after 1914 and

represented

any

Pentecostal

groups

before or since. Essentially,

these churches teach a unitarianism of the Son which

the traditional doctrine of the Trinity and claims that Jesus is

and

Holy Spirit.

Their followers are

taught

that in

one must be baptized “in Jesus’ name”

(Acts 2:38) as well as experience glossolalia.

They

are the

only major grouping

who teach that

speaking

in tongues is necessary to

are the United

churches

has

nations as well

as “neo-Pentecostals,” matics” since

sociological

logical

differences between costals.

The

major

churches in the “Jesus

Name”category

Pentecostal

Church,

the Pentecostal Assemblies of the

World,

and some

groups

known as “Apostolic”

4. Charismatic Pentecostals. Since

1960,

Pentecostalism made

major penetrations

into the mainline Protestant denomi-

as into the Roman Catholic Church. At first known

they

have

uniformly

been known as “charis-

about 1970. The reasons for this

appellation

are more

than

theological, although

there are

important

theo-

these

groups

and the Classical Pente-

These “new” Pentecostals stress all the charismata in addition to glossolalia,

and

universally reject

the “initial evidence”

teaching

of the Classical Pentecostals.

They

make

every

effort to remain in their churches and

spread

renewal in their denominations rather than to become “comeouters” or schismatics. In

general,

these groups

are also somewhat different from their Pentecostal brothers and sisters in matters of

life-style. 14

III. The Contribution of Pentecostalism

1. The Revalorization

the Charismata. Since it was first enunciated

St.

Augustine,

the Western Church has more or less viewed the

gifts

of the

Spirit through

dispensational teaching known as the “Cessation of the

Charismatai” theory.

That is to say, that the miraculous and

extraordinary gifts

of the

Spirit

were withdrawn after the

Gospel

had been authenticated under the apostles.

Most Protestants have

taught

that this withdrawal came with the final

perfection

of the canon of

Scripture.

This view was

expressed

and

repeated by many theologians

over the

centuries, including

St. John

Chrysostom

and Martin Luther. Despite

this

development

in the

West,

the Orthodox churches of the East never

accepted

such a view.

Questions

arose about the cessation

theory

in the nineteenth century among

both Protestant and Catholic

theologians.

In England,

such

Evangelical leaders

as Edward

Irving,

Lewis

Way, and John Nelson

Darby predicted

a restoration of the charismata as a sign of the end times and the second

coming

of Christ. Classic expression

of this view was

given

in William Arthur’s

Tongues of Fire,

an 1856 book that

stoutly

denied the cessation of the

gifts,

and called for their restoration in the church. 15

About the same time, German Catholic

theologians,

Adam Moehler and Matthias Scheeben, were

writing

about the charis- matic nature of the church. Their work also denied the cessation

theory,

and called for a church that was less juridical and more led by

the

Spirit

and His

giftS.15

It remained for the Pentecostals to put into

practice

the

teachings of the

foregoing

leaders who

happened

to be

Presbyterians, Methodists, Anglicans

and Roman Catholics. The

practice

of such charisms as

glossolalia,

divine

healing,

and exorcism has been the hallmark of Pentecostalism around the world since 1901. With the beginning

of the charismatic movement about

1960,

these “Pente- costal”

practices

have also entered mainline churches.

Now it is rare to find

groups

who still hold

strongly

to the dispensational

or “cessation” view of the charismata. About the only groups

left are some conservative

Wesleyans,

Funda- mentalists,

and members of the Churches of Christ.

Historically,

this is the

major point

made

Pentecostalism and remains the

greatest accomplishment

of the movement. All other contributions have been minor in comparison to this one.

Along

with renewed manifestations of the charismata has come a renewed awareness of the forces of evil in the world. The mani- festation of spiritual gifts often reveals the

presence

of satanic and demonic forces. The revalorization of the charismata has also meant a renewed

understanding

of the

reality

of the satanic and demonic forces that torment humankind.

As a result, the church in recent

years

has come to understand anew the

reality

of spiritual warfare. This in turn has

given

rise to a renewed

understanding

of exorcism and

taking

dominion over satanic forces in the

power

of the

Holy Sprit. 17

2. Renewal

of Expressive Worship.

There have

always

been those “enthusiasts” in the church who have been

overtly expressive in their

praise

and

worship.

One need

only

mention the Ana- baptists, Quakers,

Shakers, Methodists, and Holiness

people

to confirm this

continuing

tradition

among

Christians. In most cases such enthusiasm wanes after a generation or so during which time these “sects” become “churches” with much more

respectability

but also with much less zeal. This was the case of the Cane

Ridge camp meetings

of the

early

1800s which were led

by Presbyterians, Baptists,

and Methodists and which

eventually produced

the “Restoration” churches.

In the twentieth

century,

the Pentecostals have carried on this ancient tradition. Often called “emotionalism” or “enthusiasm”

by the

public

and scholars alike,

expressive worship generally

marks a new denominational movement which

originates among

the lower classes. These are the ones who often desire “heart

religion,”

as Wesley

called

it,

over more

literary

and intellectual forms of faith and

worship.

Indeed,

there are those such as Paul Bilheimer who credit the Pentecostals’ “massive

praise”

for the massive

growth

of the movement around the world. This

praise

he called

“nothing

short of heavenly,”

and

something

that all Christians

of any

denomination could and should

practice.18

This

type

worship

is often

accompanied

with

singing

in tongues, applause

to the

Lord,

the

raising

hands,

and the shouting

of loud “amens” and

“hallelujahs.”

This could well be called

“expressive” praise

and

worship,

in the sense that the entire congregation expresses praise.

This term is preferable to the word “emotional” since this

style

of worship is not

essentially emotional, although strong

emotions often

may

well

in the midst of the people.

Expressive worship

also extends to the music

styles practiced by Pentecostals. Hand

clapping rhythms

are common in the

Gospel music

styles

that were

popularized

in the South and

have

spread over the nation.

Special

music

by orchestras, choirs, ensembles, trios, quartets,

and soloists are so common that Kilian McDonnell was led to observe that Pentecostal services are

essentially

a sermon.”

musical concert followed

matics has Everywhere,

songs

past years

The music of lifestream of performers people

“a

Church. singing songs

In recent

years

a strong trend

among

Pentecostals and Charis-

been to

sing songs

known as

“scripture

choruses.”

the

Scriptures

are

sung

in rounds, chants, and

hymns. This is a radical

departure

from the

personalized

and sentimental

of the I’ll

Fly Away genre.

the renewal has now

largely

entered into the

the churches. Most of the

currently popular

Christian

are Pentecostals and their music is sung and whistled

of all denominations. No church has been more dramati- cally affected by

the music of the renewal than the Roman Catholic

All over the

English-speaking world,

Catholics are now

and choruses

inspired by the

renewal in their

regular masses.

has been one

part

practice Lord,” they

Often

these

songs

in Pentecostal

to “dance in the

Spirit”

meetings.

The

proba- Israel have

brought

home

Biblical forms of music

Prayer.

visitor to a Pentecostal

Spiritual dancing

often

accompanies

and Charismatic

meetings. Traditionally,

of the ultimate forms of

spiritual transport among Pentecostals.

Indeed,

Chile,

the dance has become an

integral

of the

spirituality

and

liturgy

of the Pentecostal churches.

In recent

years, however,

Charismatics somewhat

changed

the

of the dance.

Using

the biblical

phrase “dancing

before the

are less ecstatic and more inclined to

choreography than their Pentecostal

predecessors.

“The Charismatic

two-step,” as one

person recently

described it, is likely to break out at any time in great charismatic conferences.

the unmistakable flavor of Israeli music and dance forms are seen in Pentecostal and Charismatic

bilities are that thousands of tourists to

with them the more exotic and

seemingly

and dance

they

have seen in the

Holy

Land. 19

Concert and

Spontaneous

service is less

impressed

other

gifts

of the

Spirit

than with the sudden and unaccustomed

of “concert

prayer.”

This refers to a

general

season of

entire

congregation prays together loudly

and spontaneously

“in concert.” This stands in contrast to traditional modes of

prayer,

often led

one

person, usually

the

pastor.

it takes some

getting used to,

this form of

prayer

soon

practice

prayer

in which the

Although

As a

rule,

the first-time

with

tongues

becomes the standard form for most Pentecostal and charismatic groups. Many surveys

have shown that this

practice

is often the most

disconcerting aspect

of Pentecostal

worship

to uninitiated visitors.

Another

type

prayer

that is typical of Pentecostal

worship

is spontaneous

and

extemporaneous prayer by pastors

prayer group

leaders. This is in contrast to the more formalized written or “pastoral” prayers

that often come across as more ritualized and less

personal.

Some observers believe that

spontaneous prayer

has entered

strongly

into the mainstream of the churches and that this may

be one of the more

important although

less sensational contributions of the movement to the

Body

of Christ

4. A Love

of Scripture.

In all lists of the characteristics of Pentecostalism,

the

awakening

of a love for

reading

and

absorbing the

Scriptures

is high on the list. In his address to the International Catholic Charismatic Leaders’ Conference in Rome in

1973, Pope Paul VI commended the Charismatics for their “more assiduous reading

of the

Scripture,.”21

It is not the fact that Pentecostals read the

Scriptures “assiduously,”

but the manner in which

they

read them. The Bible is read. as “the Word of God for me

today”

rather than as an interesting

book of primary sources or as a repository of doctrinal teachings.

Nowhere is this more

pronounced

than in the Catholic Charismatic renewal. In the last decade two

magazines

devoted to Scripture

have

experienced

enormous

growth

in circulation.

One, entitled Gods Word

Today,

has a subscription list of over

100,000, while the other, entitled The

Word Among Us, is sent to over 75,000 readers.22

Any large

or small

gathering

of Pentecostals or Charismatics will be notable for the number of Bibles

brought along by

the participants.

Also

important

will be the testimonies to the

guidance received from

day

day by

the

reading

of the

Scriptures

for personal

edification and

blessing.

Evangelistic

Use of Charismata. The overall

purpose

of the charismata in Paul’s Corinthian letter is the ,edification

of the church (

Corinthians 12:7;

14:12). Yet

there is also a “sign”value as in the case

of glossolalia

which Paul asserts is “for unbelievers”” ( I Corinthians 14:22). Mark lists tongues

as a

“sign”

that would follow believers

along

with

healing, exorcism,

and

power

over poisons

and

serpents (Mark 16:17-18).

These are

evangelistic

uses of the charismata

designed

bring

unbelievers into the

Kingdom.

The Pentecostals have

majored

in mass

evangelistic “healing” crusades

featuring

the charismata as the

drawing

card.

Although these

meetings

have met with some success in the United States,

‘

their most

important

function

has been realized in third world

nations. The crusades ofT.L. Osborn in past decades and Reinhard Bonnke

today

have led thousands of

pagans

into the

kingdom.23

The crucial

point

in these

meetings

is the

“power encounter,”

to use the

phrase

of Fuller

Missiologist,

C. Peter

Wagner,

and

pastor- evangelist,

John Wimber. This occurs when a miraculous

healing

or exorcism convinces non-believers that the

power

of Jesus is greater than that of their own

gods

or local witchdoctors.24

A striking example of this

principle

is the

story

Alexander

Abala, of

Zaire,

who was

taught

a cessation of the

gifts theory

in an evangelical

Bible school in Zaire. Because this

teaching

was contrary

to what he had seen in the

Bible,

he lost his faith and

turned to a life of crime. A few

years

later when he saw a tent meeting

led

T.L.

Osborn,

he was determined to

expose

him as a fraud.

Taking

a blind woman and several other friends to service, he planned

expose

the

evangelist

when the woman was not healed.

To his utter astonishment, the woman was instantly

healed,

after which,

Abala and his friends were

converted,

and called into the ministry.

In the

years

since

then,

Abala and his followers have planted

over

3,000

churches in

Zaire,

all of the Pentecostal variety.25

The best current

example

of the

“power

encounter”

principle

is seen in the

ministry

of Bonnke in Africa. His

tent,

which seats 34,000 persons

is often too small to hold the crowds that are attracted to his services. He has

preached

to crowds estimated at 500,000

Nigeria,

and other nations. In these

services,

the majority

of those

attending

are often Muslims. The

healings experienced

in these

meetings

have led thousands of these Muslims to convert to

Christianity.

In this

case,

the Pentecostals could well serve as the “shock troops”

converting

mass

populations

to Christ.

6. The

Aggressive

Use

Electronic Media. In no other area have the Pentecostals contributed more to contemporary

Christianity than in the area of the “electronic church.” For

decades,

the radio airwaves were filled with local

pastors

and

evangelists

who had some success on the local level. In the late 1940s, Oral Roberts and others, pioneered

the use of national radio networks to build national constituencies.

In the

1950s,

Roberts also

pioneered

the

technique

of television evangelism

portray

his healing

ministry

before the nation.

By the 1960s and 70s Christian television was

pioneered by Pat

Robertson and his Christian

Broadcasting

Network

(CBN).

This was followed soon

Jim Bakker’s “Praise the Lord”

(TBN)

and Mother Angelica’s

“Eternal Word” network

(EWTN).

All of these used the new cable television

technology,

in addition to

regular

broad-

casting. Also,

when satellite dish

technology

became available

in _ the

early 1980s,

the Pentecostals were the first to use this new medium.27

In time, the

major

denominations

attempted

to enter the electronic media

arena,

but with little success. After

expensive efforts,

the Roman Catholic and Southern

Baptist

networks have floundered while the Pentecostal

programs

continue to flourish. Prime time Pentecostal

preachers

now include number one rated Jimmy Swaggart,

as well as Kenneth

Copeland,

Oral

Roberts, Frederick K. Price, and others.

7. New Forms

Church Structure.

Pentecostals

have also pioneered

in innovative

types

of church structure

which,

in some cases,

have

produced spectacular

results. The “cell

meetings”

of Yonggi

Cho’s Full

Gospel

Central

Church,

in Seoul

Korea,

has helped

make this

congregation

the

largest

local church in the world. With 500,000 members in 1985, Cho

expects

this

congregation

to number no less than

1,000,000 by the year 1990.

In 1986 he claimed a growth rate of

10,000

new members a month.28

Similar innovations have been

attempted by

the covenant churches. led

Charles

Simpson

and .Bob Mumford. Called the “discipleship”

or “shepherding” movement

by some,

these churches have

experimented

with

pyramidal

forms of

authority

which flow down from the

top,

built on

“person

person” relationships.29

The Charismatic communities

developed among Catholics,

such as the Word of God

Community

in Ann

Arbor, Michigan

and the People

of Praise in South Bend,

Indiana,

have also introduced creative forms of

living

out the Christian life in

tightly

knit communities. These, and other

communities,

are often ecumenical in membership, and thus

present

models of interfaith

cooperation on an intense level not seen elsewhere in modern times.30

8. Cultural

Adcrptability.

One of the

greatest

mistakes made in Western missions has been to confuse

theology

with matters that pertain merely

to culture.

Thus, missionaries

have often tried to transplant English

or American forms of

worship

to other

people groups

which are

totally

alien to those

cultures.

course,

these seldom “take” in the alien culture, with the

resulting

failure and discouragement

that

usually

follows.

Pentecostals have sensed the differences between

theology

and culture,

and

generally

have been successful in creating indigenous churches which

incorporate unique

local cultural forms. Often these forms were

previously rejected by

mainline missionaries who thought

that

any

variation from Western norms were somehow “un-Christian.”

In no area is this more

apparent

than in the field of music and dance. The

pipe organs

and robed choirs of Western churches

may

costals in churches.

churches,

Pentecostalism high

adaptability

9. been

Theological Flexibility.

make no sense in

primitive

cultures. Thus in

Africa,

the Pente-

welcomed the use of drums and

“dancing

before the Lord”

the

worship

of the

churches,

a thing unthinkable in most Western

In Latin

America,

the use of “creole” instruments and music

styles

has attracted masses of converts to the Pentecostal

while the more

Anglo-Saxon

forms of liturgy have been notable for their failure to attract and minister to Latins.31

has

appeared

in cultural

settings

that

range

from

Pontifical Masses in St. Peters in

Rome,

to African outdoor services that meet under the trees where the faithful dance before the

Lord,

to the

rhythmic

throb of African drums. A case in point is the fact that a

large proportion

of the

European Gypsies

have converted to Pentecostalism in the

past

three decades. The

easy

of Pentecostal

worship

to various

cultures,

made this possible. This,

and other

examples,

could be

presented

to demon- strate the vast cultural

adaptability

of the movement.

In a similar

way,

Pentecostalism has

more interested in

spirituality

than in

theology. Theology

is seen in quite practical terms and it relates

mostly

to the

explanation and

justification

spiritual phenomena

experienced

in the

Yet,

Pentecostalism has

penetrated

practically

all the

major

Christian

theological systems.

As of now a

fully developed

and

many hope

that one never does come into

existence,

since

that the “letter

kills,

but the

Spirit

makes alive.”

the efforts of the

Society

for Pentecostal

which was formed in

1970,

and Hendrickson Press in

movement.

exist;

they

feel

Nevertheless, through Studies,

Massachusetts,

attempts

theological flexibility exist and

grow

10. Church Growth. greatly

affected

and flourished in

“Pentecostal”

theology

does not

producing

such a

theology

but

This

movement,

vation

mainline churches.

Pentecostalism,

now

given

the Classical Pentecostals the

largest family

of Protestants

Peabody,

are

going

forward.32

It is not that Pentecostals think

theology

to be unimportant, there is concern that

theology

serve

spiritual reality,

rather

than, that

spirituality

serve

theology.

This

flexibility

came

early

in the history of

the movement when the first Pentecostals refused to be restricted to

only

narrowly-defined Wesleyan theology.

has

opened

the

way

for Pentecostalism to

a great

variety

theological

environments.

The Church Growth movement has been

the record of the Pentecostal

especially

in Third World countries. Much of the research and resultant

theory

of the movement

of Pentecostal

growth patterns,

The cultural and

theological

has caused immense church

has been based on the obser-

in contrast to those of

adaptability

growth,

which has

the distinction of constituting in the world.33

Church

growth

researchers are

especially impressed

with the record of the Pentecostals in church

planting

and in the

develop- ment of

super

churches. The

accompanying

statistics from David Barrett’s World Christian

Encyclopedia

indicate the

importance

of Pentecostalism in the area of church

growth.

According

Barrett,

the Pentecostals had

surpassed

in size, all the Protestant Reformation families of

churches, by

1980. In addition to these Pentecostal Christians, the Charismatic move- ment had entered all the traditional churches of Christendom. In his

projections

for the

future,

Barrett estimated the

following figures

for World

Christianity

in the

year

of 1985:

WORLD POPULATION

About 5 Billion

persons

I. POPULATION

OF MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONS

IN 1985

II. OF CHRISTIANS

III. OF PROTESTANTS

IV. OF PENTECOSTALS

TOTAL PENTECOSTAL CHARISMATIC CHRISTIANS

These

projections

indicate that in

1985,

over

10% of all the Christians in the world were of the Pentecostal or Charismatic

type. Barrett

projects

a rate of growth to the end of the

century

which will place

the number of Pentecostals and Charismatics at 440,000,000 persons,

or 21% of the world’s Christians. This

projection

is all the more

remarkable;when

one considers that before

January 1, 1901, this

Pentecostalism Varieties And Contributions

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