PENTECOSTALISM & THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT: IMPACT & INFLUENCE

Cessationism

The belief that the charismatic gifts were given for a certain time only; once that time passed, the gifts “ceased”

Any claim to the gifts since that time is either fraudulent or demonic

Usually sees the cessation as taking place at the end of the Apostolic Age, and linked to the completion of the New Testament – that which is “perfect” [1 Corinthians 13:8-10]

The first 2/3 of the century built on Wesley’s legacy of evangelicalism operating outside the normal parish system, e.g. camp meetings, Dwight at Yale, Finney, Moody

This built the expectation that God moves outside of churches and the traditional authority of the minister

There had been many manifestations, but a lot of them had focused on the issue of conviction of sin

Yet there was also a separate stream that focused on divine healing

The 19th century legacy

This century saw millions coming to Christ through 2nd Great Awakening, 1858-59 revival, missions. People were convinced God was moving

Phoebe Palmer, sanctification, linkage of Baptism with the Holy Spirit & power for service

While much of 19th century evangelicalism had a focus on holiness, the interest in power in the last 1/3 of the century is important

19th century legacy continued

John Alexander Dowie 1847-1907

Born in Scotland, ministered in 3 Australian States (1872-1888), then moved to the U.S.

Note his dates: a young boy at the time of the 1858-59 revival; died just after Pentecostalism is established

Gave up pastoring Congregational churches to become an independent evangelist

Had a holiness emphasis: in his later ministry prohibited smoking, eating pork, dance halls, theatre, doctors

Was challenged about the contemporary relevance of divine healing, which led to an emphasis on this area

Dowie

In Australia, hundreds were convinced of God’s power because of his ministry; they were still alive when the Pentecostal movement began 20 years later

In the U.S., Dowie became eccentric. Progressive in allowing women and blacks into his meetings, he became autocratic, founded Zion, Illinois, announced he was the Elijah prophesied in Malachi 4:5, and that the Pope would join his church.

Many of his disillusioned followers would shortly join the Assemblies of God

Dowie continued

Both America & England had experienced noteworthy revivals during the previous 150 years; Australia had seen a little

Both had seen all sort of physical manifestations, with divine healing becoming more prominent

In England, Edward Irving’s group had gained great attention with tongues, interpretation and prophecy in the 1830s

Increasingly, people were breaking with ecclesiastical authority; Church was being redefined in search of tangible signs of God’s presence

As the 19th century closed…

Charles Fox Parham 1873-1929

A native of Iowa, Parham grew up in Kansas in a Methodist holiness household

He undertook 2 years’ theology training, while struggling with rheumatic fever. On being healed, he felt led to preach

Initially pastoring a Methodist church, Parham left to become an independent preacher with an emphasis on divine healing

He was influenced by Dowie, visiting his healing homes in Chicago in 1898

Parham

In 1900, Parham visited D.L. Moody and many holiness groups. A major outpouring of the Holy Spirit was much discussed

Parham heard accounts of xenolalia and believed it would be part of this outpouring

Parham took over an abandoned building called Stone’s Folly with a group of 40 students and their families. It had a prayer tower with 24 hour prayer

Parham’s assignment for his students: what was the NT evidence of presence of the Holy Spirit?

Parham continued

Stone’s Folly

The students decided the evidence of the Holy Spirit was glossolalia, and began praying for it

January 1, 1901, Agnes Ozman speaks in tongues (Chinese), and can speak nothing else for 3 days; Parham & 34 other students soon followed

The group moved on to Kansas for several months where they led a large healing revival and taught on tongues to thousands of people

The group eventually settled in Houston, where Parham opened another Bible college

Pentecostalism begins

Agnes Ozman 1870-1937

William Seymour, descended from slaves and blind in one eye, heard Parham in Houston from the corridor. He had previous experience pastoring a church

He accepted Parham’s teaching on Holy Spirit baptism & tongues without experiencing it

Invited to pastor a church in Los Angeles. When his first sermon was on tongues, he was locked out, but continued holding meetings in a private home

Several weeks later, Seymour and others began speaking in tongues

Seymour: the second phase

William Seymour 1870-1922

Azusa Street revival 1906-14

Thrown out of the church in Los Angeles, Seymour’s group met in a private home

Once Seymour and others began to speak in tongues, revival broke out and they moved to an old warehouse at 312 Azusa Street. The first service was April 14, 1906

Within a month, 1,000 people crammed into the building for services held 3 times a day, 7 days a week

Remarkably, all races and cultures attended: “The colour line has been washed away in blood”

The ministry of women was also encouraged

Azusa Street

The building was named the Apostolic Faith Mission

There were no musical instruments, just unaccompanied singing; some people shouted throughout the meetings

Pews were just planks, and Seymour spent much of his time inside a box, praying

Preaching was spontaneous and there were regular altar calls for salvation, sanctification and baptism with the Holy Spirit

Azusa Street continued…

"Disgraceful intermingling of the races, they cry and make howling noises all day and into the night. They run, jump, shake all over, shout to the top of their voice, spin around in circles, fall out on the sawdust blanketed floor jerking, kicking and rolling all over it. Some of them pass out and do not move for hours as though they were dead. These people appear to be mad, mentally deranged or under a spell. They claim to be filled with the spirit. They have a one eyed, illiterate, Negro as their preacher who stays on his knees much of the time with his head hidden between the wooden milk crates. He doesn't talk very much but at times he can be heard shouting Repent," and he's supposed to be running the thing... They repeatedly sing the same song , 'The Comforter Has Come.'" - The Los Angeles Times (September 1906).

Not everyone was happy

The news has spread far and wide that Los Angeles is being visited with a "rushing mighty wind from heaven." . . . One brother stated that even before his train entered the city, he felt the power of the revival. . . . There is such power in the preaching of the Word in the Spirit that people are shaken on the benches. Coming to the altar, many fall prostrate under the power of God, and often come out speaking in tongues. Sometimes the power falls on people and they are wrought upon by the Spirit during testimony or preaching and receive Bible experiences. . . . The demonstrations are not the shouting, clapping or jumping so often seen in camp meetings. There is a shaking such as the early Quakers had and which the old Methodists called the "jerks.“

The Apostolic Faith magazine, November 1906

But from participants…

In the early years of 20th century, there was a strong division between Pentecostal and anti-Pentecostal.

In the 1930s and 1940s, itinerant ministers such as Oral Roberts came to the fore, offering neutral environments such as tents or halls in which to experience God’s power

Healing was often at the forefront, rather than tongues, allowing people to be met at their point of need (i.e. sickness)

This was tapping into a long-standing tradition (camp meetings had started 100+ years before), rather than seeming to “start new rival churches” as Pentecostalism did

It also reminded the Pentecostals that God’s power moved outside the walls of their churches

During the 1950s, people in established churches experienced glossolalia, but it remained low-key

So between the wars

Not quite a church…

Began in 1959 when Dennis Bennett, an Episcopalian minister began to speak with tongues. Early 1960, he shared this with his Californian congregation.

Many established congregations considered Pentecostalism the “lunatic fringe”

One key factor was that Bennett was an ordained minister in an established denomination who shared his experience openly

Another was that Time and Newsweek both ran stories on this, and his subsequent deposition from his church

Bennett took on another church in Seattle and remained in ministry until his death in 1991

The Charismatic Movement

Dennis Bennett 1917-1991

A movement of the Spirit through people in established denominations, releasing all the gifts of the Spirit

All denominations were affected, including the Roman Catholics (surprising many!)

These denominations had very different theologies to most Pentecostals, and were generally not open to “initial evidence”

The movement was both an affirmation and a challenge to classical Pentecostalism

The term was first used in 1963 to distinguish it from Pentecostalism

What is the Charismatic Movement?

Pentecostals found their theology challenged by those who were more theologically astute

This “forced” Pentecostal theology to come of age

Members of traditional denominations found that the Pentecostals had something to offer after all

The spiritual gifts stopped being demographically segregated; they were now the province of the educated and the wealthy as well as the less fortunate

Traditional churches were renewed, but also suffered numerous splits and property disputes

Some of the implications

While reservations often persisted, pastors noted that the charismatic members of their congregations were often the most committed

There was an avalanche of lay activism in churches, Bible reading and small groups; contemporary Christian music became an industry

The transdenominational nature of the movement inevitably gave greater momentum to ecumenical efforts and a sense of wonder

By 1970s, most denominations had reached positions of “cautious openness”

Implications continued

Classical Pentecostalism Charismatic Neo-pentecostalism Neo-charismatic Renewal

Terminology

Pentecostal-charismaticStatistical Impact

Majority of world’s mega-churches (50,000+)

Disproportionately large media presence Above-average financial support Over 1/3 of full-time Christian ministers Active in over 80% of world’s largest

cities 631 million Pentecostals/Renewal (2014)

= 25% of all Christians (up from 63 million in 1970)

Estimated 800 million by 2025