The PENTECOSTAL MOVEMENT

"Brief History: Pentecostal Movement.  During the last years of the nineteenth century, there arose a conviction among many fervent people in the holiness movement that a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit was the great need of the church. A general attitude of seeking for deeper and further spiritual grace seemed to permeate the movement as the new century was about to dawn. This cry for a "new Pentecost" was experienced in both Europe and America. The modern pentecostal movement had its origins in Topeka, Kansas, in a small Bible school conducted by Charles Fox Parham, a holiness evangelist who began his ministry as a Methodist pastor. In 1901, Agnes Ozman, a student at Parham's school, received the baptism in the Holy Spirit accompanied by speaking in tongues. Ozman was a member of the Fire Baptized Holiness Church, which merged with the Pentecostal Holiness Church in 1911. The pentecostal movement received worldwide influence in 1906 in Los Angeles, California, in the Azusa Street revival led by the African-American holiness evangelist William Joseph Seymour. From Azusa Street, the pentecostal experience spread around the world as holiness people by the thousands received the pentecostal baptism with the Holy Ghost with the apostolic sign of speaking with other tongues. Not since the days of the early church had any revival movement spread so quickly and so far. In every continent, holiness people flocked to altars to receive their own personal Pentecost. Once again the gifts of the Spirit were experienced by the church. The atmosphere of the book of Acts became the norm for the thousands of pentecostal churches and missions that appeared throughout the world. Everywhere, the restoration of the charismata was understood as proof positive that the second advent of Christ was near. The Pentecostal Holiness Church was a part of this pentecostal outpouring. From the beginning it played a part in the unfolding drama of this third spiritual reformation of the church. Organized as a holiness denomination in 1898, the church officially incorporated the theology of the Pentecostal Reformation in its Articles of Faith in 1908 by adopting the following statement: We believe the pentecostal baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire is obtainable by a definite act of appropriating faith on the part of the fully cleansed believer, and the initial evidence of the reception of this experience is speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance (Luke 11:13; Acts 1:5; 2:1-4; 8:17; 10:44-46; 19:6). The Pentecostal Holiness Church also holds to the other basic doctrines of historic Christianity such as the Trinity, the deity, the virgin birth, and the second coming of Christ, and future rewards and punishments after the final judgment. It was, however, the distinctive doctrines of holiness and Pentecost that gave birth to the denomination." (Source: International Pentecostal Holiness Church http://arc.iphc.org/history/hispente.html) 

Churches / Ministries / Groups associated with the Pentecostal Movement:
Apostolic Churches
Assembly of God Churches
Church of God
Church of God in Christ
Church of God of Prophecy
Foursquare Gospel Churches
Open Bible Churches
Pentecostal Churches
Pentecostal Holiness Churches  


BibleTruthForToday concerns regarding this movement: 

Sanctification - instantaneous and subsequent to regeneration 
"Article Ten. We believe in sanctification. While sanctification is initiated in regeneration and consummated in glorification, we believe that it includes a definite, instantaneous work of grace achieved by faith subsequent to regeneration (Acts 26:18; 1 John 1:9). Sanctification delivers from the power and dominion of sin. It is followed by life-long growth in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (Source:  International Pentecostal Holiness Church http://arc.iphc.org/theology/artfaith.html)

Please view BibleTruthForToday link on the topic of Sanctification.


Baptism of the Holy Spirit evidenced by speaking in tongues 
"Article Eleven. We believe that the pentecostal baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire is obtainable by a definite act of appropriating faith on the part of the fully cleansed believer, and the initial evidence of the reception of this experience is speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance." (Source:  International Pentecostal Holiness Church http://arc.iphc.org/theology/artfaith.html) 

Please view BibleTruthForToday link on the topic of  "Tongues" 

Additional Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentecostalism