Pondering Questions on Pentecostalism
To be truthful, I cringed just reading the title of this book: Global Pentecostalism. It is my humble opinion, we need to stop compartmentalizing Christians with labels like “Pentecostal” and “conservative” and start seeing each Christian as a valuable member of the body. As Christians, we are all in need of the transforming power of the Holy Spirit and how it is revealed and expressed in each of us can be vastly different.
Having been raised by a conservative Baptist minister, who turned non-denominational, and eventually Pentecostal, I have found strengths and weaknesses in many worship styles. Personally, I resist identifying with any particular category because I relate to many. Professionally, it is a barrier that prevents me from relating to my clients and developing a rapport. Categorizing Christians through denominations, labels, and stereotypes seems to do more to create division than unity among Christians, and impedes us from relating to the un-churched and spiritual seekers.
With that said, I enjoyed many aspects of this book and found it inspiring, and relatable to our current churches and ministries. I would like to highlight some pertinent points applicable to ministry and conclude each point with a Pondering Question. Impressively, the largest Pentecostal movement is the Assemblies of God located in every country with over 50 million participants (no wonder Jim travels so much).[1] Just as impressive was the multiple ethnicities represented in Pentecostalism, and the growing trend of the various people groups collaborating together through Pentecostalism. This is reshaping the church and bringing people together in a way only God’s spirit can do. Pondering Question: If we have a predominately white church or are comprised of exclusively one race, would it be reasonable to question whether or not the Holy Spirit is having a transforming influence on the church?
The progressive social work stated throughout the book in many countries was inspiring. Addicts in Hong Kong under the leadership of Jackie Pullinger with St. Stephen’s Society captured my attention when she described the plight of heroin addicts and how they became addicts. Many of them were abused as children, often by their fathers, so they turned to drugs to dull their pain. Many of my clients’ faces and stories came to mind with the phrase “What they crave is love, even if they don’t know how to give it.”[2] As a therapist, loving people and teaching them to love themselves before they can love their partners, friends or families is a fundamental treatment goal.
As pastors, I consider this a critical goal of building a healthy and thriving church: teach people how to love by loving them first so they, in turn, can love others. This is done strategically, over time, and with consistency, and all under the influential presence of the Holy Spirit. While agencies and institutions are valuable they can come and go “whereas churches are stable institutions with deep roots in their community.”[3] Unlike any other institution, the church has a unique role to play in society and in our world. We are called to speak, live, and teach love and move out of compassion, a tenet of love. Yet, how can we love others if we are not loving ourselves? Similarly, “…what makes an organization an exciting, vibrant, and satisfying place to work is by looking at what makes for a well-functioning individual”.[4] Pondering Question: Investing in our church leaders to create healthy, balanced leaders, helps them foster deep connections in their community and empowers them to better impact our world. How are we empowering our church leaders to be well-functioning so they can love well?
Although there are some powerful social movements ignited by Pentecostalism, there are unfortunately, some Pentecostal churches lacking in inspiration and innovation for impacting their communities. “Not all Pentecostal churches are engaging their communities in acts of compassion and service. There are many Pentecostal churches mired in legalism and prefer to pray for the salvation of the world rather than to transform it through their actions. On the other hand, some of the more creative programs that have evolved in the last decade have been implemented by Pentecostal churches.”[5] Frankly, I found this to be a very inclusive description of the global church and not at all unique to Pentecostal churches. As Christians, it can be challenging for us to live love, and often we would rather just speak of love. Jim Collins says it best: “…once you know the right thing, do you have the discipline to do the right thing…”[6]. Pondering Question: Loving takes a bold leader committed to loving their world enough to sacrifice for it versus fearing it more to hide from it. Staying comfortable in a static environment can be safe but not very dynamic or exciting. How do we motivate people to leave their safe worlds and love sacrificially?
With impacting our youth, we need to care for them. Studies show how different neuropathways are developed with children who grow up in homes providing loving attachments versus children who grow up on the streets. This changes the lives of our children, youth, families, societies, and ultimately, our world. It is the churches “obligations to create a community environment that gives them a fighting chance in life.”[7] Pondering Question: Each Christian has a moral responsibility to help our youth heal and become healthy and strong. According to James, this is true religion: taking care of our orphans and widows.[8] What could our world be like if we all practiced true religion regardless of our doctrinal beliefs?
Global Pentecostalism is the Holy Spirit breaking down these “man-made walls” of ethnicity, gender, and social class that have existed in the body of Christ. We are finding value and esteem in people and their stories instead of in their religious history and ethnicity. Like a broom, the Holy Spirit indiscriminately sweeps every willing person in her path to be lovingly transformed. When we submit to her sweeping power, we are united and used regardless of our belief system, background, and denomination as we find ourselves speaking the universal language of love. Pondering Question: Isn’t Christianity another name for Pentecostalism?
[1]Donald E. Miller and Tetsunao Yamamori, Global Pentecostalism: The New Face of Christian Social Engagement. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2007, 19.
[4] Manfred Kets De Vries, The Leadership Mystique, (Edinburgh Gate, 2001) 246.
[5] Donald E. Miller and Tetsunao Yamamori, Global Pentecostalism, 66.
[6] James Collins, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap–and Others Don’t (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2011) 141-142.
[7] Donald E. Miller and Tetsunao Yamamori, Global Pentecostalism, 98.
About the Author
Jennifer Dean-Hill
9 responses to “Pondering Questions on Pentecostalism”
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Jenn, really enjoyed your post. If you wouldn’t mind, please share the story sometime about the “conservative Baptist minister, who turned non-denominational, and eventually Pentecostal…”
You make a very important point: “Unlike any other institution, the church has a unique role to play in society and in our world. We are called to speak, live, and teach love and move out of compassion, a tenet of love.” I do believe that Christ via the empowerment of the Holy Spirit compels us to, as you state, move out of compassion. There is that driving force that I mentioned in my post that gently pushes and pulls to the point of where we must do something! P.S. That’s not the reason I have to travel so much! 🙂
Yes, well-stated Jim about the gentle influence of the Holy Spirit.
When we see each other again, I will be happy to share my dad’s spiritual journey that radically shaped mine. Maybe over lunch in Hong Kong? Until then…
Jenn, you caught the challenge, as I did, that what the authors explored was not mutually limited to one part of the church (Pentecostal), but rather in churches that were open to joining with the Spirit in loving our neighbors and changing the world.
Your beautiful question, “How do we motivate people to leave their safe worlds and love sacrificially?” is challenging and not easily answered. I believe that should be the goal of leaders, but “how”…? At a minimum, it requires us to model and practice that which we hope to motivate others toward. But somehow, it goes beyond that as well.
Yes Katy, that is a powerful question to ponder and deserves many bright minds to speak into it. One thing I think is motivational is to hear the transforming stories of people’s lives from the loving work of others. That is so contagious.
Jen, we seem to all be resonating with the idea of the label. You, Katy, Christal especially, along with me, desire to just be called Christ-followers.
I appreciate that the authors accomplished their goal of showing that “Pentecostalism” is rapidly spreading and for the good around the world.
But I wonder if you are suggesting, should we say the Holy Spirit is on the move? Should we put the credit where it is due and all Christians who have been made free by Jesus can participate?
Yes I like this Mary. SHE is on the move 🙂
Jen,
I love your post on the holy spirit. Thank you for your blog.
In response to one of your questions:
I love working with the youth. I want to pour into them as much as God pours into me for them. I and transparent with them and they see that I am genuine based on my interaction with them. I thank God for this gift.
I can so see that with you Lynda in your work with youth. They need someone who is transparent and real with them. But you are more than that- you are loving and accepting too. This is a beautiful recipe for developing a successful relationship with youth.
Jen I think that this book does pose a great challenge to the Church! In books and lectures we have heard a common them is how do we as leader become an active spirit filled presence in this world? We are all called to do it and we need one another to accomplish it! 🙂