Pentecostalism
A global Christian movement born of early twentieth‑century revivals that centers the experiential work of the Holy Spirit — especially speaking in tongues, healing, and prophecy — and that has reshaped Christianity across continents.
Quick Facts
- Period
- 1906 - Present
- Region
- Americas
- Key Figures
- Aimee Semple McPherson, Charles F. Parham, David du Plessis +3 more
Key Figures
Aimee Semple McPherson
Evangelist and founder of the Foursquare Gospel Church
Foursquare Gospel Church (founded 1923)Aimee Semple McPherson (1890–1944) was an influential early twentieth‑century evangelist who combined Pentecostal convic...
Charles F. Parham
Teacher and early Pentecostal theologian
Bethel Bible School (Topeka); early Pentecostal networksCharles Fox Parham (1873–1929) is one of the most frequently cited figures in histories of early Pentecostalism because ...
David du Plessis
Ecumenical bridge‑builder between Pentecostals and other churches
Assemblies of God; ecumenical representativeDavid du Plessis (1905–1987), a South African Pentecostal leader long associated with the Assemblies of God, became an i...
Enoch Adeboye
Pastor and influential African Pentecostal leader
Founder and leader associated with a major Nigerian Pentecostal denominationEnoch Adeboye (born 1942) is widely recognized as a significant figure in contemporary African Pentecostalism through hi...
Oral Roberts
Evangelist and institutional founder
Evangelistic ministries; founder of Oral Roberts UniversityOral Roberts (1918–2009) was a prominent Pentecostal evangelist whose ministry exemplified mid‑twentieth‑century pattern...
William J. Seymour
Azusa Street revival leader
Azusa Street Mission, Los AngelesWilliam J. Seymour (1870–1922) is best known for his leadership of the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles, which began ...
The Story
This narrative combines documented history with dramatized scenes for storytelling purposes.
Origins and Founding
Pentecostalism is usually presented historically as arising from a set of overlapping revival currents in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, but...
Beliefs and Worldview
Pentecostalism, as a family of Christian movements, orients around a set of theological emphases that shape both belief and practice. Central to that orientatio...
Practice and Ritual Life
Pentecostal practice is notable for its emphasis on immediacy, embodiment, and sensory engagement. Worship services frequently foreground exuberant singing, spo...
Authority and Transmission
Transmission of Pentecostal belief and practice occurs through a combination of textual authority (the Bible), embodied experience (testimony, healing, tongues)...
The Tradition Today
In the early twenty‑first century Pentecostalism is a global phenomenon whose internal variety and regional particularities are as striking as its scale. Numeri...
Timeline
Agnes Ozman and the Topeka 'tongues' episode
**1901-01** — At Charles Parham’s Bethel Bible School in Topeka, Kansas, a student named Agnes Ozman reportedly began speaking in tongues after a period of prayer and imposition of hands in January 1901. Adherents describe this as an early instance of modern Spirit baptism; historians place it within the Holiness‑school revival milieu and cite it as a verifiable date in early Pentecostal narratives.
Azusa Street Revival begins
**1906-04** — A revival meeting at a small mission located at 312 Azusa Street in Los Angeles, led by William J. Seymour, opened in April 1906 and became an international focal point for interracial, multilingual charismatic worship and testimony. The Azusa meetings attracted visitors worldwide and are widely cited as a catalytic moment in the spread of Pentecostal practices.
Founding of a major Pentecostal denominational council
**1914** — Ministers and delegates meeting in Hot Springs, Arkansas, organized cooperative structures that became the General Council of the Assemblies of God, a significant institutional formation that created ordination protocols, missionary boards, and doctrinal statements within the Pentecostal movement.
Assemblies of God issues Statement of Fundamental Truths
**1916** — The Assemblies of God adopted a formal statement of doctrine that included the formulation of speaking in tongues as the "initial physical evidence" of baptism in the Holy Spirit, a doctrinal marker that shaped classical Pentecostal theology.
Aimee Semple McPherson founds the Foursquare Gospel Church
**1923** — Aimee Semple McPherson organized the Foursquare Gospel Church in Los Angeles, creating a denominational body and building Angelus Temple, a large urban sanctuary that became a model for media‑savvy, institutional Pentecostal ministry.
Dennis Bennett and the beginning of the Charismatic Movement in mainline churches
**1960** — In 1960 Episcopalian priest Dennis Bennett publicly announced his experience of Spirit baptism, an event that catalyzed the Charismatic Movement inside mainline Protestant denominations by encouraging lay and clerical renewals of charismatic practice.
Oral Roberts University founded
**1963** — Oral Roberts founded a university in Tulsa, Oklahoma, intended to integrate charismatic theological commitments with tertiary education; the institution became a model for the institutionalization of charismatic and Pentecostal education.
Duquesne Weekend and the Catholic Charismatic Renewal
**1967** — A retreat at Duquesne University in 1967 is frequently cited as an initiating event for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, which spread charismatic practices within Roman Catholic communities and contributed to ecumenical intersections with Pentecostalism.
Toronto Blessing begins
**1994** — In 1994 an outpouring of charismatic phenomena at the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship attracted international attention and visitors, producing debates about authenticity, practice, and the global circulation of revival styles.
Brownsville Revival
**1995-06** — A revival beginning in June 1995 at the Brownsville Assembly in Pensacola, Florida, drew global visitors and media attention, illustrating late twentieth‑century patterns of revival that combined local congregational life with international pilgrimage.
Global growth and indigenization of Pentecostalism
**1970s–2000s** — Throughout the late twentieth century Pentecostalism expanded rapidly in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, producing indigenous church movements, African and Latin American pastoral leadership, and regionally adapted liturgies and social ministries.
Pentecostal influence on global Christianity and public life
**2000s–2010s** — By the early twenty‑first century Pentecostal worship styles, theological emphases, and institutional models had become prominent influences on global Christianity, visible in megachurch growth, Christian music industries, and political engagement in various national contexts.
Sources
- academic_bookThe Pentecostals
Walter J. Hollenweger, pioneering scholarly study (1972) examining Pentecostal origins and global spread.
- academic_bookTo the Ends of the Earth: Pentecostalism and the Transformation of World Christianity
Allan Anderson (1999), comparative study of Pentecostal expansion and global impact.
- academic_bookThe Century of the Holy Spirit: 100 Years of Pentecostal and Charismatic Renewal
Vinson Synan (2001), historical overview covering key movements and figures across the twentieth century.
- academic_bookFire from Heaven: The Rise of Pentecostal Spirituality and the Reshaping of Religion in the Twenty‑first Century
Harvey Cox (1995), interpretive account linking Pentecostalism with broader cultural changes.
- reference_workNew International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements
Edited by Stanley M. Burgess and Eduard van der Maas (2002); reference entries on people, places, and doctrines.
- reportGlobal Christianity: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Christian Population
Pew Research Center (2011), includes survey and demographic data used by scholars to estimate Pentecostal growth.
- academic_collectionPentecostalism: The World Their Parish
Selected essays and case studies on Pentecostal social engagement and global distribution.
- reference_entryEncyclopaedia Britannica entry 'Pentecostalism'
Overview article summarizing history, beliefs, and global distribution.
- academic_bookPentecostalism and Globalization
Edited volumes and case studies addressing the movement's transnational dynamics and local adaptations.
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