Pentecostal ecumenical impulses: Past and present challenges
Several leaders in the early Pentecostal movement interpreted the outpouring of the Spirit at the Azusa Street Mission and other places as a sign that the Spirit would now unite Christians across the borders of denominations in a new Pentecost that concurs with the events of Acts 2 which led to the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Afrikaans |
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AOSIS
2018-06-01
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| Series: | In die Skriflig |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://indieskriflig.org.za/index.php/skriflig/article/view/2330 |
| _version_ | 1811338135802478592 |
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| author | Marius Nel |
| author_facet | Marius Nel |
| author_sort | Marius Nel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Several leaders in the early Pentecostal movement interpreted the outpouring of the Spirit at the Azusa Street Mission and other places as a sign that the Spirit would now unite Christians across the borders of denominations in a new Pentecost that concurs with the events of Acts 2 which led to the formation of the Early Christian Church. They did not actively pursue ecumenism, but expected it as a natural and spontaneous result of the Spirit’s work, carried by their primitivist and restorationist impulses. Instead of the other churches appreciating and accepting Pentecostal experiences as interventions by the Spirit, most main-line churches alienated and rejected Pentecostals as a heretical sect. Within one generation, Pentecostalists entered denominationalism and by the 1940s, in an upward social mobility surge, aligned themselves with some evangelicals with a biblicist-literalist hermeneutics. Today Pentecostalism has accepted that Spirit baptism did not bring the expected unity of the Christian church and entered into formal ecumenical relations with several international ecumenical bodies and para-church organisations. It is argued that an ecumenical impulse need to originate on grass roots level. Ecumenism will only succeed when the local assembly and its members become involved. This can be done, for example by building ecumenical relations with historical churches that experience a charismatic renewal, neo-Pentecostalist groups and African Indigenous Churches, especially those with a historical connection with Pentecostalism, and motivating assemblies to cooperate with assemblies of their denomination in instituting a regular worship service in a common language where members may fellowship together. The aim of such contacts would not primarily be to realise organisational unity, but mutual understanding and communication leading to cooperation and trust. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T18:06:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6fa2fbea40d047c9a5befb79e09846d4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1018-6441 2305-0853 |
| language | Afrikaans |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T18:06:32Z |
| publishDate | 2018-06-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | In die Skriflig |
| spelling | doaj.art-6fa2fbea40d047c9a5befb79e09846d42022-12-22T02:36:04ZafrAOSISIn die Skriflig1018-64412305-08532018-06-01521e1e810.4102/ids.v52i1.23302233Pentecostal ecumenical impulses: Past and present challengesMarius Nel0Pentecostalism and Neo-pentecostalism, Unit for Reformed Theology, North-West UniversitySeveral leaders in the early Pentecostal movement interpreted the outpouring of the Spirit at the Azusa Street Mission and other places as a sign that the Spirit would now unite Christians across the borders of denominations in a new Pentecost that concurs with the events of Acts 2 which led to the formation of the Early Christian Church. They did not actively pursue ecumenism, but expected it as a natural and spontaneous result of the Spirit’s work, carried by their primitivist and restorationist impulses. Instead of the other churches appreciating and accepting Pentecostal experiences as interventions by the Spirit, most main-line churches alienated and rejected Pentecostals as a heretical sect. Within one generation, Pentecostalists entered denominationalism and by the 1940s, in an upward social mobility surge, aligned themselves with some evangelicals with a biblicist-literalist hermeneutics. Today Pentecostalism has accepted that Spirit baptism did not bring the expected unity of the Christian church and entered into formal ecumenical relations with several international ecumenical bodies and para-church organisations. It is argued that an ecumenical impulse need to originate on grass roots level. Ecumenism will only succeed when the local assembly and its members become involved. This can be done, for example by building ecumenical relations with historical churches that experience a charismatic renewal, neo-Pentecostalist groups and African Indigenous Churches, especially those with a historical connection with Pentecostalism, and motivating assemblies to cooperate with assemblies of their denomination in instituting a regular worship service in a common language where members may fellowship together. The aim of such contacts would not primarily be to realise organisational unity, but mutual understanding and communication leading to cooperation and trust.https://indieskriflig.org.za/index.php/skriflig/article/view/2330Ecumenical impulsepentecostalsunityprimitivist-restorationist urgework of the Spiritdenominationalismgrass-roots ecumenism |
| spellingShingle | Marius Nel Pentecostal ecumenical impulses: Past and present challenges In die Skriflig Ecumenical impulse pentecostals unity primitivist-restorationist urge work of the Spirit denominationalism grass-roots ecumenism |
| title | Pentecostal ecumenical impulses: Past and present challenges |
| title_full | Pentecostal ecumenical impulses: Past and present challenges |
| title_fullStr | Pentecostal ecumenical impulses: Past and present challenges |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pentecostal ecumenical impulses: Past and present challenges |
| title_short | Pentecostal ecumenical impulses: Past and present challenges |
| title_sort | pentecostal ecumenical impulses past and present challenges |
| topic | Ecumenical impulse pentecostals unity primitivist-restorationist urge work of the Spirit denominationalism grass-roots ecumenism |
| url | https://indieskriflig.org.za/index.php/skriflig/article/view/2330 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mariusnel pentecostalecumenicalimpulsespastandpresentchallenges |