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Toward a Dialogue of Conversion: The Pentecostal, Evangelical and Conciliar Movements

Jeffrey Gros

The Pentecostal churches bring unique gifts to the Christian family of churches, and reap major benefits from their collaboration with fellow Christians in witness to the Gospel in our world. The power of the Holy Spirit, witnessed to in deepening bonds of communion among Christians of diverse traditions, moves all who confess Jesus Christ and respond to his saving power to pray and work for that unity for which he prayed. Christians may differ as to what they see the Scripture calling them to in the Church, and what are the essential marks of fellowship in the Holy Spirit. However, anyone reading the Epistles of Paul or the Acts of the Apostles realizes that, among the diversity of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, there is to be peace, harmony and unity among all who confess Christ's name. Conversion to Jesus Christ means a conversion to the community of faith, and conversion to the communion Christ wills implies a zeal for unity among all who confess his name. The Pentecostal churches in the United States have a rich history of ecumenical collaboration with other Christians in the National Association of Evangelicals, the Pentecostal Fellowship of North America and the Society for Pentecostal Studies. More recently an openness has developed towards conversations in the Faith and Order movement of the World and National Councils of Churches, with the Roman in dialogues discussed elsewhere in this issue of PNEQ4A, and with the wider World Council of Churches concerns in the 1991 Canberra Assembly. All of these relationships, beyond the Pentecostal family, or within the Pentecostal family, as exemplified by the new Pentecostal and Charismatic Fellowship of North America, are signs of the Holy Spirit's action in intensifying the bonds of communion already present among all who confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. In this article, the present challenge before Evangelical and Pentecostal churches will be noted, the contribution of Pentecostals to recent discussions in the Faith and Order movement and the World Council will be reviewed, and some proposals will be suggested.

Challenges in the Evangelical World The Evangelical movement, broadly considered, and the classical Pentecostal movement in particular have been gifted with unique successes from God. The growth of the Pentecostal churches around the world, from the humble beginnings at Azusa Street, Los Angeles 190 and before, has astounded the Christian world, and even Pentecostals themselves. The emergence of major international denominations from voluntary mission collaboration, the indigenization of in a variety of cultures, and a Charismatic movement within most major Christian traditions, will have to be recorded as one of the unique contributions of the twentieth century to Christian history. This rapid growth, and the ability to build on the intense experience of the Holy Spirit in the community, has brought with it challenges and disappointments. The movement has become too domesticated for some. For others, entrepreneurial leadership has been able to attract attention to itself, sometimes eclipsing the objective content of the Gospel message. These challenges, seen as both gift and burden, have caused some in the Evangelical movement to direct strong criticism at the leadership from within the movement. Such criticism questions whether the Evangelical world has taken adequate account of the intellectual imperative of the Gospel.' Further concerns have been raised as to whether the successes of and Pentecostalism have not produced a lack of attention to history, accountability and the discernment that is imperative if a spirituality is to develop to sustain and challenge the movement as it becomes more established.2 It has been noted that some of these challenges are particularly applicable to Pentecostalism at this moment in history.' What might be some of the elements that can contribute to this growth in maturity and learning in the Pentecostal churches and the Charismatic communities within the classical churches? Certainly the Society for Pentecostal Studies, the seminary arrangements within the variety of classical Pentecostal churches and the number of Pentecostal scholars who have served their churches by bringing their intellectual gifts to bear in witness within and beyond their churches, are primary contributions to this process of maturation. Likewise, the willingness of the leadership of the classical Pentecostal churches to support their scholars, to encourage their leaders in their intellectual pursuits and their own engagement with other Evangelical Christians in exploration of the best ways for their churches together to serve their people and the world, are all testimonies to the seriousness of the Pentecostal movement in stewarding the gifts that have been

' Mark Noll and David Wells, eds., Christian Faith and Practice in the Alodern World (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988); Mark Noll, The Scandal of the Evangelical Afind (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1994); David Wells, God in the Wasteland (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1994). 2 Alister McGrath, Evangelicalism and the Future of Christianity (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. 1995).. ' Walter J. Hollenweger, "The Critical Tradition of Pentecostalism," Journal of Pentecostal 1 (October 1992): 7-17.