Century of Pentecostal Vision J
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
F ALL 1999 F ALL 1999 A Century of Pentecostal Vision J. Roswell Flower The Genesis of the Pentecostal Movement . 16 How the 20th-century inauguration of the Spirit encircled the globe and touched millions. Gary B. McGee William J. Seymour and the Azusa Street Revival. 26 The Apostolic Faith Mission and the man who led its revival. A Centur Cordas C. Burnett Eighty-five Years Ago . 36 How an embryonic group of 300 became a powerful, Spirit-filled body of Christians numbering over 30 million worldwide. y of P Richard A. Lewis E.N. Bell—a Voice of Restraint in an Era of entecostal Vision Controversy . 48 What the Assemblies of God’s first general chairman did to shape a fledgling organization into the largest Pentecostal group in the world. Joseph, David, Adele, A Living Pentecostal Legacy . 54 Suzanne Flower A reflection on the life and legacy of J. Roswell and Alice Reynolds Flower—two 20th-century pioneers in the Pentecostal movement. Joyce Lee, Women in the Pentecostal Movement . 60 Glenn Gohr Who were these women whose faithfulness, sacrifice, and dedication influenced the spread of Pentecostalism? George O. Wood Their Last Full Measure . 66 “From these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion.” Randy Hurst A Spirit-Led Mission. .74 What compelled early Pentecostal leaders to obey the Lord’s command to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel”? William W. Menzies Lessons From the Past: What Our History Teaches Us . 84 Will Pentecostals of the new millennium be known for their piety or merely for their power? James K. Bridges Assemblies of God Schools and Scholars for the 21st Century . 94 Charting our course for the future—will we move into the future by breaking with the past or by building bridges? V olume F Charles T. Crabtree Developing Vision for a New Millennium. .100 To move toward the future with vision is the antidote to apathy and despair. our • Number F www.enrichmentjournal.ag.org our A JOURNAL FOR PENTECOSTAL MINISTRY A UGUST 8-10, 2000 i n i s t r y Matters B Y W A Y D E I . G O O D A L L special issue on the millennium ranke d Christianity is growing in many of the the top 100 discoveries, cataclysmic continent’s countries at five or six times n 1914, approximately 300 people events, and magnificent moments of the the rate of the general population…. Stoll I gathered in Hot Springs, Arkansas, to past 1,000 years. Number 68 was “1906, predicts that if current rates of growth form a Fellowship that was committed to Pentecostalism Catches Fire.” The article continue, five or six Latin American coun- reaching the world for Christ. Few of these reads: “The Flame of Pentecostalism was tries will have non-Catholic—mostly brave pioneers could have dreamed what first lighted when Charles Fox Pa r h a m Pentecostal—majorities by 2010.3 God would do by the end of the century. declared in 1901 that speaking in tongues I could cite similar examples from These leaders were full of the Holy was a sign of the baptism in the Holy Eastern Europe, Africa, the Pa c i fi c Rim Spirit and vision. They knew they could Spirit. It might have sputtered if not for countries, and here in the United States not reach the world alone, but together William Joseph Seymour, a black preacher where we now list approximately 12,000 they could. As a result of their vision, the who listened to Parham through an open Assemblies of God churches. Assemblies of God was formed, a foreign door in his Houston Bible school. Soon There has never been such a time as missions program was organized, and Seymour set out for Los Angeles, where t o d a y. Not only has God poured out His new Assemblies of God congregations his own baptism in the Spirit in 1906 Spirit on all people (Acts 2:17) but also began to sprout throughout the country. brought him an enthusiastic following. more people are coming to Christ today What is today the largest Pe n t e c o s t a l Within 2 years of founding a mission in than at any other time in history. The denomination began to take shape. an abandoned church on Azusa Street, d u n a m i s power that comes with the bap- Although they later developed a his multicultural ministry sent missionar- tism in the Holy Spirit is a major reason doctrinal statement (the Statement of ies to 25 countries. By the end of the why world evangelism is progressing so Fundamental Truths) and became well 1960s, Protestants and Catholics have r a p i d l y. With Pentecostal growth comes organized, their passion and reason for both begun to embrace the gifts of the intensive evangelism because the prima- uniting—world evangelization—has Spirit in charismatic renewal move- ry reason for this infilling is to be a wit- never changed. No one told them they ments…. Today about a half billion peo- ness for our blessed Lord. could not do it, so by faith they began. ple call themselves Pentecostal or charis- The task isn’t finished, but the end is in E i g h t y- five years later, the 300 have grown matic, and Pentecostals alone outnumber sight. There are signs all around us indi- to approximately 30 million worldwide. Anglicans, Baptists, Lutherans, and cating that the return of Christ is immi- Throughout our history, God has given Presbyterians combined. The Yoido Full nent. Like the 300 who gathered in Hot the Assemblies of God leaders who have Gospel Church in Seoul, Korea, is now, at Springs, let us agree that together we can been men of vision and passion. The three- 700,000 strong, the largest Christian con- reach this needy world for Jesus. fold mission of the church—worshiping gregation on earth.”1 God, discipleship, and evangelism—has H a rvard University professor Harv e y Wayde I. Goodall, D.Min., is ex e c u t i v e been the guiding principle behind the C ox wrote concerning the Pe n t e c o s t a l editor of E n r i c h m e n t numerous programs within the growth in Brazil: “Once merely quick, J o u r n a l and national Fellowship. Each general superintendent Pentecostal growth has now reached the c o o rdinator of the has had his own unique style and gifts; proportions of a tidal wave…. Scholars Ministerial Enrichment their individual focus, however, has never now estimate that on any given Sunday O f fi ce, Springfie l d , M i s s o u r i . changed. They all depended on the leading morning there are probably more of the Holy Spirit and gave God the glory Pentecostals at church in Brazil than E N D N O T E S for all He has done. God has blessed us, there are Catholics at mass.”2 helped us, protected us; we can trust Him A similar picture is emerging in Latin 1. “The World as It Was and the Events That Changed It,” L i f e 20 (fall 1997): 12,76. to lead us into the next millennium. America. In his book, Is Latin America 2. Harvey Cox, Fi re From Heaven ( R e a d i n g , The Pentecostal movement has caught T u rning Pro t e s t a n t ? , David Stoll pre- Mass: Addison-We s l e y, 1994), 167, 1 6 8 . the attention of others. L i f e m a g a z i n e ’ s sents statistics to show that non-C a t h o l i c 3. Ibid., 168. E n r i c h m e n t • 1 TA B L E O F CO N T E N T S—A CE N T U RY O F PE N T E C O S TA L VI S I O N THEME ARTICLES Hispanic Pe n t e c o s t a l i s m Unending Le g a c y By Efraim Espinoza Hispanic churches are the fastest-growing Ask the Superintendent segment of the Assemblies of God. This I n t e r view with Thomas E. Trask article highlights their early history and General Superintendant Trask discusses the two individuals who played an important Assemblies of God’s rich heritage and gives role in establishing the Hispanic practical advice as the Fellowship approaches Assemblies of God. 5 9 a new century of ministry. .1 2 Women in the Pe n t e c o s t a l The Genesis of the M o v e m e n t Pentecostal Movement By Joyce Lee and Glenn Gohr Page 26 By J.R. Flower From the beginning of the modern Pe n t e - The late Joesph Roswell Flower, a pioneer costal movement, women have made vital leader in the Pentecostal movement, has contributions. The influence of these dedicat- provided a careful look at the Pe n t e c o s t a l ed pioneers will only be revealed in eternity. explosion in the early years of the 20th 60 c e n t u r y. .16 Their Last Full Measure William J. Seymour and By George O.