PERSPECTIVES
ON THE PENTECOSTAL MOVEMENT
Leaders of Four Pentecostal Denominations Discuss Challenges, Trends, and the Future
DR. JAMES E. COSSEY, editor in chief, recently interviewed Dr. that are really growing are Pentecostal—not just in name, but in
Raymond F. Culpepper, general overseer of the Church of God practice. The 2009 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches
(Cleveland, Tennessee); Dr. George Wood, general superinten- reports that the only Protestant denominations experiencing
dent of the Assemblies of God (Springfield, Missouri), Dr. Jeff growth in 2008 were Pentecostal. In that publication, the
Farmer, president of the Open Bible Churches (Des Moines, Church of God is credited with a growth of 2.04 percent, and
Iowa); and Bishop Jerry Macklin, second assistant presiding the Assemblies of God with 0.94 percent. These figures fly in the
bishop of the Church of God in Christ (Memphis, Tennessee). face of the idea that you can’t be Pentecostal and grow the
The article is a compilation from these interviews. church in this generation.
COSSEY: There is a new generation of young people attending our FARMER: This is easy for me to discuss because I grew up in the
churches; many of these have no background in Pentecost. Many Disciples of Christ movement. As a senior in high school, I
know very little about the operation of the Holy Spirit. How can we walked into my first Pentecostal service and pretty much sat in
lead them to become truly Pentecostal? the back and laughed my way through it. I thought it was hilari-
ous until, of course, God brought me to Calvary and that
WOOD: It all begins with leadership. It begins with the pastor. If changed everything. I don’t think, however, that the gaps are all
pastors will give focus to the person and work of the Holy Spirit that difficult to bridge when we approach youth with intention-
and preach on the Holy Spirit, young people will follow. Pastors ality. We have to intentionally engage in Pentecostal worship
need to meet with young people, have sessions with them. This is and in teaching about the Holy Spirit.
a hungry generation. It’s a broken generation. I find that young
people are very open to the ministry of the Spirit. COSSEY: What really makes a Pentecostal service Pentecostal?
CULPEPPER: There seems to be an assumption that if a church MACKLIN: Pentecostal worship, in my view, is when we are
is truly Pentecostal, it cannot reach young people. That is open to the moving of God’s Spirit, and we allow that moving
patently false. It’s a smoke screen. Look around us; the churches of His Spirit to be demonstrated. Pentecostal worship does not
“THERE SEEMS TO BE AN
ASSUMPTION THAT IF A CHURCH IS
TRULY PENTECOSTAL, IT
CANNOT REACH YOUNG PEOPLE.
THAT IS PATENTLY FALSE. IT’S A
SMOKE SCREEN. LOOK AROUND US;
THE CHURCHES THAT ARE REALLY
GROWING ARE PENTECOSTAL—NOT
JUST IN NAME, BUT IN PRACTICE.”
—RAYMOND CULPEPPER
22 EVANGEL • AUG 2009
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