Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement that emphasizes direct personal experience of God through baptism with the Holy Spirit. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, an event that commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks, as described in the Acts of the Apostles.
Oneness Pentecostalism is a nontrinitarian religious movement within the Protestant Christian family of churches known as Pentecostalism. It derives its distinctive name from its teaching on the Godhead, which is popularly referred to as the Oneness doctrine, a form of Modalistic Monarchianism. This doctrine states that there is one God, a singular divine spirit with no distinction of persons who manifests himself in many ways, including as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This stands in sharp contrast to the doctrine of three distinct and eternal persons posited by Trinitarian theology.
The Latter Rain, also known as the New Order or the New Order of the Latter Rain, was a post–World War II movement within Pentecostal Christianity which remains controversial. The movement saw itself as a continuation of the restorationism of early pentecostalism. The movement began with major revivals between 1948 and 1952, and became established as a large semi-organized movement by 1952 and continued into the 1960s. The movement had a profound impact on subsequent movements as its participants dispersed throughout the broader charismatic and pentecostal movements beginning in the 1960s.
Charles F. Parham was an American preacher and evangelist. Together with William J. Seymour, Parham was one of the two central figures in the development and early spread of American Pentecostalism. It was Parham who associated glossolalia with the baptism in the Holy Spirit, a theological connection crucial to the emergence of Pentecostalism as a distinct movement. Parham was the first preacher to articulate Pentecostalism's distinctive doctrine of evidential tongues, and to expand the movement.
The Neo-charismaticmovement is a movement within evangelical Protestant Christianity that is composed of a diverse range of independent churches and organizations that emphasize the current availability of gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and faith healing. The Neo-charismatic movement is considered to be the "third wave" of the Charismatic Christian tradition which began with Pentecostalism, and was furthered by the Charismatic movement. As a result of the growth of postdenominational and independent charismatic groups, Neo-charismatics are now believed to be more numerous than the first and second wave categories. As of 2002, some 19,000 denominations or groups, with approximately 295 million individual adherents, were identified as Neo-charismatic.
The term "Aladura" means "praying person" in Yoruba. Aladura is a classification of indigenous churches that started in Yoruba land in the early 20th century. These churches believe in the efficacy of prayers and practical guidance by the Living God through his Holy Spirit in all its programs.
The Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa (AFM) is a classical Pentecostal Christian denomination in South Africa. With 1.2 million adherents, it is South Africa's largest Pentecostal church and the fifth largest religious grouping in South Africa representing 7.6 percent of the population. Dr. Isak Burger has led the AFM as president since 1996 when the white and black branches of the church were united. It is a member of the Apostolic Faith Mission International, a fellowship of 23 AFM national churches. It is also a member of the South African Council of Churches.
Joseph Ayo Babalola was a Nigerian Christian minister and the leader of the Christ Apostolic Church, popularly called CAC in Nigeria. His followers claimed that he had healing powers.
Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) is the first Aladura Pentecostal church present in Nigeria and other countries. It arose in the first half of the 20th century, in the then-British empire. It was formally established in 1941 after a split from the Apostolic Church which the original Aladura organization had invited to Nigeria. Its growth was led by Joseph Ayo Babalola, a road construction driver who became its first General Evangelist. The revival led by Apostle Joseph Ayo Babalola resulted in thousands burning their traditional fetishes and giving their lives to Christ. This disturbed the colonial authorities, and allegations included witch-hunting and opposition to hospitals and medicine. Babalola was arrested and jailed.
Cessationism versus continuationism involves a Christian theological dispute as to whether spiritual gifts remain available to the church, or whether their operation ceased with the Apostolic Age of the church. The cessationist doctrine arose in the Reformed theology: initially in response to claims of Roman Catholic miracles. Modern discussions focus more on the use of spiritual gifts in the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, though this emphasis has been taught in traditions that arose earlier, such as Methodism.
The arrival of the Europeans in 15th century into the then Gold Coast brought Christianity to the land. There were many different cultural groups across the West African region who were practicing different forms of spirituality. As the Europeans explored and took control of parts of the country during the colonial days, so did their religion. Christianity is the religion with the largest following in Ghana. Christian denominations include Catholics, Methodists, Anglicans, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Seventh-Day Adventists, Pentecostals, Baptists, Evangelical Charismatics, Latter-day Saints, etc.
The Church of Pentecost is a Pentecostal denomination that originates from Ghana. The Church currently has a presence in more than 151 countries globally. Its current Chairman, who happens to be its highest officer worldwide, is Apostle Eric Nyamekye.
Reverend James McKeown was an Irish missionary who spent considerable time in the Gold Coast, now Ghana. He was the first Pentecostal missionary to come to Ghana from the United Kingdom and was instrumental in the establishment of The Apostolic Church - Ghana. In the 1950s he founded the Church of Pentecost, the church with the biggest denomination in Ghana and which has branches all over the world. He is considered a "pioneer of Ghanaian Pentecostalism".
Alfred Gaelton Garr was an early leader in the Pentecostal movement. Hundreds of churches were born out of his ministry, and he was a pioneer in the healing ministry of Pentecostalism as a whole, leading hundreds of healings during his lifetime. He became a leader in the Burning Bush movement before attending the Azusa Street Revival and subsequently devoting the rest of his life to healing evangelism and planting Pentecostal churches in the nation and across the globe.
Pentecostalism began spreading in South Africa after William J. Seymour, of the Azusa Street mission, sent missionaries to convert and organize missions. By the 1990s, approximately 10% of the population of South Africa was Pentecostal. The largest denominations were the Apostolic Faith Mission, Assemblies of God, and the Full Gospel Church of God. Another 30% of the population was made up of mostly black Zionist and Apostolic churches, which comprise a majority of South Africa's African Instituted Churches(AICs). In a 2006 survey, 1 in 10 urban South Africans said they were Pentecostal, and 2 in 10 said they were charismatic. In total, renewalists comprised one-fourth of the South African urban population. A third of all protestants surveyed said that they were Pentecostal or charismatic, and one-third of all South African AIC members said they were charismatic.
The doctrines and practices of modern Pentecostalism placed a high priority on international evangelization. The movement spread to Africa soon after the 1906 Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles.
The Apostolic Church - Ghana is a denomination emanating from the Pentecostal movement which started from the 1904–1905 Welsh revival. It practices self-governing and claims to own local churches in every district in Ghana and foreign mission fields with its headquarters in Accra, Ghana. The church is firmly identified as a Pentecostal, Trinitarian, Evangelical and Bible-believing church.
Christ Apostolic Church International is a Pentecostal Evangelical church which traces its existence from the ministry of the late Apostle Peter Anim, the originator of Ghanaian Pentecostalism. It had a humble beginning as a prayer group started in 1917 at Asamankese, but later received affiliation with Apostolic Church Bradford.
Joseph Egyir-Paintsil (1928-1981) was a Ghanaian Evangelist, an Apostle and the first General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost (COP). He was the eighth son born of Opanyin Kojo Paintsir and Maame Adjoa Kwansima, a native of Abura-Dunkwa in the Central Region (Ghana). He was called into full-time ministry of COP in 1949, ordained as a Pastor in 1952 and, subsequently, appointed General Secretary the same year.
Samson Kwame Oppong also Sampson Opon or Opong was a controversial Akan Christian preacher-prophet on the Gold Coast in the 1920s. His missionary zeal, unconventional and fiery ministry helped entrench Methodism in the Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo Regions of Ghana, through a large-scale spiritual awakening and revival. Though his knowledge of Christian theology was minimal, he is known to have employed threats and other coercive techniques to proselytise in the Ghanaian towns and villages he worked in.
