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Catholics & Pentecostals The Way Forward
Charles Whitehead, a life member of the English National Service Committee, reflects on the amazing growth of the Pentecostal Church over the last 100 years and considers what the Spirit is saying to the Catholic Church through this.
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THE BIRTH OF PENTECOSTALISM History tells us that in 1905 a group of Christians was asked to leave the Second Baptist Church of Los Angeles because they insisted on praying for and seeking revival in the power of the Holy Spirit. They found a temporary home in a house on Bonnie Brae Street under the pastoral direction of William J. Seymour, where they continued to seek a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and to pray for a new Pentecost. As their numbers grew they relocated to the Apostolic Faith Mission in Azusa Street in April 1906, and it was here that they experienced the power and the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit, with speaking in tongues and many signs and wonders. This experience of a personal Pentecost became known as the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, and as the news spread, hundreds flocked to Azusa Street to see what was happening. Reactions were mixed, with some speaking about a sovereign act of God whilst others rapidly distanced themselves from such emotional and extreme behaviour. Those who embraced the Baptism in the Holy Spirit often found the doors were closed to them when they returned excitedly to their own churches, forcing them to establish new groups and fellowships. Pentecostalism was born and rapidly spread throughout the world. Today we find the classical Pentecostal denominations (Assemblies of God, Elim, Church of God in Christ etc.) in almost every country, but in addition there are thousands of other groups taking the name Pentecostal, as well as the huge numbers of non-denominational, independent, and neo-charismatics which have appeared in more recent years. If we add in all the charismatics within the traditional denominations - Catholic and Protestant - we are looking at more than one third of global Christianity’s 2 billion members. Pentecostalism itself ranks second only to Catholicism in the number of followers, and in Latin America accounts for three out of every four Christians who are not Catholics. Facts like these lie behind scholarly forecasts that in 50 years time the great majority of the world’s Christians will be either Catholic or Pentecostal and will live in the southern hemisphere, particularly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. This will mean a doctrinally conservative Christianity, with a strong belief in the supernatural intervention of God. THE BIGGER PICTURE Our experience in Europe is that the Catholic Church and some of the traditional Protestant churches are not growing - in fact in some countries they’re declining at a worrying rate. But we must always be careful not to judge everything from our own limited experience, and we need to raise our eyes and look at the bigger picture. When we do this, we will be surprised to find exciting growth in other parts of the body of Christ (particularly among Pentecostals) even in our increasingly secular and materialistic European society. This should cause us to stop and think, and to take a serious look at these growing churches. After all, Pentecostalism was born only 100 years ago, and its beginnings in an old, run-down mission church in Azusa Street, Los Angeles, were hardly auspicious. But then the same could certainly be said of a stable in Bethlehem - appearances can be deceptive. So what does the future hold for Catholic-Pentecostal relations? For Catholic charismatics this is a particularly important question, as we undoubtedly have a special part to play in encouraging mutual understanding and co-operation, rather than accepting the climate of mistrust and hostility which often exists today. Our experience of this renewing and empowering work of the Spirit mirrors that of our Pentecostal brothers and sisters. THE GIFT IS GOD HIMSELF Renewal is firstly about me and God - I must make a conscious decision to accept what he is offering me. The result? My faith comes alive. It has nothing to do with my plans, my ideas, or my merits. It has everything to do with the love, the mercy, and the power of God. The gift is God himself - given to us in a fuller and more wonderful way. Through the grace of Renewal, a sub-normal or inherited Christianity is changed into a full and active life of faith lived in the power of the Holy Spirit. We enter into a living relationship with Jesus, and we place this relationship under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. But we must be on our guard against giving any impression of elitism - that there are first and second-class Christians, those who are baptised in the Spirit and those who are not. Baptism in the Spirit is offered to everyone, and it is not given to make us superior Christians - it’s given to make us more effective and useful Christians. Most of this understanding and much of the experience is shared by other Denominational Charismatics, by Pentecostals, and by Non-Denominational Charismatics, so in the light of this let’s now look at Catholic-Pentecostal relationships today. A MESSAGE OF HOPE In many countries in the world where Catholicism is the strongest Christian denomination, the Pentecostals are today making significant in-roads and attracting many of our people. They are particularly effective among the economically poorer people. Why is this? I think it’s because they offer a simple, Gospel message which people can easily understand, and which gives them hope. It emphasises grace, forgiveness, love, faith and power. It expects a response and looks for supernatural manifestations of the presence and power of God. Those who respond will be incorporated into strong, faith-filled communities, where they will be encouraged, taught, pastored, and released in their gifts for the benefit of the wider community. A Pentecostal is expected to play an active part in the life of the local church, and lay people can rise to positions of authority and influence, where they can teach, preach, minister, and pastor others. The Bible is the sole authority for life, and interpretation of the Scriptures is an individual responsibility under the guidance of the church leaders. As I write this I’m reminded again of the accounts of the early Christian community in the Book of Acts - where God is clearly at work, people will always respond. So rather than just complaining about Pentecostals who steal our sheep, we need to face the simple question - why does this happen? What are they offering that our people are lacking? How can we counteract their challenge? Sometimes their methods may be questionable, some seem more like sects than a church community as we understand it, but they’re on fire with a love for God and a desire to fulfil the missionary mandate, as we should be. It’s our responsibility to do all we can to ensure that the Gospel message is presented to our Catholic people with equal enthusiasm and commitment, to ensure they have a full understanding of their faith, that they know God loves and accepts them, that they are encouraged in their gifts, empowered by the Holy Spirit, released in service of their brothers and sisters, and experiencing the joy of being part of a faith-filled Catholic parish community. This is certainly challenging, but we must accept that sheep only stray if they are not properly fed and cared for. THE WAY FORWARD Of course it’s true that many Pentecostals question
whether Catholics are fully Christian - whether (in their terms) we
have really given our lives to God, accepted Jesus, and been filled
with the Holy Spirit. It’s a fair question, and this is where Catholic
Charismatics have a wonderful opportunity to establish good relations
with our Pentecostal brothers and sisters, helping them to understand
Catholics better. Pentecostals will quickly recognise a bond of unity
with charismatics, and this will discourage them from thinking
that all Catholics need converting. Serious Catholic - Pentecostal
theological dialogues have been going on through the Pontifical Council
for Promoting Christian Unity since 1972, and documents and reports
have been published. Enormous differences exist, and the dialogues have
not been easy, but mutual respect and appreciation has grown. So what
more can be done? What part can we all play in helping to increase understanding
and respect for each other?
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In
April 2006, a large worldwide gathering in Los Angeles celebrated the
first 100 years of the Pentecostal Movement. Today Pentecostals
and Charismatics account for more than one third of global Christianity,
and it’s this part of the church which is growing faster than any
other. How are we to explain this remarkable growth - what lessons have
we Catholics to learn? As we try to understand what God is doing and
saying, let’s take a brief look at the history of Pentecostalism
so that we can see how it all began.