Pentecostalism, the Charismatic Movement, and Evangelicalism

Pentecostalism is currently the fastest growing form of Christianity in the world with over 580 million participants. Some scholars believe it may be the type of Christianity that will contribute most to its future evolution.1

The story of modern Pentecostalism has its roots in the day of PentecostComes from the Greek word for "fifty", and refers to the Jewish harvest festival also called the "feast of weeks", because it was held seven weeks (a week of weeks) and a day after Passover. Many Christian traditions view that... more after Jesus’s crucifixion. This was a Jewish holiday which occurred each year fifty days after Passover. The date of this holiday was significant because the number seven signified holiness (the sabbath). The day of PentecostComes from the Greek word for "fifty", and refers to the Jewish harvest festival also called the "feast of weeks", because it was held seven weeks (a week of weeks) and a day after Passover. Many Christian traditions view that... more was special because it occurred after a week of holy days which amplified the sacredness of the occasion. The holiness of this festival was demonstrated by calling it the festival of weeks. Jews gathered to Jerusalem from all over the diaspora, where they had adopted the native tongues of their regions. The second chapter of Acts describes a miraculous outpouring of the Holy Spirit, leading to the conversionThis term is derived from the Latin word for “turning,” and is a theological term that refers to one turning his will from evil to good and is generally used to denote one becoming a Christian and/or joining a particular... more of three thousand persons that very day. The few Christians who were in Jerusalem gathered together on this holy day after Jesus’s resurrectionThe doctrine that Jesus’ spiritual essence was reunited with his physical body and that other humans will likewise live again with their spirit or soul reunited with their material body. This term does not refer to the doctrine of the... more. The Holy Spirit fell upon them with the sound of a rushing wind. The Christians began speaking and glorifying God in unknown languages, drawing quite a large crowd of spectators to observe this strange affair. The apostle PeterPeter (c. A.D. 1–65) was a Jewish fisherman, chosen by Jesus to be one of his 12 Apostles. Peter was a critical witness to many events in Jesus’ life and took on a leadership role after the death of Jesus... more stood up and preached ChristDerived from a Greek term meaning anointed and is equivalent to the word “messiah” from Hebrew roots. The anointing references the act of installing a new king similar to the modern custom of crowning a king, so the term “Christ”... more crucified to the assembly, and each of the individuals in this diverse horde understood his words in their own language. Being pricked in their hearts, they asked what they should do, and PeterPeter (c. A.D. 1–65) was a Jewish fisherman, chosen by Jesus to be one of his 12 Apostles. Peter was a critical witness to many events in Jesus’ life and took on a leadership role after the death of Jesus... more told them to repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins so they too could receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. This story has fascinated Christians throughout their history.

Pentecostals believe this experience sets the model for Christian worship, particularly the aspect involving speaking in tongues, which is technically known as glossolaliaTerm from the Greek phrase meaning “speaking in tongues,” and is used to describe “the phenomenon of believers uttering sounds during ecstatic worship that are similar to a language but are not recognizable as any human language. (See xenolalia.) more. They believe that true Christians need a second baptismFrom a Greek word meaning “to immerse;” and is an initiatory ritual washing whereby one becomes a member of the Christian community. It involves various symbolic meanings including, cleansing, the death and resurrection of Christ, and a sinners death and... more of the Holy Spirit after their baptismFrom a Greek word meaning “to immerse;” and is an initiatory ritual washing whereby one becomes a member of the Christian community. It involves various symbolic meanings including, cleansing, the death and resurrection of Christ, and a sinners death and... more by water. This is evidenced by the Spirit moving an individual to speak in tongues.

Charles FoxGeorge Fox (A.D. Jul 1624–13 Jan 1691) Founder of the Religious Society of Friends, more commonly known as Quakers. more Parham(A.D. 1873–1929) Charles Fox Parham was a preacher and evangelist in America and was a central figure in the development of Pentecostalism by associating the idea of “speaking in tongues” with the doctrine of baptism in the Holy Spirit. more (1873–1929) grew up as a sickly child on the rough Iowa and Kansas frontiers. When he was only six months old, he contracted a fever that stunted his growth and left him an invalid. He suffered severe spasms for several years and was vulnerable to catching other diseases. He nearly died from illness when he was five, and contracted rheumatic fever when he was nine years of age, from which he never fully recovered.

His precarious physical condition and hardship may have conditioned him to think about spiritual things. Indeed, while he was ill as a child, he felt God had called him to do His work like Samuel of old. His mother died when he was only five years old. His father remarried the daughter of a Methodist circuit rider a year later. The family was very devout and pursued the Methodist Holiness movementWas a Wesleyan movement founded in the 1830s in America by Methodist teacher Phoebe Palmer that advocated immediate perfection was obtainable through a special act of consecration by “laying all upon the altar” and thereby acquiring a “second blessing” of... more. When Charles was thirteen, he felt converted to the gospel. When he was sixteen, he enrolled in Southwest Kansas College with the idea of becoming a minister. But he became discouraged contemplating the meager income this employment would generate, so he changed the focus of his education.

He then contracted another serious case of rheumatic fever. After months of suffering, the doctor gave him just few more days to live. While suffering from the fever, he heard in his mind the words, “Will you preach? WILL YOU PREACH?” He finally vowed to God that he would preach if God would send him somewhere he would not have to beg for money to live. He recalled the stories of Jesus(c. 4 B.C.–A.D. 30-33) Also known as Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and Savior of the World. He is the founding figure of Christianity and accepted by Christians as the Son of God in the flesh. He taught... more healing the sick and cried out to God to heal him. He immediately felt every joint and organ in his body healed, except for his ankles. He returned to college and continued to pray for God to heal his ankles. One evening while he prayed, he felt a healing force flow through his body like a current of electricity and his ankles were healed.

After this miraculous healing, he dedicated himself to the ministry. He left the Methodist Churcha term translated from the Greek word “Ecclesia” which means an assembly called together and is sometime translated as a congregation. A church is an organized group of believers who adhere to a set of core beliefs. The Church in... more because they would not allow the degree of flexibility in preaching that he wanted. He rejected all denominations and pursued his own itinerate evangelicalComes from the Greek term, evangelion, and means good news or the Gospel. This term was use in the 16th century to refer to Protestants and is still used this way in Germany to this day. In England and the... more ministry based on the teachings of the holiness movement. He emphasized the need to return to the practices found in the original Apostolic church. He also came to the conclusion that there was more to a full baptismFrom a Greek word meaning “to immerse;” and is an initiatory ritual washing whereby one becomes a member of the Christian community. It involves various symbolic meanings including, cleansing, the death and resurrection of Christ, and a sinners death and... more than what other ministers taught at the time.

He opened a small Bible school, and at the end of 1900, he invited his students to pray and worship with him over the ChristmasA Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. The first recorded celebration of Easter occurred in Rome in A.D. 336. Why the date of the winter solstice was chosen is not clear but may have been based on... more break. On the evening of January 1, 1901, at the end of this extra ordinary worship period, Agnes Ozman asked everyone present to pray that she would receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Immediately upon conclusion of their prayers, she began to speak in an unknown language that some thought was Chinese. Charles Parham(A.D. 1873–1929) Charles Fox Parham was a preacher and evangelist in America and was a central figure in the development of Pentecostalism by associating the idea of “speaking in tongues” with the doctrine of baptism in the Holy Spirit. more became convinced that speaking in tongues was the full baptismFrom a Greek word meaning “to immerse;” and is an initiatory ritual washing whereby one becomes a member of the Christian community. It involves various symbolic meanings including, cleansing, the death and resurrection of Christ, and a sinners death and... more of the Holy Spirit which Christians needed to seek. Parham(A.D. 1873–1929) Charles Fox Parham was a preacher and evangelist in America and was a central figure in the development of Pentecostalism by associating the idea of “speaking in tongues” with the doctrine of baptism in the Holy Spirit. more originated the doctrineis derived from the Latin word for teaching, doctrina, and is an important aspect of Christianity more so than other world religions because Christianity focuses on the teachings and nature of Christ. more called initial evidence, which maintains that the baptismFrom a Greek word meaning “to immerse;” and is an initiatory ritual washing whereby one becomes a member of the Christian community. It involves various symbolic meanings including, cleansing, the death and resurrection of Christ, and a sinners death and... more of the Holy Spirit is evidenced by speaking in tongues. This concept is what distinguished Pentecostalism from the other Holiness groups that spoke in tongues or believed in a subsequent phenomenal experience to one’s conversionThis term is derived from the Latin word for “turning,” and is a theological term that refers to one turning his will from evil to good and is generally used to denote one becoming a Christian and/or joining a particular... more or sanctificationDerived from the Latin word sanctus for “holy” and literally means “becoming holy.” In most Protestant theology it refers to the process of become a more moral individual through an internal transformation following justification that occurs at the time of... more. Parham(A.D. 1873–1929) Charles Fox Parham was a preacher and evangelist in America and was a central figure in the development of Pentecostalism by associating the idea of “speaking in tongues” with the doctrine of baptism in the Holy Spirit. more and some of his followers traveled to spread this message.

In 1903, the wife of a prominent citizen felt that Parham(A.D. 1873–1929) Charles Fox Parham was a preacher and evangelist in America and was a central figure in the development of Pentecostalism by associating the idea of “speaking in tongues” with the doctrine of baptism in the Holy Spirit. more had healed her. She and her husband arranged for him to preach in a warehouse seating hundreds of people. The newspaper reported that over several months, more than one thousand people had been healed, and hundreds had been converted. Parham’s Apostolic Faith movement gained traction and notoriety, some positive and much negative.

Parham’s ministry prospered for a while but it was subject to accusations of financial impropriety and sexual scandal, after which it languished. In 1914, over Parham’s objection, his Apostolic Faith movement merged with other PentecostalA modern evangelical movement named after the day of Pentecost when there was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Its distinctive characteristics involve extensive influence of the Holy Spirit including the speaking in tongues (glossolalia) which acts as evidence of... more groups to form the General Council of the Assemblies of God, which has grown to become the largest PentecostalA modern evangelical movement named after the day of Pentecost when there was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Its distinctive characteristics involve extensive influence of the Holy Spirit including the speaking in tongues (glossolalia) which acts as evidence of... more fellowship in the world with over 442,000 congregations and 85 million adherents.2

William Joseph Seymour(A.D. 1870–1922) William Seymour was an African American preacher who studied under Charles Fox Parham, adopting Pentecostalism and the view that “speaking in tongues” was a sign of being baptized in the Holy Spirit. He started a revival in Los... more (1870–1922) was born in Louisiana. William was baptized and raised as a Catholic even though his family attended a BaptistThe first English Baptist congregation is created (A.D. 1609) out of a Puritan Separatist congregation that is meeting in exile in the Netherlands. This tradition grew out of the English Puritan Separatist movement in the 17th century and later spread... more congregation when he was a teenager. He later said he had dreams and visions in his youth. He was the second of eight children born to a former slave who provided for his family by subsistence farming until he died when William was twenty-one years old.

William supported his siblings on the meager earnings of the small family farm for four years. In 1895, William moved north to the Midwest to find better employment as a railroad porter and hotel waiter. Around this time, he contracted smallpox and lost the vision in his left eye. While living in Indianapolis, he attended a Methodist Episcopal church where he was converted to Christ. In Indianapolis he also embraced the Holiness movementWas a Wesleyan movement founded in the 1830s in America by Methodist teacher Phoebe Palmer that advocated immediate perfection was obtainable through a special act of consecration by “laying all upon the altar” and thereby acquiring a “second blessing” of... more. In 1903 he moved to Houston where he became involved with the Holiness movementWas a Wesleyan movement founded in the 1830s in America by Methodist teacher Phoebe Palmer that advocated immediate perfection was obtainable through a special act of consecration by “laying all upon the altar” and thereby acquiring a “second blessing” of... more in that city.

In early 1906, Seymour(A.D. 1870–1922) William Seymour was an African American preacher who studied under Charles Fox Parham, adopting Pentecostalism and the view that “speaking in tongues” was a sign of being baptized in the Holy Spirit. He started a revival in Los... more learned that Parham(A.D. 1873–1929) Charles Fox Parham was a preacher and evangelist in America and was a central figure in the development of Pentecostalism by associating the idea of “speaking in tongues” with the doctrine of baptism in the Holy Spirit. more had opened a Bible school in Houston. Because of to Jim Crow laws, Seymour(A.D. 1870–1922) William Seymour was an African American preacher who studied under Charles Fox Parham, adopting Pentecostalism and the view that “speaking in tongues” was a sign of being baptized in the Holy Spirit. He started a revival in Los... more was not allowed to attend, but Parham(A.D. 1873–1929) Charles Fox Parham was a preacher and evangelist in America and was a central figure in the development of Pentecostalism by associating the idea of “speaking in tongues” with the doctrine of baptism in the Holy Spirit. more allowed him to sit in the hallway and listen. He became enthralled with Parham’s message of a second baptismFrom a Greek word meaning “to immerse;” and is an initiatory ritual washing whereby one becomes a member of the Christian community. It involves various symbolic meanings including, cleansing, the death and resurrection of Christ, and a sinners death and... more of the Holy Spirit as evidenced by speaking in tongues. Parham(A.D. 1873–1929) Charles Fox Parham was a preacher and evangelist in America and was a central figure in the development of Pentecostalism by associating the idea of “speaking in tongues” with the doctrine of baptism in the Holy Spirit. more even allowed Seymour to preach with him to other Blacks on the street corners of Houston. On February 22, 1906, Seymour went to Los Angeles to preach at a small African American Holiness congregation with support from Parham(A.D. 1873–1929) Charles Fox Parham was a preacher and evangelist in America and was a central figure in the development of Pentecostalism by associating the idea of “speaking in tongues” with the doctrine of baptism in the Holy Spirit. more. The Los Angeles holiness leadership, however, objected to Seymour’s preaching after hearing his sermon about a three-tier level of spiritual experience consisting of conversionThis term is derived from the Latin word for “turning,” and is a theological term that refers to one turning his will from evil to good and is generally used to denote one becoming a Christian and/or joining a particular... more, sanctificationDerived from the Latin word sanctus for “holy” and literally means “becoming holy.” In most Protestant theology it refers to the process of become a more moral individual through an internal transformation following justification that occurs at the time of... more and the baptismFrom a Greek word meaning “to immerse;” and is an initiatory ritual washing whereby one becomes a member of the Christian community. It involves various symbolic meanings including, cleansing, the death and resurrection of Christ, and a sinners death and... more of the Holy Spirit accompanied by the sign of speaking in tongues. The holiness movement maintained that sanctificationDerived from the Latin word sanctus for “holy” and literally means “becoming holy.” In most Protestant theology it refers to the process of become a more moral individual through an internal transformation following justification that occurs at the time of... more and the baptismFrom a Greek word meaning “to immerse;” and is an initiatory ritual washing whereby one becomes a member of the Christian community. It involves various symbolic meanings including, cleansing, the death and resurrection of Christ, and a sinners death and... more of the Holy Spirit were the same thing. They were also suspicious of the spectacle of people speaking in tongues, especially as Seymour(A.D. 1870–1922) William Seymour was an African American preacher who studied under Charles Fox Parham, adopting Pentecostalism and the view that “speaking in tongues” was a sign of being baptized in the Holy Spirit. He started a revival in Los... more still had not had this experience.

However, some of the congregants liked Seymour’s preaching and invited him to stay and conduct Bible studies and prayer meetings at a member’s home. They soon relocated to another home where white families from the local Holiness movementWas a Wesleyan movement founded in the 1830s in America by Methodist teacher Phoebe Palmer that advocated immediate perfection was obtainable through a special act of consecration by “laying all upon the altar” and thereby acquiring a “second blessing” of... more also began to attend with them. On April 9, 1906, the first congregant spoke in tongues. The next day Seymour(A.D. 1870–1922) William Seymour was an African American preacher who studied under Charles Fox Parham, adopting Pentecostalism and the view that “speaking in tongues” was a sign of being baptized in the Holy Spirit. He started a revival in Los... more talked about this event in his sermon, when six other persons began to speak in tongues as well, causing quite a stir in the Los Angeles Holiness community and neighborhood. Two days later, Seymour(A.D. 1870–1922) William Seymour was an African American preacher who studied under Charles Fox Parham, adopting Pentecostalism and the view that “speaking in tongues” was a sign of being baptized in the Holy Spirit. He started a revival in Los... more spoke in tongues himself.3

News of the events at North Bonnie Brae St. quickly circulated among the African American, Latino and white residents of the city, and for several nights, various speakers would preach to the crowds of curious and interested onlookers from the front porch of the Asberry home. Members of the audience included people from a broad spectrum of income levels and religious backgrounds. Hutchins eventually spoke in tongues as her whole congregation began to attend the meetings. Soon the crowds became very large and were full of people speaking in tongues, shouting, singing and moaning. Finally, the front porch collapsed, forcing the group to begin looking for a new meeting place.4

They rented a run-down building at 312 Azusa Street in Los Angeles. By mid-May 1906, hundreds of people from all walks of life came together to worship: “men, women, children, Black, White, Latinos, Asian, Native American, immigrants, rich, poor, illiterate, and educated.” The racial intermingling and the encouragement of women to participate and lead were unheard of in that day. Some people came to observe the curious affair, while others came to participate. It attracted Christians beyond the initial followers from the Holiness movementWas a Wesleyan movement founded in the 1830s in America by Methodist teacher Phoebe Palmer that advocated immediate perfection was obtainable through a special act of consecration by “laying all upon the altar” and thereby acquiring a “second blessing” of... more, including Presbyterians, Quakers(A.D. 1650) The Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers, form in England based on the preaching of George Fox. more, BaptistThe first English Baptist congregation is created (A.D. 1609) out of a Puritan Separatist congregation that is meeting in exile in the Netherlands. This tradition grew out of the English Puritan Separatist movement in the 17th century and later spread... more and even MennonitesIs the branch of Anabaptism begun by Menno Simons (1496–1561) as a pacifist reaction to the violent Anabaptist revolt in the Dutch city of Münster. Mennonites and the Amish offshoot is the primary form of Anabaptism that has survived until... more. The worship services were not structured and ran practically around the clock, catching the attention of the press. A local newspaper reporter critically described what he saw in September 1906:

Disgraceful intermingling of the races. … they cry and make howling noises all day and into the night. They run, jump, shake all over, shout to the top of their voice, spin around in circles, fall out on the sawdust blanketed floor jerking, kicking and rolling all over it. Some of them pass out and do not move for hours as though they were dead. These people appear to be mad, mentally deranged or under a spell. They claim to be filled with the spirit. They have a one eyed, illiterate Negro as their preacher who stays on his knees much of the time with his head hidden between the wooden milk crates. He doesn’t talk very much but at times he can be heard shouting, “Repent,” and he’s supposed to be running the thing.5

When Parham(A.D. 1873–1929) Charles Fox Parham was a preacher and evangelist in America and was a central figure in the development of Pentecostalism by associating the idea of “speaking in tongues” with the doctrine of baptism in the Holy Spirit. more came to visit a few months after the Azusa Street Revival(A.D. 1906) The Azusa Street Revival begins in Los Angeles and lasts for several years. This movement gives birth to Pentecostalism. more began, he was similarly shocked, marched up to the pulpit, and denounced the “animalism” he observed. The people attending, however, rejected his leadership, which strained the relationship between Parham(A.D. 1873–1929) Charles Fox Parham was a preacher and evangelist in America and was a central figure in the development of Pentecostalism by associating the idea of “speaking in tongues” with the doctrine of baptism in the Holy Spirit. more and Seymour(A.D. 1870–1922) William Seymour was an African American preacher who studied under Charles Fox Parham, adopting Pentecostalism and the view that “speaking in tongues” was a sign of being baptized in the Holy Spirit. He started a revival in Los... more. This schism became endemic to the PentecostalA modern evangelical movement named after the day of Pentecost when there was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Its distinctive characteristics involve extensive influence of the Holy Spirit including the speaking in tongues (glossolalia) which acts as evidence of... more movement in general. Almost as soon as a PentecostalA modern evangelical movement named after the day of Pentecost when there was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Its distinctive characteristics involve extensive influence of the Holy Spirit including the speaking in tongues (glossolalia) which acts as evidence of... more congregation began, schisms would arise, resulting in a new congregation spinning off from the prior one, with this pattern continuing and contributing to exponential growth of the overall movement. Even the main unifying PentecostalA modern evangelical movement named after the day of Pentecost when there was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Its distinctive characteristics involve extensive influence of the Holy Spirit including the speaking in tongues (glossolalia) which acts as evidence of... more institution, the Assemblies of God fellowship, continues to consists of numerous highly independent congregations.

Despite criticism from mainline Christians, who used the pejorative “holy rollers” to refer to its participants, the Azusa Street Revival(A.D. 1906) The Azusa Street Revival begins in Los Angeles and lasts for several years. This movement gives birth to Pentecostalism. more continued nonstop for three years and at a less intense rate until 1915. They sent out missionaries who set up similar revivals across America and beyond, launching the PentecostalA modern evangelical movement named after the day of Pentecost when there was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Its distinctive characteristics involve extensive influence of the Holy Spirit including the speaking in tongues (glossolalia) which acts as evidence of... more movement in the twentieth century. Revivals spread to India and Valparaiso, Chile. PentecostalA modern evangelical movement named after the day of Pentecost when there was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Its distinctive characteristics involve extensive influence of the Holy Spirit including the speaking in tongues (glossolalia) which acts as evidence of... more missionaries spread the message throughout Latin America, where today approximately half of all Protestants are Pentecostals.6

Interestingly, the roots of the Charismatic movementearlier known as “neo Pentecostalism” in the late 20th century and is a widespread growing movement among Catholic and mainline Protestant churches in the west that has sprung from Pentecostalism even though it is not directly related to it. Its... more go all the way back to nineteenth-century Russia. A group known as the Doukhobors rejected the Russian Eastern Orthodox religion and secularOf the world in contrast to the divine. more rule similar to the Anabaptists(A.D. 1525) Derived from a Greek word meaning “rebaptizers,” due to adherents’ insistence that infant baptism was not valid and that one must make a informed voluntary commitment as part of a baptismal covenant in order for the baptism to... more in Europe. They believed that God’s spirit illuminates every individual, so they were pacifists and refused to join the military. They professed their belief in Jesus(c. 4 B.C.–A.D. 30-33) Also known as Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and Savior of the World. He is the founding figure of Christianity and accepted by Christians as the Son of God in the flesh. He taught... more as their Lord and Savior, but they rejected the rites and authority of the Orthodox priesthood along with the use of icons and materialismRefers to the popular concept in ancient philosophy that all things are made out of some form of matter, including God and the human soul, consists of the basic elements of earth, water, air, fire, and potentially the element in... more in general. They stressed the importance of personal revelationThe divine disclosure to humans of future events, God’s will or his nature. more over exclusive reliance on the Bible, and some spoke in tongues. The pejorative, Doukhobors, which they embraced, actually means spirit-wrestlers. This group of independent Christians faced persecution under the tzars, resulting in their displacement to various regions, with many eventually settling in western Canada.7

A community of Doukhobors lived near Karakala in Armenia, the homeland of the Shakarian family. Each year this religious community would cross over the mountain and help the Armenians with their harvest. A young member of this religious community named Efim Klubnikin developed a reputation for being a prophet. In 1855, he wrote down two prophesies regarding his Armenian neighbors and put them in an envelope.

This traditionThis word comes from a Latin term meaning “to hand down,” that originally referred to the teaching of the apostles as handed down in the churches they founded, which led to these churches gaining authority of other locations due to... more of helping with the harvest continued and in 1900, Demos Shakarian, the head of this small Armenian community, held a feast for his Russian friends. The problem, however, was that his largest and best steer was missing an eye, which would make it objectionable under both their religious traditions. Regardless, Demos decided to slaughter the steer because none of his other cows were large enough to feed everyone. He secretly hid its head in the corner of his barn in a bag under some straw. That evening, prayers were said and people began to dance and have a good time, but the patriarch of the Russian religious community continued to sit silently. Suddenly, he raised his hand and abruptly stopped the jovial proceedings. He rose and marched into the barn followed by Demos, his guests and his family. The old man went directly to the hidden bag, picked it up and dumped the steer’s head with the missing eye on the ground. He looked directly at Demos and asked if he had anything he needed to confess. Demos felt convicted by God, pled for forgiveness, and asked how he too could receive the spirit of God like his Russian friends. That evening, he and his wife were baptized with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in tongues. This experience transformed their lives.

“The Demos Shakarian, Sr. family, with son Isaac and six daughters. This is the original family group, following prophecy leaving Armenia, escaping the Armenian Holocaust, and came as immigrants to America.”

Soon afterward, Efim, now an adult, felt impressed that they should open the envelope containing his first prophesy, which had been written fifty years earlier. It instructed the Shakarian family and all their friends to flee Armenia on two steamships, go to the United States, and keep going until they reached the next sea. Demos and his family obeyed and ended up in Los Angeles in 1905. They escaped the genocide in which over 1.5 million Armenians were murdered by the Ottoman Empire(A.D. 1299) Osman I unifies disparate and fractured kingdoms in Asia Minor and establishes the Ottoman Empire. more, including the community of Karakala.

Shortly after Demos and his brother-in-law arrived in Los Angeles, they walked by a house and heard people worshipping the same way they had done after Demos’s conversionThis term is derived from the Latin word for “turning,” and is a theological term that refers to one turning his will from evil to good and is generally used to denote one becoming a Christian and/or joining a particular... more. This was at 216 North Bonnie Brae Street which led to the Azusa Street Revival(A.D. 1906) The Azusa Street Revival begins in Los Angeles and lasts for several years. This movement gives birth to Pentecostalism. more. Demos then helped establish the Armenian PentecostalA modern evangelical movement named after the day of Pentecost when there was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Its distinctive characteristics involve extensive influence of the Holy Spirit including the speaking in tongues (glossolalia) which acts as evidence of... more Churcha term translated from the Greek word “Ecclesia” which means an assembly called together and is sometime translated as a congregation. A church is an organized group of believers who adhere to a set of core beliefs. The Church in... more in Los Angeles.

Sadly, Demos died in Nevada while laying railroad tracks in 1906, leaving his fourteen-year-old son, Issac, to provide for his mother and six sisters. He only earned ten dollars a month selling newspapers. But necessity is a great motivator. He secured a higher-paying job in a harness factory, saved enough money to buy some land and three cows and launched his own dairy venture, which grew to become the largest dairy operation in the world before his death.

“Store in the front, cows in the back 1955. This shows only one of the four drive-in units which dispenses 6,750 gallons of milk daily, to their 20,000 customers, besides the cottage cheese and ice cream and other products.”

Issac named his first-born son Demos, after his father. Issac remained faithful to this religion and raised Demos to be true to their religious traditions. Demos was a gregarious devout Christian who naturally made friends wherever he went. He did not let race or politics interfere with his mission to share God’s good news with everyone he met, leading to several unusual friendships. Egyptian President Anwar Sadat invited Demos to join him for the signing of Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel. When a delegation of US dignitaries visited the VaticanAn independent city-state within the broader city of Rome. Vatican City is ruled by the Pope, the Catholic Bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church. more, the popeThe Roman Catholic bishop of Rome who is regarded as the successor of the chief apostle, Peter, and as the Vicar of Christ is the holder of the Apostolic See and head of Christ’s church on earth. more recognized Demos in the group from a distance and, to the astonishment of the dignitaries, invited Demos to come and visit with him. And, most astonishing, Fidel Castro was so impressed after meeting Demos in a Cuban restaurant late one night that he sent Demos a prized steer as a gift.

Having witnessed miraculous healings and benefiting from the prophecy of a young Russian lad a century earlier, Demos felt that the gospel consisted of much more than just dogma on one hand and speaking in tongues on the other. He felt that Christians should embrace a fuller gospel with all its spiritual gifts and blessings. Demos came up with the idea of forming a nondenominational Christian fellowship organization in which businessmen could connect with one another and with God. His high hopes, however, were dashed when it didn’t gain any traction. After diligently trying to launch this effort, in 1952 he decided he had fought a good fight, but it was time to throw in the towel. The night before he was going to shut down the organization, he prayed for direction and had a vision that revealed he was trying to do things his way instead of trusting God and following his direction. The next morning, Demos received a generous donation followed by several others leading to the Full GospelEnglish translation of the Greek term evangelion, used in the New Testament meaning “good news.” This is a central term in Luther’s theology that emphasized the contrast between Law and Gospel. The Law condemn while the Gospel justifies believers through... more Business Men’s Fellowship International (FGBMFI) growing to become the largest nondenominational Christian fellowship organization in the world, reaching approximately one billion individuals.8

Like Billy Graham’s crusadeswere a series of wars instigated or approved of by the pope in the Middle Ages principally directed against the Muslim empire that controlled the Holy Land. more, the FGBMFI did not compete with local congregations but supported them. It inspired the creation of hundreds of independent churches, such as the highly successful Yoido Full GospelEnglish translation of the Greek term evangelion, used in the New Testament meaning “good news.” This is a central term in Luther’s theology that emphasized the contrast between Law and Gospel. The Law condemn while the Gospel justifies believers through... more Churcha term translated from the Greek word “Ecclesia” which means an assembly called together and is sometime translated as a congregation. A church is an organized group of believers who adhere to a set of core beliefs. The Church in... more in South Korea with 750,000 members.9

The FGBMFI did not get bogged down in doctrinal disputes but simply tried to support individuals in building their personal relationships with Jesus(c. 4 B.C.–A.D. 30-33) Also known as Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and Savior of the World. He is the founding figure of Christianity and accepted by Christians as the Son of God in the flesh. He taught... more. Unlike the early Pentecostals who focused on speaking in tongues as a sign of the second baptismFrom a Greek word meaning “to immerse;” and is an initiatory ritual washing whereby one becomes a member of the Christian community. It involves various symbolic meanings including, cleansing, the death and resurrection of Christ, and a sinners death and... more of the Holy Spirit, the FGBMFI had a more balanced approach that included prophesy and healing. Some people refer to this watered-down, socially acceptable version of Pentecostalism as the Charismatic movementearlier known as “neo Pentecostalism” in the late 20th century and is a widespread growing movement among Catholic and mainline Protestant churches in the west that has sprung from Pentecostalism even though it is not directly related to it. Its... more.

The Charismatic movementearlier known as “neo Pentecostalism” in the late 20th century and is a widespread growing movement among Catholic and mainline Protestant churches in the west that has sprung from Pentecostalism even though it is not directly related to it. Its... more received a welcomed reception over a wide spectrum of Christian traditions. It served as the bridge between ProtestantContrary to popular belief, the term does not refer to protest against the Roman Catholic Church. The term original refers to a formal protest lodged by Lutheran princes against an unfavorable decision made by the imperial Diet of Speyer in... more fundamentalism and Pentecostalism, facilitating their merging into the Evangelical movement we see today. The Charismatic movementearlier known as “neo Pentecostalism” in the late 20th century and is a widespread growing movement among Catholic and mainline Protestant churches in the west that has sprung from Pentecostalism even though it is not directly related to it. Its... more was not limited to Protestantism but has made inroads in the Roman Catholic traditionThis word comes from a Latin term meaning “to hand down,” that originally referred to the teaching of the apostles as handed down in the churches they founded, which led to these churches gaining authority of other locations due to... more as well. Interestingly, as the Charismatic Movement, which the FGBMFI initiated, gained broader acceptance within organized religions, the need for its existence diminished in inverse proportion. After Demos’s passing and the passing of his successor son, infighting led to further decline, and the FGBMFI is now only a skeleton of its former self.

Evangelicalism has a rich heritage in the Christian tradition. It began with the day of PentecostComes from the Greek word for "fifty", and refers to the Jewish harvest festival also called the "feast of weeks", because it was held seven weeks (a week of weeks) and a day after Passover. Many Christian traditions view that... more, when a horde of diverse individuals experienced a personal connection with the Holy Spirit, inspiring them to share the good news of Jesus’s resurrectionThe doctrine that Jesus’ spiritual essence was reunited with his physical body and that other humans will likewise live again with their spirit or soul reunited with their material body. This term does not refer to the doctrine of the... more around the known world.

The word evangelicalComes from the Greek term, evangelion, and means good news or the Gospel. This term was use in the 16th century to refer to Protestants and is still used this way in Germany to this day. In England and the... more means good news and has become associated with Christian revival movements beginning with the MoraviansAre members of a Protestant group who fled persecution in the 1720s and settled in an area in modern-day Czech Republic known at that time as Moravia. Their theology focuses on the incarnation of Christ and his suffering. They engage... more. The MoraviansAre members of a Protestant group who fled persecution in the 1720s and settled in an area in modern-day Czech Republic known at that time as Moravia. Their theology focuses on the incarnation of Christ and his suffering. They engage... more stressed a personal, emotional connection with Jesus and sent the first lay missionaries out into the world to share their message of hope and salvation. They revitalized Protestantism after it was crushed in the Thirty Years’ War by inspiring the Wesleybrothers, John and Charles, who started the Methodist traditions and their revivals in England and America. The first great awakening, led primarily by John Wesley’s friend George Whitefield(A.D. 16 Dec 1714–30 Sep 1770) George Whitefield was an ordained Anglican clergy who became one of the most popular Evangelist preachers during the 18th Century in both England and America. He often preached outside to thousands of listeners and... more, helped to inspire the American Revolutionary War. The Methodists’ circuit riders sparked the second great awakening on the American frontier, with its great camp revival meetings where individuals were often overcome with the Holy Spirit. These traditions inspired the Holiness and Adventist movements, which in turn sparked Pentecostalism, ProtestantContrary to popular belief, the term does not refer to protest against the Roman Catholic Church. The term original refers to a formal protest lodged by Lutheran princes against an unfavorable decision made by the imperial Diet of Speyer in... more fundamentalism and the Charismatic movementearlier known as “neo Pentecostalism” in the late 20th century and is a widespread growing movement among Catholic and mainline Protestant churches in the west that has sprung from Pentecostalism even though it is not directly related to it. Its... more, with all of them melding into the generic Evangelical movement which has now become mainline Protestantism10. These successful evangelists not only had a relevant message that moved their audiences, they were also entertainers.

The first religious pioneer to successfully span the gap between fundamentalism and Pentecostalism and to launch the current evangelicalComes from the Greek term, evangelion, and means good news or the Gospel. This term was use in the 16th century to refer to Protestants and is still used this way in Germany to this day. In England and the... more movement was Aimee Semple McPherson(A.D. 1890–1944) Aimee Semple McPherson was a Pentecostal evangelist and media celebrity in the early 20th century. She pioneered the use of modern media to spread a religious message and established one of the first megachurches. more. She was from a small town in Ontario, Canada, and was born again at a PentecostalA modern evangelical movement named after the day of Pentecost when there was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Its distinctive characteristics involve extensive influence of the Holy Spirit including the speaking in tongues (glossolalia) which acts as evidence of... more revival in 1907. She referred to herself as a fundamentalist and initially made a living as a traveling preacher and faithIn word for belief and faith is the same in Latin and most European languages, but in English faith often denotes an active believe, one that inspires action based on a belief. For Luther, faith and belief generally meant the... more healer. She realized that Los Angeles was a growing area which was receptive to her message and style of preaching. She settled there and formed the first ProtestantContrary to popular belief, the term does not refer to protest against the Roman Catholic Church. The term original refers to a formal protest lodged by Lutheran princes against an unfavorable decision made by the imperial Diet of Speyer in... more megachurch, the International Churcha term translated from the Greek word “Ecclesia” which means an assembly called together and is sometime translated as a congregation. A church is an organized group of believers who adhere to a set of core beliefs. The Church in... more of the Foursquare GospelEnglish translation of the Greek term evangelion, used in the New Testament meaning “good news.” This is a central term in Luther’s theology that emphasized the contrast between Law and Gospel. The Law condemn while the Gospel justifies believers through... more. In 1923, her chapel—known as Angelus Temple—had stadium seating for more than five thousand people and a large stage. She conducted illustrated services three times a day, seven days a week using actors, props, lighting and sound effects found in theater. She wore a flowing white gown making her look like a chic heavenly priestess. She also founded her own successful radio ministry becoming the greatest religious celebrity in America during the Great Depression(A.D. 1929) The Great Depression begins. It was a worldwide economic depression which lasted anywhere between 5 to 10 years in differing parts of the world. Worldwide GDP fell by about 15%, compared to the less than 1% contraction experienced... more.11

Several other ProtestantContrary to popular belief, the term does not refer to protest against the Roman Catholic Church. The term original refers to a formal protest lodged by Lutheran princes against an unfavorable decision made by the imperial Diet of Speyer in... more ministers followed Aimee’s example, with Billy GrahamBilly Graham (A.D. 17 Nov 1918–21 Feb 2018) One of the most influential Christian leaders of the 20th Century. He was an ordained Baptist minister who became very known evangelist drawing crowds of tens of thousands to his services and... more becoming the most successful. As previously discussed, he cemented the bond between fundamentalism and the PentecostalA modern evangelical movement named after the day of Pentecost when there was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Its distinctive characteristics involve extensive influence of the Holy Spirit including the speaking in tongues (glossolalia) which acts as evidence of... more/Charismatic approach to form today’s non-denominational evangelicalComes from the Greek term, evangelion, and means good news or the Gospel. This term was use in the 16th century to refer to Protestants and is still used this way in Germany to this day. In England and the... more movement.

The underlying doctrineis derived from the Latin word for teaching, doctrina, and is an important aspect of Christianity more so than other world religions because Christianity focuses on the teachings and nature of Christ. more which has drawn so many to Pentecostalism, the charismatic movement and ProtestantContrary to popular belief, the term does not refer to protest against the Roman Catholic Church. The term original refers to a formal protest lodged by Lutheran princes against an unfavorable decision made by the imperial Diet of Speyer in... more evangelicalismHistorically this term refers the religious movement beginning in the 18th century that emphasized conversion that was often communicated through revivals and to the religious traditions that grew out of that movement (typically Methodist and various branches of Calvinism and... more is a theology based on salvation through a personal experience with Jesus(c. 4 B.C.–A.D. 30-33) Also known as Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and Savior of the World. He is the founding figure of Christianity and accepted by Christians as the Son of God in the flesh. He taught... more and the Holy Spirit. Pentecostalism and the Charismatic movementearlier known as “neo Pentecostalism” in the late 20th century and is a widespread growing movement among Catholic and mainline Protestant churches in the west that has sprung from Pentecostalism even though it is not directly related to it. Its... more now drive the Evangelical movement, with all of them filling the traditional human need for a religion which helps facilitate an emotional connection with the infinite rather than a cognitive approach.

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