Open Doors, A non-denominational Christian watch group, identified Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Afghanistan, as the three most dangerous countries for Christian persecution. Another 65 countries are actively killing disciples of Jesus and there is no protection from local authorities. Sharia Law is merciless for non-Muslims. But Islam is not alone. Since May 2014, India’s government has been controlled by a Hindu Party under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. With his approval, intolerance has risen sharply as radical Hinduism has gained greater political strength. In Bastar, Chhattisgarh, during Sunday worship, Hindu fundamentalists, raided a Christian Church, seized the pastor and his wife who was seven-months pregnant, doused them with gasoline and tried to burn them alive.

CC

From Gentle Conquest (May 2019). Used with permission.

Further Reading:
The Open Doors (USA) World Watch List for 2019 estimates that 245 million Christians are victims of high to extreme levels of persecution – attacks that include home expulsion, torture, rape, sex-slavery, murder, and genocide – which is an increase of 14 percent over 2018 (up from 215 million). Open Doors also estimates 1 in 9 of the world’s Christians experience high levels of persecution and that every day 11 Christians are killed.
https://www.opendoorsusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/WWL2019_FullBooklet.pdf

Aid to the Church in Need releases a bi-annual report on “Religious Freedom in the World.” For the report released November 2018, see: https://www.churchinneed.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/RFR-2018-Exec-Summary-Web-version.pdf

One source of up-to-date news regarding the persecution of Christians worldwide: ChristianPersecutionNews.com.

A brief review essay from Christian historian William De Arteaga on the tremendous changes taking place in the worldwide Anglican Church.

Roger E. Olson, “Something Interesting Is Happening in the Worldwide Anglican Communion (And Why It Matters to Non-Anglicans)” (June 28, 2018).

Canterbury Cathedral
Image: Peter K. Burian / Wikimedia Commons

The article by professor Roger Olson if both informative and insightful. As an Anglican priest I especially appreciate how Olson, a Baptist, has grasped the essence of what has transpired in the now splintered Anglican churches. I would go further than Olson’s analysis and say that the Anglican churches are now divided into two irreconcilable denominations. The Western or Northern Anglican churches, versus the Anglican churches of the Global South. The latter group were planted by English missionaries who truly believed the Bible and were orthodox in doctrine. The more liberal clergy stayed at home to ruin their churches with unbelief.  My denomination, the Anglican Church of North America, has cast its lot with the churches of the Global South.

As an Episcopal lay person thirty years ago I saw the rampant apostasy in many Episcopal churches, and most of its clergy. Many of us put up a “good fight” for orthodoxy, but left to form orthodox (and often charismatic) congregations when it was obvious that the fight was lost.

Reviewed by William De Arteaga

Related Articles from William De Arteaga:

“An Appreciation of Martin Luther: On Why Many Denominations Do Not Destroy the Unity of the Church” (October 31, 2017).

“Wolves or Tares?” (November 14, 2006).

In this review essay, Father William De Arteaga responds to Episcopal Bishop Edward Little’s article “Living with Tares: Why I stay in a Church that has seriously strayed from biblical teaching” that appeared in the March 2006 issue of Christianity Today.

“Real Christianity is Growing in the USA” (April 16, 2018).

“The Ancient Poisons: Discernment Heresies of the New Testament” (January 18, 2018).

“An Apostate Church?” (August 22, 2017).

See also London Vicar Rachel Marszalek’s reports on the 2017 Anglican renewal convention, New Wine: “New Wine 2017: The Irony of Experience” and “New Wine 2017: Elephants Explored.”

Jeff Oliver has taken on the ambitious task of chronicling the charismatic work of the Holy Spirit throughout church history. He has done this by writing a three volume book, Pentecost to the Present. He begins in volume one by writing about the activities of the Holy Spirit in the days of the apostolic church of the first century AD. By volume three his focus is the work of the Holy Spirit in the 20^th and 21^st centuries. Because I am interested in the more recent history of the work of the Holy Spirit I began by reading volume three.

Volume three is divided into six sections: “Pentecost … Again (c. 1901-1910),” “The Pentecostal Movement (c. 1906-1945),” “The Healing Revival (c. 1946-1960),” “The Charismatic Renewal (c. 1951-1980),” “The Charismatic Explosion (c. 1971-2000),” and “Into the Twenty-First Century (2001 and Beyond).”

The majority of the first section “Pentecost … Again (c. 1901-1910)” focuses primarily on two people, Charles Parham and William Seymour, and one mission, the Azusa Street Mission. The text contains information about the events leading up to beginning of the Azusa Street Mission and some of the things that took place there. Two of the things mentioned about the mission were the flames of fire that appeared over the building and the healings that took place inside.

The second section “The Pentecostal Movement (c. 1906-1945)” deals with the spread of Pentecostalism after the Spirit fell at the Azusa Street Mission. Some of the countries that it spread to were Argentina, South Africa, and Russia. Prominent Pentecostal figures from this time period are also discussed: Smith Wigglesworth, F. F. Bosworth, and Aimee Semple McPherson.

The third section “The Healing Revival (c. 1945-1960)” focuses on the ministries of some of the key individuals who were used by God to bringing healing to many. William Branham, Oral Roberts Jack Coe, and A. A. Allen are mentioned in this section.

Section four “The Charismatic Renewal (c. 1951-1980)” deals with outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the Roman Catholic and mainline Protestant churches. Some of the people God touched and used in a mighty way to spread the work of the Spirit in these churches are mentioned in this section: David Du Plessis, Harald Bredesen, Dennis Bennett, Oral Roberts, and Katherine Kuhlman. The parachurch ministry Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International, which was founded by Demos Shakarian, is also mentioned for its impact in spreading the Pentecostal message.

Section five “The Charismatic Explosion (c. 1971-2000)” includes information about a number of significant individuals and ministries that were active during this time period. In this section the author writes about the controversial Shepherding Movement, The Trinity Broadcasting Network, CBN, The 700 Club, the PTL Club, Pat Roberston, Jimmy Swaggart, the Word of Faith Movement, and the Prosperity Teaching among others.

View of David’s Citadel from Hinnom Valley, Jerusalem.
Image: Gilabrand / Wikimedia Commons.

It was stated that this was probably the largest gathering of Spirit baptized Christians gathered in Jerusalem to honor the Holy Spirit since the Day of Pentecost recorded in Acts 2. Like that important day that we are all linked to, this conference had people from most nations in the world, the majority being what we term “Third-World Nations”. Probably over 1,000 were from Asian nations, with huge delegations from China and Indonesia.

The speakers included most of the present well-known leaders in the Pentecostal movement speaking in the main sessions, as well as both famous and not so famous speakers in dozen of workshops covering virtually every subject dealing with the church and ministry to the Lord and the world. Most Christian gatherings in Jerusalem focus mostly on praise, worship, prayer and reconciliation between different peoples groups. This had all that, but was also packed with solid Biblical teaching. If we have learned anything in the past 109 years of this movement, it is that Holy Spirit led and anointed ministry will only produce lasting fruit when it is based on solid Biblical teaching. The total audio library of both general sessions and workshop teachings (over 175 talks), can be ordered on-line at http://jerusalem2015audio.com

The Hall of Names at Yad Vashem. “Yad Vashem” comes from Isaiah 56:5, giving “a place and a name” to the millions of Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust.
Image: David Shankbone / Wikimedia Commons.

Most of those who participated in the conference also visited many historical Biblical sites in Israel before or after the meetings. The fact of the return of the Jews to their land after being in dispersion for close to 2,000 years, and the restoration of the State of Israel itself is a proof of the Bible, and a miracle you can see with your own eyes. Those who visited Yad Vashem (The Holocaust History Museum) were deeply moved, many to tears. Throughout history the powers of darkness have used every conceivable method to destroy and exterminate God’s chosen people, the Jews, culminating in the Nazi holocaust with the murder of six million Jews living in Europe. We learned behind this was a devilish doctrine of ‘replacement theology’ that is sadly still believed by some misguided Christians.

The restoration of God’s chosen people to their ancient land, as miraculous and important as it is, reminded us of the Biblical promises of the restoration of the church and the world-wide preaching of the Kingdom of God (Acts 3:19-21, Matthew 24:14, Eph. 5:26-27, etc.) In Empowered 21 we were reminded how the Pentecostal Gospel has been preached with signs, wonders, miraculous healing and gifts of the Holy Spirit to the whole world during the past 100 years resulting in the salvation of hundreds of millions and the transformation of lives and whole societies.

However, we were also reminded that many are backsliding from the Pentecostal message that focuses on the Cross of Christ, the Word of God and the working of the Holy Spirit to a compromising man-pleasing Gospel (Jude 3). I for one heard a clear call from many of the speakers to return to this Pentecostal faith that impacted the whole world. I heard many warn of the dangerous trend in Charismatic circles to accept and preach the hyper-grace message which has admittedly been the reason for the success of many mega churches claiming to be part of this Pentecostal movement. There was a strong call to repentance, fasting and prayer, the baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire resulting in holiness in the lives of believers and the preaching of the Full Gospel to the whole world.

The worship leading was done mainly by young people, many from Oral Roberts University and Australia. On the last day, the leaders of this generation of youth shared the Word and ministered to everyone. The Pentecostal vision truly has been maintained and spread throughout the whole world during the past century, and now the baton has been given to this generation of young people. They very possibly will be alive to usher in the return of Christ.

Dennis Balcombe
Hong Kong

From this sprang the many Pentecostal denominations that today boast some of the largest churches in the world, and later various movements such as the Latter Rain Revival, the Charismatic Renewal, Vineyard Movement, Third Wave, Toronto Blessing, etc. which impacted hundreds of millions all across the globe. Today, probably the vast majority of mission-related Christian organizations have their roots in this revival.

On the 100^th anniversary of the Azusa Street Revival, over 10,000 Christians gather in Los Angeles for a centennial meeting. Leading pastors and evangelists from every persuasion and stream in this great movement both shared the Word and reported on the progress, obstacles, and future vision of preaching the Full Gospel and planting churches throughout the world. Dozens of workshops covered virtually every aspect of the movement.

In 2008, the Empowered21 initiative was launched in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to focus on new generations and the power of the Holy Spirit. Today, Empowered21 spans the entire globe through twelve regional cabinets. Each regional cabinet focuses on pursuing initiatives and events in their area of the world to address the future of Spirit-empowered Christianity.

The purpose of Empowered21 is:

• To unite the global Spirit-filled movement together intergenerationally for the purpose of seeking a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the 21st century
• To focus the energy and resources of the Spirit-empowered global church on the harvest and challenges before us
• To provide a platform for addressing the crucial issues facing the 21st century Spirit-empowered church
• To discover contemporary methods, vocabulary, spiritual grace and relational favor needed for engaging every generation in Spirit-empowered living
• To witness greater convergence and collaboration of Spirit-empowered ministries around the world

The 2010 conference, held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with over 10,000 participants, was exceptionally meaningful and powerful. I have been in this movement for 53 years and as a young man actually met a few who were in the original Azusa Street outpouring, but we learned so much more in Tulsa about this whole movement, its roots and impact on Christianity. The workshops also were extremely inspiring and informative.

While mainline denominations continue to decline, unable to even keep their children in the faith, the Pentecostal/charismatic movement continues to grow tremendously.