Pentecostals Growing Fast With Church Plants

Once the outcasts of religious society, Pentecostals now represent the fastest-growing form of Christianity in the entire world. And based on recent statistics, a renewed emphasis on church planting among many of the largest charismatic denominations may explain why.

According to the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Life, Pentecostals make up more than 25 percent of all Christians. This group also accounts for more than 8 percent of the world’s total population. And the numbers continue to grow as charismatic church planters forge into new territory.

“The healing crusades with Oral Roberts and Reinhard Bonnke have been a major part of the growth of Pentecostalism,” explains Vinson Synan, dean of the School of Divinity at Regent University. “And the Pentecostals have strong leadership, planting churches everywhere in the world.”

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Evermyrtlelinder

The importance of the growth of knowledge and faith the TRINITY is a wonderful thing, anywhere we can find ti.

Psalms 2: 1-7;10-12
1. Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
2. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against HIS anointed one.
3. Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cord from us.
4. He that sits in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision.
5. Then shall HE speak unto them in HIS wrath, and vex them in HIS sore displeasure.
6. Yet have I set my king up in my holy hill of Zion.
7. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, "Thou art my SON; this day hive i begotten thee.

10. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
11. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling
12. Kiss the SON, lest HE be angry, and ye perish from the way, when HIS wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
msjallen

Pentecostals are known for their emotionalism type services. Emotionalism becomes a major distraction to the fulfillment of living the Christian/Spiritual way of life. Preoccupation with emotionalism keeps one from learning or thinking Bible Doctrine in worship in their churches. Not just Pentecostals but many churches use entertainment and activities to get people to attend. The purpose in gathering together to worship is to hear the Word of God taught so we can learn it and apply it to our daily lives. Emotionalism doesn’t last any further than walking out the church doors nor can one apply it to their problems.
Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
Psalm 84:4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee.
Prayerfully, they will get the message of salvation taught first.
- daves
  
  Can't church be about celebrating Jesus?
  - msjallen
    
    Where in the Bible does it say we are to celebrate Jesus? It does say we are to worship Him in spirit and in truth.
    John 4:24 God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
    
    We are to be filled with the Holy Spirit so we can understand His Word (the truth).
- Evermyrtle
  
  By the way, your interest in Pentecostals, They just like the rest of us, "One Christian at a time, believing, not exactly like any other member of their church but are personally responsible for their beliefs and actions."
- http://www.greenvilletransformation.org Tony Moore
  
  Where in the Bible is your "purpose in gathering together in worship" listed. Perhaps we would do well to read Paul's letter to the Corinthians again before pushing our own opinions.
  - msjallen
    
    Acts 20:7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight.
    I am just finishing a study of 1 Corinthians that my pastor taught so thoroughly for five years four times a week. He covered every aspect of every doctrine in every verse. I do not believe anyone can just read the Bible and get what God intends without a pastor who is trained in the original languages and is filled with the Holy Spirit as well as those who hear are filled or it cannnot be applied to their daily lives. My pastor also taught 2 Corinthians a number of years ago too just as thorough. BTW, I have the right to my opinions on this just as you do. If you don't like what I say don't read them.
Evermyrtle

Personally i do not get up and shout, BUT that is my choice.I say if there is no emotionalism, you have a dead church.
Deadpan means no real interest in what is going on!!!
- msjallen
  
  There is no shouting or emotionalism in my church since we sit and listen to God's Word being taught so we can learn what the Bible teaches and apply it to our lives and my church is in no way dead pan but the congregation is growing in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ; as the Bible teaches. We are a very friendly God loving church.
  II Tim 4:2 … preach the word; be ready in season (when a lot of people are listening) and out of season (when few are listening); reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
  I Peter 3:15 …but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
  II Peter 3:8… but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity.
  - Evermyrtle
    
    In my heart, I always have emotions there, happy sad, love, hate. Some type of emotion. As I listen, I accept, I believe, I reject, I smile, I frown, I may even poker faced. If there is no emotion there,t here is something bad wrong. There is no shouting in my church either, but there are emotions and many times you do know how the message being accepted. Sometimes, it quiet, you could hear a mouse creep past, other times we can hear a hearty AMEN. If somebody should jump up and shout, I am sure I would be a little alarmed, but if they were that impressed, with the message, I would be a fool to judge them unfavorably, because I would not have the first clue what had caused it. I may even judge but I certainly hope I would not.
aceituna

God has not made us like cookies made with a cutter. No two people are the same. Because each person is unique each person is reached in a different way. There are many people who would not be reached by a doctrinal approach such as many main line churches use. They need the special emotional approach of the Pentacostals. Ture "emotionalism" can get in the way of Christian growth, but Pentacostals that preach forgiveness through Jesus's death on the cross are telling the messsage that God has told us to share. These people though not well grounded are still saved. We will be amazed when we reach heaven by how many God has saved even though their faith is a "baby" faith still only on a milk diet and not yet on meat. God wants us to grow, but having only a little growth does not disqualify us.
bighoss

The article submits that, “The healing crusades with Oral Roberts and Reinhard Bonnke have been a major part of the growth of Pentecostalism," explains Vinson Synan, dean of the School of Divinity at Regent University."

Well, then, a "major part of the growth" of this emotionally-driven movement is premised on BALONEY. Roberts was a huckster, con man, and snake oil-salesman and Bonnke is no better. Roberts' alleged "healing" has no more validity in scripture or practice than does his money-grubbing "seed faith" method of shearing the sheeple, which became the model for the ubiquitous "prosperity gospel" doctrine peddled by a long line of venal, greedy, low-life televangelists who feed on the ignorance, emotion and naivete' of their duped adherents.

A prior article asked why Christianity is in decline. A big part of the answer is the image projected to intelligent people by all these prominent televangelist scumbags. Who, in his/her right mind would want to be associated with such a bunch of lying self-aggrandizing weasels as these? And the mainstream churches are derelict in their duty when they fail to speak out publicly against these flim-flam men–and women (e.g. Paula White and Juanita Bynum).

Disgusting!
- http://youtu.be/zjgBhpanOfQ Despeville
  
  Indeed… :0
- Pastor Dwayne
  
  Hoss,,, the mainstream churches don't have a clue what Christianity is. Iv'e been in almost all of them they wear their cute 3 piece suits , Pay their money , get in their cute cars go home to their cute homes , be self righteous for a week go back to church next week !!!! and on and on . The mainstream churches , ooops, I mean King Davids wife was mad at her hubby for being so emotional in his dancing, he got so emotional he showed his underwear showed !!
  - Pastor Dwayne
    
    ooops to many showeds
  - bighoss
    
    Then who would YOU recruit to openly expose and condemn all those televangelist frauds? It needs to be done.
    - Pastor Dwayne
      
      Yes , and big time, I for one do not watch them, I don't know who you would recruit !
  - http://youtu.be/zjgBhpanOfQ Despeville
    
    You gave a perfect description of most Pentecostal churches… except there is a bit more melodrama involved.
    - Pastor Dwayne
      
      Actually I was thinking along the lines of Methodist , who a hundred thirty years ago would put today's Pentecostals to shame. Lutheran churches , Presbyterian churches and such.
      As for most Pentecostal churches they meet 3-4 times a week , have men's prayer meetings once a week , and all church prayer meetings through out the year . So I don't see how you can say the above in your post. I did not mention Baptist churches , they at least present the message of Salvation to it's people.
ounbbl

So-called Pentecostalism has nothing to do with what happened on the day of Shavuot (Pentecost) A.D. 30. They have all the things with Corinthian pagan practices Apostle Paul chastising. The practice and theology of them is a pure and simple shamanism.
Steve03

"Pentecostals now represent the fastest-growing form of Christianity in the entire world" So Gresham's law works in theology, too.