![]() ![]() William Seymour, the pastor of the Azusa Street mission, died young in spite of his claim that healing was promised by God. The seekers would be “seized with a strange spell and commence a gibberish of sounds” (Larry Martin, The True Believers, p. The famous Azusa Street mission where Pentecostalism was birthed was characterized by the greatest confusion: dancing, jumping, falling, trances, spirit slaying, gibberish “tongues,” jerking, hysteria, strange animal noises, laughter, spiritual muteness. John Dowie, who founded the healing community that produced many of the early leaders of the Assemblies of God, was charged with alcoholism and sexual improprieties by his wife and son. I was led to Christ in 1973 by an old-line Pentecostal who was a godly man, and I thank the Lord for the compassion he showed to this former “hippy” and for the biblical wisdom that he exercised in dealing with me.Īt the same time, from its inception at the turn of the 20th century, the Pentecostal movement has been absolutely rife with moral and doctrinal scandals and ridiculous claims among its prominent leaders. ![]() ![]() I know from personal experience that not all Pentecostals or charismatics live scandalous lives. They claim to have the “full gospel” and the “four square gospel” and to operate in the “five-fold ministry.” They claim to operate in the Spirit and flow in the Spirit and talk in the Spirit and prophesy in the Spirit and laugh in the Spirit and soak in the Spirit and even get drunk in the Spirit. They claim double blessings and triple anointings and super Spirit baptisms. Scandals can be found in any group of Christians, sadly, but scandals among Pentecostals and charismatics are significant because they claim a special anointing of God’s Spirit. T he Pentecostal movement, from its inception, has been marred deeply by moral scandals and deception, and nothing has changed. ![]()
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