At the center of Pentecostal spirituality is the divine encounter. One can rightly argue that we cannot make an encounter with God happen in as much as we cannot control God. Nevertheless, some Scriptures make me think that this is something we can facilitate to some extent. A couple of the old strategies Pentecostals used to […]
How can Pentecostal churches move from “generic evangelicalism” to restoring historic Pentecostal spirituality? I should clarify that, for my own part, my concern is not first and foremost with encouraging churches to be “more Pentecostal”—I don’t have a preoccupation with preserving denominational distinctives simply for the sake […]
When we bought the wreath, I wasn’t too sure what to do with it, since I come from a church tradition that doesn’t typically incorporate this into its services. I searched for advent readings, but I was frustrated to find that nothing seemed appropriate for my family, which includes children. You can download […]
Contemporary Pentecostal systematic theologians are discussing Spirit baptism in a way that includes, but goes beyond, traditional Pentecostal emphases. Pentecostal’s have historically emphasized that any believer can be baptized in the Spirit and that […]
We packed into our green minivan and drove into the small town at the foot of the mountains. Even though we were camping, we managed to clean off our camp smell and still arrive at the small Pentecostal church a few minutes early. Upon entering their worship space, I got the suspicion that this was […]
Yesterday I had a journal article published: “Changing Conceptions of Speaking in Tongues and Spirit Baptism Among Canadian Pentecostal Clergy,” with Adam Stewart and Kevin Shanahan. Canadian Journal of Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity 7 (2016): 1-24. In the same volume, you can find responses to my article from PAOC General Superintendent David Wells, Randy Holm, and Van Johnson, […]
On a couple occasions I’ve been asked about where one might read good theology online. Roger Olson’s Blog: This is the (only) blog that I read most regularly. He is an evangelical Baptist, a former Pentecostal, and a significant voice for Arminian theology in the evangelical world. He writes on theological topics like, John Piper’s Christian Hedonism, […]
In December 2015 the PAOC released another small book. Overall, I was encouraged by the key theme running through this book—theology and mission must and do meet. However, I will focus here on some specific points that stuck with me. Pentecostals and Experience There is no doubt that at the core of Pentecostalism are experiences […]
Following up on the October 2014 survey of PAOC credential holders, Adam Stewart and I had an article called “Missional Vitality and the Future of the PAOC” appear in the Fall 2015 issue of Enrich: The Leadership Magazine of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, p. 22-25. Click on the picture or here to view the article. *Posted here with […]
I recently read The New Canadian Pentecostals by Adam Stewart. I loved this book, so much so that I devoured it. As the title suggests, it describes changes in Pentecostal churches in Canada, specifically in the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC). The book was a joy to read. One of the final chapters was my […]