Christian Charismatic Renewal Church Origins: 5 Things That Led to Development of Movement

A Christian Charismatic Renewal Church is not necessarily defined by a denomination, but rather an experience. The movement that grew out of the mid-20th century was ecumenical in nature, crossing denominational lines and growing to encompass about 300 million people worldwide.

Here are five things that led to the development of the Charismatic Movement:

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1. Belief in the still-active Holy Spirit: The Christian Charismatic Renewal church experience is founded on the belief that the Holy Spirit still delivers the gifts of speaking in tongues, discernment/wisdom, prophecy, healing, interpretations of tongues, discernment of spirits, faith and miracles.

2. Experiences of these gifts: In what is called the Christian Renewal Movement, an outbreak of the experience of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers grew into the Pentecostal movement. Started in Topeka, Kansas in 1901, the movement grew and developed into several denominations after the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles which began in 1906. The movement resulted in the formation of several new Christian denominations.

3. Baptism of the Spirit in traditional churches: Beginning in 1960, Christians in several mainline protestant denominations began to experience and promote a "Baptism of the Holy Spirit" which resulted in the manifestation of charismatic gifts. This began to bring the beliefs of Pentecostals into the mainstream.

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4. The teaching of Dennis Bennett: Dennis Bennett was an Episcopal minister in California who announced to his congregation in 1960 that he had experienced a "Baptism of the Holy Spirit." His preaching on the experience gained media attention. He became the co-founder of the Christian Renewal Association. His announcement in 1960 is generally considered to be the beginnings of the Christian Charismatic Renewal Church movement.

5. Doctrine is separate from the movement: Doctrines are often seen as divisive in Christian charismatic renewal church movement. In general, the churches cross denominational bounds and preach a reliance on the guidance of the Holy Spirit and scripture rather than denominational or doctrinal identification. The growth of the "non-denominational" church has spurred the growth of charismatic renewal church congregations.

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