Pentecostal Origins: 6 Things That Led to Development of Protestant Christian Denomination

The Pentecostal movement had its beginnings among Protestants in the 19th century as part of a holiness revival. They believed churches weren't focusing enough attention on God and hungered for more spiritualism. Pentecostal beliefs began rising in the U.S. in the early 20th century.

Here are six ideas or occurrences that helped in the development of the Pentecostal religion:

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1. Speaking in tongues played a crucial role in the development of Pentecostalism. The idea stems from a chapter in the Bible, ACTS 2:1-4, where God pours out His spirit in the final days. The chapter speaks of a "mighty rushing wind" from heaven that filled a house where many gathered, "and there appeared onto them cloven tongues like as of fire." They were filled with the Holy Spirit as they began speaking in tongues.

2. Predecessors to Pentecostalism included Edward Irving, a Presbyterian pastor in London. After starting his Regents Square Presbyterian Church in 1831, Irving taught the charismatic element that featured speaking in tongues to confirm receiving the Holy Spirit.

3. Atonement was part of the British Keswick "higher life" movement, which started in 1875. The "higher life" view focused on endowing believers with the ability to experience baptism from the Holy Spirit as reparation of sin. This paved the way for the Pentecostal movement in America in the 20th century.

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4. The holiness movement in the late 19th century in America led to the experience that would be known as "Pentecostal sanctification." This belief includes baptism by Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit as a second blessing. Believers praise the word of the Bible and God the Father during the ceremony.

5. Charles Fox Parham, a former Methodist minister, is credited with spearheading the Pentecostal movement in a Bible School in Topeka, Kansas, in 1901. He had students study Acts, Chapter 2 to understand that speaking in tongues was the key to receiving the Holy Spirit. It is said that one of his students spoke in tongues on the first day of the new century.

6. The Pentecostal approach began to flourish in 1906, thanks to the Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles. Thousands of seekers participated in receiving the Holy Spirit during the "Apostolic Faith Mission" services held three times a day, seven days a week. This mission was led by African-American preacher William Joseph Seymour. Visitors saw blacks and whites worshiping together and carried the message back to their Protestant Churches. Pentecostalism spread throughout the U.S.

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