Pentecostal Life by BC Yukon Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada

Copyright 2014 by The BC Yukon Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal useis granted by PAOC provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The BC and Yukon Pentacostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC) Scholarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Group Writing Project 2014

Table of Contents Preface.................................................................................... 7 Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Forward..................................................................... 11 Pentecostal in Community................................................... 15 Dr. Jim Lucas Pentecostal in Social Action................................................ 25 Joseph Dutko Pentecostal in Preaching..................................................... 33 Dr. Rob Bedard Pentecostal in Worship........................................................ 43 Dr. C.A. Coats Pentecostal in Pastoral Care................................................. 51 Dr. Jim Caruso Pentecostal in Leadership................................................... 57 Dr. David Demchuk Pentecostal in Discipleship................................................. 65 Dr. Mick Nelson Thinking in the Spirit.......................................................... 73 Dr. Michael Wilkinson Contributors......................................................................... 79

Preface

Verbal corroboration of ‘Pentecostal Theology’, which lacks a ‘Practical Implementation and Daily Application’, is paradoxical. Possessing mere information about Pentecost, without experiencing its supernatural transformation becomes the basis of religion that is dead. The authors of this gift book have inspired me to consider the true significance of Pentecost, beyond verbal compliance. We’re better together, Rev. Ken Russell District Superintendent of the BC and Yukon District Of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada

Discussing how Pentecostal theology and experience informs and shapes practical ministry at the local church level is a conversation that must be engaged. I am thankful for the writing team that is asking us to consider our ways. I trust that as this resource is used by Pastors and Leadership teams that the invitation of the Holy Spirit would be sensed and responded to. Rev. David Solmes Assistant Superintendent of the BC and Yukon District Of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada

Editors Forward What does it mean to be “practically” Pentecostal? I am not talking about being almost a Pentecostal, but not quite. This question is aimed at provoking serious thought about what it means to be led by the Spirit in all of the practical dimensions of Christian life and ministry. Often, in Pentecostal circles, discussion around the Spirit tends to gravitate toward the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, the initial evidence of the same, and empowering for witness. But is this all the Holy Spirit is about in the life of a Christ follower? The Scriptures indicate that there is no aspect of a believers life where the Spirit is not busy and involved. Being filled with the Spirit goes hand in hand with being led by the Spirit. Submission the to Spirit begins with receiving the Baptism, but it is not end there. Followers of Christ are called to submit to the Spirit’s working and leading day by day as we become more like Christ and are busy about His business. But how does that happen? What does it look like to be submitted to the work of the Spirit in practical life and ministry? The contributors to this second edition of the Scholar’s Project each try to help the reader think through what it means to be practically Pentecostal in several key areas. Jim Lucas unpacks what the influence of the Spirit means for community in the local church. Joseph Dutko discusses how the Spirit informs our thinking about and approach toward social action. The Spirit’s role in bringing healing to the wounded is the subject of Jim Caruso’s article on pastoral care. C.A. Coats offers a stimulating reconsideration of the Holy Spirit in worship. Preaching in the Spirit is the focus of Rob Bedard’s essay. Michael Wilkinson considers what it means to think in the Spirit. David Demchuk thinks through the Spirit’s role in guiding leadership in the local church. The work of the Spirit in bringing disciples to maturity is the focus of Mick Nelson’s concluding article. 11

The insights in this volume arise of out years of ministry at the local church level and hours of study and reflection. These essays are offered as a catalyst to encourage the reader to consider and reflect upon the work of the Holy Spirit in the practical matters of life and ministry as they attend to doing the work of ministry among those entrusted tot their care and oversight. Thanks to all of our contributors who took the time to help us think through what it means to be practically Pentecostal.

CHAPTER ONE Pentecostal in Community Dr. Jim Lucas

Loving Environments

Tertullian, the African Church Father, around 200 AD wrote a delightful description of Christian community. He described the affection which marked the Christian brethren who assembled together. Their meetings opened and closed with prayer. Worship, fellowship and feasting were all part of their gatherings. The little, the lost, the least and the lonely were shown particular attention. Financial contributions were voluntary and proportionate to each one’s income and use: to support and bury poor people, to supply the want of boys and girls who are destitute of means and parents, and of old people now confined to the house, and such as have suffered shipwreck…or any who happen to be in the mines or banished to the islands or shut up in prison for their fidelity to God’s Church…One in mind and soul, we do not hesitate to share our earthly goods with one another. All things are common among us except our wives. 1

1Tertullian’s Apology XXXIX cited in http://www.christianity.co.nz/church4.htm

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Tertullian’s description of Christian community fits well with the more familiar Acts 2:42-47 passage from scripture: 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. 2

These accounts which describe the Early Church communal life, seem somewhat foreign to much of our contemporary church experience. Our large church gatherings or our Sunday morning gatherings today rarely reflect this kind of community and at best we approximate this kind of kinship in our small group settings. This of course reflects the current reality that our main gatherings are not intended for only the fully committed, but gather people who are at many different points on their journey toward a robust faith.3 Koinonia is the Greek word translated by our English New Testaments as communion, association, fellowship, sharing, common, contribution and partnership. It is at the heart of what we mean by Christian community. It expressed a relationship of intimacy and depth that described the bond between the believer and Christ and the believer and fellow Christians. It is much more than sharing a pew in a church gathering; or a cup of coffee after a pot luck dinner. One may attend church regularly and not experience Koinonia, or what we might call true community. One might be baptized and not experience it. Membership does not guarantee it. Vol2The New International Version 3 In the Early Church only the fully committed were allowed to participate in Baptisms and the Lord’s Supper. This and perhaps the size of their gatherings would undoubtedly influence the quality and depth of their communal life. See Williston Walker. A History of the Christian Church. 3rd Ed. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons. 1970. 85

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unteerism does not ensure it. It is a sharing of common life within the body of Christ. This takes place at all levels of existence: spiritual, social, economic and intellectual. Every area of life is included. Koinonia or true Community is in stark contrast to the individualism that marks much of North American Christianity. Some perceive that individualistic piety had its origins in Reformation philosophies, American revivalism and Dispensationalism.4 While Biblical faith portrays one’s union with Christ as inseparable from the Church, where he dwells in covenant with his people, modern Christianity perceives the church more as an institution and spirituality is more selffocused than communal. But the church is not simply a place where we can get our private spiritual needs met. It is an environment of relationships. More specifically, it is an environment of love. In order to experience real community in the church each person must be open and trusting, involved in giving and receiving relationships of love. The Apostle John goes so far as to say that by loving one another we see God in our midst. “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” 5 The Great Commandment “to love one another” is great because of its importance to true community. This is the way of koinonia. So what does it mean to be “Pentecostal in Community?” In particular, how do our Pentecostal convictions regarding the 4 See in particular Jordan Bais. Common Ground: An Introduction to Eastern Christianity for the American Christian. Light and Life Pub: 1991. Chapter 11 for a fuller discussion. 5 1 John 4:11-12. New International Version 6 The language of “convictions” comes from James Wm. McClendon, Jr. and James M. Smith. Convictions: Defusing Religious Relativism, rev. ed.Valley Forge: Trinity Press, 1994, 5. “Distinctives” language tends to set one denominational group against another while conviction language refers to those shared persuasions and beliefs that guide thought and shape life. They are expressed in what we actually say and do. Jeff Christopherson. Kingdom Matrix: Designing a Church for the Kingdom of God. Boise: Russell Media. 2012. warns of the danger of brand expansion and distinctive language tends to lean toward brand identity. 7 William and Robert Menzies. Spirit and Power: Foundations of Pentecostal Experience. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 2000. 179-181.

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experience and exercise of spiritual gifts shape our understanding and practice of community?6 Or perhaps more accurately: How should our convictions shape our koinonia? William and Robert Menzies maintain that there are three essential principles regarding spiritual gifts.7 The first is the Grace Principle. “Gifts are not a badge of spiritual maturity (1 Cor. 12:4)”8 A second is the Edification Principle. “Gifts are given so that we may edify others” (1 Cor. 12:7).9 A third principle from the Menzies book is the Participation Principle. “Everyone has something to contribute” (1 Cor. 12:11).10 These are Pentecostal convictions concerning Spiritual Gifts. They have definite implications for how we should practice koinonia. In fact these convictions should shape our communities. They should influence the kinds of environments we desire to create in which these gifts can flourish. We need loving participation, loving edification and loving diversity. Loving Participation: Creating Safe Environments The Lord’s gifts of grace are not simply for the spiritual elite but we are all to “eagerly desire spiritual gifts” (1 Cor. 14:1). This essentially means that Pentecostal community should be open to receive these graces from the newest believer or the oldest saint. Every believer can participate in community and contribute to the life of the church. The challenge of putting this truth in practice is in finding appropriate contexts where these gifts can be exercised so that every believer can be encouraged to grow and mature in their exercise of the gifts.11 Since there is a learning component to every gift, novice practitioners must have an opportunity to grow in a safe and nurturing environment. To not do so would be unloving and counterproductive. Where there are no safe environments for the exercise of spiritual gifts, the more verbal and public gifts will either be squelched, or the gatherings will be marked by 8 Ibid. 180. 9 Ibid. 181-182 10 Menzies. 182-183 11 See David Lim. Spiritual Gifts: A Fresh Look. Springfield: Gospel Publishing House. 1991. 43-50. There is a natural and supernatural component to them. We need to realize that the natural components require ongoing mentoring if the gifts are to be fully appreciated.

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immature and non-edifying gift expressions. Our emphasis on spiritual gifts must go hand in hand with a loving approach to ensure that we create safe and nurturing environments for their practice. If the hallmark of true community is love, then this must be demonstrated in how we encourage and foster every believerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to grow and find maturity in the exercise of their gifts. Pentecostals should be passionate about the development of these graces in the lives of people. We should not be content to merely experience them, but we must also focus on their development and maturation. This is a key issue of spiritual formation in a loving Pentecostal community. Loving Edification: Growing in the Graces Spiritual gifts are to be evaluated on their ability to build up the Body of Christ or to put it another way: they are to enhance koinonia. It is not a coincidence that Paul included the Love Chapter (1 Cor. 13) in the midst of his discussion of spiritual gifts. Love and edification are inseparably linked. You cannot have one without the other. Pentecostal communities should hold firm to this principle. The gifts of the Spirit must be intertwined with the fruit of the Spirit - of which love is the chief attribute. Participation then is with a purpose and is not an end in itself. It is to build up the community of faith: to enhance the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to be about the Fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business of building the Kingdom of his dear son. Our evaluation of our communal life should go well beyond the determination of whether or not spiritual gifts were exercised. The more important question is if there is indeed evidence of their maturation in the life of believers. We measure what we value. Much of the Missional literature is encouraging us to measure the right things rather than the traditional; budget, butts and buildings scorecards.12 Pentecostals ought to pay closer attention to the maturation of the spiritual gifts in the lives of believers. 12 See in particular: Reggie McNeal. Missional Renaissance: Changing the Scorecard for the Church. San Francisco: Josseybass. 2009.

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When we value our community’s growth in spiritual gifts it leads also to a Missional purpose. Edification is not an end in itself. The community is to be built up for a purpose. Perhaps one of the dangers concerning our convictions regarding spiritual gifts is the misperception that spiritual gifts simply enhance community life. As if the goal of the Spirit’s graces are to make our churches healthier, happier and better places to belong. This would require a misreading of the Spirit’s role in the life of the church. Surely we understand that the Spirit’s role in the Earliest Church was to propel it to be about the mission of Jesus. The Day of Pentecost and the subsequent experiences of the Spirit resulted in Kingdom of God expanding adventures. If we are in true community with the Spirit we will not be able to ignore his missionary urgings. We are built up so that we can go out. We need only consider the context in which Jesus exercised faith, worked miracles, spoke prophetically, healed, etc. He did not confine his “spiritual gifts” to the community of disciples. These miraculous graces were exercised in the context of the marketplace and en route from town to town. When we confine the use of spiritual gifts to our churchy environments we miss the essential Missional promptings of the Holy Spirit. If in fact we all participate in spiritual gifts and if in fact they are promptings of the Spirit, what would it look like if our community members exercised their gifts in the public sphere? What if Spirit filled business folks had words of wisdom in their business contexts? What if our tradespeople exercised gifts of healing on their job sites? If we are Pentecostal in Community it should flow into this kind of Missional activity. It would give credibility to our claim that we are all ministers in the new community of the King.13 Loving Diversity: Making Room for Others Everyone, even those with shortcomings and weaknesses are able to exercise spiritual gifts in the Body of Christ. After all, 13 For me this is one of the ramifications of our Belief in the Priesthood of all Believers. Stronstad’s work on The Prophethood of All Believers enhances the view that we all carry this mantle of Jesus into the everyday world.

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as the Menzies suggest, they are a grace and not a result of merit.14 There are as many gifts available as there are needs in the life of the church. Our preoccupation with spectacular or supernatural gifts often downplays our need for the great variety of gifts needed to keep the community healthy and effective. Pentecostals should value every personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contribution to the whole. This may require some intentionality on our part. We should learn to publically celebrate the less obvious gifts. This also means that either gender, every age group, and varieties of ethnic and racial backgrounds have a place in participating in the life of the true community. It speaks of inclusivity. Harvey Cox in Fire from Heaven describes just this kind of intermingling of gender and race in the Azusa Street revival.15 Pentecostal communities should be places of diversity. One of the challenges of church life is that over time certain individuals consistently occupy places of service and in so doing prevent newcomers from exercising their gifts. Churches tend to rigidify with the same people exercising the same gifts year after year. Newcomers and those who are growing in their faith and gift expression find no place to serve. The church can become stagnant and exemplify the values and emphasis of a past generation. This is how many of our churches get to the place where they reflect none of the diversity outside their doors. As our cities and towns become more diverse our gatherings should reflect that diversity since we believe that the gifts are available to every believer regardless of cultural background, gender or age. True community makes room for this kind of diversity. Healthy, growing churches are continually creating and encouraging new opportunities for service so that varieties of people can participate in community life. On the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit did not fall on isolated individuals. He fell upon the gathered church. But He did fill each individual person. While the individual is important, we need each other. We are different from one another but we 14 Menzies. 180 15 Harvey Cox. Fire from Heaven: The Rise of Pentecostal Spirituality and the Reshaping of Religion in the Twenty-First Century. Perseus Books. 1995. 55-60

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also need one another in order to be complete. Diversity only works in an environment of love. The temptation to squeeze each other into uniformity is only prevented by a loving appreciation of diversity: unity without uniformity. Pentecostal in Community. Our Pentecostal convictions concerning spiritual gifts should move us to create safe and loving environments where they can be grown and matured. We should not be content with their presence but contend for their growth. We should see their expression outside our church buildings. We need to create new opportunities for new gift expressions so that we can experience the broad diversity of the community of the King. Love is the key to koinonia: loving participation; loving edification; and loving diversity.

CHAPTER TWO Pentecostal in Outreach and Social Action Mission by the Spirit Joseph Dutko

The Tension Throughout its history the Church has wrestled with the tension between evangelistic outreach and social action. On one extreme is a disembodied and dualistic spirituality that equates the world with evil, seeks to escape it, and rejoices in its apocalyptic doom. In this scenario, our mission is simply to save as many souls as possible before Jesus returns. On the other extreme is a social gospel that sees the churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only mission as making this world a better place. The former makes the world irrelevant, the latter makes the spiritual life irrelevant. So which is it? Is our primary mission to save souls or to serve society? Thankfully, nowhere in the Bible, early Pentecostal history, or thoughtful Pentecostal theology do we find this kind of dichotomy. Rather, these three areas clearly teach a holistic model of evangelism that highlights the multidimensionality of salvation and the Spiritâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role in it. The work of the Spirit involves the transformation of both human beings and all creation through personal salvation and social action.1 Therefore, debating whether our missional priorities 1 See Amos Yong, The Spirit Poured Out on All Flesh: Pentecostalism and the Possibility of Global Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2005), 91ff.

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should be weighted more towards evangelism or social concern makes no sense—they are an integrated whole and we cannot fulfill our mission without both. Because of the tendency within Pentecostalism to emphasize “soul-winning” at the expense of social action, this chapter will primarily focus on mission through social action in an attempt to bring a more balanced and integrated approach that is closer to our Pentecostal origins. It is my contention that our Pentecostal beliefs—informed by the Bible, history, and theology—call us to Pentecostal practices that integrate the Spirit’s work in souls and society, evangelism and social action, worship and mission. Bible Pentecostal scholars generally accept that there is a paradigmatic relationship between the life of Jesus in Luke and the life of the Church in Acts.2 Of primary importance is the relationship between the empowerment of the Spirit at Jesus’ baptism (Luke 3:21-22) and the Spirit baptism of the disciples at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). The descent of the Spirit at Jesus’ baptism prepared him for and propelled him into his mission, and the Spirit baptism at Pentecost does the same for the disciples. Luke’s thesis for Luke-Acts is that if the Spirit of God who anointed Jesus now dwells in the Church, then that same Spirit will inform and enable the Church to do the same works—in fact, “greater works than these”—that Jesus did. So what are these works that, aided by the power of the Spirit, the Church is called to do? After the empowerment of Jesus at his baptism, we see him liberating the poor, marginalized, and oppressed; delivering people from sin, sickness, and evil; and blessing the hungry, the blind, and the hurting (Luke 4:18-19; 7:22-23). In sum, Jesus was anointed by the Spirit to break down social, economic, racial, and gender barriers and to inaugurate God’s reign of love, justice, and shalom in the world. And it is clear that if the Church wants to follow the footsteps of Jesus, then it must do what he did under the power of the Spirit. All this is exactly what we see happen at 2 See Martin W. Mittelstadt, Reading Luke-Acts in the Pentecostal Tradition (Cleveland, TN: CPT Press, 2010), particularly168-69.

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Pentecost and in the subsequent works of the Church in Acts. The prototype of Jesus’ inauguration and ministry anticipated and laid out the trajectory for the “greater works than these” of the Church, namely, the breaking of barriers and liberation of all peoples through works of justice, equality, inclusion, and demarginalization.3 As Michael Wilkinson and Steven Studebaker highlight, we have often focused on the charismatic manifestations of Acts 2/Joel 2 at the expense of the social message and liberating work of the Spirit in the text.4 As we see in Luke-Acts and as we will now see in Pentecostal history, one should always lead to the other. History In his teaching and writing, Martin Mittelstadt laments that Pentecostals suffer from “historical amnesia.” This forgetting of our history, combined with the institutionalization and quest for respectability that comes with the growth of a new movement, has led us to overlook the important social dimensions of early Pentecostal history. What we find is a similar pattern to that found in the Spirit-empowered ministry of Jesus and the Spirit-initiated breaking of barriers in Acts. At Azusa, the Pentecostal experience of being baptized in the Spirit overcame gender, ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic barriers in a way that “reembodied” the eschatological outpouring of the Spirit on the early Church.5 Early Pentecostal leaders gave thoughtful reflection and passionate action to social issues. They developed careful rationales for resistance, nonviolence, and prophetic opposition to systems that catered to the powerful and to agendas that usurped allegiance to the Kingdom of God. What Azusa and our Pentecostal history teach us is that the Pentecostal experience leads us to our mission of bringing, binding, and reconciling people together—even in a world still tainted by patriarchy, racism, 3 Yong defines this relationship between Luke and Acts as the transition from Spirit Christology to Spirit soteriology (The Spirit Poured Out, 83-91). See also Murray W. Dempster, “Evangelism, Social Concern, and the Kingdom of God,” in Called and Empowered: Global Mission in Pentecostal Perspective, ed. Murray W. Dempster, Byron D. Klaus, and Douglas Petersen (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1991), 22-43. 4 Michael Wilkinson and Steven M. Studebaker, “Pentecostal Social Action: An Introduction,” in A Liberating Spirit: Pentecostals and Social Action in North America, ed. Michael Wilkinson and Steven M. Studebaker (Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2010), 9. 5 Yong, The Spirit Poured Out, 137.

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sexism, and classism. Theology and Practice Part of the problem facing Pentecostals is we have not taken the time to develop a thoughtful theology of mission from within the Pentecostal experience itself and therefore have unreflectively borrowed from fundamentalist theology and its sister, dispensational eschatology. Embracing this theology has put us behind in the area of social concern when our Pentecostal experience and understanding should actually be causing us to lead the way!6 Informed by Scripture and history, a Pentecostal theology of mission will consider not only one’s “personal Pentecost,” but also the corporate Pentecostal reality that is in line with the work of the outpouring of the Spirit and its social implications as experienced in Acts and at Azusa. In this way, the initial inward experience of the Spirit immediately pulls us outward—both in our imagination (with regard to eschatological anticipation) and in our participation (with regard to Kingdom inauguration). Our call as a Pentecostal people is to be an eschatological community that is a foretaste of the world to come; this is our mission and the “end” toward which we move. But what might this “foretaste” look like? How can we be Pentecostal in practice when it comes to outreach and social action in our particular contexts? Thankfully, the same Spirit who inspires our beliefs also engages us in practices congruent with those beliefs. The interplay between belief and practice, worship and mission, is best thought of in the church as the rhythm of gathering and dispersion in which union with Christ through the Spirit leads to mission in the world by the Spirit. As pastors, we must continually remind people that communion with the Holy Spirit is not an invitation to escape from this world; rather, the experience of the Spirit is what enables us to better understand the world and to care for it more deeply. The same Spirit who 6 Simon Chan says that our historical association with dispensationalism has led us to develop a “crisis eschatology” which has had positive results for the mission of evangelism but has caused us to fall behind in the area of social justice (Pentecostal Theology and the Christian Spiritual Tradition [Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 2000], 15-16).

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causes us to long for the day when there are no more tears, sorrow, or pain, is also the Spirit who sends us right into the tears, sorrow, and pain of our world. If our Pentecostal worship is not relevant to the issues facing our world, then we will become an “idle faith” which, to use Miroslav Volf’s imagery, “spins in one place, like a tire stuck in an icy hole.”7 In order to avoid this stagnation, we must invite people not only to experience a foretaste of God’s future kingdom through the Spirit but also to participate in social action and witness that makes the work of the Spirit credible and tangible. Specific actions for churches are hard to recommend; we need to be open to the creativity of the Spirit who leads us to social action unique to our contexts. But the general principles that inform all Spirit-led outreach are consistent from Jesus to the early church to Azusa to today. We are to be anticipatory, nonconformist, counter-communities that seek God’s salvation, justice, and peace by redeeming fallen social structures that are antithetical to the inbreaking of Christ’s rule and reign in the world. The work of the Spirit will cause us to prophetically oppose all forms of racism, classism, sexism, ableism, and ageism—any structures that support the “normal” and punish the “abnormal,” profit the rich at the expense of the poor, or favor the haves over the have-nots. We can do this by resisting unjust legislation, providing interest-free loans to the poor, sharing our possessions, opposing gentrification, aligning with pregnancy care centers, seeking healing and reconciliation with Aboriginal peoples (www.trc.ca), promoting creation care, fighting sex trafficking, exposing economic or environmental exploitation, helping abused women, supporting new immigrants, encouraging equal-opportunity education, advocating for mental health programs, participating in foster care and adoption, and otherwise contributing to endeavors that bring justice, beauty, and flourishing to our communities. How this is fleshed out will be different in the Lower Mainland and the cities from how it will be in rural areas and the Yukon. But as Spirit-led, Spirit-baptized 7 Miroslav Volf, A Public Faith: How Followers of Christ Should Serve the Common Good (Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2011), 23.

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people we should be at the forefront of these kind of barrierbreaking endeavors, for we are all called in our social outreach to participate in the eschatological work of the Spirit which becomes a visible witness of God’s love, rule, and reign in the world. So let us join together in longing and prayer for the day when our Pentecostal churches—being biblically, historically, and theologically informed—are known for outreach and social action that is fueled by the Spirit of Pentecost and is a foretaste of the world to come.

BIBLIOGRAPHY In addition to the books cited in footnotes of chapter two, the following sources are recommended for further reading: Alexander, Paul, and Jay Beaman, series eds. Pentecostals, Peacemaking, and Social Justice Series. 7 vols. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2009-2013. Gutiérrez, Gustavo. A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics, and Salvation. Rev. ed. Translated and edited by Caridad Inda and John Eagleson. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1988. Hollenweger, W.J. “Social Justice and the Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement.” In The New Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements, edited by Stanley M. Burgess, rev. ed., 1076-1079. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002. Miller, Donald, and Tetsunao Yamamori. Global Pentecostalism: The New Face of Christian Social Engagement. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2007. Stronstad, Roger. The Charismatic Theology of St. Luke. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1984. Unruh, Heidi R., and Ronald J. Sider. Saving Souls, Serving Society: Understanding the Faith Factor in Church-Based Social Ministry. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. Wacker, Grant. Heaven Below: Early Pentecostalism and American Culture. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2001. Yankoski, Mike and Danae, eds. Zealous Love: A Practical Guide to Social Justice. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009.

CHAPTER THREE Pentecostal in Preaching Dr. Robert L. Bedard

After a full day of studying for my small group Bible study, I sat down that evening ready to teach. Suddenly a man in my small group jested, “This weekend, when my Baptist brother from out of town heard that a retired Baptist pastor was preaching at our Pentecostal church on Sunday, he said, ‘Well then, I guess I should bring my Bible after all!’” That encounter motivated me to discover what Pentecostal preaching is and isn’t. Before unveiling what I have been learning Pentecostal preaching is, let me first address what I believe it is not. Pentecostal Preaching Is Not . . . 1. Neglecting Scholarship History tomes are spotted with reports that our Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC) forefathers openly dismissed Christian scholarship. One PAOC historian, Gordon F. Atter, cited one of the primary reasons why the PAOC was slow in establishing ministerial training schools was, “a hesitancy in 33

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the minds of some as to the value of such.”1 It seems to me that we in the PAOC cannot yet claim with S.E. Hinton, “That was then, this is now.”2 Anti-scholasticism still exists in our fellowship, sadly, even among our younger preachers. This was proven one day when a young preacher unashamedly admitted to me that he had just given away all of his Bible resources, because, in his own words, the Holy Spirit would give him the necessary biblical insights the moment he started to preach. While researching what Pentecostal preaching is and what it isn’t, I found myself contemplating whether scholarship and the Spirit of God are at odds with each other. Conversely, I have concluded they are complimentary. In fact, I would go so far as to defend that Pentecostal preaching arises only from the wedding of the two. Yet, like in any happy marriage, it takes concerted attention and effort. Even the Apostles learned the hard lesson that the preacher’s primary calling is to devote ample time and attention to both “prayer and the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). 2. Simply Story-Telling Simply attend a Pentecostal camp meeting or pastors’ conference and you will likely agree that Pentecostals love to tell stories. It has even argued – sometimes deservedly – even at the expense of the preaching of God’s Word. Now who doesn’t enjoy a well told story? Even a cursory glance at the Gospels reveals that Jesus loved to ‘spin a good yarn.’ Jesus, the Master Story-Teller, told stories that both moved His audiences and provoked responses. To the chagrin of some homileticians, we preachers will never preach more like Jesus than when we wrap biblical truths inside gripping stories. That said, story-telling preachers would be wise to remember that stories do not transform lives, God’s Word does. 1 Atter. G.F. 1970. The Third Force. Caledonia, ON: ACTS Books, p.100. 2 Hinton, S.E. 1971. That Was Then, This Is Now. New York:Viking Press.

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To underscore this truth, the aged Apostle Paul instructed his young protégé, Timothy: Never neglect to “Preach the Word” (2 Tim 4:2).3 3. Mere Emotionalism In discovering what Pentecostal preaching is and isn’t, I was left wondering: When Jesus told the story of the grace-filled father running unabashedly to welcome home his wayward youngest son, was there one dry eye among his audience? Furthermore, as Jesus revealed the ungracious older son’s reaction to the father, was there one religious eye that was not contemptuously glaring at Jesus? Because Jesus undeniably employed emotion in his preaching to provoke deep life-change in His hearers, shouldn’t we Pentecostal preachers do likewise? Leonard Sweet cautioned us preachers, “When we take the most absorbing and mysterious story in history and turn it into a dull diatribe, radiance is ruined.”4 Throughout my search to better comprehend what Pentecostal preaching is and isn’t, I have discovered a fine line exists between preaching with emotion and emotionalism in preaching – a line many Pentecostal preachers have unwittingly crossed. What differentiates emotionalism in preaching from preaching with emotion, I believe, is what preachers ultimately rely upon for results. The Apostle Paul divulged, “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power” (1 Cor 2:4-5). As I see it, the only preaching that truly provokes repentance and produces transformation in our listeners is preaching that is solely dependent upon and empowered by God’s Spirit. 3 All Bible citations are taken from the New International Version of The Holy Bible. 4 Sweet, L 2003. Jesus Drives Me Crazy. Grad Rapids, MI Zondervan, p.120.

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4. Just Talking About The Holy Spirit Is pneumatology and the infilling of the Holy Spirit the primary subject of Pentecostal preaching? Some, I would submit, have wrongly assumed Pentecostal preaching occurs if and when preachers preach for, and not against, the moving and activities of the Holy Spirit in the lives of individual believers and in the life of the church. Yet, I am finding that Pentecostal preachers aren’t the only ones preaching on the Holy Spirit today. Arturo G. Azurdia III – who admits to be neither Pentecostal nor charismatic – in his book, Spirit Empowered Preaching, compels other non-Pentecostal/charismatic preachers to utterly depend on the Holy Spirit to empower their preaching ministry.5 Ironically, I have discovered that the primary subject of true Pentecostal preaching is in fact not the Holy Spirit, but to borrow from the Pentecostal preacher, the Apostle Paul, “we preach Christ crucified” (1 Cor 1:22). So if Pentecostal preaching is not lacking in scholarship; if it is not just story-telling; if it is not emotionalism; and if it is not just focusing on the Holy Spirit, then what is it? Looking at Peter, the first Pentecostal preacher and his first Pentecostal sermon preached on the Day of Pentecost, I have observed Pentecostal preaching is Holy Spirit-directed, Holy Spirit-inspired and Holy Spirit-empowered preaching (Acts 2:14-41). Pentecostal Preaching is . . . 1. Holy Spirit-Directed: I used to think Peter’s first Pentecostal sermon was unprepared and preached spontaneously on the Day of Pentecost. Though the first two chapters of the book of Acts never state whether Peter knew if and when he would preach, I now wonder if Peter may have had an inkling of what his next sermon would be about. Before ascending to Heaven, Jesus had clear5 Azurdia III, Arturo, G. 2006. Spirit Empowered Preaching. Glasgow: Mentor Imprint, pp.32-33

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ly instructed Peter and the other Apostles, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4-5). Now whether Peter knew if, when and what he would preach, the biblical text seems to support the proposition that some spiritual preparation transpired over the next ten days as Peter and 119 others “joined together constantly in prayer” (Acts 1:14-15). Now in making such a claim, please understand I am not diminishing the deep work of the Holy Spirit that transformed cowardly Peter into courageous Peter at the moment of his Holy Spirit baptism. Rather I am suggesting we do not underestimate the spirit-soul preparation that always results from extended times of intense prayer. I cannot help but wonder: After denying Jesus miserably the last time Peter was in Jerusalem, could it not stand to reason that after ten days of prayer he may have been more attune to God than ever before? Furthermore, I am curious if, throughout those ten days of prayer, the Holy Spirit might have directed Peter with his next sermon? Though the text does not say, perhaps Dean Shriver’s words capture how a once-defeated-now-reinstated Peter may have felt during those ten days of prayer: “Only humble preachers recognize their dependence on God. And only preachers who recognize their dependence on God seriously pray.”6 All speculation aside, even if Peter had preached spontaneously and unpreparedly on the Day of Pentecost, it seems to me, at the very least, the Holy Spirit directed this first-ever Pentecostal preacher to stand up, step up and speak up. 2. Holy Spirit-Inspired: To underscore the importance that preachers pray to and hear from God, Mark Buchanan posited, “Either God gives us 6 Shriver, D. 2005. Nobody’s Perfect, But You Have To Be. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, p.55.

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words, or we are only giving opinions.”7 Whether Peter had been prepared to preach his Pentecost sermon or not, one thing is for sure: The Holy Spirit inspired him to address the very question the crowd was really asking at that particular moment. As elementary as it sounds, let us remember the Holy Spirit not only knows all of the thoughts of God, but He also knows all thoughts of all people at all times. The Apostle Paul said it best: “The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God” (1 Cor 2:10). This being true, it stands to reason that on the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit knew every thought of every person present. Without a doubt the Spirit inspired Peter to do something he could never do on his own: Whether Peter preached preparedly or spontaneously, he preached on the exact question the people were collectively asking. The Holy Spirit, Who knows all things, inspired Peter to do so by dovetailing three different Scriptures into his one Day of Pentecost sermon. Because of the Holy Spirit who inspired Peter, his preaching became both convincing and compelling. 3. Holy Spirit-Empowered: As the Holy Spirit fell upon Peter (and the rest) with tongues of fire on the Day of Pentecost, his preaching truly became Pentecostal. For the first time in Peter’s ministry, his preaching was empowered by the Holy Spirit Who now indwelled him. Under the unction of the Holy Spirit of God, the transformed Apostle fearlessly preached his Day of Pentecost sermon, concluding it with the following proclamation: Acts 2:36-41 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, 7 Buchanan, M. 2006. The Rest Of God. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, p.179.

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in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. Jim Cymbala just may have been thinking of Peter when he penned, “Preaching that is anointed by the Holy Spirit is fiery preaching. That doesn’t mean beating people down or condemning them; rather, it means ministry that penetrates the heart, reveals sin, and vividly shows the need for Jesus Christ.”8 Along my quest to discover what Pentecostal preaching is and what Pentecostal preaching is not, I found myself musing: Even though Peter accomplished what few preachers have in the entire history of Christendom, I wonder how many Homiletics teachers would issue him a failing grade for his threetexts-in-one sermon? Peter’s Pentecostal sermon proves that we preachers ought to depend on the Holy Spirit more than our homiletical acumen. One writer wonderfully contrasted Holy Spirit-empowered preaching with mere homiletical preaching: “In Acts chapter two, they prayed for ten days. Peter preached for ten minutes and 3 000 were saved. Today, churches pray for ten minutes, preach for ten days and three get saved.”9 Discovering what Pentecostal preaching is and isn’t will be ongoing for me. Yet for now I am satisfied with my findings: Peter, the first preacher in the early church, was indeed a Pentecostal preacher and it certainly showed. After much prayer and much-needed Holy Spirit direction, inspiration and empowerment, Peter preached his first Pentecostal sermon – a message that “cut to the heart” of 3000 hearers (Acts 2:37,41). It stands to reason Peter’s example of what Pentecos8 Cymbala, J. 2012. Spirit Rising. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, p.69. 9 Maxwell, J.C. 1996. Partners in Prayer. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., p.10.

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tal preaching is has been inserted into God’s Holy Word for all of us post-Pentecost preachers to emulate. I am so thankful that Pentecostal preaching is not something we only read about, but fortunately is something we still experience in our wonderful fellowship, the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. After a moral failure, our scheduled District Conference keynote speaker was benched. A PAOC preacher was called up to pinch-hit and, in my estimation, he hit a homerun. The words he preached thundered like oracles from God to me. A deacon from my church, who knew intimately the struggles I was facing, leaned into me and confirmed the obvious, “He’s preaching right to you!” Through that then-unknown preacher, God’s Word cut so deeply into my heart it stayed with me for years. That kind of preaching – Holy Spirit-directed, Holy Spirit-inspired and Holy Spiritempowered preaching – is what Pentecostal preaching is and always should be.

CHAPTER FOUR Pentecostal in Worship Dr. C.A. Coats

In earlier days of the modern Pentecostal movement, the public expression of praise and adoration was notably different from other Christian congregations. This expression was variegated, of course, yet was often marked by exuberance, volume, informality, physical movement, deep emotion, and more. Even into the 1970’s, if one was in a congregation where hands were raised as a sign of praise, it was more likely than not a Pentecostal or newly forming Charismatic group. However, all or none of the above expressions may constitute “worship” given what Pentecostals have always held as the canon of faith and practice: Scripture. The prophets made it clear that such things as prayer, music, offerings, et al. can become only so much noise—even an abomination—if not carried out with a heart committed to God’s desires as expressed by the Spirit in the written word.1 This is, no doubt, a contributor to the widely held Jewish view that the study of God’s word is the highest form of worship. For if one worships in a way that is not in keeping with the 1 Amos 5:21ff., e.g.

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One True God and His Self-disclosure, such “worship” is absurd at best and idolatrous at worst. Moreover, much to the surprise of the masses in virtually every Evangelical church today, music is certainly not the “endall, be-all” of worship. In point of fact, one can make the argument it is very distant from the centre. Note, for example, that there is no mention of it at all in the histories of the Patriarchs, or in the entirety of the Levitical code/cultus, or hardly in the oversight of the judges and on into the early monarchy.2 Even in the New Testament, the Book of Revelation excepted, music is treated largely as a sidelight.3 No, for the authors of Holy Writ—and thus for the Author of Holy Writ—worship is far more involved with the conduct of the obedient than with the evocations of the minstrel. Witness what I would consider the key New Testament verse on the subject, Romans 12:1. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship/service.” In both Testaments, the concept of service (Heb. ָ‫ עָֹבדה‬and ‫פַלח‬, Gr. λατρεία) is seen as indispensable to true worship, and sacrifice as being integral. It isn’t one who lilts with voice or instrument that turns God’s head, it is he who lives in accordance with God’s character—sometimes a costly ordeal—who does so. This truth carries forward for the Pentecostal certain demands in the arenas of personal life and corporate fellowship. Individually, I am to worship God by laying aside every weight which so easily besets, and running with endurance the race set out for me, fixed on Jesus and His character. Worship could hardly be seen as occurring if I were not committed to the two great commands of my Lord, viz. loving Him with all I am and my fellow as myself. Were my hands raised and 2 Exceptions are the Song of Miriam/Moses in Exodus 15 and Deborah’s Song in Judges 5. These, however were used primarily educationally. This is not to say that music was unimportant to the ancients, but simply that canonically the dearth runs counter to the modern and demonstrably false near-ubiquitous concept that worship = music. 3 Our Lord and the apostles sang a hymn on their departure to Olivet on Passover, and music is mentioned in the (twin) prison letters of Ephesians/Colossians, but little more is known.

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my eyes weeping, were my fingers strumming and my larynx blaring, without a grounding in service to God’s will all would be only a spectacle. In the paradigmatic life of our Saviour, worship had much more to do with hearing from the Father and delivering His message of grace to the needy than it did to clapping, dancing, shouting, or a Jericho march. It was the Son of Man’s obedient service that constituted His worship of the Father. He said, “I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave Me to do.”4 In terms of corporate worship, the same guiding principle is paramount. In a thoroughly “Pentecostal” passage, Paul is at great pains to ensure the assembly “worships” in a manner that is in edification to the other(s) and not just oneself. The overarching theme of the use of the charisma in I Corinthians 12-14 is the benefit of the entire congregation, not the speaker. Verse 7 in his opening volley is the raison d’etre of all his following dicta, given as a corrective to the self-referential Corinthians: “But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” Better to speak five words that builds the church than ten thousand that satiates only the speaker. This instruction comes right on the heels of his treatment of the Eucharist where, though they were “worshipping” (or so they affirmed), it certainly was not the Lord’s Supper they were eating! Going on ahead of a brother or sister in an unaware manner may have become as common for them as raising our hands is for us, but it was anathema nonetheless. But then this is only a salient point of an overall theology; the same epistle and others go on to articulate that behaviour is not an island entity. It is always vis-à-vis the brethren, the whole. We are connected. And being connected, I am never to allow what I hold as permissible to become a scandal to my brother. If eating meat causes him genuine difficulty, Paul declares that he will never eat it again. Instructively, I Corinthians’ 13th chapter falls dead centre in the “how to” of charismatic 4 John 17:4. See also, e.g., Jn. 4:34; 5:30; 6:38; 14:31; 15:10; 17:4; Is. 42:1, 21; Mt. 3:17; 17:5; Hb. 10:7. 5 Paul’s οlκοδομή is better understood today by the phrase “built up” rather than the word “edified,” since we “build up” buildings but we don’t “edify” edifices in contemporary English

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operation. It is the one Body that the one Spirit seeks to build, and such worship cannot be in a vacuum devoid of agape. In practical terms, all of the foregoing is highly relevant to our B.C.-Yukon churches and beyond. Let’s start with musical expression and move on to the charisma. The so-called “music wars” are frequently the nadir of Pentecostal infighting.7 Too loud, too soft, too old, too new, too fast, too slow, too cabaret, too dull. Really? Really? It’s come to this? I can envisage Paul—observing one of our Builder Generation saints and one of our Millennials who are engaged in (somewhat warmed?) conversation about song—and pastorally but quite firmly inserting himself with, “C’mon! In the first century we had landowners and slaves, Jews and Greeks all worshiping together; surely we need not be divided today over something as minor (no pun intended) as song. Worship is not hymns vs. choruses, guitars vs. pianos, drums vs. tambourines! Worship is serving God and your fellow in the character of His Son. It is aligning with the Lord Sabaoth against darkness, not each other. You want to worship God? Start with treating the visible representation of Him—the Body—in a manner commensurate with how you want to be treated!”8 Of all groups that are governed by the 13th chapter of I Corinthians, it ought to be Pentecostals at the front of the line. The Spirit of God isn’t behind egocentrism, a malady nearly as opposite as one can get from true worship. No, the Spirit stimulates individuals to give up their narcissistic selfhonour and He animates corporate glorification of Christ via caring for the Body—the other—not the self. Further, it isn’t just with the prickly nature of music where our assemblies can mature in worship, but with the very expression of the charisma itself. Since order and edification are the 7 It certainly isn’t reserved just to Pentecostals nor our generation. The Reformer Martin Luther appears to have been nicked up by it half a millennium ago since he intoned that when Satan fell, it was into the choir. 8 It was not without some depressed amusement that I read, at the time of this writing, an article that had been carried by a local news agency of a Texas woman who refused to be calmed down with her tambourine in a worship service, and was eventually brought into submission by police officers— but only with a taser.

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guiding principles in Scripture, why do we often operate in a semi-chaotic manner in our own congregations? Why do we have the piercing voice that screams out from the middle of the balcony, “Yea, I am the Lord your God, and I say unto you…”? People have turned their backs on God entirely due to our lack of honing our techniques in this regard. I was therefore delighted to see that leading Pentecostals in both the PAOC as well as the AG have written on having people come forward to speak, at a conducive time, being recognized by the pastors, and speaking the gifts into a microphone so that all can hear clearly, one at a time, and be built up.9 This method enjoys multiple benefits. It tends to act as a restraint on someone who is a bit flamboyant, makes a person think twice before blurting out something that God did not—yea even—say, gives all in the building auditory clarity, keeps services from tending toward the chaotic, honours the leadership’s God-initiated authority, and grants pastors a chance to screen someone wholly unknown to the congregation. The goal is that the Church is built up, not that anyone has a wholly unrestricted pedestal. In conclusion, worship has, in relative terms, very little to do with music or other such religious expressions.10 At RPC where I pastor, we never overtly refer to the song service as “worship,” because such careless verbiage leads people away from the Biblical foundation of what worship is—ALL we offer to God in our living. When students or others tell me, “I led worship last night,” I always respond with, “Oh, you took up the offering?” Serving in the coffee connection corner or helping an elderly person is every bit as much worship, so we should teach that with our terminology! Worship has infinitely more to do with giving God His rightful due in service as living sacrifices than it does with keyboards and frets. Such an understanding eschews egotism, particularly so in the corporate setting, the congregation, the Temple of the Spirit. 9 See among others, Hurst, Randy ed. Divine Order (Springfield: GPH), 2009, and Bullock, Warren. When The Spirit Speaks. (Springfield: GPH), 2009. 10 I certainly don’t want the baby thrown out here, however. Music is the language of the soul, and deeply important to the praise of God and overall church edification. To dispense with it, or even just to truncate it dramatically, would be a serious error.

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There, living as Jesus would and thus pleasing the Father, means pleasing the whole. It may also mean some self-sacrifice that we, even Pentecostals, have forgotten to walk in. May we continue to rejoice in the beauty of music, giving God praise, but even more may we learn anew from the Spirit of God what it means to live holy and acceptable in our reasonable serviceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;our spiritual form of worship.

CHAPTER FIVE Pentecostal in Pastoral Care Dr. Jim Caruso

Pastoral care could be described as holistic shepherding, let me explain. The apostle Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 these words, â&#x20AC;&#x153;May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together--spirit, soul, and body--and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ.â&#x20AC;? (Message) Those of the body called to pastor or shepherd the flock of God (Eph.4:11) do so under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, offering care to the whole person; the spirit, soul and body. Pastoral care encompasses all aspects of our person; emotional trauma resulting from crisis, depression from the stress, grief and loss of life, sickness and death that attack our bodies, addictions that originate in our soul, (our mind, will and intellect) and then hold our body captive in its dark grip; while our spirit is continually challenged, threatened and taunted by the darkness of the spirit realm. In all of this, the one called to offer pastor care never becomes more like Jesus than when he/she is allowed to journey alongside the child of God in need and offer care. Paramedics responding to a critical incident review all proto51

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cols en-route to the scene, attempting to assess what care may be required. Upon arrival at the scene, the paramedics would begin to triage the injured and needy, creating a safe environment conducive to healing. Once stabilized, the patient(s) are transported to yet another environment, the Emergency Room. In the ER, the patient receives another level of care from doctors, surgeons, nurses and social workers. From there the patient would either be released or sent to a recovery or rehabilitation ward. In this journey, everyone who cares for the patient is only able to create an environment conducive to healing. No one in the chain of care can take credit for the healing. That is entirely the work of God. The medical system provides a great metaphor for the ministry of pastoral care. Those who are called to pastor and care for the people in their congregation and community must be aware that they are only called by God to create a healing environment. In doing so, they become a conduit of the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to bring, salvation, deliverance, healing, restoration, comfort and life. Pastoral ministry is about caring. God calls pastors to shepherd others, and He brings them into an intimate, caring proximity with people entrusted to their care. On many occasions, God uses church leaders to help others grow and mature in His love. Many times this journey with a congregation member in your care may include suffering. In my book Spiritual Sinkholes I cite Eugene Peterson in this matter of pastoral care. In Five Smooth Stones, Eugene Peterson discusses suffering as directing the reader to understand that the one offering pastoral care is a conduit of the Holy Spirit. Peterson describes the serious cost of involvement in someone’s suffering. “When a pastor encounters a person in trouble, the first order of pastoral ministry is to enter into the pain and to share the suffering. . . . Suffering explodes in a life, and pain is scattered like shrapnel.”1 Peterson continues, “It is not the task of the pastor to alleviate suffering, to minimize it, or to mitigate it, but to 1 Eugene H. Peterson, Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 1980), 126.

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share it after the example of our Lord Messiah: Surely he hath borne our grief and carried our sorrows.”2 Suffering extracts compassion from those created in God’s image and sensitive to His Holy Spirit. This is a good and yet troubling reality. It is good because sufferers have compassionate companions on painful journeys. The troubling part is that compassionate companions witness and feels the victims’ torments and fears. Peterson writes, “The pastor who substitutes cheery bromides for companionship ‘through the valley of deep shadows,’ can fairly be accused of cowardice. Writing cheerful graffiti on the rocks in the valley of deep shadows is no substitute for companionship with the person who must walk in darkness.”3 For pastor who has been invited on this journey, must understand the position they have is one of contact with the Holy Spirit, not one of divinity. Jesus led the way for us in this, although He was fully God and fully man (hypostatic union), even so, He choose to humble Himself (Philippians 2:1-11) and become a conduit for the Holy Spirit as an example to those who respond in obedience to His call. Jesus entered His ministry “Full of the Holy Spirit” having endured forty days of spiritual warfare with Satan (Luke 4:1-13). He returned to Galilee after His forty-day fast “In the power of the Holy Spirit” (Luke 4:14) this produced power, gifts, and Now Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wild. For forty wilderness days and nights He was tested by the Devil…That completed the testing. The Devil retreated temporarily, lying in wait for another opportunity. Jesus returned to Galilee powerful in the Spirit. Luke 4:1-2, 13-15 (Message) fruit. Many church leaders today operate from their own abilities and gifts and charismatic personalities. Driven by the machinery of ministry they neglect to draw from the Holy Spirit’s power and soon find themselves in a deficit position as 2 Ibid., 135. 3 Ibid., 136.

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a result of self-imposed agendas and a desire to accomplish great things for God without relying totally upon him for their strength. I believe it is imperative that leaders learn to function in the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) and His gifts. Continuing with the medical metaphor, Len Sweet in So Beautiful writes about ministry in the contemporary church using the medical metaphor of the MRI or Magnetic Resonance Imaging procedure which is used in many hospitals to examine the human body. Sweet’s MRI is a formula that can be used by leaders to examine the health of the body of Christ. Sweet’s ‘M’ stands for Missional referring to the mind of God. God’s plan for church leadership is to ‘equip the saints for the work of ministry’ (Ephesians 4:12a) and to bring the good news to the lost. I believe it is possible to equip the body of Christ to do the work of ministry without the Holy Spirit. Programs, seminars, graduate and post graduate degrees combined with years of personal ministry provide the academic and experiential component of training. But when church leaders attempt to equip the saints without drawing completely upon the power of the Holy Spirit, the caregiver may be vicariously traumatized by the emotional stress. Sweet’s ‘R’ is in reference to the heart of God. Relationship is God’s ultimate goal. In relationship we connect with one another, and connecting opens the door to intimacy. God desires relationship with His creation. In the extreme sense of the word, God sent His Son in human form to connect with His children in an intimate and personal way. This relationship allows God and His creation to develop trust and intimacy with one another. Sadly, pastoral caregivers that are called to care for parishioners can replicate this ‘relational’ connection with one another without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Similar to the Missional aspect of the MRI, church leaders are able to develop and nurture the relational aspect of equipping the body by their own charisma, personality, previous training, or experience and to do so without the Holy Spirit. Sweet’s ‘I’ stands for Incarnational which refers to the hands 54

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of God. “Incarnation is what God’s hands are up to.”4 Incarnational ministry is ministry empowered by the Holy Spirit. This is the one section of the MRI that is impossible to do without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Incarnational ministry is central to caregiving. Pastors who minister from their own ability (power) will discover it is wholly inadequate for the task. God alone empowers Christian ministry, and when He does, the church will function as the mind, heart, and hands of God. Pastors who offer compassionate care needs an MRI scan to reveal their spiritual health. Before His ascension, Jesus spoke to his followers about the promise of the Holy Spirit. He contended that same Spirit would empower them for their ministries. Pastoral caregivers create environments of comfort and support, and they help alleviate others’ pain and suffering. God equips spiritual caregivers and calls them to be His love in action. It is humanly possible to offer pastoral care without the being a conduit of the Holy Spirit, but the offering is a substandard presentation in comparison to the ministry of His presence and just being there. In conclusion, compassionate people hurt when others hurt, and empathetic pastors suffer with those on their journeys. The lesson is that God accompanies the suffering travelers, and does not tire. Pastors, on the other hand, must know when to stop at rest areas. We must take time to re-create ourselves, rest and refresh ourselves in Jesus, and then rejoin those who are suffering. Self-care is not selfish. In all of this, it is the working of the Holy Spirit in and through giver of pastoral care that brings solace and healing to the broken.

4 Len Sweet, So Beautiful, (Colorado: David C. Cook, 2009), 29.

CHAPTER SIX Pentecostal in Leadership Dr. David Demchuk

As we reflect on the role of the Pentecostal experience in the various facets of life – both within and outside of the church, it probably fair to ask, “How does our experience of the Spirit impact the task of leadership?” To some this discussion is simply a non-starter. Subjects like leadership are best left in the secular realm, and at best represent man’s attempts to actually replace the working of the Spirit in the life of the church, with a set of principles and behaviors that leave God out of the equation. Others argue that God’s Kingdom has always been advanced by leaders – in the professional world, as well as the world of full-time ministry. For them, the study of leadership is an effective way to ensure that the five loaves and two fish we bring to the work of the Kingdom gets effectively multiplied for the cause of Christ. The experience of the coming of the Spirit in Acts 2 brings the New Testament Church into existence. We see the empowered preaching of Peter, the further ministry of apostles and deacons leading the fledgling church. In Acts 15, we are introduced to the church’s first attempt at major problem-solving (after the issue of care for widows attended to in Acts 6). 57

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At the forefront of the discussion of what to do with Gentile converts vis-à-vis the Law are leaders: James, Paul, Barnabus. With the help of the Spirit they attempted to forge a lasting solution to a problem that was to plague the church throughout the apostolic age. As we follow the journeys of Paul through out the book of Acts, we see a leader whose courage, endurance, work ethic and faith see him pour his life into the establishment of churches within Asia Minor, Greece, and ultimately Rome (and probably later to Spain and Crete). This is all possible as a result of the power of God’s Holy Spirit, in fact, Paul’s notes that the only effective way he knows to proclaim Christ is in the power of the Spirit (1 Cor. 2:4-5). It is Paul who sees the tasks of leadership and administration as gifts of the Spirit, and encourages those who labor in these areas of gifting to do so with a commensurate level of seriousness (Romans 12:8 cf. 1 Cor. 12:28). After establishing churches, Paul’s next task is to set in place leaders. The task of overseers and deacons – elders— was to ensure the work of each local church pressed forward for the cause of God’s kingdom. The leadership gifts of Ephesians 4 – apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor-teachers – are given by God, empowered by the Spirit and charged with the task of bringing the church to a place of maturity (Eph. 4:11-16). Arguably the primary theme of Paul’s pastoral letters is the establishment of leaders within the churches of Ephesus and Crete, with a view to bringing order to the church and combatting false teaching as it arose there. But is the task of leaders today? What gives a leader credibility? Why do some people follow certain leaders and not others? James Kouzes and Barry Posner describe how over 30 years, they asked similar questions to a wide variety of respondents. They were trying to discern those characteristics that made (and make) a leader someone people would willingly follow. They published their findings in the book The Truth About Leadership (Jossey Bass, 2010). In querying individuals from a variety of fields, four characteristics carried the day. Over 64% of all respondents noted they would fol58

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low a leader who was competent. Some 69% said they would follow a leader who was inspiring. A forward-looking leader captured the hearts of 70% of those responding. Fully 85% of those answering said honest leaders topped their list. These characteristics speak to the character, vision, ethos and tasks of the leader – arguably characteristics given and grown by the presence of the Spirit in our lives. Character It is interesting that an issue of character topped the list in terms of admirable leadership qualities. A generation or two ago, the most desirable trait in leaders was something called “charisma.” When leadership theorists spoke of “charisma” or “charismatic leaders”, they typically were not speaking from a theological perspective. A charismatic leader then, was not an individual who manifested spiritual gifts in the exercise of his authority. Charismatic leaders were those, who by their exceptional personality could influence their followers to help them accomplish their goals or vision. Persuasive oratory, passion, confidence are all hallmarks of this type of leader – with a lesser degree of emphasis placed upon the character of the leader. As Dr. Peter Kuzmic once said: “Charisma without character leads to catastrophe.” History in general, and the history of our own movement in particular is replete with examples of individuals whose charismatic leadership allowed them to start well, and accomplish great things. However without a commensurate growth and maturity in character, the dark side of their leadership appeared. A glaring example for us would be the leadership of Charles Parham – he started well, but it didn’t take long before he began to believe his own publicity so to speak, and he ended his career in virtual obscurity as a victim of his own unchecked, vitriolic attitudes. The character of the leader however is profoundly significant. In the choice of the first deacons (Acts 9), men who were “full 59

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of the Spirit” were to be sought out. As you review the qualities of leader in biblical books like the Pastoral Letters, you will discover Paul’s primary emphasis is upon character, not on task. The ‘umbrella term” that should be said of leaders there is that they are “above reproach” ( 1 Tim; Titus It is only as we get the character piece down that the tasks we perform in leader can be most effective. God is more interested in who leaders are rather than what they do. Now that being said, what leaders do is important, but it is most powerful when it flows out of a personality shaped into the image of Christ – a role performed by the indwelling Spirit (Gal. 5:22) The call to all believers to “walk in the Spirit” and in so doing, to refuse to “gratify the desires of the flesh”(Gal. 5:16) is applicable to the lives of leaders as well. Ethos That a leader should be inspiring speaks to a larger dynamic that is perhaps a bit harder to quantify. I like to refer to this quality and others like it as the atmosphere in which leadership thrives. The presence of the Spirit in the life of the leader brings something to the leadership task that is truly unique. Through the experience of Pentecost, there is a more acute awareness to the presence and the leading of the Spirit. Thumbing through the book of Acts, we see examples of where the Spirit speaks to the heart of the leader and prompts him/her to do something that is not intuitive. For example Peter and John’s encounter with the lame man at the beautiful gate of the temple (Acts) illustrates how the Spirit can take mundane ordinary moments and use them to bring glory to Christ. Leaders, along with all believers can trust in the abundant supply of the Spirit (Phil 1:18-20). He teaches them how to pray, and in those moments where they lack the words, will pray through them (Romans 8:26-27). It is the Spirit who provides the energy (zeal) for service (Romans 12:11). He brings 60

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the leader wisdom and discernment. He brings joy, a hopefilled optimism, and an ability to persist under the most difficult of circumstances. The Spirit brings true inspiration to the task of leadership! Vision It seems self-evident that people will follow a leader who knows where he or she is going. Momentum forward is fueled by a leader’s vision or mission. It is this passionate picture of a desired future that motivates all that the leader does, and kindling of vision in a Christian leader is very much the work of the Spirit. The accounts of the infilling of the Spirit in the book of Acts all give evidence that the disciples were empowered to fulfill the mission/vision of Jesus. In Acts 1:8 Jesus says that after the Holy Spirit comes upon them, the disciples (and all who subsequently are empowered) will be Christ’s witnesses. It is this presence of the Spirit that carries the fledgling church forward into the Mediterranean world. For each of the leaders pressed into service in the book of Acts, their purpose, and Spirit empowered proclamation was the same. Their central, inalterable focus was the proclamation of Jesus Christ as God’s Messiah. Through his death and resurrection, God’s salvific purposes for mankind have been realized. The call to all who will hear is to be reconciled to God through Christ. The Spirit was also active in assisting the leaders of the early church to bring this bigger vision to reality. It was Spirit-inspired wisdom that enabled leaders to overcome problems they encountered. Sometimes, the Spirit provided a visionary experience –- such as Paul’s vision of the man from Macedonia in Acts 16 – that helped in providing a tactical direction in helping the apostle fulfill the bigger mission to which he was called. Through the history of the Pentecostal movement in Canada, 61

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we have notable examples of men and women who spent their lives fulfilling a Spirit-birthed vision for ministry. Individuals such as Alice Belle Garigus, A.H. Argue, R.E. McAlister, Elmer Cantelon come to mind in that regard. An individual within our own province whose visionary leadership led to one of the largest Sunday schools in the province was Rev. Phil Gaglardi. The legacy of that leadership also spilled over into mainstream provincial life when he became Minister of Highways. I believe it was that inner vision, inspired by the Spirit, that enabled Gaglardi to persist against all odds. It was often as he surveyed a competed project that Gaglardi would quip “They said it couldn’t be done!” Tasks In terms of the praxis of leadership – Spirit empowered leaders bring character, ethos and a sense of vision to the tasks at hand. These tasks include working with a team, goal setting, motivating, communicating, managing, and problem solving. They also experience the gifting of the Spirit to enable them to attend to those tasks, and when our own strength fails, it is the Spirit who helps us in our weaknesses (Rom. 8:26). The gifts of the Spirit (charismata) are practical expressions of God’s grace to facilitate ministry within the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12: Ephesians 4). They range from activities which are clearly supernatural (healings, miracles), or which are a blend of the Spirit and a human agent (prophecy, tongues, interpretation). There are also those gifts that may be rooted in the providential talents given at birth or learned which have been powerfully anointed by the Spirit (helps, administration, leadership, teaching, hospitality). The particular gifts that relate primarily to the task of leadership are of course those of Ephesians 4 (Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, Teacher), as well as the gifts of leadership and administration (see above).

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So as Pentecostal leaders, when we ask ourselves the question “Does the Holy Spirit make a difference in our task of leadership?” we confidently say “yes!” The abundant supply of the Spirit brings the strength, wisdom and skill to the great challenges we face as leaders. May we learn to lean into the heavenly resource God has provided through his Spirit.

CHAPTER SEVEN Pentecostal in Discipleship Dr. Mick Nelson

My Dear Frodo. You asked me if I told you all there was to know about my adventures. Where I can honestly say I told you the truth, I may not have told you all of it. Bilbo Baggins I was saved at the local hockey arena in Thompson, MB at a week of evangelistic meetings. I was told at the time, that I had become a hopeful saint after 17 years of being a helpless sinner. I learned that Jesus Christ on the cross had paid the penalty of my sin. Now with that penalty out of the way, I could enter into a relationship with God. And because of that new relationship, I was told, I could have the assurance of a home in heaven forever once my mortal life was done. What I was told was the truth, but I now realize that I was not told all of it. Not if the Bible is true. I was baptized in the Holy Spirit at a youth retreat just over the 65

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border in Washington state. I was told that the new language I spoke was evidence of being filled with the Spirit who now wanted to empower me for witness and ministry. Looking back, I have no doubt I was told the truth. But again, I was not told all of the truth. Not if the Scriptures are true. Thirty plus years of following Jesus and doing ministry have taught me that what I was not told about salvation and the Holy Spirit in these inaugural experiences with God are intricately related. Paul talks about salvation in three tenses. He talks about having been saved in the past (Tit. 3:5, Eph. 2:8), and about being ultimately saved in the future (Rom:5:9-10). When I look back, I can say that I have been saved, not by anything I have done, but by the grace of God. The theologians call this “justification.” And looking ahead, I can say that I will be saved when I am with God forever. The theological word for this is “glorification.” Both of these aspects of salvation are totally the work of God and ours by HIS grace. But Paul also talks about being saved in the present (1 Cor. 1:18; 1 Pet. 1:8-9). There is a process of being saved that connects salvation in the past and the salvation in the future with the lives believers live in the present. The theologians have dubbed this aspect of salvation “sanctification” which is unique in that it calls the follower of Christ to participate with what God is doing in their lives day by day. What I did not know about the Holy Spirit in those early months after being filled, is that He too is significantly involved in the process of sanctification. Paul brings these two often understated truths together when he exhorts his listeners in Philippi (and us today) to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Phil. 2:12-13) Salvation does include a decision and a destiny, but it also involves a whole new identity and a new way of living for the follower of Christ. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, God allows himself to be seen by us and through us. We are no longer the people we were. We are “new creations” with new possibilities for knowing God and living for him in the world. The Spirit is “transforming 66

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us into image bearers, giving us a rightful identify as a child of God, and restoring our capacity to trust, love, worship, and please him.”1 In the everyday life of the church, sanctification goes by other more familiar names such as Christian education, discipleship, growth in holiness, or spiritual formation. I still like the word “discipleship.” It is a solid biblical word that connotes what it means to be an apprentice of Jesus Christ. But I also realize that all too often discipleship provokes memories of short term programs, controlling mentorship, and the accumulation of “head” knowledge. If being a follower of Jesus is about relationship, then surely what we really needs is “heart” knowledge. Of course this is a false dichotomy. God saves us as whole persons, head, heart, and hands included. If the biblical truth be told, sanctification or “working out our salvation” is not so much about education as it is about radical life transformation. Paul writes to the believers in Rome, “ I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:1-2) “Being saved” is about stepping up into what it means to be a “new creation.” It is about “putting off the old man” and “putting on new man.” It is about shedding our false selves to assume our true selves in Christ. It is about a change of attitudes, affections, and habits that allows us to “all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph. 4:13) As Pentecostals, we should be totally engaged in practicing, teaching, and modeling discipleship, because sanctification is the arena of the Holy Spirit’s current activity. This is how an essay from the Transforming Centre describes Christian transformation: 1 Clem Bill, Disciple: Getting Your Identity From Jesus, Wheaton, Il, Crossway, 2011, 29

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“The process by which God forms Christ’s character in believers by the ministry of the Spirit, in the context of community in accordance with biblical standards. This process involves the transformation of the whole person in thoughts, behaviors, and styles of relating with God and others. It results in a life of service to others and witness for Christ.”2 Rowland Croucher puts it this way, “Spiritual formation is the dynamic process whereby the Word of God is applied by the Spirit of God to the heart and mind of the child of God so that she or he becomes more like the Son of God.”3 Michael Wilkens explains transformation like this, “Discipleship means living a fully human life in this world in union with Jesus Christ, growing in conformity to his image as the Holy Spirit transforms us from the inside out, being nurtured within a community of disciples who are engaged in that lifelong process, and helping others to know and become like Jesus.”4 Paul writes, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” ( 2 Cor. 3:18) Spiritual transformation takes place by the direct work of the Holy Spirit, regenerating and conforming us to the image of Christ as the Spirit indwells, fill, guides, gifts, and empowers people for life in the community of faith and the world.5 At Pentecost, Peter instructed seekers of his day to, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38). The rest of the book of Acts, the Gospel of John, and the letters of Paul illustrate and explain the work of the Spirit in transformation. The Spirit’s work begins with drawing people to Christ, convicting them of sin, and awakening the desire for repentance. (John 16:8) 2 The Transforming Center, A Model of Spiritual Transformation, https://bible.org/seriespage/modelspiritual-transformation. 3 Croucher, Rowland, Spiritual Formation, http://www.jmm.org.au/articles/2940.htm. 4 Wilkens, Michael J., Disciple Making for Changing Times and Changing Churches, http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/200801/200801_040_discchangtimes.cfm. 5 Andrews, Alan, The Kingdom Life: A Practical Theology of Discipleship and Spiritual Formation, Colorado Springs, Navpress, 2010, 21.

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Conviction and repentance then become part and parcel of the Spirit’s continuing work in conforming us to the image of Christ. In promising the Spirit, Jesus said that He would teach us all things and remind us of Christ’s commands. (John 14:26) From the moment of new birth He indwells the new believer and makes the love of God real to their experience. (Romans 5:5) He becomes the effective agent of God’s work in our lives. The Spirit seals the Christ-follower as belong to God and imparting assurance her or she is God’s own and gifted with eternal life. (Eph. 1:13-14) He helps maintain focus on Christ as the center and focus of a life of obedience. (Rom. 8:5) The Spirit enables the believer to endure grow in character in the face of suffering and adversity. (Rom. 5:2-5) He empowers the believer to overcome temptation and stay true to Christ in opposition to the influence of the world, the flesh, and the devil. (Gal. 5:16-18) The Spirit produces in the disciple’s innermost being the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self control. (Gal 5:32) The Holy Spirit endows the believer as He chooses with spiritual gifts with which to minister to others. (1Cor. 12:4-11) And this listing is only a portion of the biblical truth about the Spirit and his work in the lives of believers as they work out their salvation in the present tense between their decision to follow Christ and their destiny to be with Him forever. If we are Pentecostal in discipleship, we will be as enthusiastic and engaged with what the Holy Spirit does in bringing about spiritual transformation as we are about being baptized in the Spirit and being Christ’s witnesses. We will be committed to making disciples who know what it means to work out their salvation in submission to the Spirit day to day. As a Pentecostal pastor involved in the area of discipleship in the various churches I have been privileged to serve, this verse has guided me in ministry, “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” (Colossians 1:28, 29) 69

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We are saved, we are being saved, and we will be saved. The good news of the gospel is comprehensive and addresses all of life in all of its dimensions as Christ by his Spirit brings healing and integrity to our lives as we become ever more like Him. It is the Holy Spiritâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work in us that makes this transformation possible. But we have a role to play in our own spiritual growth as we make room for the Spirit to work by engaging in the disciplines of Christian growth. Growth takes place as we take responsibility for our own souls in reliance on the Spirit. Our challenge is to be intentional in developing a rhythm of life that keeps Christ at the center of all we do. Our habits shape and define our lives. Regular spiritual practices keep us grounded in the presence of God and give the Spirit room to shape our lives bringing about spiritual growth to maturity and effectiveness in ministry. The whole gospel cannot be reduced to only making a decision and receiving a destiny. This is truth, but it is not all of the truth. Salvation is also about engaging the discipline of organizing our lives to allow the Spirit to shape our lives into the image of Christ as only He can. We receive salvation as a free gift that cannot be earned. We receive a home in heaven as a free gift cannot be merited. But we also work out our salvation in the everyday busyness of life in cooperation with the Spirit who dwells in us. We work and He works. This is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. God help us.

CHAPTER EIGHT Thinking in the Spirit Dr. Michael Wilkinson

When I was preparing to go to college there were some Pentecostals who believed that too much study had a direct negative effect on one’s spirituality. The assumption was that studying was an impediment to faith. While my local congregation celebrated those students who were graduating from high school and leaving for college, there was also an underlying fear of too much education. Thankfully, I had professors who demonstrated that education does not weaken Christian commitment. Even sociological research demonstrates that more education does not have a corrosive effect on faith.1 However, research does show that not all education is equal. Who you study with and what you study shapes your viewpoints. No one should be surprised at this finding. As I completed my first degree at a Pentecostal college and then moved on to a public university I discovered that there were also people who had a strong bias against Christian education. It was made very clear to me that the university was Sam Reimer “Higher Education and Theological Liberalism: Revisiting and Old Issue.” Sociology of Religion 2010 (71) 393-408. Reimer shows that it is not the amount of education that one receives that negatively impacts faith. However, he does discuss some findings that show the type of education may have an impact on theological liberalism.

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not going to recognize any work that I completed prior to my admission into the sociology and anthropology department. However, that did not deter me and as I succeeded in my course work demonstrating the ability to think clearly and ask good questions some of my professors recognized that I was not your typical first year student. Upon further discussion one of my professors asked how it was possible that I would be taking his course when I already had a significant background in theology, biblical studies, biblical languages, and general studies. When I explained that I previously completed a degree that the university did not recognize (even though this professor used the same texts I read for my first degree) he was puzzled. Not long after our discussion I received a letter from the administration saying they had reviewed my previous work and gave me advanced standing in the program. However, there was also a sentence in the letter that I still remember. It said that the administration’s decision would not be extended to any other student who graduated from that institution. After receiving my BA in sociology and anthropology I went to graduate school and discovered that my professors, many who claimed to have no religion or were agnostic, were very supportive of my research on Pentecostals in Canada. Over time I learned that two of them especially, defended my work even when some of their colleagues were less than charitable. Those experiences were important for me and led to longstanding friendships as well as key collegial working relationships. Throughout my studies I have always had a sense that the Spirit was leading, opening doors, sustaining me personally, and helping me think.2 When the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada received it’s charter in 1919 to incorporate the document included three important provisions: to organize places of worship, to develop colleges for theological education, and to carry on missionary work as any other recognized denomination in the country. Michael Wilkinson, 2006. “The Professor and the Open Door.” In College Faith: 150 Christian Leaders and Educators Share Faith Stories from their Student Days, edited by Ronald Alan Knott, 86-87. Berrien Springs, MI: St. Andrew’s University Press.

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Central to the PAOC was theological education from its earliest formation.3 This vision was so important to the forming members that by 1921 a plan was established to develop a Bible school in Eastern Canada and another in Western Canada. In 1925, the PAOC opened the doors to its first and most important college in its history – Central Canadian Bible Institute in Winnipeg. The first principal was Dr. James Eustice Purdie, a graduate of Wycliffe College, University of Toronto. While the college went through a number of changes including renaming it Western Bible College, Purdie was a constant. He established the importance of theological education for the PAOC including a rigorous course of study that equipped generations of PAOC leaders until the school closed in 1950. Purdie along with the early PAOC leaders continuously defended the need for theological education and its importance for the movement, even during the Great Depression when funding was bleak. They continued to defend and support theological education even when those within the movement were vocal expressing anti-education sentiments. The role and influence of this institution cannot be underestimated in shaping and forming a theological framework for the future of the PAOC. Purdie inspires me with his work and writings and represents some of our best “thinking in the Spirit.”4 The PAOC has continued to develop theological education with a number of colleges across the country and more recently two graduate theological schools in Ontario and British Columbia. The PAOC needs these institutions. That does not mean they operate the same way they did in the first half of the twentieth century. Theological education needs to adapt and be innovative especially in periods of social change like those we are experiencing in our contemporary globalized world. The PAOC needs theological education that facilitates Spirit-filled thinking. By this I mean education that allows 3 For details on Pentecostal theological education in Canada see Bruce Guenther, 2009. “Pentecostal Theological Education: A Case Study of Western Bible College, 1925-1950.” In Michael Wilkinson, ed. Canadian Pentecostalism: Transition and Transformation, 99-122. Montreal-Kingston: McGill-Queen’s University Press. 4 For an excellent study on the theological contribution of early Pentecostals see Douglas Jacobson, 2003. Thinking in the Spirit: Theologies of the Early Pentecostal Movement. Bloomington & Indianapolis: Indiana University Press.

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room for students to see and hear what the Spirit is saying to them, the church, and society as they study. This assumes a holistic approach to study that is contemplative, social, analytical, empirical, and spiritual. It is the type of thinking that speaks to the student about service to church and society. It is Trinitarian in focus and includes the unity of all things in God the Father, a Christocentric redemptive narrative, and Spirit inspired reflection - all while caring for the person and his/her spiritual and moral formation.5 The PAOC has a long history of theological education where Spirit-filled thinking is encouraged. Our future depends on these institutions where students can learn their history, the world in which we live, and a theological rationale for making sense of church and society. They also need space to hear what the Spirit is saying to them as they are transformed through Spirit-filled thinking.

5 These ideas draw upon the following works. Arthur F. Holmes, 2001. Building the Christian Academy. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans; James K. A. Smith, 2010. Thinking in Tongues: Pentecostal Contributions to Christian Philosophy. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

Contributors Rob Bedard currently serves as Lead Pastor of Bethel Tabernacle, Ladysmith, BC on beautiful Vancouver Island. Prior to Ladysmith, Rob served as District Ministries Director in the Manitoba & Northwestern Ontario District Office. Rob graduated from Eastern Pentecostal Bible College (B.Th.), Royal Roads University (M.A. in Leadership), and the University of South Africa (D.Th.). Jim Caruso is the Counseling Coordinator and Director of Crisis Intervention for the BC/Yukon District of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. He has also served as a pastor in the BCYD for 30 years. He is a graduate of TWU/ACTS Seminary (MACS) and George Fox Seminary (DMin). Charles ‘Doc’ Coats (B.A., D.Min) is the Lead Pastor at Richmond Pentecostal Church and an adjunct professor of Systematic Theology at Summit Pacific College. He also teaches apologetics and theology at L’Viv Theological Seminary in the Ukraine. Dave Demchuk (D. Min) is currently serving as the President of Summit Pacific College in Abbotsford BC. He has also pastored in the BC/Yukon District for the past 32 years. Joseph Dutko is Christian Education Pastor at Richmond Pentecostal Church in Richmond, BC. He is a graduate of Evangel University (B.A.), Missouri State University (M.A.), and Regent College (M.A.T.S.). Jim Lucas is the lead pastor of Christian Life Community Church in Abbotsford, BC and has been Dean and President of Canadian Pentecostal Seminary since 1997. Is educational background is a BSc from UBC; an MCS from Regent College and a DMin from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. 79

Mick Nelson is the Director of Discipleship at Broadway Church in Vancouver, BC and has also served in the BC/Yukon District at Glad Tidings Church in Victoria, BC. He is a graduate of the University of Manitoba (B.A), Central Pentecostal College (Dip.Theo), the Lutheran Theological Seminary (M.Div), and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (D.Min). Michael Wilkinson is Professor of Sociology at Trinity Western University and Academic Dean at Canadian Pentecostal Seminary. He is a graduate of Eastern Pentecostal Bible College (B.Th.), Carleton University (B.A.), Wilfrid Laurier University (M.A.), and the University of Ottawa (Ph.D.).