Pentecostalism and Asian Mission

Abstract

The Azusa Street Mission in Los Angeles is often considered to be the birthplace of the global Pentecostal movement at the turn of the twentieth century. However, recent studies have presented evidence that Pentecostal phenomena occurred in Africa and Asia without any direct connection to the Azusa Mission. As the Christian center of gravity has recently made its southward swing, today's Pentecostalism is more African, Latin American, and Asian than western. Also increasing is the number of Asian Pentecostal missionaries who use several effective approaches to mission work. But in order for them to be as effective as possible, they must come to an understanding of the Asians' minds, which have been shaped by past religious influence.