Abstract
Major upheavals in Christianity, such as the reformation and various revival movements, have been characterised by schisms—a reality that also extends to the Pentecostal movement in the Congo. The increase of splits and division among churches that hold to a high view of the Spirit, in the Congolese context, has become a great concern for both Pentecostal and non-Pentecostal Christians. In this paper, the sacerdotal prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ (John 17) and the communal life of the first Pentecostal congregation (Acts 2) serve as the bases for developing a biblical response to the challenge of schisms among Pentecostal/Charismatic churches in Lubumbashi, Congo. This paper demonstrates some of the causes behind the schisms in both the biblical (1 Corinthians 1 and 3) and Congolese contexts, while underlining a biblical response to this continuous malaise. It employs Osmer’s (2008) model as a framework of reflection. Coming from an insider’s perspective, this paper contributes to the conversation around denominational schisms within the Pentecostal churches in both central and southern Africa.
Highlights
Writing this paper came as a result of four influences
The reflection is driven by the following questions: (a) What is the reality of schisms in Congolese Pentecostal churches? (b) Why are these Pentecostal churches experiencing schisms? (c) What does the Bible teach about schisms or breakaways and unity? (d) How should Congolese Pentecostals respond to the challenge of schisms in their context?
The introduction of an African traditional and ethnically defined pattern of leadership in the church, the lack of training among those who are called to teach and interpret God’s word, and failure to follow administrative rules were identified as key factors leading to schisms among Spirit-oriented churches in Congo
Summary
The first is the researcher’s experience as a researcher in Pentecostal studies During both his master’s and doctoral programmes in theology, the researcher had the privilege of conducting empirical research around classical Pentecostal and Charismatic churches. What drew his attention as a researcher was the increased number of cases of breakaways in the church he was investigating. The exponential increase in the number of Pentecostal/Charismatic churches in Katanga region has become a great concern. This confirms Anderson’s (2000:83; 20001:243) observation about the movement. The reflection is driven by the following questions: (a) What is the reality of schisms in Congolese Pentecostal churches? (b) Why are these Pentecostal churches experiencing schisms? (c) What does the Bible teach about schisms or breakaways and unity? (d) How should Congolese Pentecostals respond to the challenge of schisms in their context?
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