Who’s Your Daddy? In Search of the “Father” of Pentecostalism

Abstract

The concept of assigning a person the title of father of an ideology or view has its roots in ancient Greek and Roman society where some of the earliest of such references occur. Fatherhood in the context of this paper refers to the originator of the ideas and concepts central to and underpinning Pentecostalism. To determine who the rightful “father” of Pentecostalism is, a closer consideration of the history of the Movement and the contemporary views on the possible contenders, are justified. The four predominant theories in contemporary scholarship seem to be 1) Charles Parham is the father of Pentecostalism thanks to the events in Topeka, Kansas in 1901 and his subsequent doctrine of spirit baptism with accompanied speaking in tongues, 2) William Seymore and the events in Azusa Street Mission from which the global Pentecostal Movement grew, 3) Both Parham and Seymore contributed in a significant way and should thus be equally recognised for their respective roles, 4) The Holy Spirit is the father of Pentecostalism as Spirit Baptism is a Holy Spirit initiated event. There is significant evidence that both Parham and Seymour distanced themselves from what has become common practice among Pentecostals and tenets central to Pentecostalism respectively. This would eliminate both men, and thus three of the four views, with the last option also raising concerns.