Pentecostal Charismatic Churches Research Articles

COVID-19 and Church Attendance Behavior Trends: Evidence from Ghanaian Pentecostal-Charismatic Churches

COVID-19 and Church Attendance Behavior Trends: Evidence from Ghanaian Pentecostal-Charismatic Churches

Clergy Vestment: An Analysis of the Ecclesiological and Theological Journey of African Pentecostal-Charismatic Churches in South Africa

Historically, African Classical Pentecostal Churches (the African sections of the Apostolic Faith Mission, the Full Gospel Church, the International Assemblies of God, and the Back to God-Assemblies of God) did not used clergy vestment. The use of clergy vestment emerged among African Pentecostal-Charismatic Churches when Gladstone Botwana, the founder, and head of Zoé Bible Church in Soweto, was elevated to the office bishop in 1996. Currently, the use of clergy vestment has become a norm among African Pentecostal-Charismatic Churches in South Africa. This article uses desktop research method to analyse the ecclesiological and theological journey of clergy vestment among African Pentecostal-Charismatic Churches in South Africa between 1996 and 2022. It shows that association with African Pentecostals from the United States of America and the Commonwealth Dominican influenced this trend and provided them with a Christian leadership accountability platform accompanied with a new ecclesiastical and theological identity.

Development cooperation and Neo-Pentecostal churches – A decolonial perspective

Religion and development are a subject that has stimulated researchers in the recent past. Most of the religious role players in development within sub-Saharan Africa have been the historic missional churches, also known as the mainline churches – mostly founded by Euro-Western missionaries. Development with Neo-Pentecostal Churches (NPCs), who are part of Pentecostal-Charismatic churches, is fairly a new area of research. The purpose of this article is to position NPCs as potential development partners that can work in cooperation with other stakeholders in advancing development in the South African context from a decolonial perspective. A literary review on Neo-Pentecostals as development actors, is the focus of this article, positioning them as ideal development partners that contribute towards social and economic capital of communities within the context of education. The article starts by defining a working definition of development, followed by a conceptual framework of Pentecostal tenets where Christ is saviour, healer, baptiser and soon coming king, together with the holistic African worldview which does not demarcate between the sacred and the secular. The outcome is that development in NPCs is spiritual development which starts from individual development that is accompanied by entrepreneurial skills and that Neo-Pentecostals have a contribution towards sustainable development as expressed in their practice of faith and theology which naturally gravitates towards development.Contribution: Education, economics, and Pentecostalism highlight the importance of flexibility and versatility of Neo-Pentecostals in the discourse of sustainable development.

Assessing Ghanaian Primal Consciousness: A Key Factor in Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity

The article examined the influence of the Ghanaian primal consciousness on Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity. Although the primal religion seems to have lost its physical presence in the Ghanaian religious space, its ideologies and tenets continue to be alive in the lives of many Pentecostal-Charismatic Christians. Relying on the researcher’s pastoral experience, personal observations and by paying attention to some sayings and proverbs of some Pentecostals, the study identified the extent to which primal consciousness affects Pentecostal Christianity in Ghana. It discovered that while some elements of the primal religion are closely related to Christianity and may thus positively affect it, others appear to be in opposition to biblical truth and may thus affect it negatively. The study posits that a good knowledge of the reality of the effect of the primal consciousness by Pentecostal-Charismatic churches would advance the Christian mission in Africa. The article adds to existing literature on the impact of the primal religion on Christianity. Keywords: Primal consciousness, Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity, Ghana, religion.

Exploring Cultural Hybridity Branded by Convergence and Syncretism in the Characteristic Features of the Pentecostal Charismatic Churches in Zimbabwe: Implications for Spiritual and Material Well-Being

When applied to Pentecostalism in Zimbabwe, the concept of cultural hybridity provides a framework for understanding how global religious movements can adapt to and incorporate local cultural elements. This process results in a unique form of religious expression characterised by convergence and syncretism, reflecting cultural and religious identity’s dynamic and fluid nature. This hybridity in religious practice is a testament to the ongoing, interactive cultural exchange and adaptation process. This article delves into the intricate cultural hybridity, convergence, glocalisation and syncretic tendencies within the characteristic features of New Religious Movements (NRMs) in Harare, Zimbabwe, illuminating their multifaceted role in addressing spiritual and material needs. Through a comprehensive exploration of selected NRMs that emerged from the Catholic Church in Zimbabwe, including Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries and Grace Oasis Ministries, this article unravels the central role of prophets and pastors in shaping the fundamental ethos of these religious entities. A striking and thought-provoking parallel emerges between the hallmark features of these NRMs and the tenets of African Traditional Religion and many other religious traditions. This parallel extends to practices such as exorcism, worship, healing, and deliverance, thus manifesting a profound form of religious expression informed by cultural hybridity, convergence, syncretism, and glocalisation. While there are ambiguities around scholarly debates on the definition of these terms, the article delves deep into the intricate religious elements embedded within the NRMs’ characteristic features, such as hymns, modes of worship, healing rituals, and deliverance ceremonies. These elements are tangible manifestations of their unique position at the crossroads of diverse belief systems. The cultural hybridity, convergence, syncretism, and glocalisation tendencies within NRMs offer gateways to invaluable networks, fostering social cohesion and the sharing of critical information. Consequently, these characteristics have become instrumental in the holistic development of individuals and communities within the vibrant religious landscape of Harare. Thus, this article provides profound insights into the nuanced dynamics of NRMs in Zimbabwe, shedding light on their various dimensions. It contributes substantially to our comprehension of the intricate interplay between spirituality, material prosperity, and the rich tapestry of religious traditions in Harare and the broader context of religious studies.

Church and Politics: An Assessment of the Bases and Approach of the Church’s Political Engagement in Ghana

The church has maintained that it has a role to play in the country’s politics and that its interests are the welfare of the nation rather than a partisan agenda. To explore these assertions, this article analysed official documents and other studies on the church’s political engagement. The analysis was complemented with data from interviews with selected clergy and Christian politicians. Eight (8) members of the clergy and twenty-seven politicians (27) from the mainline, and the Pentecostal-Charismatic churches, were interviewed. They were selected using both purposive and snow-balling sampling techniques. The paper contends that the church’s involvement in Ghana’s politics has an intrinsic theological and moral basis as well as socio-economic motivations. Also, the approach and attitude in its political engagement to a large extent have been that of dialogue, collaboration, and non-partisan. Among other factors, the church’s approach has been significant in the successes it has chalked in its political engagements. However, in the discourse of church and politics in Ghana, much attention has not been given to the basis for the church’s continual political engagements, and the attitude and approach it has adopted over the years. This paper seeks to contribute to bridging this gap. The paper recommends that studies are conducted on how individual churches (denominations) and other ecumenical bodies besides the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) and the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) have engaged politics in Ghana and to analyse their approaches and impact. Keywords: The Church, Politics, Engagement, Motivation, Ghana.

The Role of the South African Pentecostal and Charismatic Church in Sustainable Development: Focusing on Safety and Security

South Africa has one of the highest crime rates in the world, rated at number 4 globally and number 1 in the continent of Africa. Recently, the minister of Police in South Africa, Bheki Cele, revealed that violent crimes are extremely high with reported rape cases standing at an alarming 9516 between April-June 2022 while murders stand at 6424 in the same period. The question is what causes such a growth in crime but more importantly what role is played by PentecostalCharismatic churches in alleviating crime which negatively affects development in the country? A literary analysis of the nexus of crime and religion, buttressed by the case study of 2 megachurches who are part of South African Pentecostal and Charismatic churches (SAPCC), located in areas that are considered as hotspots of violent crimes, is used in this paper. The main objective of the article is to investigate the role of SAPCC in crime prevention and to position them as strategic role players in the realisation of Sustainable Development Goals with a focus on safety and security. This study proposes a decolonial theoretical framework based on the African proverb: ‘It takes a village to raise a child’, as a model for the prevention of crime caused by dysfunctional families, juxtaposed with the African practice of the ‘Palaver’, which brings all the community stakeholders in dialogue, to find a permanent solution to crime. Although the study is on SAPCC, the recommendations can be applicable to other church groups who are interested in applying a decolonial perspective to combating crime.

‘I Got the Call – Not Him’

Abstract This paper examines how the call to found their own churches has allowed and enabled women to subvert and challenge prescribed gender roles. It focuses on African Initiated Churches including both African Independent and Pentecostal Charismatic churches. While the importance of women in these churches is widely acknowledged, less attention has been given to the question of how female church founders gain and maintain their leadership positions. Drawing on historical cases as well as on interviews with founders and church leaders conducted in South Africa and Nigeria, this paper shows how the charismatic authority and doctrinal independence women gain through the call not only legitimate their position but enable them to challenge social and doctrinal norms and thus emancipate themselves from traditional gender roles. However, it also discusses whether in some cases women did not fully use their authority in order to keep it.

“You Are Blessed to Be a Blessing”: Pentecostal-Charismatic Churches and the Politics of Redistribution in Harare

Abstract Drawing on ethnographic research in Zimbabwe, this article examines the ways through which a new Pentecostal-Charismatic Church (PCC), Good Life Church (GLC), engages in charity and redistributive activities in Harare. From the mid-2000s, there has been a remarkable Pentecostal explosion in Zimbabwe. This explosion coincided with a protracted socio-economic and political crisis. This crisis was marked by deepening poverty, skyrocketing unemployment, hyperinflation, and the withdrawal of state welfare. This was worsened by rapid emigration, which dismembered kinship-based social safety nets. In response, new PCCs emerged as new and alternative spaces of welfare provision, redistribution and social security. I argue that GLC’s engagement in acts of charity should be understood within the broader discourse of spiritual warfare against the demons of poverty. By addressing “this-worldly” concerns, GLC attempts to make a holistic contribution to sustainable development by attending to the spiritual and material needs of people. Indeed, a culture of giving is cultivated and habituated in everyday life and practices within the church. I assert that acts of individual and collective charity provision in GLC enable many people to navigate uncertainties and precarities wrought by the postcolonial economic crisis. This article draws on Bourdieu’s theory of practice, and particularly his concepts of field, habitus and forms of anticipation to unpack the acts of charity in GLC. A specific kind of Pentecostal habitus is (re)produced through teachings, rituals, socialities and convivialities forged within the church.

Inter-religious Demonisation and Its Persuasiveness

Abstract This study investigates the Banamè Church, which has gained significant persuasive powers for conversion in Southern Benin, where the public is intensely afraid of witches and Pentecostal Charismatic Churches have expanded rapidly to fight against them. The Banamè Church claims that God came down and took the body of a girl called Parfaite and denies the authenticity of all other churches and religions. To understand how people have come to accept this as reality, it is necessary to examine not only economic and political dynamics and newly evolved relationships but also the reciprocal demonisation between religions and the affective persuasiveness that has emerged in these inter-religious correspondences. This study demonstrates how rationalisation and persuasion occur affectively and spirits become a reality in an entanglement of materials, discourses, media, and feelings against the backdrop of the contemporary expansion of Pentecostal Charismatic Churches, revealing the importance of focusing on inter-religious affective turbulence.

Reception of the Lord’s Prayer in Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity in Ghana

Abstract The liturgical reception of the Lord’s Prayer (Matt 6:9–13 par. Luke 11:2 b–4) is well-attested and still evident in Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox circles. For instance, in reformed worship it is usual to hear varied versions of the statement: “And now as our saviour Christ has taught us, we humbly pray: ‘Our Father who art in heaven (…)’.” It is striking, however, that such a liturgical use of the text is scarce in Pentecostal-Charismatic Christian worship. Such is the case in Ghana, where Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity forms the largest and most popular stream of the tradition. It only takes a visit to a Ghanaian Pentecostal-Charismatic church during a worship session to ascertain this fact. This article investigates this liturgical phenomenon in Pentecostal-Charismatic worship by analyzing a selection of popular literature written on the text of the Lord’s Prayer and through personal interviews with some of the leaders of Pentecostal-Charismatic churches. Before engaging in reception analysis, a brief exegetical study of the text is undertaken. The article concludes that the Lord’s Prayer does not appear in Pentecostal-Charismatic liturgy because it does not conform with the Pentecostal-Charismatic understanding of prayer. Instead it is conceived of as a pattern or model and hence chiefly employed as a means of instruction on effective prayer rather than for recitation each Sunday, as manifest in Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox circles.

‘We Are Soldiers in God’s Army’: Spiritual Warfare and Adoption of Military trope in Pentecostal Charismatic Churches in Southern Africa

Abstract Spiritual warfare is an important part of everyday life and rituals in Pentecostal churches in Africa and beyond. In Pentecostal parlance, the world is constructed and construed as a battleground between born-again Christians and Satanic forces. This article examines the ways in which Pentecostal Charismatic Churches in Southern Africa adopt and utilise military metaphors and trope in their everyday rituals and practices of spiritual warfare. Drawing on qualitative ethnographic fieldwork and in-depth interviews among three Pentecostal churches in Zimbabwe and South Africa, we argue that militarised metaphors are deployed as important symbolic and material weapons in the spiritual warfare against the devil and demonic forces. In the fight against the demonic, Pentecostal prophets and pastors cast themselves as the commanders, general and majors, leading an army of Christ. This army’s role is to defeat Satan and his demonic forces and expand the kingdom of God before the second coming of Christ.

Holy Spirit and Good Governance in the Context of Pentecostal-Charismatic Church

This article aims to emphasize the importance of the concept of good governance for Pentecostal-Charismatic churches, which are prone to scandals, especially in financial cases. The leadership system centered on one spiritual leader without being critical causes the risk of financial scandals. Methodologically, this essay uses the theories of good governance developed in the context of modern organizations or institutions whose participation, accountability, transparency, and authority values ​​demonstrate good governance to support the primary standards of action and behavior of stakeholders. This article brings into dialogue these theories with the Pentecostal-Charismatic theology that focuses on the work and experience of the Holy Spirit. It further integrates practical and systematic theology. The author argues that the implementation of good governance is critical to regulating the organizational life of Pentecostal-Charismatic churches that emphasize work and experience with the Holy Spirit to manage a healthy and proper church life.

Situating the Religious Market Theory in Ghanaian Religious Context : Merits and Demerits

This study reviewed the religious market theory in relation to the religious economy of Neo-Prophetic Pentecostal-Charismatic churches in Ghana. Using unstructured qualitative interviews and focus group discussions, the study discovered that the theory in its present western context ignored Ghanaian religio-cultural sensibilities that affect decision-making in every aspect of the Ghanaian's life. It also ignored ethical and human rights cases such as flogging or at times stepping on pregnant women for alleged involvement in sinful acts. In other cases, prophets/pastors touch women's private parts for alleged claims of casting out demons. These missing links in the theory appear to produce a distorted view of the realities of religious actors in Ghana. Thus, the analysis implicates the widening of the theoretical framework to encompass the missing links that significantly influence the behavior of religious actors in Ghana.

The modernity/coloniality of love: Individualist lifeways and charismatic christianity in Ghanaian worlds

AbstractA manifestation of coloniality in psychological science concerns the modern individualist lifeways that inform mainstream research. We report results of a multi‐method research project that investigated implications of these ways of being for the experience of love in Ghanaian settings. In particular, we investigated the hypothesis that engagement with Pentecostal Charismatic Churches (PCCs)—an important carrier of individualist lifeways in many West African settings—would be associated with a growth orientation to love as a means for mutual self‐expansion and fulfillment. In Study 1 (n = 61), growth themes and a conception of love as feeling were more evident, but sustainability themes and a conception of love as doing less evident, in interview responses of participants who reported engagement with PCCs versus Traditional Western Mission Churches (TWMCs). In Study 2 (n = 1120), family obligation, relationship harmony, and (among participants who reported daily church attendance) perception of a social norm to prioritize mother over spouse were weaker for members of PCCs than TWMCs. Results help to reveal the colonial dark side of the modern individualist lifeways that mainstream research tends to regard as a just‐natural standard.

The challenge of pastoral succession in African independent Pentecostal churches

Succession is particularly a challenge in African independent Pentecostal churches (AIPCs), because unlike traditional churches, they do not have a rotation system, which transfers ministers from one congregation to the next after a specified period. AIPCs refer to churches that are led by Africans, for Africans, in Africa. Pastors in AIPCs are mostly founders or long-term serving pastors. The only time they will be succeeded is when they retire, die or are removed because of a moral failure or incompetence. Succession by death is most prominent in independent churches, especially in the case of founders. Most founders in AIPCs do not retire even if they fall sick or fall into moral sin; they remain at the helm of the church until their last breath. This makes succession difficult especially after the death of the founder or long-term serving pastor, as a result, succession becomes contentious and ends up tarnishing the image of the congregation when not properly managed. The aim of this article is to highlight the challenges of succession in AIPCs and make recommendations that can help them find solutions to these challenges. Most African independent churches (AICs) in the South African context fall within a category of churches that Anderson calls ‘African initiated Churches (AICs)’ and the ‘Newer Pentecostal-Charismatic Churches (NPCs)’. This article will be focusing on those AICs who are Pentecostal in nature, including NPCs. An interpretive pastoral care methodology of describing, interpreting, normative formation and practical application is proposed for this article. Contribution: This article’s contribution is to propose to African independent Pentecostal churches (AIPCs) a pastoral succession model that will enhance a smooth transition from a predecessor to a successor. The model will also benefit other church groups in their pastoral successions, particularly when using the proposed pastoral care approach for practical ministry.

Language Practices as Religious Innovation: The Case of Pentecostal Charismatic Churches in Xenophobic Contexts

In the authors’ recent case-study research of migrant-dominated Pentecostal charismatic churches (PCCs) in the South African cities of Johannesburg and Cape Town, language emerged as a prominent feature of religious practice, suggesting a positive correlation between experiences of xenophobia and religious innovation. This perspective is developed through the identification and discussion of two interlinked themes that surfaced from a closer analysis of the findings: (1) belonging and diversity and (2) evangelization. These two themes are assessed through the prism of religious innovation.

Countermythologies: Queering Lives in a Southern African Gay and Lesbian Pentecostal Church

AbstractBlack gay and lesbian Christians belonging to a grassroots Pentecostal charismatic church spanning small towns in Southern Africa make everyday claims to normativity with interpretive recourse to biblical myths and church rituals. Members of the church embody a range of gendered and sexual self‐expressions that also tend to reproduce prevailing masculine and feminine sexual roles and subject positions. By situating their identities, rituals, and exegeses in global perspective, I argue that church members queer more orthodox biblical interpretations to create what I describe as a life‐affirming countermythology to predominant discourses of religion, gender, and sexuality that otherwise structure their lives. In sum, this article shows how vernacular hermeneutic practices can be a queering force within presumedly restrictive religious settings and demonstrates how recovering conventional ethnographic topics like myth can move Black queer anthropology and African studies toward a critically imaginative becoming.

The Attenuation of Female Empowerment among Three Pentecostal-Charismatic Chinese Churches in Malaysia and Singapore

Abstract Among all branches of Christianity, female empowerment has been valorized in Pentecostalism. However, questions remain regarding the extent of empowerment in its egalitarian ethos. This article examines some historical and sociological aspects of pentecostal-charismatic female power and leadership among three Chinese majority churches in Malaysia and Singapore. It does so by a participant-observation methodology of these churches and in-depth interviews of church and lay leaders to enquire into the degree in which women are (dis)empowered for ministry. It concludes that specific practices and traits of Pentecostalism such as the charismata, prayer and worship, and church female leadership are configured in response to contextual sociocultural influences to produce a Christian/pentecostal woman that is both modern yet distinctly Chinese but attenuated within a Confucian family logic.

English as a medium of worship: The experiences of the congregants of a Pentecostal charismatic church in Soweto

This study examines the experiences of the congregants of a Pentecostal charismatic church (PCC) in Soweto regarding the use of English for communication. This particular church is peculiar in that English is its predominant language of religion. This is in stark contrast to many mainline churches (such as the Anglican, Lutheran and Roman Catholic churches) that use indigenous African languages (IALs) in most, if not entire, presentation of church services for black congregants. The curiosity then arises concerning the reasons for the predominant use of English during services in PCCs. The objectives of this study were to find out the general views of black congregants about the English language, how this view may impact on the congregants’ view of the use of English within the context of the service and what their preferences about language use in the sermon are, and why. The findings suggest that the congregants view English positively and are receptive to its use in the service, particularly for conducting sermons. In addition, English is seen as an all-inclusive language but notably, not as a language of identity. Based on these findings, strategies for accommodating the diverse language concerns of the congregation were espoused.