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Since the 1990s, the issue of succession has been a pressing one in the UK throughout what are now commonly referred to as the ‘Apostolic Networks’, the networks of neo-Charismatic churches that developed out of the House Church movement and which laid particular stress upon present-day apostles. Within an avidly relational and informal structure, the government of each of these networks resides to a significant extent within key apostolic leaders. Over the last twenty years, almost all of these networks arrived at a situation in which they were overseen by a still energetic yet ageing apostle and with no obvious successor to hand. The beginnings of the networks were often associated with big personalities, credited with high apostolic gifts. The Old Testament similarly abounds with anointed kings and prophets and their successors who were sometimes very unsubtle in the way they then wielded the power bequeathed to them. The New Testament centres on a founder whose act seems especially hard to follow. This study will seek to synthesize the biblical data, and what it implies about how to do it and how not to do it, into a form that can be the biblical basis for Pentecostal and charismatic leadership transition today. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), London (United Kingdom) is one example of the transnational networks of African Pentecostal churches that have changed the Christian landscape in Britain. The proliferation of RCCG parishes in London and nearly all the urban cities in Britain further reaffirms previous scholarly claims that Pentecostalism is a religion made to travel. The theoretical entry point of this paper is to identify the internal dynamics of RCCG that have enhanced the missionary agenda of the denomination particularly in London, situating it within the broader missionary endeavours of the denomination in the West and North America. This paper examines the interface between migration, mission and church growth of the denomination in London. The paper further explores to what degree RCCG has utilized the urban church planting strategy of St Paul in its church planting agenda as well as identifying and prescribing solutions to the missionary challenges of the denomination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article sets out a narrative of the interaction of a seasoned theologian/ church leader with the leadership of two national Pentecostal churches at their respective centenaries. Both denominations had changed their leadership models in 2000 and 1999 respectively to a modified approximation of the New Apostolic model. Executive power, pastoral oversight, and even doctrinal delineation were centred on one or a very few central leadership figures. The article offers a short constitutional history of the two denominations, and traces the course of the largely negative response of the new leadership to theologically substantiated analyses and suggestions that the current leadership models be revisited at constitutional level, as their past record and future prospects for the next century were not necessarily propitious. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experience of being a member of the Pentecostal church.

The paper presents the results of an investigation into the way the New Testament Church of God (NTCG) began to establish itself in the United Kingdom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eugene Nida made the following observation in the near past: 'There are perhaps more missionaries today than ever before, but they are more poorly trained and prepared than in any other period of mission history' (Whiteman, 2008: 5). This is especially true in the emerging missions in new sending countries. The first-named author has had a chance of training new sending Pentecostal churches in about 30 different countries. This paper examines the needs of the parties involved in mission: Church, mission organization and training institution and then shows how a course can be designed that fulfils many of their requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature from which this paper was written has recently come to light and was originally part of the archival holdings of the PMU but removed at some point, probably in an attempt withhold what appeared to portray Burton in an unsavoury light. There are more than a few issues raised from this archival material consisting of more than 70 documents, mostly letters, postcards, and a telegram. This article examines a period of Burton's history and background which previously has not been recorded. This article is the first in a series of three which will cover the entire period during which Burton was associated with the Pentecostal Missionary Union (PMU from June 1911 to February 1914). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classical Pentecostalism, holistic mission and Latin American Liberation Theology! This article sets out to show how these three interact and produce a hermeneutic of being Pentecostal in the society in which churches are planted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pentecostals and workers for justice and have not been natural allies in the past century. However, this article shows Pentecostalism has 'grown up' and becoming involved in the world around it. It seems that the challenge of that involvement -- of establishing justice - is still as important as ever. The church has to present the hope of God in Christ to the world in every facet of culture and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

James Hudson Taylor's legacy upon early British Pentecostal missionary activity in the form of Cecil Polhill's Pentecostal Missionary Union (PMU) and Willie Burton's Congo Evangelistic Mission (CEM) was substantial. Taylor believed that missionary work should be done in total reliance upon God. 'If our hearts are right, we may count upon the Holy Spirit's working through us to bring others into deeper fellowship with God--the way the work began at Pentecost. We do not need to say much about the C.I.M.' Taylor believed that it was sufficient to have Spirit filled missionaries and God would meet the financial needs of those missionaries He had empowered. He exemplified a successful model of faith mission in China both at a personal and organisational level that influenced early Pentecostal missionary praxis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pneumatology has defined Pentecostalism since its inception and mission has been a constant aspect of its expression. I believe there has been a misrepresentation of the true nature and purpose of Spirit baptism especially an over emphasis on experience and particularly tongues. In this essay I briefly review the origins of Pentecostalism with an emphasis on GB&I AoG suggesting the past is vital in understanding Pentecostal heritage. I propose Mission and not tongues is the true Pentecostal Heritage within which pneumatology is 'simply' an essential means to an end (Acts 1:8). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In September 2007 a conference was held in Durham and Sunderland to celebrate and reflect on the remarkable Pentecostal outpouring which began in the UK in 1907 in Sunderland. In this paper I sought to set the scene by offering a narrative of the Boddys, the human face of Pentecostal renewal in the UK. It was their leadership and example which gave energy and stability to the new movement -- they were absolutely crucial to its growth. I will therefore explore their backgrounds as a means of helping to explain why this happened. I suggest that we find clues in the context of Sunderland and in the lives of Alexander and Mary Boddy. My approach is largely through an historical narrative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the response of the Pentecostal church to the practices of speaking in tongues and spoken prophecy. It notes that the practice of speaking in tongues and its interpretation serve as de facto prophecy. It stresses that the gift of tongues is not limited to the use of glossalalia and concerns an experience beyond the belief that people can speak in a heavenly language. It presents early testimonies of the gift from Pentecostals such as that of Catherine Price.

This article traces the results for the twentieth century classical Pentecostal denominations in Britain of the Sunderland experience if Pentecostal empowerment. There were three main indigenous classical denominations in Britain -- the Apostolic Church, Elim and the Assemblies of God. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The German Pentecostal Movement began in 1907 but too few people are aware of its history or origins. In Confidence, published 1908 - 1926, A. A. Boddy preserved many vital insights into the genesis of the German Pentecostal Movement. Some articles were reproduced in the German magazine Pfingstgrüße, 1909 - 1919, originally edited by Jonathan Paul who became the prominent leader of Pentecost in Germany. Both publications were established to promote Pentecostalism and provide invaluable primary source material in the form of editorials, teaching, sermons, stories and testimonies, mostly long forgotten, recording exciting days, reminiscent of the Early Church. Germany provided European Pentecostalism with some key leaders, preachers and teachers, principally Jonathan Paul, but also Emil Meyer, and Emil Humburg and Carl Octavius Voget. The first seven years were marked by influential conferences, a major attack against the Pentecostals in the form of the Berlin Declaration, and the formation of the Mülheimer Verband, not a denomination but a Pentecostal association. The influence of Azusa Street and North American Pentecostalism cannot be ignored, but a separate and unique European Pentecostal development can be identified, with Germany exerting major sway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pentecostal spread is often attributed to Pentecostalism's ability to make local cultural adjustments. This paper argues that there is also a strand within Pentecostalism that spreads through a conviction that it has embraced a global brand that needs little or no modification. The nature of this 'globally committed' strand is explored through the concepts of commodification, extraversion, importation and exoticism. Each of these sheds light on the thinking within the strand, enabling it to be distinguished from more 'locally committed' Pentecostal expressions. Particular attention is paid to the topic of importation as the migration of established Pentecostal groups across cultural boundaries highlights the extent of such established groups' commitment to further local cultural adjustment. Distinguishing between 'globally committed' and 'locally committed' Pentecostals strands is commended as valuable not only in academic debate but in assessing social concerns and analysing inter-church relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roswith Gerloff and Ian MacRobert have written about the black Pentecostal Churches in Britain. In this paper I want to draw attention to neglected areas on the early history based on written records that have not been previously used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pentecostalism may be broadly or narrowly defined though, for practical purposes, a broad understanding is preferable. Questions about the origins of Pentecostalism have long been debated: did it spread out to the rest of the world from the USA or were its origins more diffuse? Historiographical problems occur in any account and a solution to these is to see Pentecostalism as a missionary movement, or at least deriving one of its roots from pre-existing missionary organisations and activities. After its establishment and the failure of early hopes, Pentecostalism re-thought itself and subsequent historical analysis needs to take account of the various categories of networks by which it is expressed; indeed it is the proposal of this paper that Pentecostalism may be defined by reference to the historical and contemporary networks to which its adherents belong. Indigenous Pentecostal churches (those not directly connected with western Pentecostal denominations) are not always free of western influence, and this makes the theological analysis complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction to articles published within the issue is presented, which includes one on Pentecostal practice, another on a Pentecostal-Anglican dialogue in Great Britain as well as one on Spirit baptism.