Traditions
P

Tradition · Protestant

Pentecostalism

Assemblies of God and many other churches

Azusa Street revival1906The Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles, led by William J. Seymour, spread the movement worldwide. It was a revival, not a schism.Read the historyCompare with another tradition
Followersabout 280 million (2010)in Pentecostal churches · 2010 data, published 2011How counted

An estimate. Members of Pentecostal denominations and independent Pentecostal churches. A further 305 million 'charismatics' belong to other churches. Charismatics (305 million) are members of Catholic, Anglican, Protestant and other churches and are counted in those churches' figures. Do not add.

A global movement emphasising the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

How it took shape, and relations since · 1

How it took shape

Key timeline

4 events
View timeline in full
  1. 1901

    Topeka

    Charles Parham’s Bible school links baptism in the Spirit with speaking in tongues.

  2. 1906

    Azusa Street

    A multiracial revival in Los Angeles led by William J. Seymour.

  3. 1914

    Assemblies of God

    Founded at Hot Springs, Arkansas; now one of the largest Pentecostal bodies.

  4. 1960s

    Charismatic renewal

    Pentecostal-style spirituality spreads into mainline Protestant and Catholic churches.

Classification
Protestant (Pentecostal). A movement of many independent churches, not a single denomination.
What this entry covers
A broad movement of many churches. Classical Pentecostal denominations (such as the Assemblies of God) and independent Pentecostal churches. Charismatic Christians in other churches are a related but separate category.
Azusa Street revival
1906. The Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles, led by William J. Seymour, spread the movement worldwide. It was a revival, not a schism.

Relationships with other traditions

Revival1901–1906

Pentecostalism and the Holiness movement

PentecostalismMethodism (Wesleyan-Holiness roots)

Revival: A renewal movement inside an existing church that later became, or gave rise to, a separate body.

Pentecostalism grew out of the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. Charles Parham's teaching on baptism in the Spirit (Topeka, 1901) and the Azusa Street revival led by William J. Seymour (Los Angeles, 1906) spread it worldwide. It was a revival, not a schism.
3 sources

Compare Pentecostalism and Methodism

Full timeline

  1. 1901

    Topeka

    Charles Parham’s Bible school links baptism in the Spirit with speaking in tongues.

    Explained below: Pentecostalism and the Holiness movement

  2. 1906

    Azusa Street

    A multiracial revival in Los Angeles led by William J. Seymour.

    Explained below: Pentecostalism and the Holiness movement

  3. 1914

    Assemblies of God

    Founded at Hot Springs, Arkansas; now one of the largest Pentecostal bodies.

  4. 1960s

    Charismatic renewal

    Pentecostal-style spirituality spreads into mainline Protestant and Catholic churches.

Positions used in comparisons

Short, sourced statements that the Atlas compares across traditions. Where a tradition has no single teaching authority, the record says whose statement it follows.

God
The Assemblies of God confess one God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
2 sources

Assemblies of God Statement of Fundamental Truths.

Varies Oneness Pentecostal churches reject the doctrine of the Trinity, so this is not a position of the whole movement.

Scripture and authority
Scripture is the 'infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct'.
Source

Assemblies of God Statement of Fundamental Truths.

Salvation and grace
Believers should seek baptism in the Holy Spirit after the new birth; its initial sign is speaking in tongues.
2 sources

Assemblies of God Statement of Fundamental Truths.

Varies Not all Pentecostal churches teach tongues as the necessary initial evidence.

Sacraments and ordinances
Ordinances of water baptism by immersion for those who repent and believe, and the Lord's Supper as a symbol and memorial.
Source

Assemblies of God Statement of Fundamental Truths.

Compare these positions with another tradition

  • Expressive worship

    Spontaneous prayer, contemporary music and prayer for healing.Not yet sourced

The follower figure

about 280 million (2010) in Pentecostal churches

What is counted
Scholarly estimate of a broad movement
As of
2010 data, published 2011
Reported by
Pew Research Center, analysing Center for the Study of Global Christianity data
Type
Estimate
Coverage
Members of Pentecostal denominations and independent Pentecostal churches. A further 305 million 'charismatics' belong to other churches.
Do not add
Charismatics (305 million) are members of Catholic, Anglican, Protestant and other churches and are counted in those churches' figures. Do not add.
This entry is
A broad movement of many churches. Classical Pentecostal denominations (such as the Assemblies of God) and independent Pentecostal churches. Charismatic Christians in other churches are a related but separate category.
Pew estimated about 279 million Pentecostals and 305 million charismatics in 2010, 584 million combined.
Source

Replaces the starting figure. Workbook: 280,000,000 (no source or date).

Figures from different traditions measure different things and must not be added together or ranked against each other.

About the image · Editorial placeholder

Editorial initial. There is no universal Pentecostal symbol.

Editorial status

Editorial draft. Built from the starting workbook with editorial corrections and framing. It has not yet been checked against independent sources.

References

  • Workbook linkNot yet checked

    worldagfellowship.org

    Link supplied in the source workbook (“Christian Denominations”, row 25). It has not been checked to confirm that it supports every claim in that row.

Original workbook record

Imported unchanged from “Christian Denominations”, row 25. Values here are the starting dataset, not verified facts; where the Atlas differs, the reason is noted below.

Denomination / Tradition
Pentecostalism (Assemblies of God, etc.)
Broader Tradition
Protestantism / Pentecostal
Date Established / Split
1906 AD
Origin / Location
Los Angeles, California, USA
Forming Event / Schism
Azusa Street Revival
Approx. Practitioners
280,000,000
Broke Away From
Methodist / Holiness Movements
Primary Reason for Split / Core Doctrine
Emphasis on direct personal experience of God through Baptism in the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, and divine healing.
Reference / Information Link
https://worldagfellowship.org

Editorial notes on this record

  • Approx. Practitioners: 280 million depends heavily on definitions; it overlaps other rows if charismatics are counted.

Research sources for this entry

Every relationship, position and figure above cites these. Each links to the Atlas’s single source register, which shows what each source supports and whether it was read.

1

In the Scripture Library

2 themes

Themes where the Library associates a reading of scripture with Pentecostalism. Traditions are internally diverse; each association keeps its own qualification. These entries were drafted with AI assistance and have not yet been reviewed by specialists.

Open the Scripture Library · All themes and controversies