a contextual missiology of the spirit - eTheses Repository ...

However, the most important and undeniable fact is that indigenous workers
played a significant role in the expansion of the Pentecostal Movement in India.
Although it received momentum and the churches became organized with the
coming of western missionaries, the real impetus behind the movement was the
formation of indigenous Pentecostal churches.
In conclusion, it can be said that India experienced the Pentecostal fire before the
coming of western Pentecostal missionaries, but the latter were responsible for
introducing western Pentecostal denominations. ‘Experiential Pentecostalism’ had
been taking place in India since the middle of the nineteenth century, but
‘denominational Pentecostalism’ began with the coming of American Pentecostal
missionaries. The tension between the experiential and institutional is going on
even today. Classical Pentecostalism has become denominational and established,
and is mostly seen in south India, but it did not make much impact in the north.
2.3.5. Pentecostal Revival as Contextual
Many of the above indigenous revivals were not considered to be ‘Pentecostal
revivals,’ as this term was not used at that time. Later, following the Azusa Street
Revival, it was only that movement which was identified or referred to as the
Pentecostal Movement. However, as discussed above, most Indian revivals
preceded the Azusa Street Revival, and had almost all the Pentecostal
characteristics.
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