Untitled - Memorial University of Newfoundland

Pa r t of Pentecostalism's heritage includes t h e Hol ines s
movement of the nineteenth ce n t u ry, which boasted a long
tradition of a c c eptance t oward women in leadership . 1::: Cha r l e s
G. Finney s pe a r head e d reeej,e invo lveme n t in mixe d gatherings
as early as the 183 0s, despit e social strictur es a g a in s t t h e
practice . 13 Many wom en j o i ned Pe ntecostalism af t e r having
exercised leadership in various Holiness denom i nations . Th e
Hol in es s movement s t r es se d soc ial re form; equal r i ght s f or
women was part of this t h rust . Phoebe W. Pa lme r (1807-74) ,
for example, ma de a size a b le imp act on ni n e t eent h cent u r y
theology, re viva lism , feminism and humanitariani sm. She held
in New York City fr o m 1835 t o 1874 "Tue s day Meetings for the
Promotion of Holiness" . \4 Another, Hannah W. Smith (18 3 2-
1911), helped spread t he Holiness movement i n Britain and
throughout Europe . Sh e wa s an ardent wo r ker f or t empe rance,
peace and woman s Uffrage . 15
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Th e fe mi nist t hrust of the
Holiness moveme n t is attributable to an expe rience -cente red
t heol ogy, a t heol ogy whi ch emphas ized s p o ntaneous co nversion,
ho liness and per fectionism; a nd expe r i enc e s ra t h er t h a n
t r a ining , educati on or spir itual e xer cises . 16
Sin ce "formal
training" was closed t o wome n in any c a s e, i t is no surprise
that they should gravitate to a t heol og y that does not need
i t .
Early Pentecostalism was a revival movement wh i c h
emphasized evangelism and a sense of extreme urgency. If
ch r i st 's comi ng is i mminent , then t i me f o r winning the l ost i s