PCTII Newsletter #8

Fall 1996

Concilium: Rivista Internazionale di teologia (3/1996) edited by Dr. K.-J. Kuschel and Professor J. Moltmann is dedicated to the theme "I movimenti pentecostali come sfida ecumenica."

Latin American Pentecostals who are interested in a forthcoming publication entitled Rostros del Pentecostalismo Latinoamericano should contact Rev. Dr. Manuel J. Gaxiola.

The EPTA Conference was held July, 1996 in Sweden.

On December 7, the first annual Conference of the Pentecostal and Charismatic Fellowship is to be held at Regents Park Theological College under the Chairmanship of Keith Warrington and Neil Hudson, both lecturers at the College. The title of the day Conference is "Pentecostal Paradigms"; the invited speakers being Faith Forster, Drs. Nigel Wright, David Allen, Max Turner and John Smyth, all of whom are UK based.

Keith Warrington is in the process of completing the editing of a book to be published by Paternoster Press entitled Pentecostal Perspectives, an analysis of the history of the Elim and Assemblies of God Churches in the UK and a critical survey of 8 Pentecostal beliefs.

Contact Prof. Matteo Calisi about the upcoming Consultazione Carismatica Italiana to be held November 29-December 1. Featured speakers include Bishop B.E. Underwood, General Superintendent of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, and Prof. Massimo Introvigne, Director of CESNUR. Dr. Cecil M. Robeck led a team of pentecostal scholars to dialogue with the World Alliance of Reformed Churches Waldensians in Italy hosted the inaugural meeting in May.

A conference for pentecostal leaders and scholars convened June 10-14 in San Jose, Costa Rica with the theme "The Globalization of Pentecostalism."  

News from Dr. Roswith Gerloff at the University of Leeds: Consultations in Nairobi and Leeds are of interest to Pentecostals (expanded report); look for publication of papers from a seminar at Shelly Oaks under the theme "Pentecostalism: Promise and Problems"; the new director of the Centre for Black and White Christian Partnership at the University of Birmingham is Rev. Joe Alfred of the Church of God of Prophecy.

AFROSCOPE: A Newsletter of the Association of Evangelicals in Africa #74 (August 1996), Dr. Tokundoh Adeyemo General Secretary, includes probing articles on Ruwanda, Burundi, AIDS, Justice & Peace, and the Disabled. For more information, contact Gilbert Okoronkwo, editor.

The Eighth Annual SEAD (Scholarly Engagement with Anglican Doctrine) Conference will be held January 23-26, 1997 in Charleston, South Carolina with the theme "Who Is Jesus?"

Not to be missed in "Gustavo Gutierrez and Praxis in Christian Communities" by Brad Morris in Post Modern Theologies: The Challenges of Religious Diversity edited by Terrence W. Tilley and published by Orbis Books in 1995.

The World Council of Churches hosted a Consultation with North American Pentecostals and Latin American Pentecostals from June 4-9 in Costa Rica.  Not unlike the prior Consultation with Latin American Pentecostals held November, 1994, in Lima, Peru, approximately 25 Classical Pentecostals took part in the proceedings. Both meetings were the initiative of Huibert van Beek, Executive Sectetary of the Office of Church and Ecumenical Relations a the WCC office in Geneva.

APTS Press has released Spirit, Scripture and Theology: A Pentecostal Perspective by Roger Stronstad.  For more information, contact Dr. Wonsuk Ma.

A book not to be missed is En La Fuerza Del Espiritu: Los Pentecostales en America Latina: un desafio a las iglesias historicas which includes articles by Dr. Carmelo Alvarea, Bernardo L. Campos M., and Juan Sepulveda.

An announcement about an ecumenical event in Italy--involving Roman Catholics, Pentecostals and Protestants--and a related book review

For those who missed them, please note Basalwane (UNISA Press: Institute for Theological Research, 1992) by Allan Anderson and Peter Warr's From Africa's Soil: Story of the Assemblies of God in South Africa (Cape Town: Struik Christian Books Ltd., 1992).

Check the articles on "Pentecostalism" in multimedia encyclopedia--including Microsoft's "Encarta"--and observe the dismal content. For example, all three articles checked gave an exalted, and therefore erroneous, role to A.J. Tomlinson. The cds in questions were put out by Grolier Electronic Publishing and Funk and Wagnalls in addition to Microsoft's "Encarta." Grolier's article was written by Paul Merritt Bassett which sites the Zondervan dictionary and Cox's mythical fire. The lead article is, by comparision, somewhat better in "Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia." The lead article on "Pentecostalism" in Britannica Online has some value, but entries on individual denominations are full of mistakes.

During the July 1996 General Assembly of the Church of God of Prophecy in Louisville, the denomination granted women voice in local and general business meetings while also permitting women pastors to administer sacraments.

Dr. Christien M. Breman last year completed her dissertation on the Association of Evangelicals of Africa at Utrech University under Dr. Jan Jongeneel. The dissertation is scheduled for publication this year in a missiological series.

The AFM's Committee for Doctrine, Ethics and Liturgy recently passed the proviso that ordained women pastor's not be allowed to serve as 'presiding' (i.e. senior) pastors be removed from church constitution. This means that there is now no limit to the ministry or recognition open to women members, including eldership, executive status or even the presidency of the church. Committee members include I. Burger, Frank Chikane, O. Mahlobo, P de Will, W.J. Hattingh, F.P. Moller, M. Clark and J. LaPoorta.