Christianity • Protestantism
97-602: The International Pentecostal Holiness Church ( IPHC ) or simply Pentecostal Holiness Church ( PHC ) is an international Holiness - Pentecostal Christian denomination founded in 1911 with the merger of two older denominations. Historically centered in the Southeastern United States , particularly the Carolinas and Georgia , the Pentecostal Holiness Church now has an international presence. In 2000,
194-503: A Methodist ecclesiastical court for preaching interpretations of holiness doctrines that differed from the rest of the Methodist Church, Crumpler and several of his followers left the Methodist Church and formed a new denomination known as the Pentecostal Holiness Church ("Pentecostal" being a common name for holiness believers at the time). The first convention was held at Fayetteville, North Carolina in 1900. The convention adopted
291-466: A Protestant lens that understood sanctification in light of justification by grace through faith working by love. Wesley believed that regeneration (or the new birth ), which occurred simultaneously with justification, was the beginning of sanctification. From his reading of Romans 6 and 1 John 3:9, Wesley concluded that a consequence of the new birth was power over sin. In a sermon titled "Christian Perfection", Wesley preached that "A Christian
388-563: A denominational discipline, and Crumpler was elected president. In 1901 at a meeting in Magnolia, North Carolina , the word "Pentecostal" was dropped from the name to more fully associate the church with the holiness movement. For the next eight years, the church would be known as "The Holiness Church of North Carolina". The church had congregations outside of North Carolina as well, principally in South Carolina and Virginia. Gaston B. Cashwell ,
485-558: A former Baptist preacher, organized the body into the national Fire-Baptized Holiness Church at Anderson, South Carolina , in August 1898. By this time, Irwin's group had organized churches in eight U. S. states and two Canadian provinces. In 1898, the Southeastern Kansas Fire Baptized Holiness Association dissolved its relationship with the rest of the denomination over differences in doctrine (chiefly
582-679: A greater experience of the Holy Spirit, he de-emphasized the instantaneous aspect of Christian perfection. According to Bebbington, this eliminated the distinctiveness of Wesleyan entire sanctification, and by the 1860s, the idea that Christian perfection was a decisive second blessing or stage in Christian sanctification had fallen out of favor among some Methodists, though not all Methodists, as academic institutions affiliated with mainline Methodism such as Asbury Theological Seminary , Methodist camp meetings , and other Holiness Methodist associations within
679-525: A life of holiness ... a life controlled by 'perfect love' which 'casteth out fear.'" The Pentecostal Holiness Church specifically rejects absolute perfection, angelic perfection, and sinless perfection—terms that imply that it is impossible for a sanctified believer to commit sin. As a Pentecostal church, the PHC believes the "baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire is obtainable by a definite act of appropriating faith on
776-408: A majority of the delegates having experienced tongues, he permanently disaffiliated himself from the church. After Crumpler's departure, the conference added an article to the statement of faith, recognizing tongues as the initial evidence: We believe the pentecostal baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire is obtainable by a definite act of appropriating faith on the part of the fully cleansed believer, and
873-611: A minister of the Methodist Church, joined Crumpler's group in 1903. He became a leading figure in the church and the Pentecostal movement on the east coast. In 1906, he traveled to Los Angeles to visit the Pentecostal revival at the Azusa Street mission. While there he professed having received the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the evidence of speaking in tongues . Upon returning to Dunn , North Carolina, in December 1906, Cashwell preached
970-498: A person possesses, the greater the perfection of the soul. A person who is perfect in so far as being free from mortal sin obtains salvation and can be called just, holy, and perfect. A person who is perfect insofar as also being free from venial sin and all affections which separate a person from God is in a state of active service and love of God. This is the perfect fulfillment of the law —loving God and loving other people. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that Christian perfection
1067-458: A product of salvation. "When we believe on Jesus Christ as our Savior, our sins are pardoned, we are justified, and we enter a state of righteousness, not our own, but His, both imputed and imparted". As a holiness church, the PHC believes that for the Christian there is not only justification and forgiveness for actual transgressions but also "complete cleansing of the justified believer from all indwelling sin and from its pollution." This cleansing
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#17328510700021164-449: A way that was centered on loving God and one's neighbor. As such, Wesley taught that the manifestation of being entirely sanctified included engagement in works of piety and works of mercy . In his Sermon called "The Circumcision of the Heart" Wesley described it like this: It is that habitual disposition of soul which, in the sacred writings, is termed holiness; and which directly implies,
1261-473: Is a gift offered to all Christians, and by responding we affirm that there is no limit to what the grace of God is able to do in a human life. By giving us the Holy Spirit, God assures us of His love for us and enables us to love as He, in Christ, loves us. When God's love is perfected in us, we so represent Christ to our neighbours that they see Him in us without hindrance from us. Perfect love, as Christian perfection
1358-658: Is a method for making progress in the contemplative life written by Saint Teresa of Ávila for the sisters of her reformed convent of the Discalced Carmelites . St. Teresa was a major figure of the Counter-Reformation in 16th century Spain. Christian Perfection is also the title of a book written by theologian Réginald Garrigou-Lagrange . Perfectae Caritatis , the Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life,
1455-871: Is impossible to attain through the Spirit the 'new creation' of the pure heart (cf 2 Cor. 5:17 ) are rightly and explicitly likened by the apostle to those who, because of their unbelief, were found unworthy of entering the promised land and whose bodies on that account 'were left lying in the desert' ( Heb. 3:17 ). Anabaptist Christians (inclusive of the Mennonite , Amish , Hutterite , Bruderhof , Schwarzenau Brethren , River Brethren and Apostolic Christian denominations) believe that "because they have voluntarily chosen to follow Christ as their only authority", they can be successful in their pursuit of Christian perfection. Professor of Religious Studies Ira Chernus explicates Anabaptist doctrine: ... Anabaptists put special stress on
1552-486: Is in heaven is perfect" ( King James Version ). The Roman Catholic Church teaches that Christian perfection is to be sought after by all of the just (righteous). Eastern Orthodoxy situates Christian perfection as a goal for all Christians. Traditional Quakerism uses the term perfection and teaches that it is the calling of a believer. Perfection is a prominent doctrine within the Methodist tradition, in which it
1649-429: Is lacking in its nature or purpose. The ultimate purpose of Man is union with God, also called divinization . This is accomplished on earth by grace and in heaven by the beatific vision . Perfect union with God while on earth is impossible; therefore, absolute perfection is reserved for heaven. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that Christian perfection is a spiritual union with God that is attainable in this life. It
1746-571: Is made in God's image and likeness ( Genesis 1:27 ), "The great spiritual fact must be brought out that man is, not shall be, perfect and immortal". The terms "perfect" and "perfection" are drawn from the Greek teleios and teleiōsis , respectively. The root word, telos , means an "end" or "goal". In recent translations, teleios and teleiōsis are often rendered as "mature" and "maturity", respectively, so as not to imply an absolute perfection of no defects. But
1843-399: Is not "maturity" but a "crisis experience" and a "definite, instantaneous work of grace, obtainable by faith." The church recognizes that there is maturity and growth in the life of the believer, but states that "we must get into this grace before we can grow in it." The sanctified life is described as "one of separation from the world, a selfless life, a life of devotion to all the will of God,
1940-401: Is not absolute perfection as it exists alongside human misery, rebellious passions, and venial sin . Christian perfection consists of charity or love, since it is this virtue that unites the soul to God. It is not just the possession and preservation of sanctifying grace , since perfection is determined by one's action—the actual practicing of charity or the service of God. The more charity
2037-528: Is often called, is the result of, and can only be maintained by, complete dependence on Jesus Christ. It is given either gradually or at one moment... Candidates for ordination are asked the following question, "Do you expect to be made perfect in love in this life?" In the Methodist Church of Great Britain , the distinctive Wesleyan teachings are summed up in the phrase "All need to be saved; all can be saved; all can know they are saved; all can be saved to
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#17328510700022134-625: Is one of the shorter documents issued by the Second Vatican Council . Approved by vote of 2,321 to 4 of the bishops assembled at the council, the decree was promulgated by Pope Paul VI on October 28, 1965. As is customary for Church documents, the title is taken from the Latin incipit of the decree: "Of Perfect Charity". The Orthodox Church teaches that "perfection is possible for us as human beings as long as we understand it in its proper, dynamic sense" and that humans are "made for Theosis, for
2231-428: Is referred to as Christian perfection , entire sanctification , holiness , baptism of the Holy Spirit , and the second work of grace . Holiness Pentecostalism inherited the same terminology from Methodism, with exception of the fact that Holiness Pentecostals take the term Baptism with the Holy Spirit to mean a separate third work of grace of empowerment evidenced by speaking in tongues, whereas Methodists use
2328-530: Is so far perfect as not to commit sin." "The term "sinless perfection" was one which Wesley never used because of its ambiguity." John William Fletcher , an early Methodist divine who John Wesley chose to lead the Methodist movement if he died, clarified the Wesleyan doctrine by stating "that the doctrine of an evangelically sinless perfection is truly Scriptural." And "I say evangelically sinless, because, without
2425-473: Is something all should pursue in light of Jesus' injunction in Matthew 5:48. There is also, however, what is called "religious perfection", which is pursued by those committed to living religious life , such as members of religious orders . All Roman Catholics are obliged to attain perfection by observing the commandments, but religious life imposes a more exacting obligation, requiring the religious to also observe
2522-684: The Stromata , Clement discussed three stages in Christian life that led to a more mature perfection. The first stage was marked by the change from heathenism to faith and initiation into the Christian religion. The second stage was marked by a deeper knowledge of God that resulted in continuing repentance from sin and mastery over the passions ( apatheia ). The third stage led to contemplation and agape love. Origen also proposed his own stages of spiritual ascent beginning with conversion and ending with perfect union with God in love. Gregory of Nyssa defined human perfection as "constant growth in
2619-499: The baptism with the Holy Spirit , the indwelling of the Holy Spirit , baptism by fire , the second blessing , and the second work of grace . Understandings of the doctrine of Christian Perfection vary widely between Christian traditions, though these denominational interpretations find basis in Jesus' words recorded in Matthew 5:48 : "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which
2716-817: The Apostolic Christian Church is "distinguished by its emphasis on entire sanctification". Christianity • Protestantism In traditional Calvinism and high church Anglicanism , perfection was viewed as a gift bestowed on righteous persons only after their death (see Glorification ). John Wesley , the founder of Methodism , was responsible for reviving the idea of spiritual perfection in Protestantism . Wesley's views were elaborated in A Plain Account of Christian Perfection , published in 1777. According to Noble, Wesley transformed Christian perfection as found in church tradition by interpreting it through
2813-694: The Congregational Holiness Church in 1921. The Pentecostal Holiness Church was a charter member of the National Association of Evangelicals in 1943 and joined the Pentecostal Fellowship of North America in 1948. At the general conference a year later an attempt at merging with the mostly black United Holy Church failed when the United Holy Church asked if their members could attend the church's schools and colleges. In
2910-539: The Great Commission . The church holds water baptism and communion ( open communion observed quarterly) to be divine ordinances . Though not considered an ordinance, some of the churches also engage in the practice of feet washing . Since the adoption of the article of faith on the baptism of the Holy Spirit in 1908, the Pentecostal Holiness Church has taught the following beliefs as their five cardinal doctrines: justification by faith, entire sanctification ,
3007-467: The Pentecost experience in the local holiness church. The influence of the Pentecostal renewal grew while, at the same time, the leader and founder of the church, Abner Crumpler, though willing to accept speaking in tongues, did not accept the idea that it was the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. At the annual conference of 1908, Crumpler was re-elected president of the body; however, with
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3104-405: The evangelical counsels (also known as "counsels of perfection") of poverty , chastity , and obedience . The evangelical counsels are believed to promote perfection in two ways. They remove the obstacles to perfection— lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh , and the pride of life. They also increase a person's love of God by freeing the affections from earthly ties. El Camino de Perfección
3201-562: The holiness movement in the church, others did not favor it, which led to controversy in 1894. Within a decade about 25 new Holiness Methodist groups, including the Pentecostal Holiness Church, came into existence. The oldest group that is part of the foundation of the Pentecostal Holiness Church originated in 1895 as the Fire-Baptized Holiness Association in Olmitz, Iowa . The leader, Benjamin H. Irwin of Lincoln, Nebraska ,
3298-668: The 1960s, the Pentecostal Holiness Church began to branch out beyond the United States by affiliating with sister Pentecostal bodies in other parts of the world. In 1967, an affiliation was formed with the Pentecostal Methodist Church of Chile , one of the largest national Pentecostal churches in the world and the largest non- Catholic church in Chile. At the time, the Jotabeche Pentecostal Methodist congregation
3395-456: The Christian life: little children, young men, and finally fathers. Young men were defined as those who had experienced victory over temptation and evil thoughts. Fathers were defined as mature Christians who were filled with the love of God. Wesley believed this last stage of Christian maturity was made possible by what he called entire sanctification (a phrase derived from First Thessalonians 5:23). In Wesley's theology, entire sanctification
3492-671: The Church continued to be a beacon for the holiness movement . In contemporary Methodist Churches, Christian perfection remains official doctrine and both its gradual and instantaneous aspects are recognized. A Catechism for the Use of the People Called Methodists teaches: Through the Holy Spirit God has given us His love so that we may love Him in return with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and our neighbour as ourselves. This
3589-682: The Falcon Children's Home, Alternative to Abortion Ministries, New Life Adoption Agency, and Bethany Children's Health Center. Christian perfection#Holiness Pentecostalism Within many denominations of Christianity , Christian perfection is the theological concept of the process or the event of achieving spiritual maturity or perfection. The ultimate goal of this process is union with God characterized by pure love of God and other people as well as personal holiness or sanctification . Other terms used for this or similar concepts include entire sanctification , holiness , perfect love ,
3686-625: The Fall and liable to commit unintentional transgressions. In consequence, these Christians still had to depend on forgiveness through Christ's atonement . However, with Wesley's concept of sin, he did believe in freedom from sin. In fact, he described it like this: "Certainly sanctification (in the proper sense) is "an instantaneous deliverance from all sin;" and includes "an instantaneous power then given". Wesley's concept of Christian perfection had both gradual and instantaneous elements. In his 1765 sermon "The Scripture Way of Salvation", Wesley emphasized
3783-696: The General Superintendent. The General Conference is the highest administrative body in the church. Under it are regional, annual, district, and missionary conferences. When the General Conference is out of session, the Council of Bishops acts as the church's governing body. In the IPHC, the terms "bishop" and "superintendent" are used interchangeably. The church recognizes the biblical office of bishop but does not believe in an historical episcopate or adhere to
3880-432: The Holy Spirit." The Pentecostal Holiness Church distinguishes the initial evidence of Spirit baptism - which all believers experience when Spirit baptized - from the gift of tongues, which is not given to every Spirit-filled believer. Speaking in tongues is only the first sign of Spirit baptism. Other evidence that will follow Spirit baptism include: the fruit of the Spirit, power to witness for Christ, and power to endure
3977-528: The IPHC reported 10,463 churches and over a million members worldwide (over 3.4 million including affiliates). In 2010, membership in the United States was 289,475 in 1,995 churches. There were 28 regional conferences and missionaries in more than 90 nations. International offices were once located in Franklin Springs, Georgia, but are now located in Bethany , Oklahoma, a suburb of Oklahoma City. In January 2011,
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4074-606: The Lord. Entire sanctification is a state of perfect love, righteousness and true holiness which every regenerate believer may obtain by being delivered from the power of sin, by loving God with all the heart, soul, mind and strength, and by loving one's neighbor as one's self. Through faith in Jesus Christ this gracious gift may be received in this life both gradually and instantaneously, and should be sought earnestly by every child of God. We believe this experience does not deliver us from
4171-482: The Love of God . This ladder had four rungs or degrees. The first and lowest degree was love of self for self. The second degree was love of God for what he gives. The third degree was love of God for his own sake; it would not be difficult, according to Bernard, for those who truly loved God to keep his commandments . The fourth degree was love of self only for God's sake; it was believed that this degree of perfection in love
4268-751: The Methodist Conference in Britain , expressed his personal opinion in 2000 that "The doctrine [of sanctification] remains with us in Charles Wesley's hymns, but the formative framework, and even, I suspect, the spiritual intention, have largely gone." Writing on the need for improved spiritual formation within the British Methodist Church and the US-based United Methodist Church, Methodist theologian Randy L. Maddox commented that
4365-556: The Methodist church, but, according to historian David Bebbington , "the tradition fell into decay." As later generations of Methodists sought greater respectability in the eyes of other Christian denominations, some turned to "a watered-down version" of the doctrine outlined by William Arthur (who served as Secretary of the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society ) in his popular work The Tongue of Fire , published in 1856. While Arthur encouraged readers to pray for
4462-530: The Methodists in trust for the whole Church." However, he has also noted that uncertainty, among some, exists within the denomination over the teaching: "Our discomfort with this doctrine today is seen in services of ordination when candidates are asked, 'Are you going on to perfection?' Our misunderstanding about this often brings uneasy chuckles and quick disclaimers that we certainly don't claim to be 'perfect' in our Christian life." Brian Beck, former President of
4559-513: The PHC celebrated the 1911 merger centennial with special events at Falcon, North Carolina. In 2024, the IPHC reported 1,600 churches in the United States. A small decline from the 2000 figures. The doctrine of the Pentecostal Holiness Church is articulated in the Apostles' Creed and the Articles of Faith. The Articles were placed in their present form in 1945. The first four articles are essentially
4656-557: The Pentecostal Fire-Baptized Holiness Church. In 1920, another schism came into the Pentecostal Holiness Church over divine healing and the use of medicine. Some pastors believed that while divine healing was provided in the atonement, Christians still had the right to turn to medicine and doctors. The majority of the church—as did many Pentecostals of the time—believed in trusting God for healing without turning to earthly means. The minority withdrew and formed
4753-839: The Wesleyan understanding of entire sanctification were carried forward in later times by men like the medieval Catholic priest Thomas a Kempis , the Protestant Reformers Caspel Schwenkfeld and Thomas Munzer , the Dutch theologian Jacobus Arminius , the German Pietist Phillip Jacob Spener, the Quaker founder George Fox , the Anglican bishop Jeremy Taylor , and the English devotional writer William Law . Many of these influences fed into [John] Wesley's heritage and laid
4850-434: The baptism in the Holy Spirit evidenced by speaking in tongues , Christ's atonement (including divine healing ), and the premillennial second coming of Christ . The Pentecostal Holiness Church believes that no amount of good works can achieve justification or salvation. This is achieved only "on the basis of our faith in the shed blood, the resurrection, and the justifying righteousness" of Christ. Good works, however, are
4947-607: The being cleansed from sin, "from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit;" and, by consequence, the being endued with those virtues which were also in Christ Jesus; the being so "renewed in the spirit of our mind," as to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect." Even this was not an absolute perfection. The entirely sanctified Christian was perfect in love, meaning that the heart is undivided in its love for God or that it loves nothing that conflicts with its love for God. Christians perfected in love were still subject to conditions of
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#17328510700025044-568: The believer must "respond wholly to the will of God so that sin will lose its power over us; and the world, the flesh, and the devil are put under our feet." Falcon Tabernacle The Falcon Tabernacle , also known as the Octagon Tabernacle and the Little Tabernacle , is an historic octagon -shaped Pentecostal Holiness church building in Falcon , North Carolina . Built in 1898, it
5141-627: The building was the site of the formal merger agreement between two Pentecostal denominations , the Pentecostal Holiness Church of North Carolina and the much larger Fire-Baptized Holiness Church . The new denomination was called the Pentecostal Holiness Church and is now the International Pentecostal Holiness Church . In 1952 a new much larger church was built in front of the Little Tabernacle and
5238-509: The church reported a worldwide membership of over one million—over three million including affiliates. Heavily influenced by two major American revival movements—the holiness movement of the late 19th century and the Pentecostal revival of the early 20th century—the church's theological roots derive from John Wesley 's teachings on sanctification . While certain elements in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South supported
5335-696: The congregation's name was changed to the Culbreth Memorial Pentecostal Holiness Church . In 1974 the Little Tabernacle was moved from its original location at 8443 Fayetteville Road to West Street, where it is now located. On October 11, 1983, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places . This article about a property in Cumberland County, North Carolina on the National Register of Historic Places
5432-478: The deification ('divinizing') of the totality of our being, body, mind, heart, and soul". This is in accordance with the writings of Saint Paul that encourage Christians to seek after the righteousness of Jesus to be transformed from "one degree of glory to another". Byzantine Orthodox hagiographer and hymnodist St Symeon the Metaphrast (10th c.) declared: Those who deny the possibility of perfection inflict
5529-621: The doctrine of apostolic succession . The General Superintendent and Presiding Bishop , Dr. A. Doug Beacham Jr., was elected in 2012. The IPHC has four affiliated institutions of higher education. The IPHC colleges are Emmanuel University in Franklin Springs, Georgia; Holmes Bible College in Greenville, South Carolina; Southwestern Christian University in Bethany, Oklahoma; and Advantage College in San Jose, California. Charitable organizations include
5626-468: The foundation for the development of his thought. In fact, the concept of entire sanctification is so pervasive throughout church history that it can accurately be said that virtually all the major traditions—Orthodox, Catholic, Reformed, and Anglican—played some part in shaping Wesley's passion for holiness. According to the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church , something is perfect when nothing
5723-405: The good". For Gregory, this was brought about by the work of the Holy Spirit and the self-discipline of the Christian. Macarius of Egypt taught that all sin could be washed away and that a person could be made perfect in the "span of an hour" while stressing the fact that entire sanctification had a two-fold nature, as "an act and a process". Pseudo-Macarius taught that inner sin was rooted out of
5820-429: The grace of caritas infused into them at baptism and this love for God excludes all mortal sins . Such sins are not impossible, and, if committed, require the grace of penance , but Christians do not live committing flagrant acts of intentional sin contrary to their love for God. That is incompatible with the state of grace . But those who are no longer beginners, but making progress in the life of perfection, come to
5917-478: The greatest damage on the soul in three ways. First, they manifestly disbelieve the inspired Scriptures. Then, because they do not make the greatest and fullest goal of Christianity their own, and so do not aspire to attain it, they can have no longing and diligence, no hunger and thirst for righteousness (cf Matt. 5:6 ); on the contrary, content with outward show and behavior and with minor accomplishments of this kind, they abandon that blessed expectation together with
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#17328510700026014-484: The healing of sick people and church elders will lay hands on and anoint the person being prayed over. While in its early years the Pentecostal Holiness were against receiving medical care, emphasizing divine healing, that is not the case today. The church teaches that Christians should believe in divine healing but also teaches that medical knowledge comes to humanity through God's grace. The PHC believes in
6111-575: The imminent, personal, premillennial second coming of Jesus Christ. It will occur in two stages: the first stage will be the rapture of the saints before the Tribulation , and the second stage will be at the end of the Tribulation when Christ will return to defeat the Antichrist , judge the nations of the world, and begin his millennial reign . Reflecting its Methodist heritage, the IPHC is governed under
6208-421: The infirmities, ignorance, and mistakes common to man, nor from the possibilities of further sin. The Christian must continue on guard against spiritual pride and seek to gain victory over every temptation to sin. He must respond wholly to the will of God so that sin will lose its power over him; and the world, the flesh, and the devil are put under his feet. Thus he rules over these enemies with watchfulness through
6305-461: The initial evidence of the reception of this experience is speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance (Luke 11:13; Acts 1:5; 2:1-4; 8:17; 10:44-46; 19:6). The PHC Foreign Mission Board was formed in 1904, and its members were all women. In 1907, Tom J. McIntosh, a PHC member, traveled to China and may have been the first Pentecostal missionary to reach that nation. The Fire-Baptized Holiness Association also embraced Pentecostalism around
6402-434: The instantaneous side, stating, "Do you believe we are sanctified by faith? Be true, then, to your principle and look for this blessing just as you are, neither better nor worse; as a poor sinner that has still nothing to pay, nothing to plead but 'Christ died'. And if you look for it as you are, then expect it now." In "Thoughts on Christian Perfection" (1759), Wesley stressed the gradual aspect of perfection, writing that it
6499-671: The matter farther is only to make way for Calvinism. There may be ten thousand wandering thoughts, and forgetful intervals, without any breach of love, though not without transgressing the Adamic law. But Calvinists would fain confound these together. Let love fill your heart, and it is enough! Involuntary transgressions (such as those arising from ignorance, error, and evil tempers), according to Wesley, were not properly called sins. Therefore, regenerated Christians would continue to be guilty of involuntary transgressions and would need to practice regular confession . Furthermore, Christians continued to face temptation , and Wesley acknowledged that it
6596-421: The mergers, the new denomination, which continued to go by the name Pentecostal Holiness Church, had about 200 churches with approximately 5,000 members. Property for the denomination's first headquarters was purchased in 1918 for $ 9,000 in Franklin Springs , Georgia. In 1918, several PHC members who wanted stricter standards concerning dress, amusements, tobacco, and association between the sexes withdrew to form
6693-442: The observance of standards of dress and behaviour should follow the New Birth as an act of obedience to God. Calling it "the grand depositum" of the Methodist faith, Wesley specifically taught that the propagation of the doctrine of entire sanctification to the rest of Christendom was the main reason that God raised up the Methodists in the world. After Wesley's death, his teachings on Christian perfection remained important to
6790-448: The part of the fully cleansed believer." Spirit baptism is available to all believers and provides empowerment to witness for Christ. To receive the baptism, a person must have a "clean heart and life" and to "live in the fullness of the Holy Spirit's power and possession, one must continue to live a clean and consecrated life, free from sin, strife, worldliness, and pride, and must avoid attitudes and actions that tend to 'grieve' or 'quench'
6887-619: The pastor is the chairman of the church board. Other than the pastor, the church board consists of deacons and a secretary/treasurer elected by the church members. The board is accountable to the pastor and church members, and pastors are accountable to the quadrennial conferences. Geographically, churches are organized into conferences led by conference superintendents. In their spiritual roles, superintendents function as bishops , and in their administrative roles they act as chief executive officers of their conference. All conference leaders are elected by their local conference but are accountable to
6984-475: The point where everything contrary to being wholly in love with God is excluded: they love God with all their hearts. According to the standard formulation of the process of Christian perfection, as formulated by Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite (late 5th to early 6th century), there are three stages : Daniel L. Burnett, a professor at Wesley Biblical Seminary , writes that: Views compatible with
7081-698: The possibility of being made perfect in love for God and neighbor, and seeking to actually become entirely sanctified are the reasons Methodism was 'raised up.' May we remember who we are and why the Holy Spirit brought us to life." The Global Methodist Church enshrines the doctrine of entire sanctification in its official catechism, teaching that "Entire sanctification is a state of perfect love, righteousness, and true holiness which every regenerate believer may obtain." It teaches that Christian perfection may be "received in this life either gradually or instantaneously" and that it should be "sought earnestly by every child of God." In order to maintain this state of holiness,
7178-552: The power of faith to produce good works and a more moral life. ... they are guided by the concluding injunction of the Sermon on the Mount: "You shall be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect." They strive for perfection; they view their church as the visible body of Christ, which must be, and can be, a "spotless congregation." As one of their greatest early leaders, Menno Simmons, said: "The reborn willfully here sin no more." In particular,
7275-587: The power of the Holy Spirit. James Heidinger II, former president of the Good News movement , an evangelical caucus within the United Methodist Church, has emphasized the significance of the doctrine of entire sanctification within Methodism: "There is no question about the importance of the doctrine of perfection in the history of Methodism. Wesley believed that this emphasis was a peculiar heritage given to
7372-422: The principles of connectionalism , a mixed system of episcopal and congregational polity . Authority in the church is shared between local churches, quadrennial conferences, and the General Conference. Pentecostal Holiness congregations are self-governing in local affairs and are led by pastors . The pastor preaches , administers the ordinances, and promotes the "spiritual welfare" of congregants. Furthermore,
7469-433: The pure in heart, but he also warned against the hidden potential for sin in everyone so that no one should ever say, "Because I am in grace, I am thoroughly freed from sin." By the 4th century, the pursuit of the life of perfection was identified with asceticism , especially monasticism and withdrawal from the world. In the 12th century, Bernard of Clairvaux developed the idea of the ladder of love in his treatise, On
7566-424: The pursuit of perfection and of the total purification of the passions. Third, thinking they have reached the goal when they have acquired a few virtues, and not pressing on to the true goal, not only are they incapable of having any humility, poverty and contrition of heart but, justifying themselves on the grounds that they have already arrived, they make no efforts to progress and grow day by day. People who think it
7663-486: The reception of entire sanctification as Baptism with the Holy Spirit . Fletcher emphasized that the experience of entire sanctification, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, cleanses the believer from original sin and empowers the believer for service to God. John Wesley taught outward holiness as an expression of "inward transformation" and theologians in the Wesleyan Methodist tradition have noted that
7760-590: The rejection of a third work of grace) and this faction is known today as the Bible Holiness Church . The first congregation to carry the name Pentecostal Holiness Church was formed in Goldsboro, North Carolina in 1898. This church was founded as a result of the evangelistic ministry of Abner Blackmon Crumpler, a Methodist evangelist. A year earlier, Crumpler had founded the inter-denominational North Carolina Holiness Association. After his trial and acquittal by
7857-497: The same as the first four Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church. The IPHC believes in common evangelical beliefs, including the Trinity , the dual nature of Christ , his crucifixion for the forgiving of sins , his resurrection and ascension to heaven , the inerrancy of the Bible , a literal belief in heaven and hell , and the responsibility of every believer to carry out
7954-464: The same time, taking the line that the baptism in the Holy Spirit was the "baptism of fire" that it had been seeking. Given the similarities in doctrine and geographic reach with the Pentecostal Holiness Church, the two groups began talks on a merger. The two groups merged on January 30, 1911, at the Falcon Tabernacle in Falcon, North Carolina . The new denomination took the name of the smaller of
8051-500: The spiritual transformation that occurred in the believer as the Holy Spirit is to "fit us for God." In antiquity, baptism was commonly referred to as the perfecting of the Christian. This view was expressed by Clement of Alexandria in his work Paedagogus : "Being baptized, we are illuminated; illuminated we become children [lit. 'sons']; being made children, we are made perfect; being made perfect, we are immortal." In another work,
8148-521: The term Baptism of the Holy Spirit to refer to the second work of grace, entire sanctification. Other denominations, such as the Lutheran Churches and Reformed Churches , reject the possibility of Christian perfection in this life as contrary to the doctrine of salvation by faith alone , holding that deliverance from sin is begun at conversion but is only completed in glorification . Contrasting to all, Christian Science teaches that as man
8245-450: The terms "holiness of heart and life" and "Christian Perfection" were considered "prone to moralistic, static and unrealistic connotations, resulting in the growing uncomfortableness with and neglect of this aspect of our Wesleyan heritage." The Rev. Dr. Kevin M. Watson, a United Methodist clergyman and Assistant Professor of Historical Theology and Wesleyan Studies at Seattle Pacific University, implores fellow pastors: "Teaching and preaching
8342-501: The testings of faith and the oppositions of the world. Besides speaking in tongues, other spiritual gifts recorded in the Bible (specifically in 1 Corinthians 12, 13, and 14) are encouraged to operate in Pentecostal Holiness congregations for the edification of the Body of Christ . The PHC believes that "provision was made in the atonement for the healing of our bodies". Congregations will pray for
8439-628: The two, Pentecostal Holiness Church. S.D. Page was elected the first General Superintendent. Following the 1911 merger, the Tabernacle Pentecostal Church, originally the Brewerton Presbyterian Church, merged with the Pentecostal Holiness Church in 1915. Having Presbyterian roots and located mostly in South Carolina, this group of around 15 congregations was affiliated with Nickles Holmes Bible College in Greenville . After
8536-737: The uttermost" (the word "uttermost" referring to Christian perfection). The Confession of Faith , one of the Doctrinal Standards of the United Methodist Church , teaches that entire sanctification may be bestowed upon the believer gradually or instantaneously: We believe sanctification is the work of God's grace through the Word and the Spirit, by which those who have been born again are cleansed from sin in their thoughts, words and acts, and are enabled to live in accordance with God's will, and to strive for holiness without which no one will see
8633-399: The word evangelically, the phrase "sinless perfection" gives an occasion of cavilling to those who seek it." Methodists are able to hold this doctrine based upon Wesley's definition of actual sin: Nothing is sin, strictly speaking, but a voluntary transgression of a known law of God. Therefore, every voluntary breach of the law of love is sin; and nothing else, if we speak properly. To strain
8730-639: The words "mature" and "maturity" do not capture the full meaning of "end" or "goal". (Even these recent translations use the word "perfect" when not referring to people, as in James 1:17. ) In the Christian tradition, teleiōsis has also referred to personal wholeness or health, an unswerving commitment to the goal. The roots of the doctrine of Christian perfection lie in the writings of some early Roman Catholic theologians considered Church Fathers : Irenaeus , Clement of Alexandria , Origen and later Macarius of Egypt and Gregory of Nyssa . Irenaeus wrote about
8827-459: Was a second work of grace received by faith that removed inbred or original sin , and this allowed the Christian to enter a state of perfect love—"Love excluding sin" as stated in the sermon "The Scripture Way of Salvation". Wesley described it as having "purity of intention", "dedicating all the life to God", "loving God with all our heart", and as being the "renewal of the heart in the whole image of God ". A life of perfect love meant living in
8924-940: Was added to the church's name in 1975. The largest Pentecostal Holiness churches in the United States include The Gate Church in Oklahoma City , pastored by Jordan Roberts (founded by Tony Miller; Northwood Temple in Fayetteville , North Carolina, pastored by John Hedgepeth; SpiritLife Church (formerly known as Evangelistic Temple) in Tulsa, Oklahoma , pastored by Tommy McLaurin; Eastpointe Community Church in Oklahoma City, pastored by Shon and Rachel Burchett; All Nations Church in Tallassee , Florida , pastored by Steve Dow; and Tree of Life Ministries in Lynchburg, VA, pastored by Mike Dodson. In 2000,
9021-484: Was designed by Julius A. Culbreth for prayer meetings and constructed from salvaged wood from trees that had been uprooted by a tornado . Culbreth, who was the founder of Falcon, chose the octagon shape because it reminded him of the tents used in revival meetings. In 1900 the building became the home of the Falcon Pentecostal Holiness Church , of which Culbreth was a leader. On January 30, 1911,
9118-526: Was only rarely achieved before death. Thomas Aquinas wrote of three possible levels of perfection. The first, absolute perfection, is where God is loved as much as he can be loved; only God himself can be this perfect. The second level, where love for God fills a person constantly, is possible after death but not in life. The lowest level of perfection was thought to be possible to achieve while living. Theologian Thomas Noble described Aquinas' view of this level of perfection as follows: All Christians have
9215-408: Was possible for a regenerated Christian to commit voluntary sin (if, in the words of Noble, the Christian ceased "actively trusting in God through Christ and living in the divine presence"), which would also necessitate confession of sin. The power over sin received at regeneration was just the lowest stage of Christian perfection according to Wesley. Based on 1 John 2, Wesley proposed three stages in
9312-775: Was the largest church in the world with over 60,000 members. With over 150,000 members, it ranks second to the Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul , South Korea. This denomination claims 1.7 million adherents. A similar affiliation was forged in 1985 with the Wesleyan Methodist Church of Brazil . A Neo-Pentecostal body with roots in the Brazilian Methodist Church, the Wesleyan Church numbered some 50,000 members and adherents in 1995. The word International
9409-575: Was to be received "in a zealous keeping of all the commandments; in watchfulness and painfulness; in denying ourselves and taking up our cross daily; as well as in earnest prayer and fasting and a close attendance on all the ordinances of God ...it is true we receive it by simple faith; but God does not, will not, give that faith unless we seek it with all diligence in the way which he hath ordained." In addition, Wesley also believed that Christian perfection, once received, might be forfeited. The systematic theologian of Methodism, John William Fletcher , termed
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