A Spirit-filled tradition that emphasizes the ongoing gifts of the Holy Spirit, including speaking in tongues, healing, and prophecy.
Pentecostalism traces its modern origins to the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles in 1906, where participants reported being "baptized in the Holy Spirit" with the evidence of speaking in tongues — a phenomenon they believed mirrored the Day of Pentecost described in Acts 2. From that revival, Pentecostalism spread rapidly around the world and is now one of the fastest-growing Christian movements globally, with an estimated 500 million adherents.
Pentecostal churches believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit described in the New Testament — including tongues, prophecy, healing, and miracles — are available to believers today, not limited to the early church. This conviction, sometimes called "continuationism," distinguishes Pentecostals from cessationist traditions that hold the miraculous gifts ceased after the apostolic age. For Pentecostals, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a distinct experience after conversion, often evidenced by speaking in tongues, that empowers believers for Christian witness.
In Fayetteville, 13 Pentecostal congregations are listed in the directory. Worship in Pentecostal churches tends to be expressive and participatory — extended praise, spontaneous prayer, and openness to the Spirit's movement are hallmarks of the tradition. Pentecostalism has been particularly influential in Black and Latino Christian communities, and many of Fayetteville's Pentecostal churches reflect that heritage.
Pentecostals are distinguished by their emphasis on the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the active operation of spiritual gifts in the present-day church. This sets them apart from both cessationist evangelicals (who believe the gifts ceased) and mainline Protestants (who tend to de-emphasize supernatural gifts).
Highly expressive and participatory — extended praise and worship, spontaneous prayer, speaking in tongues, and openness to prophetic words or healing prayer are common.
Azusa Street, Los Angeles, 1906.
Being one of the fastest-growing Christian movements in the world, particularly in the Global South.