Charles Fox Parham: Difference between revisions

Parham originated the doctrine of initial evidence—that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is evidenced by [[speaking in tongues]].<ref name=RestoringtheFaith56/> It was this doctrine that made Pentecostalism distinct from other holiness Christian groups that spoke in tongues or believed in an experience subsequent to salvation and sanctification. In a move criticized by Parham,<ref name=Enrichment/> his Apostolic Faith Movement merged with other Pentecostal groups in 1914 to form the [[General Council of the Assemblies of God in the United States of America]].<ref>Creech, Joe (1996). "Visions of Glory: The Place of the Azusa Street Revival in Pentecostal History". ''Church History'' 65, no. 3. Pages 415—417.</ref> Today, the worldwide [[Assemblies of God]] is the largest Pentecostal denomination. In 1916, the fourth general council of Assemblies of God met in St. Louis, MO to decide on the mode of baptism they would use. All Apostolic Faith Movement ministers were baptized in Jesus' name by Charles F. Parham including Howard Goss, First Superintendent of the United Pentecostal Church International. After a vote, out of approximately 430 ministers, 133 were asked to leave because the majority ruled they would maintain the Catholic Trinitarian formula of baptism as the official baptism of the Assemblies of God. This move formally sparked the creation of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, which would eventually create the United Pentecostal Church International and the Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ.