Pentecostal Christianity
Item set
Title
Pentecostal Christianity
Description
Pentecostalism is a form Evangelical Christianity that emerged in the US at the turn of the 20th century. The revival meeting at the Azusa Street Mission in Los Angeles in 1906 is popularly regarded as the beginning of the movement. Within a few decades, the movement had established itself worldwide. Nowadays it is the fastest growing branch of Christianity with over 500 million adherents (mostly from non-Western countries). Pentecostal Christianity emphasises the work of the Holy Spirit and the direct experience of the presence of God by the believer, which is often realised through gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues, healing and prophecy.
In Eastern Europe, Pentecostalism arrived within few years of the Azusa Street revival. The first Pentecostal churches and unions in Romania, Hungary and the Soviet Union were established in the 1920s. Between 1924 and 1938, first Pentecostal communities in Romania sent numerous petitions to the Ministry of Denominations for the recognition of their church under the name of the Baptist-Pentecostal Denomination or the Apostolic Church of God (Biserica lui Dumnezeu Apostolică). The petitions, however, were rejected and in 1930 the state authorities ordered the closure of Pentecostal houses of prayer. In Hungary, the first Pentecostal organization, the Hungarian Churches of God (Magyarországi Istengyülekezetek) was founded in 1928. In Russia and Ukraine, the first Pentecostal association was established in 1924 under the name of the Union of Christians of Evangelical Faith, led by Ivan E. Voronaev.
Both before and during the communist period, Pentecostal communities were persecuted by the state authorities in Romania, Hungary, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine and across the region. The 1942 decree in Romania, signed by Ion Antonescu, banned the Pentecostal Church because of its American ties. There were even plans to deport Pentecostal groups (alongside Inochentists and others) to concentration camps in Transnistria. In the Soviet Union, hundreds of Pentecostal believers were repressed and executed during the Stalinist terror of the 1930s. The main accusations were their alleged connections with the US, refusal of military service and other civil duties, as well as religious fanaticism.
In 1945, all Pentecostal churches in the Soviet Union were forcefully merged into the All-USSR Council of Evangelical Christian Baptists. Later, Romania followed the same model, merging all known evangelical groups (Baptists, Pentecostals, and Adventists) into The Federation of Evangelical Denominations. Those Pentecostal communities that refused to join the Council or the Federation were severely persecuted by the states.
Throughout the communist era, Pentecostal communities were placed under the control of the state authorities (the Committee on Religious Affairs in the Soviet Union, the Ministry of Denominations in Romania, and the State Office of Church Affairs in Hungary). By implementing numerous restrictive measures they attempted to reduce the rapid growth of Pentecostalism among protestant denominations. The secret police also intruded into the internal affairs of groups that were denied official recognition, among which were numerous Pentecostal groups who had refused to join recognised religious unions.
In Eastern Europe, Pentecostalism arrived within few years of the Azusa Street revival. The first Pentecostal churches and unions in Romania, Hungary and the Soviet Union were established in the 1920s. Between 1924 and 1938, first Pentecostal communities in Romania sent numerous petitions to the Ministry of Denominations for the recognition of their church under the name of the Baptist-Pentecostal Denomination or the Apostolic Church of God (Biserica lui Dumnezeu Apostolică). The petitions, however, were rejected and in 1930 the state authorities ordered the closure of Pentecostal houses of prayer. In Hungary, the first Pentecostal organization, the Hungarian Churches of God (Magyarországi Istengyülekezetek) was founded in 1928. In Russia and Ukraine, the first Pentecostal association was established in 1924 under the name of the Union of Christians of Evangelical Faith, led by Ivan E. Voronaev.
Both before and during the communist period, Pentecostal communities were persecuted by the state authorities in Romania, Hungary, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine and across the region. The 1942 decree in Romania, signed by Ion Antonescu, banned the Pentecostal Church because of its American ties. There were even plans to deport Pentecostal groups (alongside Inochentists and others) to concentration camps in Transnistria. In the Soviet Union, hundreds of Pentecostal believers were repressed and executed during the Stalinist terror of the 1930s. The main accusations were their alleged connections with the US, refusal of military service and other civil duties, as well as religious fanaticism.
In 1945, all Pentecostal churches in the Soviet Union were forcefully merged into the All-USSR Council of Evangelical Christian Baptists. Later, Romania followed the same model, merging all known evangelical groups (Baptists, Pentecostals, and Adventists) into The Federation of Evangelical Denominations. Those Pentecostal communities that refused to join the Council or the Federation were severely persecuted by the states.
Throughout the communist era, Pentecostal communities were placed under the control of the state authorities (the Committee on Religious Affairs in the Soviet Union, the Ministry of Denominations in Romania, and the State Office of Church Affairs in Hungary). By implementing numerous restrictive measures they attempted to reduce the rapid growth of Pentecostalism among protestant denominations. The secret police also intruded into the internal affairs of groups that were denied official recognition, among which were numerous Pentecostal groups who had refused to join recognised religious unions.
Creator
Tatiana Vagramenko
Publisher
This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme No . 677355
Bibliographic Citation
Date Created
2018
Items
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'Short statement on the principles of the Churches of God (Pentecostals)' Booklet Romania 1925
This booklet, which was published in 1925, appears in a Ministry of Religions and Arts file dated the same year. This booklet was the second official declaration of Pentecostal faith submitted to the Romanian authorities as part of their requests for official recognition. The first appeal by a Pentecostal believer came in 1924 but this was rejected by the Ministry of Religions in Decision no. 5734 of the 29th January 1925. The Ministry declared that the ‘Declaration of True Foundation’ (Declararea [sic] fundamentului adevărat) did not offer sufficient guarantees to meet the conditions of artic -
Confiscated photographs from a clandestine religious community Budapest
These images were confiscated from an underground Pentecostal community in Budapest-Pesterzsébet in 1972. The first image depicts a baptism where pastor József Németh is baptising a young girl. The second image is a group-picture of pastor József Németh and another five congregants in white who had just been baptised. They are standing with presumably other congregants and family members. The third image depicts pastor József Németh preaching to his congregation in their hidden house church. Prior to confiscation, the photos belonged to pastor József Németh. The photos were taken by a mem -
Confiscated manuscript of Pentecostal prophecy Ukraine
This is a manuscript with a Pentecostal prophesy confiscated in 1953 from an arrested Ukrainian woman, who was known as a Pentecostal prophetess. The prophecy is handwritten in a notebook and is 15-page long. It narrates the coming death of Ashur, who will be overthrown from his throne by God and will be shot dead. After his death, all the prisoners will be released and people will live in freedom. The prophecy also stresses a special religious role of Ukraine and Kiev, its capital, that will become a place of great spiritual awakening. The item comes from the 1953 MGB penal case against f -
Truman press-cutting from a Pentecostal criminal case Ukraine
This press-cutting with an image of the American President Harry S. Truman was confiscated from an arrested Pentecostal woman in February 1953 in Ukraine. The first image shows Truman receiving an international delegation of journalists. The picture has a title in Russian, “In one of the halls of the White house, the president of the US receives American and international journalists almost every week”. The press-cutting was taken from an unknown, presumably Russian diaspora journal printed in the USA. The item comes from a 1953 MGB penal case against four Pentecostal believers, all Ukraini -
Crime scene photographs of a raid of a hidden house church Budapest
These pictures have been selected from the 27 crime scene photographs that were taken during a raid of pastor József Németh's community in a hidden house church created. The raid took place on September 26th, 1972 during a regular Tuesday gathering. The first photograph depicts the hidden house church in József Németh’s house in Pesterzsébet. On the picture we see nine congregants some of whom are facing the occasional table-alter, discussing the unfolding situation, others are turning towards the back of the room in order to follow events. Behind the alter, the double doors are covered with