World Pentecostal Fellowship

World Pentecostal Fellowship
Name	World Pentecostal Fellowship
Abbreviation	WPF
Formation	1991
Type	International religious organization
Headquarters	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Region served	Global
Leader title	President

World Pentecostal Fellowship is an international network linking Pentecostal denominations, ministries, seminaries, and leaders across multiple continents. It functions as a forum for doctrinal dialogue, mission coordination, educational exchange, and ecumenical engagement among Pentecostal and Charismatic bodies. The Fellowship interacts with historic Protestant, Evangelical, and Ecumenical institutions and participates in global religious conversations involving state actors and multilateral organizations.

History

The Fellowship emerged amid late 20th-century efforts to consolidate Pentecostal identity after influences from Azusa Street Revival, Assembly of God, Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee), and indigenous movements across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Early formation drew leaders shaped by events including the Welwyn Garden City Conference, contacts with World Council of Churches, and exchanges with figures associated with Charles Parham, William J. Seymour, and denominations such as International Church of the Foursquare Gospel and Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. Institutional antecedents included networks like the Pentecostal World Conference and educational collaborations involving Oral Roberts University, Fuller Theological Seminary, and Regent University. The Fellowship developed institutional relationships alongside global gatherings such as the Lausanne Movement meetings and dialogues with bodies like World Evangelical Alliance, Council on Foreign Relations (in broader civic-religious discourse), and national councils including the National Association of Evangelicals and British Evangelical Council.

Beliefs and Theology

The Fellowship articulates doctrinal emphases rooted in traditions linked to Holiness Movement antecedents and leaders such as John Wesley and revivalists like D.L. Moody and Aimee Semple McPherson. Core tenets align with beliefs upheld by Assemblies of God USA, Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee), New Testament Church of God, and Elim Pentecostal Church regarding baptism in the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts, and charismatic worship. The Fellowship engages theological scholarship from seminaries including Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Vineyard USA, Moody Bible Institute, and scholars associated with Graham Twelftree and Ralph D. Winter-era missiology. It participates in doctrinal dialogues that intersect with positions from Roman Catholic Church representatives at ecumenical events, pastors from Southern Baptist Convention, and theologians from Anglican Communion provinces.

Organization and Membership

Organizationally, the Fellowship models a federative network connecting denominational bodies such as Assemblies of God, Church of God, Foursquare Church, The Pentecostal Mission, Apostolic Church, and newer movements like Hillsong Church and Bethel Church. Member institutions include seminaries like Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and mission agencies such as International Mission Board and SIM. The Fellowship convenes leaders from national associations including United Pentecostal Church International and regional councils such as the Latin American Fellowship of Evangelical Theologians. It also intersects with nongovernmental organizations such as World Relief and faith-based initiatives linked to the United Nations through consultative status or partnership dialogues with agencies like UNICEF and UNESCO.

Global Activities and Programs

The Fellowship sponsors international conferences, theological consultations, and mission partnerships that involve institutions like Wycliffe Bible Translators, Youth With A Mission, Operation Mobilisation, and humanitarian NGOs including Samaritan's Purse. Programs emphasize evangelism, church planting, leadership development, and disaster response, coordinating with regional actors such as African Enterprise, Asia-Pacific Theological Seminary, and networks like Asia Pacific Theological Association. Educational initiatives collaborate with universities including University of Oxford faculties of theology, exchanges with Harvard Divinity School researchers, and training programs influenced by curriculum from Moody Bible Institute and Billy Graham Evangelistic Association resources. The Fellowship’s global work frequently interacts with interfaith and ecumenical summits attended by representatives from World Council of Churches, Council for World Mission, and national bodies such as the National Council of Churches.

Regional and National Affiliates

Regional affiliates span continents and include organizations such as Kenya Assemblies of God, Brazilian Assembleias de Deus, Indian Pentecostal Church of God, Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches, South African Council of Churches (in broader ecumenical engagement), and national networks like Evangelical Alliance (UK), Nigeria Fellowship of Evangelical Students, and Japan Evangelical Association. The Fellowship maintains ties with Caribbean bodies such as Jamaica Theological Seminary partners, Pacific island movements connected to Samoa Assemblies of God, European partners including Swedish Pentecostal Movement, and Latin American partners like Centro de Estudios Teológicos de Antioquia.

Notable Leaders and Conferences

Leaders associated with the Fellowship’s gatherings have included prominent Pentecostal and Evangelical figures who have shaped global Pentecostalism: influencers from the eras of William J. Seymour, Aimee Semple McPherson, Oral Roberts, and contemporary leaders connected to Benny Hinn, Jack Hayford, Samuel Chiara, and academics who have engaged in global Pentecostal studies such as Allen Anderson, Vincent W. Lloyd, and Estrelda Y. Alexander. Major conferences convene delegations that overlap with events like the Pentecostal World Conference, Lausanne Congress (1974), and regional convocations modeled on gatherings such as the World Missionary Conference (1910), attracting participation from denominations including Assemblies of God USA, Hillsong Church, International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, and academic delegates from institutions like Princeton Theological Seminary and Yale Divinity School.

Category:Pentecostalism