Holiness Manifesto 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY Wesleyan Holiness Study Project

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Holiness Manifesto 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Wesleyan Holiness Study Project, Azusa, California, February 2006. In February, the top leaders of ten historic Holiness denominations released a theological manifesto to rearticulate their key doctrines for today. The document is the product of the Wesleyan Holiness Study Project, which has been meeting for 3 years.

There has never been a time in greater need of a compelling articulation of the message of holiness. Pastors and church leaders at every level of the church have come to a dead end in seeking ways to revitalize their congregations and denominations. What we are doing is not working. Membership in churches of all traditions has flat-lined. In many cases, churches are declining. We are not even keeping pace with the biological growth rate in North America. The power and zeal of churches has been drained by the incessant search for a better method, a more effective fad, a newer and bigger program to yield growth. In the process of trying to find the magic method for growing healthy vibrant churches, our people have become largely ineffective and fallen prey to a generic Christianity that results in congregations that are indistinguishable from the culture around them. Churches need a clear, compelling message that will replace the ‘holy grail’ of methods as the focus of our mission. Our message is our mission!

John Kissinger [01/17/2016 1:04 PM]
David Lewayne Porter may a good holiness topic with your msg today

Charles Page [01/17/2016 5:12 PM]
are there any churches that still believe in external holiness or is it all secretly and internal?

David Lewayne Porter [01/17/2016 6:01 PM]
Both, but I believe the previous generations were a little over-board.

10 Comments

  • Jon Ray
    Reply June 6, 2016

    Jon Ray

    I take this topic very very dearly. Thank you for sharing it!

  • Grover Katzmarek Sr
    Reply June 6, 2016

    Grover Katzmarek Sr

    They need to get back to the beliefs and ideas and ideals that made this such a great move of God.

    First thing is to get dispensationalism cast out of the church.

    I was looking for a book LOVE ENTHRONED by Daniel Steele online last week and came across some old Herald of Holiness from 1912 these men thought a whole lot different than we do today.

    Then Saturday I got a book out A PRINCE IN ISRAEL, an autobiography of Phineas Bresee the founder of the Church of the Nazarene what powerful meetings they had in the first 4 decades of existence.

    Those are just some thoughts and this last one.

    Daniel Steele wrote a book ANTINOMIANISM REVIVED A SUBSTITUTE FOR HOLINESS how that this leads to a liberal theology and we see the fruits of it today

  • Varnel Watson
    Reply June 6, 2016

    Varnel Watson

    Classic Pentecostal Theology is rooted in Wesleyan holiness. I strongly doubt that the Calvinist baptist dispensationalism theory was ever fit in renewal theology. How can any Pentecostal claim that the Holy Spirit was present and active in all ages and then at the same time restrict the Holy Spirit to one dispensation alone? http://www.pentecostaltheology.com/a-very-interesting-theological-read-with-references-to-pentecostalism-by-well-known-a-post-millennial-gary-north/

  • Grover Katzmarek Sr
    Reply June 6, 2016

    Grover Katzmarek Sr

    Agreed. Both today in most holiness c churches conservative and liberal follow that teaching.

    Until this group came along most Pentecostal I’ve known followed this teaching.

  • Varnel Watson
    Reply June 6, 2016

    Varnel Watson

    Any well informed MDiv seminar within the Pentecostal tradition today identifies disepnsationalism as baptist i.e. originating not purely from Darby but with the scholastic establishment of Dallas Theological Seminary. With this in mind any thinking Pentecostal theologian must rethink identifying with any alignment between dispensation theology and cessationism of the gifts of the Spirit. You just cant have spirit filled theology without gifts and the Holy Spirit. It’s only logical

  • Grover Katzmarek Sr
    Reply June 6, 2016

    Grover Katzmarek Sr

    Who are some good Pentecostal theologians

  • Varnel Watson
    Reply June 6, 2016

    Varnel Watson

    Question has been asked and answered before. Pls search the website for archived discussions. I’d like to make one last point borrowing some thoughts from the talk between Jim Price and John B. Gaither below. While it is true that our theological tradition always grows of the movement’s early beginnings, the question is how much can we grow without out growing our own roots? Sure we can rethink snake handling, dispensations, women in ministry and so on, but when rethinking our theology becomes an open denial to our Pentecostal roots? I am all for change as much as one can really be all for change, but if you put me a tall coffee table and a stool on the stage, clothe me in skinny jeans and a pink girly shirt, and ask me to deliver in a monotonic thone a series of psychological theorems about life and humanistic principles – I dont know about ya’ll just cant call this Pentecostal no more Jimmy Humphrey Steve Wright Steve Webb Brody Pope http://www.pentecostaltheology.com/abandoning-your-roots-vs-rethinking-your-theology/

  • John B. Gaither
    Reply June 6, 2016

    John B. Gaither

    I have to go back to our roots and remind myself that Jesus is looking for His True Bride. A person will find what their ears want. Wether its from Broken Arrow, or them skinny jeans dudes, or maybe from a big basketball court in Houston. I know I have been in God’s presence. I yearn for that. The more I read the modern church growth stuff, the more I know that the Classical Pentecostal way seems better. I don’t worry about pleasing Gen-Xers. I am not complacent, just following God. I dont fit in the modern Charismatic Church. But I am not Old School Pentecostal. I came in during the Charismatic renewal. God shows me ministry every day.

  • Grover Katzmarek Sr
    Reply June 6, 2016

    Grover Katzmarek Sr

    The problem for knowing that He is the same yesterday today and tomorrow is that what took true believers Make it through to glory 35, 50, 75 years doesn’t take the same today.

    God help us to be the men and women He wants us to be

  • Jon Ray
    Reply June 6, 2016

    Jon Ray

    If you need to wear skinny jeans to enter the glory many of us are doomed Jimmy Humphrey

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