Progressive Pentecostalism, Development, and Christian Development NGOs: A Challenge and an Opportunity

July 2015 Bryant L. Myers is professor of international development in the School of Intercultural Studies, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California. —myers@fuller.edu S unusual happened in the Global South in the late 1980s and 1990s. A new expression of Pentecostalism arose that was distinguished by a combination of Pentecostal worship, aggressive evangelism, and grassroots efforts to provide education, health services and other relief, and development ministries. The phenomenon has attracted the attention of secular scholars. Their research makes the claim that, in five instances, these churches were better positioned and more effective in development work than international NGOs at work in the same city. This article will describe and assess these findings and then apply them to Christian development NGOs.