The Pentecost and the Earliest Pentecostal Missionaries in the 1910s and 1920s
摘要
This chapter explores the origins and development of the Pentecostal movement in China, with a particular focus on Shandong province in the 1910s and 1920s. The commencement of Pentecostalism is traced back to key events in the United States, such as Charles Parham’s movement and the Azusa Street revival, which catalyzed global missionary efforts. Early Pentecostal missionaries, including Thomas J. McIntosh, Alfred G. Garr, and Bernt Berntsen, established footholds in various Chinese regions by 1907. The narrative centers on Leslie M. Anglin, who founded the Home of Onesiphorus in 1916 in Tai’an, Shandong—a pioneering institution that combined social relief, education, and Pentecostal experience. Anglin’s Pentecostal journey, marked by his baptism of the Holy Spirit and subsequent break from mainstream Protestant missions, reflects broader tensions within the missionary community. The Home of Onesiphorus not only addressed immediate physical needs but also cultivated indigenous Christian leaders capable of sustaining a self-supporting native church. This initiative embodied John Nevius’s ‘Three-Self Principles’ and significantly contributed to the Shandong Revival (1927–1937), converting thousands and transforming local religious practices. Miracles and divine provisions underscored the Home’s operations, reinforcing faith among its members. By integrating egalitarian principles and fostering self-sufficiency, the Home trained valuable workers for the mission, many of whom became pastors and evangelists. The chapter argues that the Home of Onesiphorus was instrumental for the Holy Spirit to reproduce Anglin’s Pentecostal experience into the Chinese youth, who materialized his vision by spreading Pentecostalism across China. Celebrated even today, the Home’s legacy continues to inspire contemporary Chinese Christians.