Church History · 1960

The Charismatic Movement Begins

On April 3, 1960, Episcopal priest Dennis Bennett told his Van Nuys, California, church that he had been baptized in the Holy Spirit and spoken in tongues. The uproar made the news, and soon Lutherans, Presbyterians and Catholics were having the same experience.

Read it in the Bible: Acts 2:1 to 18 1 Corinthians 12:4 to 11 1 Corinthians 14:39 to 40 Joel 2:28 to 29

The charismatic movement is the spread of Pentecostal style worship and spiritual gifts, like speaking in tongues, healing and prophecy, into older churches that were not Pentecostal. Most historians date its public start to April 3, 1960. That Sunday, Father Dennis Bennett, the rector of Saint Mark's Episcopal Church in Van Nuys, California, told his congregation that he had been filled with the Holy Spirit and had spoken in tongues. Within a few years the same experience showed up among Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists and Roman Catholics.

What Happened at Saint Mark's in Van Nuys?

Dennis Bennett was born in London in 1917 and grew up in the United States. Saint Mark's was a large and respected parish. Under Bennett it had grown from about 500 members to around 2,500.

In 1959 a couple from a nearby Episcopal church told Bennett about an experience they called the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Bennett was curious. He prayed with them and found himself speaking in a language he had never learned. Some of his members had the same thing happen.

On April 3, 1960, Bennett told the whole church. Some people were thrilled. Others were upset. One assistant pastor reportedly took off his vestments right there in protest. Bennett resigned soon after, to keep the parish from splitting. The story hit the national press, and suddenly a lot of people wanted to know what speaking in tongues was all about.

Where Did Dennis Bennett Go Next?

The Episcopal bishop of Olympia, in Washington State, invited Bennett to take over Saint Luke's, a tiny Episcopal mission in Seattle that was about to close. Instead of closing, it grew to over 2,000 people and became a center of charismatic renewal. Bennett later wrote a popular book called Nine O'Clock in the Morning, published in 1970. The title comes from Pentecost, when Peter said the disciples were not drunk, since it was only nine in the morning. Bennett died in 1991.

How Did the Charismatic Movement Spread?

The movement spread fast and crossed almost every church line.

1962: It reached Lutheran and Presbyterian churches.
1967: A group of students and teachers at Duquesne University, a Catholic school in Pittsburgh, prayed for the Holy Spirit on a weekend retreat. The Catholic Charismatic Renewal grew from there, with an early center at the University of Notre Dame.
Late 1960s and 1970s: It poured into the Jesus Movement, Methodist churches and new independent churches.
1980s: A further wave, sometimes called the Third Wave, touched evangelical churches like the Vineyard.

Today the Catholic charismatic movement alone is estimated at around 120 million people. Counting Pentecostals and charismatics together, the number is in the hundreds of millions worldwide.

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:4

What Is the Difference Between Pentecostal and Charismatic?

This is one of the most common questions, and it is a good one. Pentecostal churches, like the Assemblies of God, began around 1901 to 1906, with the Azusa Street Revival as their famous starting point. Many classic Pentecostals teach that speaking in tongues is the first outward sign that someone has been baptized in the Holy Spirit.

Charismatics usually stay in their own churches, whether Episcopal, Lutheran, Catholic or something else. Many charismatics welcome tongues but do not require it as proof. They often talk about being filled with the Spirit and accept a wider range of gifts as signs. In short, Pentecostals built new denominations, and charismatics brought the gifts back home to the old ones.

The word charismatic comes from the Greek word charisma, which means a gift of grace. Paul uses it for spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 1 Corinthians 12:7

Why Do Some Christians Disagree About Spiritual Gifts?

Christians who love Jesus see this differently, and it helps to know each side's best case.

Continuationists believe all the gifts in the New Testament continue today. They point to Acts 2:17, where Peter says God will pour out His Spirit in the last days, and to Paul's command not to forbid speaking in tongues in 1 Corinthians 14:39.

Cessationists believe the sign gifts, like tongues and healing, were mainly for the apostles' time, to confirm the gospel while the New Testament was being written. They point to 1 Corinthians 13:8 to 10 and Hebrews 2:3 to 4. Many Reformed and Baptist churches hold this view.

Many believers sit somewhere in the middle. They are open to the gifts but cautious about hype. Paul's rule fits everyone.

But everything must be done in a proper and orderly manner. 1 Corinthians 14:40

The Big Question pages in The Owner's Manual lay out every major view on spiritual gifts, with key verses, so you can weigh them yourself.

Why Does the Charismatic Movement Matter Today?

The charismatic movement changed how millions of Christians worship. Raised hands, praise bands, prayer for healing and worship songs that repeat a chorus all spread widely through it. Many churches that would never call themselves charismatic now sing songs that came out of it.

It also brought Christians from very different churches together. A Catholic, a Lutheran and a Pentecostal could pray side by side and recognize the same Spirit. Whatever you believe about tongues, Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to every believer, and He is still the one who points us to Jesus.

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Questions People Ask

When did the charismatic movement start?

Most historians date it to April 3, 1960, when Episcopal priest Dennis Bennett told his church in Van Nuys, California, that he had spoken in tongues. It spread to Lutherans and Presbyterians by 1962 and to Catholics by 1967.

Who was Dennis Bennett?

Dennis Bennett was an Episcopal priest at Saint Mark's in Van Nuys, California. After he shared his experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, he resigned and moved to Saint Luke's in Seattle, which grew into a major charismatic church. He wrote Nine O'Clock in the Morning.

What is the difference between Pentecostal and charismatic?

Pentecostals formed their own denominations in the early 1900s and often teach that tongues is the first sign of Spirit baptism. Charismatics usually stay in older churches and accept a wider range of gifts as evidence of being filled with the Spirit.

Is the Catholic Church charismatic?

The Catholic Church is not charismatic as a whole, but it has a large, approved Catholic Charismatic Renewal that began in 1967 at Duquesne University. It is estimated to include around 120 million people worldwide.

Sources

← The Revised Standard Version The Second Vatican Council →

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