Proud to have been a "Holy Roller"!

The other day as I was watching Fox news and flipping channels, I noticed that the hot topic for the day was that Sarah Palin, until 2002, was a Pentecostal Christian, and attended an Assemblies of God church. Some were attempting to actually compare this background to Jeremiah Wright's church! I heard SO many things wrong in the commentaries on Palin's faith (and former Denomination) that my emotions were out of whack.
I was at times excited, then I was angry about the false statements made about a faith and denomination I know quite a bit about. I was disgusted, and then there came a pain and hurt for a woman being attacked on a faith and background we both share similarly. The images of all the great Faithful and loving Pentecostal believers, HUNDREDS I have known over my life rushed through my head and my throat suddenly clinched back tears. It wasn't just Palin's faith being attacked. It was my personal upbringing and beliefs.

Before I get started I think you should know that it is likely that on this topic today you will not find someone who knows as much on Pentecostal denominations as I do however there are MANY who know MUCH MUCH more than I could know as a kid growing up around the church. I am obviously not an expert on the tenants of my birth denomination, but I do know quite bit more than what you have likely been told.


You see, I too grew up as a Pentecostal attending the International Pentecostal Church of Christ all 18 years of my youth, attending church EVERY Sunday twice, every Wednesday night. My father has worked and been a part of this denomination my entire life and longer, and has been the General Overseer of the IPCC for decades now.
My Grandfather who I loved dearly was a Pentecostal Holiness Pastor. I personally saw big differences in the two denominations of Pentecostalism and can tell you that though there are MANY denominations of Pentecostalism in the world, they can vary and be very much unrelated in their beliefs!

Like Palin I am now attending a different church with similar beliefs. There have been comments made out there that are blanket statements and truly false on Pentecostalism. There is little about Pentecostalism that was not a regular part of Methodism, the Nazarene Church, and Baptist churches, just a few decades ago. Pentecostalism has not moved to the left as quickly, in my opnion as the previously named denominations. Also, there is nothing different about how a person becomes a Christian in the Pentecostal church compared to other Evangelical churches.I remember speaking to a Pastor at our church once and was surprised how blanketed his statements on the Pentecostal faith of my youth were.

First off, what is Pentecostalism?- As Wiki states, It is very important to understand that Pentecostalism is "an umbrella term including a wide range of different theological and organizational perspectives". Therefore, there is no doubt that MUCH of what you have probably heard or thought about the church I specifically attended or that of Sarah Palin's church are NOT true, yet we were Pentecostals!

Let's make a list. Here is what IS true about the Pentecostal church I attended for Palin's church sounds inherently similar:
It is TRUE that Pentecostalism as I know it has several accompanying titles they hold- We are Evangelicals, believing that we are to minister and witness to the world of His great love and salvation. We believe in the Great Commission as commanded by Jesus Christ.
We are considered and consider ourselves Protestant in faith.
We are fundamentalists, believing that The Bible, is God's Holy word inspired and that ALL portions of the Bible are truth.
We are charismatic believing in fundamental Biblical tenants of our faith.
You will see we are not much different than other Bible Believing churches in those points.

What we believe:
The Pentecostalism I grew up in, believed in the Holy Trinity- God, Jesus and The Holy Spirit. There is another type of Pentecostalism of the Oneness theology that we did NOT adhere to. I believe that Apostolics would fall in that category. That is not us.
-We believe in water baptism. Not as a way to be saved from one's sins, only forgiveness of one' sins by the Lord can do that, but rather it is an outward sign and blessing of one's faith.
- WE believe in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit as a valid gift as seen in the Second Chapter of the Book of Acts in the New Testament. We see this as a gift to help further equip for further ministry for the Lord. We do believe that often the Baptism of the Holy Spirit presents itself as "speaking in tongues".
Yes, I have seen this blessing. I have not experienced it myself. I have witnessed speaking in tongues where it was interpreted as well.
Unlike my own church,
I believe very adamantly that a blessing from the Bible times as seen in Acts Chapter 2 as seen in the upper room is as valid today as it was yesterday, when the Holy Spirit is welcomed in this manner. I personally believe it is a failure to say a Church believes in the Bible but dismisses one part simply because THEY can't explain it and THEY don't see a purpose in it, or that it is Strange.

That's all I will say about that.

-We believe in the washing of feet as Christ did for His disciples to teach them the heart of a servant.

- Dealing with social aspect, or outward appearances last, since they matter least to God, We believe in living a life to honor God in our dress, in our actions and words...clean living. We did not believe in consumption of alcohol since drunkenness is a sin in the Bible. People in my church were Godly people where an upstanding Christian would be known to dress modestly, read and study their Bible regularly, praise Jesus and attend services. The older women did indeed often wear their hair in a bun on their head and have long hair, as well as wear modest dresses and very little makeup. The hair style is long gone in the contemporary Pentecostal churches. In our own, gone are many of the organs in exchange for a blended music worship service combining the old with the new.
At my church the women sometimes wear jeans in the church and I wouldn't say that Nazarene women characteristically wear jeans "as indicated by the church" anymore than it would be fair or correct to state that Pentecostal women wore their hair at one time in a bun because it was indicated by the church. The current generation of Pentecostals would look "normal" to you, like Sarah Palin. I have grown to respect that modesty I grew up with intensely. My mother and Grandparents are Pentecostal women. I am more of a Sarah Palin looking Pentecostal I suppose who yearns to be more like my mom and Grandmothers in my heart. That is a goal of mine.

What I did NOT see as a Pentecostal:
- the handling of snakes in services! That is NUTS to even have to say! Look, the world is full of strange things. I don't doubt that there are Pentecostal and crazy churches out there doing this, but it is FARRRRR from normal and would not have ever been considered in Palin's church, or my own growing up! I cannot emphasize how strange that is to even have to say!

- I didn't experience services where the entire congregation was rolling on the floor! I doubt Palin did either.

I will tell you that the people of my church growing up will live in my heart forever as the kindest most gentle and hardest working people I will ever know.

I have missed them on some Sundays while attending my own church where people pass you many times without saying hello or giving you a second glance. The people I knew in my small church growing up volunteered readily in the church, praised the Lord sincerely, PUT CHRIST before all else! and didn't have enough money to their name for the most part to flaunt it. The longer I attend this church, the more I realize how much of being Pentecostal I hold dear to and the more I realize that I am farther to the right of most of the members in my church.

No church is perfect so if you are looking for a perfect church, you'll never find it. Even Godly people, are still human and therefore flawed. This is VITAL to remember, yet easy to forget.

However the attacks on Palin's faith as of late are just another sign of the end times to me that at one point I feared and hoped would hold off somehow. No more.

Today, I am a different person, a different believer resembling more of my upbringing than that of my membership to the Nazarene church that I attend. I cannot wait until my Lord and Savior comes back to take us away as the book of Revelation promises! I dream about going home, only home is not here, but in heaven. My faith knows for a fact that Jesus is my Savior and the more that is fact the less I care about worrying about offending non Christians or my Government by speaking His name and promoting His principles whether it be behind closed doors, or outwardly.

If Christ is TRULY real, then why would we NOT speak of Him boldly? I don't hide the fact that my husband or children exist and live with me, so when it is so much more important to live with Christ, WHY would we be embarrassed of hiding Him? If you REALLY believe He is real, How do you think He feels about people being that way and not speaking boldly on behalf of Him. I KNOW that He is more real than anything we know and can see with our eyes However, I DO see Him with my eyes in the work of others, my family, the blessings of our Nation, in Nature...in my own heart.

I am glad Pentecostalism and churches like the Wasilla Assemblies of God are getting attention. I truly think and believe it is part of God's will and plan. Let people attack me for saying that like they have attacked Palin. They have before, and frankly, I welcome it!