Contact: Jeremy Burton, 918-495-6649

 

LOS ANGELES, March 30 /Christian Newswire/ -- Emerging ministry leaders and students got a glimpse of the past and the future of Spirit Empowerment at the first meeting of the Next Generation Track for the Commission on Holy Spirit Empowerment in the 21st Century held on Azusa Street in Los Angeles, Calif. on March 20. This group spent time looking into the future of the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement and identifying the questions that need to be addressed in order to more fully engage new generations of believers in Spirit-empowered living.

 

The Azusa Street Revival has been noted as the catalyst for the spread of the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement throughout the world. In 2006, this area was the site of centennial celebration of the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement that now has a reported 640 million people. The participants were inspired by the spiritual significance of the location of this initial meeting.

 

"Perhaps the greatest testimony of the transcendent power of Azusa Street was to return over a hundred years later and meet with next generation leaders and students who are hungrier than ever for a fresh, new move of the Holy Spirit. The miracle of the meeting was to see African-American, Latino, Asian and White representatives, from just about every faction of the Spirit-Empowered Movement, lay aside every difference and corporately declare that this next generation is desperate for a reformation that would attract and bring healing to a broken, Fatherless culture. The unanimity of those participating in the conversation sent a clear signal that traditional walls of gender, race, politics and denominationalism are coming down," said Rob Hoskins, chair of the Next Generation Track, president of OneHope, Inc., and member of the ORU Board of Trustees. "It appears that the Holy Spirit's foundational work through the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements of the 20th century is poised to find a new voice, with new language relevant to the desperate needs of the 21st century."

 

"As the disciples went to the upper-room, if we are going to be effective today, we are going to have to go underground. We are going to have to meet people with tattoos, and piercings and Mohawks, hair of bleached and colored, we are going to be in a position to articulate in a way that the Holy Spirit will be palatable and that they can receive it and express it in their own way," said Benjamin Stephens III, pastor to collegiate and young adults at the West Angeles Church of God in Christ

 

"Having these young leaders and voices gathered at the site of the Azusa Street revival was exciting and spiritually significant. We ended the Azusa Street Centennial three years ago with a Youth Convocation to anoint the next generation. We are now in a Kingdom process of focusing even more of the movement's energy toward our future," said Reverend Billy Wilson, who chairs the Commission on Empowerment. Wilson is also the executive director of the International Center for Spiritual Renewal and vice chair of the ORU Board of Trustees. "The exciting input we received during these two days will be an invaluable addition to the Commission process and in preparation for the Global Congress next April. My heart was warmed to hear from those who will carry the torch of the Spirit forward."

 

The Commission on Holy Spirit Empowerment in the 21st Century is an ORU Board sponsored initiative in partnership with the International Center for Spiritual Renewal. The Commission process also includes a leadership conversation and a scholars conversation. Each of these conversations will meet two more times during the next year in preparation for Empowered 21: Global Congress on Holy Spirit Empowerment in the 21st Century, which will be held in Tulsa, Okla. at ORU on April 8-10, 2010. At Empowered 21 leaders, scholars, believers and youth from around the world will converge to share insights and inspiration for the future of the Spirit-empowered movement.

 

The Next Generation group has upcoming meetings in April in Dallas, Texas and May in Washington D.C.

 

The participants in this Next Generation meeting included Hoskins, Wilson and Stephens; Shonneia Adams, Minister of Training at Al & Hattie Hollingsworth's BOSS The Movement; Vince Beresford, Campus Pastor at Vanguard University; Tommy Casarez, Executive Director of Jesse Miranda Center for Hispanic Leadership; Justice Coleman, Youth Pastor of the Lighthouse Church; Daniel Abe, District Youth Director of Northern California/Nevada Assemblies of God; Daniel De Leon, Jr, Pastor of Templo Calvario.

 

Also taking part were Nick Garza, COO of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference; Mart Green, president of Mardel, Inc., EthnoGraphic Media and Board Chair for the ORU Board of Trustees; Doug Green, Senior Pastor of North Hills Church; Allen Griffin, Evangelist with Allen Griffin Ministries; Diandra Hoskins, a student at Azusa Pacific University; Beth Lorance, Coordinator of Emotional Wellness Programs at Vanguard University; Duana Malone, Founder of Churches in Las Vegas; Ohki Takahiro, a student with United Ministries;

 

Other participants included Harges Pittman, President and CEO of Ever Increasing Faith Ministries/Crenshaw Christian Center; Lewis Shelton, President of Bethany University; Drew Smithson, District Youth Director for Southern California Assemblies of God District;; and Devin Webb, Director of Strategic Partnerships for OneHope.

 

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