Benny Hwata

Pentecostalism in Apostolic Faith Mission (A.f.m.): an Investigation of Different Phases of Pentecostal Experience in the Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe Benny Hwata

This work, designed for readers pursuing in-depth academic study of Pentecostal theology, traces the origins of the Apostolic Faith Mission (A. F. M.) in Zimbabwe from the Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles, and is based on a dissertation completed for the M. Th. in Systematic Theology degree at UNISA. Pentecostalism spread to South Africa with the founding of Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa, and in face of stiff resistance from government authorities and established mainline churches, it spontaneously filtered into Zimbabwe. A theological survey of the main tenets of Pentecostalism helps us to discover the Pentecostal tenets adopted in Apostolic Faith Mission, from inception through to Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe. An overview of the Pentecostal experiences in Apostolic Faith Mission reveals dynamism in Pentecostalism. Four phases of Pentecostal experiences are discerned, resulting in various congregations of the same Church behaving and believing differently. The work also seeks to contribute towards reconciling the diverging Pentecostal views in Apostolic Faith Mission.