EPTA

We held our conference last week 6-9 July 2010 on this theme- Justice and pentecostals it was very successful with delegates from Latin America and India as well as Europe.

We realise that we have always dealt with social factors wherever we have been in the world, indigenously or from outside in traditional mission senses. We have not done so much in terms of prophetic advocacy. We have not often addressed institutions, even governments with our sense of injustice over various issues from poverty or war or persecution of the church. Sometimes we can think of issues where Pentecostals intervened for the sake of justice at government levels -the Siberian Seven for instance was a big one for Britain with seven held in safety in the American embassy in Moscow (1978-1983). Many of you reading this will think of other instances where we tried to intervene but how about doing it as a global pentecostal movement? IS that possible? The World Pentecostal Conference is coming up soon in Stockholm. If we as EPTA members, now of WAPTE which also meets in Stockholm, can make a motion concerning this at the conference, raising awareness, the possibility of advocacy to many governments from a united front may have stronger effect in righting wrongs. War, Migration, persecution... all add up to 10,000s of people suffering injustice.

We now have a series of papers we will publish in JEPTA by next Spring [2011.1]; These outline the theological  basis for justice out of a sense of compassion for the world, the heart of God. We also have a statement to which you can add your name by contacting the secretary.  Once that is finalised with conferees signatures it will be posted on the first page of the website.

Please write your ideas on how we can promote this globally! -The Secretary Anne Dyer

Would anyone like to give their opinion on how Pentecostals DO think about eschatology today?

What did they beleive about it that stimulated so much mission in the early 20thC that seems missing today? -the imminent arrival of Christ!  Therefore there would be a judgement day and if we care for the world's people as God did (Jn2:16) then we should be urgent in sharing HIS message of the gospel! Some do and a lot do not! OR am I wrong?

Then how do we view politics of the world in the light of Christian eschatology? Zionism? How do other nations fit? Why does one side always want to identify the antichrist with their present antagonist -seeing it in egotistical cultural senses?

What is the basic HOPE we should be offering people- avoiding these potentially schismatic concerns from interpreting apocalytic genre literature???

Please share your ideas! [webmaster]