International Pentecostal Holiness Church

   The International Pentecostal Holiness Church emerged when followers of the Holiness movement were exposed to Pentecostalism in the early 20th century. The church views the Christian life as punctuated by three important moments - justification by faith, sanctification, in which the believer is made perfect in love (a Holiness belief), and the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which is confirmed by speaking in tongues (a Pentecostal belief).

   The original followers of the Holiness movement tended to follow a legalistic life based on a lengthy set of rules. In reaction, the Fire-Baptized movement postulated a baptism with fire (power) that energized one for service and brought joy to life. The Fire-Baptized Holiness Association was founded in 1898. Two years later, J. H. King (1869-1946) became its general overseer and the editor of its periodical.

   In 1906-07, A. B. Crumbler and G. B. Cashwell (d. 1916), Holiness preachers in the Carolinas, received the Pentecostal experience of speaking in tongues and led their church into the Pentecostal camp. In 1911, the Pentecostal Holiness Church, in which Crumbler and Cashwell were leading ministers, absorbed the Fire-Baptized Holiness Association. The word International was added in 1975.

   Even before the 1911 merger, the two churches had begun foreign missionary work, with women taking a leading role. Early missions were opened in Hong Kong by Anna Dean in 1909 and in India by Della Gaines in 1910. In 1913, J. O. Lehman went to South Africa and Amos Bradley to Central America. In the 1960s, close working relationships were forged with sister Pentecostal bodies including the Pentecostal Methodist Church of Chile (1967) and the Wes-leyan Methodist Church of Brazil (1983). Today, the church has a presence in more than 90 countries with a global membership of slightly more than 1 million. There are 184,000 members in the United States. An initial World Conference of Pentecostal Holiness churches met in 1990 in Jerusalem, Israel.

   The church is a member of the National Association of Evangelicals, associated with the World Evangelical Alliance. It is also active in the World Pentecostal Fellowship. World headquarters are located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

   Further reading:

   ■ Joseph E. Campbell, The Pentecostal Holiness Church, 1898-1968 (Franklin Springs, Ga.: Publishing House of the Pentecostal Holiness Church, 1951)

   ■ Vinson Synan, Old Time Power: A Centennial History of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church (Franklin Springs, Ga.: LifeSprings Resources, 1998).