Jack Hayford on Pentecostalism, Women and Culture

c. 2006 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel (May 29-June 1) held its annual convention in the nation’s capital. The Pentecostal denomination has about 300,000 members in the United States and 5 million worldwide. The Rev. Jack Hayford, 71, president of the Los Angeles-based church body, recently sat down […]

c. 2006 Religion News Service

WASHINGTON _ The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel (May 29-June 1) held its annual convention in the nation’s capital. The Pentecostal denomination has about 300,000 members in the United States and 5 million worldwide.

The Rev. Jack Hayford, 71, president of the Los Angeles-based church body, recently sat down to talk about the state of Pentecostalism, his denomination’s stand on women in leadership and the church’s intersection with culture.


A portion of the interview follows. It has been edited for grammar and length.

X X X

Q: Your convention, like most religious meetings, deals with religious issues and business issues. I understand that you were going to be considering the role of women and policies about child abuse prevention. What was decided about those issues?

A: The child abuse issue has to do with the governance within our movement of how we assure not only the protection of children in all of church life, and the procedures that have been established … to secure those practices in our churches because that obviously is an absolute value with us.

(Concerning) the matter of … the role of women in ministry, we have historically, always, from our inception placed priority on the role of women … because we believe it’s biblical.

Perhaps my foremost concern is that nobody see this as something born of political correctness. … For us it’s a kingdom value, not a cultural value. … We just found that there was a need to restate that.

As years go by there are people who fall prey to those … sectors of the church that do not give full liberty to a woman’s potential for leadership in ministry. … A woman, for example, in many environments could not be a senior pastor of a church and we have always acknowledged that right. We link it to the second chapter of the Book of Acts where the birth of the church was (discussed and it was) said, “I’ll pour my spirit on your sons and your daughters.”

Q: You just celebrated the 100th anniversary of Pentecostalism’s Azusa Street Revival. Can you tell me, given that your denomination is Pentecostal, what struck you most about those days of celebration in late April?

A: I think all of us on the centennial ministry team were impressed with … two things. First the success of the event in terms of people. … There were probably 45,000 participants minimum.


And it was spiritually successful. It wasn’t just numerically successful. There was a sense of passion, exuberance, joy.

A second thing was the participation of young people. … This is not an old people’s event. There were 10,000 there the last night who were just teenagers _ teenagers and early 20s _ who were there for a special commissioning service to the new generation _ very, very inspiring.

Q: In recent years some experts have said that some of the distinguishing characteristics of Pentecostalism _ specifically, speaking in tongues _ have diminished to some extent. I’m wondering if you’ve found that to be true and, if so, if it concerns you?

A: I think the diminishing is a factor among some Pentecostals. I think it’s for a lack of people having models … of our leaders to lead congregations where there can be the openness to those manifestations of the Spirit without surrendering to fanaticism. … Some pastors are afraid that if they open the door _ it’s not even that they disbelieve, they’re just afraid. And there’s a need for more mentoring by older leaders of how that can be done.

So is that a concern? Yes. But it’s not a concern for reasons of the maintenance of some nuance or some clever shtick that’s Pentecostal because the issue isn’t the tongues. The issue is the capacity of that supernatural ability in your prayer and worship.

Actually, I think there’s a turning beginning in the Pentecostal (movement), recognizing we have not nurtured our younger leaders in how to lead in that particular part of leadership, which is just a small part, but it’s a significant part.


Q: What do you see as the influences that Pentecostalism is having on the overall Christian church?

A: Well, statistically it’s verified … the most rapidly growing part of Christianity globally is the Pentecostal and charismatic community and we don’t see that as a tribute to us. It’s a tribute to giving place to the Holy Spirit who is the one who advances the gospel and glorifies Christ.

Q: What about challenges that lie ahead, even as the growth is reported for Pentecostalism?

A: I think that Pentecostalism is no different than the whole church right now in facing challenges. I think there’s two dynamic challenges in this what is traditionally called post-Christian era: interpreting “Christian” as something else than institutional, and interpreting it through … the vital, human reality of Jesus in people because Jesus is always a desirable commodity; institutions aren’t.

So I think the challenge of not depending on our institutions …

would include not facing the culture with hostility.

I don’t think the church gains anything by making an enemy of culture. That doesn’t mean that you have to become a friend of evil. It means that you recognize that people are broken and they need the love of God. They don’t need your condemnation.

Q: Those are big challenges. Are there others?

A: I think we also face the challenge presently of how the church will relate to Israel. I think it was unfortunate that … a couple of denominational sectors of the church a couple of years ago divested … from Israel as if that was some politically correct thing to do.


Q: I want to go back to the women’s role one more time. Given that your denomination was founded by Aimee Semple McPherson, do you see women taking an increasing role in your denomination or do you think their leadership has subsided?

A: From our earlier history, there’s been a reduction, but there is presently a turnaround, a resurgence because … over the last at least four or five years … we’ve challenged ourselves with the recognition that we were drifting. And so there is a resurgence and, notably, the intentionality of which women are being put in appointed positions of authority beyond pastorates.

Q: I’ve got to ask you a simple question. Can you explain the meaning of the name of your denomination _ with “Foursquare Gospel” in the name?

A: Foursquare focuses the prioritizing of four things about the ministry of Jesus: That he’s a savior, a baptizer with the Holy Spirit, the healer … and the returning king _ that he will come again. And that focus utilizes the term foursquare because of its dictionary definition, which means to stand firm and constant and forthright and bold and to stand on the word of God with a testimony of Christ.

Q: You’ve been a former pastor of a prominent church in your denomination, you started a college and now you’re president. What key paths do you see still ahead for you and the denomination?

A: Right now my main concern is to serve the balance _ three years _ of my term as president. And while I will be technically viable for a second five-year term in our structure … I don’t have any particular conviction as to whether that is to take place.


What I do feel is that there’s an unusual grace of God on my ministry and things have never seemed to subside so I don’t know what is out ahead. I’ve just published my 54th book and I will keep writing. We are still adequately supported by our viewership on television, which amazes me.

It would take four of me to fill my speaking engagement invitations, so I suppose I’ll still have speaking to do, and I am a grandpa and becoming right now a great-grandpa.

KRE/JL END BANKS

Editors: To obtain a photo of Jack Hayford, go to the RNS Web site at https://religionnews.com. On the lower right, click on “photos,” then search by subject or slug.

Note: In second graf, Hayford’s age is given as 71. He turns 72 on June 25.

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