The Pentecostal Church of Poland

Wojciech Kowalewski

The first half of this article was published in the East-West Church and Ministry Report 24 (Summer 2016): 14-15.

Pentecostal Doctrines 

Polish Pentecostals, like other Evangelicals, affirm the importance of the Word of God, the need for personal justification, regeneration, and new birth on the basis of faith in the power of Jesus’ sacrifice, which is to be followed by the process of sanctification in a believer’s life. What distinguishes Pentecostals from other denominations is their emphasis upon the experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the practice of spiritual gifts. Polish Pentecostals make a clear distinction between conversion and the baptism in the Holy Spirit leading to the experience of spiritual gifts. The gift of speaking in tongues is often perceived as a sign of baptism in the Holy Spirit.1 

The Charismatic Wave 

From a theological perspective, one of the challenges facing Polish Pentecostalism is its uncritical reception of Charismatic waves coming from different parts of the world. For example, in the 1990s some Pentecostals and Charismatics became involved with the spiritual warfare movement. Great emphasis was placed upon intercessory prayer, spiritual mapping (the identification of and combat against demonic forces), and the development of a particular strategy for spiritual warfare which resulted in 1999 in the formation of the “Movement of Intercessors for Poland.”2 The methodology and approach of this Movement led to controversies within the Pentecostal Church of Poland and eventually resulted in sympathizers forming a new organization, now known as “Poland for Jesus.”3 

Theological Education 

One of the problems facing Pentecostals in Poland is the lack of a theological approach to Charismatic phenomena, which often results in an uncritical acceptance of experience above rational thinking and biblical reflection. Historically, Polish Pentecostals have been suspicious of academia and theological discourse in general, sometimes interpreting these as “human wisdom” as opposed to “God’s wisdom.”4 On the other hand, the past decade has witnessed a growing interest in the study of Pentecostalism, and as a result, the appearance of a growing number of academic studies and publications. One example is Andrzej Migda’s Mistycyzm pentekostalny w Polsce [Pentecostal Mysticism in Poland], which defines Charismatic experience in the context of the phenomenology of religion, the psychology of religion, and biblical theology.5 

With ongoing waves of neo-apostolic networks and prophetic movements it becomes important to refine the biblical and theological basis for spiritual leadership in the church.6 In this regard, the Pentecostal Warsaw Theological School (WTS) plays a significant role in shaping the future leadership of the Pentecostal movement in the region. Its program includes a B.A. in theology as well as instruction in missions, leadership, political and social studies, counseling, coaching, mentoring, and communication.7 The Warsaw Theological School also organizes academic conferences, with scholars representing various fields and church traditions engaging in theological discourse from Evangelical and Pentecostal perspectives. As an example, in April 2014 WTS co-sponsored a conference in partnership with Poland’s Baptist Theological Seminary addressing “Difficult Issues in Polish Evangelicalism” including marriage and divorce, in vitro fertilization, psycho-manipulation, gender issues, homosexuality, church unity, and evangelical perspectives on Roman Catholicism.8 

Missional Engagement with Contemporary Society 

The critical issue facing the church in the postCommunist era is its response to the manifold social and economic challenges in post-Communist society. The church needs to resist the temptation of a withdrawal syndrome, that is, the development of a “minority mentality.” 

The post-Communist era has witnessed growing inequality in terms of wealth and opportunity, coupled with a sense of meaninglessness and alienation among the so-called “losers” of the transformation. Given this situation, Polish Pentecostals increasingly have focused on what they see as their social responsibility. Questions about Christian social and political involvement come to the forefront in many discussions today, which seem to point to a new openness toward the development of a distinctive social theology.9 

While Protestant social thought at first glance does not seem to be as systematic or as fully developed as that of Roman Catholicism, it nevertheless provides many significant insights for contemporary discussion. Pentecostal political science scholar Tomasz Debowski points to the importance of the social involvement of Evangelical churches in society and provides practical examples of Protestant social doctrine deeply rooted in moral values that are relevant to the struggles of contemporary Poland.10 Similarly, Pentecostal pastor and scholar Piotr Karaś has examined the social activities of Evangelical churches in Poland in the light of social work theory, available legislative solutions, as well as theological reflection. He concluded that it is important to refocus the church so that it becomes an open and transformational community that integrates evangelism with social activities.11 One reflection of this new emphasis is the growing number of Pentecostal charities, foundations, and educational initiatives, such as New Hope Mission and Teen Challenge Mission, among many others, all seeking to integrate evangelistic and social aims. 

A clear understanding of the gospel calls for manifestations of God’s love through word and deed and an integration of loving service with proclamation that is not triumphalist, but rooted in solidarity with a hurting world. All too often this Kingdom dimension of the gospel is neglected in the contemporary practice of evangelism. A limited understanding of the gospel exclusively focused on proclamation often obscures the holistic gospel that Christ preached. The message of the whole gospel is both Word and life, proclamation and discipleship, and personal renewal and community concern.

Notes:

1. Wojciech Gajewski and Krzsztof Wawrzeniuk, “A Historical and Theological Analysis of the Pentecostal Church of Poland,” Journal of the European Pentecostal Theological Association 20 (2000), 41-42.
2.  Z. Pasek and Z. Wloch, Historia ruchu zielonoświatkowego I odnowy charyzmatycznej (Krawów-Szczecin: Instytut Wydawniczy Compassion, 2006), 500.
3.  For more on this movement see the official website: www.polskadlajezusa.org. 
4. W. Gajewski, “Dynamika ewangelikalizmu polskiego. Krytyczne sporjrzenie z uwzglednieniem perspektywy pentekostainej” in T. J. Zieliński, ed., Ewangelikalny protestantyzm w Polsce u progu XXI stulecia (WarzawaKatowice: WBST-Credo, 2004), 91. 
5.  A. Migda, Mystycyzm pentekostalny w Polsce (Kraków: Nomos, 2013), 411-14.
6. See for instance A. Smieja, “Modele przywództwa we wspólnotach typu charyzmatycznego,” Theologica Wratislaviensia 9 (2014), 61-70. 
7. For more information on the WTS see its website: www.wst.kl.pl.
8.  W. Kowalewski, “Missiological Challenges in Polish Evangelical Theological Education” in P.F. Penner, ed., Theological Education as Mission (Schwarzenfeld: Neufeil Verlag, 2005), 331-41
9.  W. Kowalewski, “Evangelicals and Socio-Political Involvement in Post-Communist Poland” in P. Prochazka, ed., Dynamizing Evangelical Witness in the Post-Communist Era (Praha: ECM, 2008), 63-77. 
10.  T. Debowski, “Spoŀeczne zaangażowanie chrzześcijan ewangelikalnych w Polsce” in S. Smolarz, S. Torbus, and W. Kowalewski, eds., Ewangelikalizm polski wobec wyzwań współczesności (Wroclaw: EWST, 2013), 247- 55.
11.  Piotr Karas, Dzialalnosc sojaina kosciolow ewangelikalnych w Polsce (Warszawa: WSTS, 2013), 277-328. 

Edited excerpts reprinted with permission from Amos Yong and Vinson Synan, eds., Global Renewal Christianity: Spirit-Empowered Movements Past, Present, and Future; Vol. 4, Europe and North America (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House Publishers, 2016). 

Wojciech Kowalewski, Ph.D., University of Wales, Cardiff, United Kingdom, is founder and director of Golden Apple Institute, a leadership development ministry based in Wroclaw, Poland.