Pentecostal

Pentecostalism is a Protestant renewal movement that emerged in the early 20th century, traditionally dated to the 1906 Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles led by African American preacher William J. Seymour. The name derives from the biblical Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles. Pentecostals teach that the same charismatic gifts — tongues-speaking (glossolalia), prophecy, divine healing, and other manifestations of the Spirit — are available to believers today. Doctrinally Protestant, Pentecostals affirm scripture as the final authority and salvation through faith in Christ, but distinguish themselves by emphasizing a subsequent experience called "baptism in the Holy Spirit," often evidenced by tongues. Worship is expressive and participatory, featuring modern praise music, extemporaneous prayer, testimony, and often altar calls for healing. Denominations include the Assemblies of God, the Church of God in Christ, and thousands of independent congregations. Pentecostalism is among the fastest-growing Christian movements, with roughly 280 million adherents worldwide.

Countries by Pentecostal Population (4)

1. 1. 🇷🇼 Rwanda 21.3%
2. 2. 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe 17%
3. 3. 🇲🇿 Mozambique 16.7%
4. 4. 🇷🇴 Romania 2.5%

Note: This list reflects only countries where the CIA World Factbook — our data source — explicitly uses the “Pentecostal” label. Adherents in many other countries are rolled into broader buckets such as Protestant, Evangelical, or country-specific denominations, so this ranking undercounts global presence.