None of the Old Testament prophets, looking into the future, gave utterance to a prediction of greater consequence and impact than Joel when he said, "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit" (Joel 2:28,29)
God has always been sensitive to the passionate longing in human hearts for some truly satisfying experience in life. "If any man thirst," Jesus invited, "let him come unto me and drink." This He said in reference to the receiving of the Holy Spirit.
Outpourings of the Spirit have occurred at intervals across the entire two millenniums since the initial effusion at Pentecost. Church historians relate this, but such outpourings were generally limited to a restricted local or regional area.
The nineteenth century ended in an atmosphere of spiritual contrasts; the rise and spread of rationalistic philosophies on the one hand, and a rising crescendo of prayer to God for His power to be out poured upon devout and concerned Christians on the other. Reports from those days indicate that God did answer in a number of instances by pouring out His Holy Spirit upon believers. This was accompanied by supernatural phenomena, including speaking in tongues. So far as we can learn, the recipients regarded such utterance of primary importance.
In a small evangelical Bible school in Topeka, Kansas, the students were led in a study of the Scriptures relating to the baptism of the Holy Spirit. As a result, a statement was issued early in 1901 declaring the conviction that speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gave utterance was the physical, initial evidence of having received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This was a verdict of major importance. It has been this emphasis which has brought millions into a dynamic, scriptural experience and has resulted in the establishment of Pentecostal churches around the world. Persons of Pentecostal experience and persuasion now number more than 150 million and are found in every stratum of society.
This is the story of The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. Most of the first Canadian Pentecostal leaders came from a religious background rooted in the Holiness movements of the early 1900s. Robert E. McAlister, born and raised in the Ottawa Valley, possessed a devout interest in spiritual realities. In 1906, he heard that a remarkable outpouring of the Spirit of God was occurring in Los Angeles, California, so he traveled to that city. On December 11, in the old Azusa Street Mission, he received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, which was accompanied by speaking in an unknown tongue. This phenomenon became accepted as the initial physical evidence of the Pentecostal experience. Mr. McAlister returned to Ottawa and invited others to come and share his joy in the Spirit. A new church was born.
Mr. Charles E. Baker, a Methodist lay preacher and the manager of a men's shop, had recently learned that his wife was ill with terminal cancer. He brought her to Mr. McAlister's meetings in Ottawa, and God healed her. God called Mr. Baker to the Pentecostal ministry, first in Kinburn, Ontario, and later in the strategic seaport of Montreal. Thousands found Christ in a period of outstanding revival. Today there are more than 30 English-and French-speaking Pentecostal congregations in Canada's second-largest city.
The unplanned religious movement often attracted earnest people who previously had been associated with evangelical, revivalist churches. They were biblical literalists who, experiencing a total personal conversion to Christ, longed for a fuller manifestation of spiritual power, an inward life of Christ-like piety and an ability to win others to Christ.
The distinctive feature that set these Christians apart from other evangelicals was the receiving of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, attested by the initial physical manifestation of "speaking in tongues," as recorded in the Book of Acts. This was considered vital to spiritual growth and the privilege of all Christian believers.
While the distinctive doctrines of Pentecost were a vital part of their early witness, the major emphasis of this revival was the preaching of salvation through repentance from sin and faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ. The doctrinal position could best be described as conservative fundamentalism.
By 1919, there were about 20 churches established across central Canada. These supported eight missionaries from annual missionary offerings of approximately $10,000. In spite of strong opposition, the number of congregations and members continued to increase. Looking back on those years, it is evident that God, by His Holy Spirit, gave guidance, courage, authority and grace.
There was some fear that a rigid organization would result in bondage rather than assist in the growth of churches. Pentecostal people, by and large, reacted strongly to their previous denominational experiences. However, leaders soon became aware of the need for some type of organization to coordinate planning and to provide a basis for fellowship among ministers and churches in the interests of doctrinal agreement; for the endorsement and support of missionaries; and for the promotion of the effectual operation of the Holy Spirit in Canada and around the world.
By 1917, convinced that some action should be taken, a conference of interested ministers in Eastern Canada was called, at which a simple basis for cooperative fellowship was reached. In early 1919, the leaders of this growing Canadian movement met in Montreal and prepared a memorandum of agreement, which was to become the first draft of a Constitution and by-laws of The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. On May 17, 1919, by authority of the Secretary of State of the Dominion of Canada, incorporation was granted and published in the Canada Gazette on May 21 of that year. On May 26, the first meeting of the charter members was held in Ottawa. From November 25 to 28 of that same year, the first general assembly of the newly incorporated Fellowship was held in Kitchener, Ontario.