History doesn’t repeat, but it can follow similar patterns.

Pentecostal history tends to move in cycles, with calls for renewal following strides in organizational stability.

By the mid-1940s, the Assemblies of God was a well-established Fellowship, with a national headquarters, credentialing processes, and educational systems.

Yet some Pentecostals worried structure would restrict the Spirit’s work. Thinking Pentecostal zeal and power had declined, they longed for revival.

That hunger found expression during the late 1940s in the New Order of the Latter Rain, which promised restoration of all the gifts and ministries of the New Testament Church.

The brief but intense impact of this movement tested the AG’s discernment, unity, and commitment to Scripture.

Ideas that arose during this time traveled widely, surfacing again amid the healing revival of the 1950s, charismatic renewal of the 1960s and ’70s, and later neo-charismatic movements.

Understanding that history can help Pentecostal ministers navigate its lingering influences with wisdom.

Restoration Claims

The New Order of the Latter Rain began in 1948 at Sharon Bible School in North Battleford, Saskatchewan.

Leaders, including George Hawtin and Percy Hunt, taught that God was restoring the Church to its full New Testament pattern in preparation for the end times.

Participants believed they were witnessing the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy of “latter rain” (Joel 2:23, KJV). Calling early Pentecostal revivals the “former rain,” they claimed the final and greater outpouring was now beginning.

This message spread quickly through revival meetings across Canada and the United States. Churches such as Glad Tidings Temple in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Bethesda Missionary Temple in Detroit became gathering places for believers seeking a fresh outpouring of the Spirit.

Many Assemblies of God adherents attended, curious about whether the revival was truly of God.

What distinguished the movement was not its revival atmosphere as much as the theological framework surrounding it.

Drawing from Ephesians 4:11, Latter Rain leaders argued that God was restoring five New Testament ministries: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Whereas speaking in tongues characterized the early Pentecostal movement, these leaders claimed a “latter rain” outpouring would restore apostolic church structures.

In contrast to the classical Pentecostal practice of believers personally seeking the Holy Spirit’s work and receiving a ministry calling directly from God, leaders pronounced callings, spiritual gifts, prophetic messages, and “words of knowledge” over individuals, sometimes directing major life decisions.

The movement rejected denominational structures, teaching that local congregations should be independent and guided by Spirit-appointed leaders rather than organizations.

These teachings, alongside a growing spiritual elitism, soon brought the movement into conflict with organized Pentecostal fellowships, including the Assemblies of God.

AG Response

Assemblies of God leaders welcomed revival and affirmed the continuing work of the Spirit. But they also remembered earlier episodes in Pentecostal history when prophetic excesses had caused confusion and division.

Assemblies of God leaders welcomed revival and affirmed the continuing work of the Spirit. But they also remembered earlier episodes in Pentecostal history when prophetic excesses had caused confusion and division.

By 1949, concerns were growing about several practices associated with the Latter Rain movement.

That year, the Assemblies of God General Council adopted a resolution offering six points of clarification regarding doctrines and practices. In essence, that resolution maintained the following:

1. Spiritual gifts are distributed by the Holy Spirit, not imparted by human hands or prophecy.

2. Modern apostles and prophets do not hold authoritative foundational office in the universal Church.

3. The “extreme teaching” that confession of sin and spiritual deliverance require a human leader usurps prerogatives belonging only to Christ.

4. The gift of tongues does not negate the study of language for missionary service.

5. Personal prophecy should not be used as directive revelation for ministry assignment or life decisions.

6. Divisiveness against established churches creates confusion and disunity.

The immediate controversy eventually subsided. The Latter Rain movement itself fragmented and never developed into a major institutional body. Yet the ideas it promoted did not disappear.

Healing Movement

Latter Rain ideas first resurfaced during the post-World War II healing revival.

Healing evangelists such as William Branham, A.A. Allen, Jack Coe, and William Freeman held large revival meetings across North America during the late 1940s and into the ’50s. While not all of these evangelists were formally part of the Latter Rain movement, many shared its restorationist outlook and emphasis on prophetic ministry.

Several features of healing campaigns had already appeared in Latter Rain teaching. Among them were expectation of end-times revival featuring signs and wonders; prophetic revelation concerning diseases; deliverance ministries addressing demonic oppression; and independent evangelistic ministries operating outside denominational structures.

The healing revival created an informal network of ministries connected more by shared experience than institutions. That independent but relational model would become increasingly common in later charismatic Christianity.

Charismatic Renewal

Beginning in the 1960s, charismatic renewal spread into mainline Protestant churches and the Roman Catholic Church.

Leaders representing diverse traditions — from Episcopal priest Dennis Bennett to Pentecostal minister David du Plessis — encouraged believers of all denominations to seek the baptism in the Holy Spirit and gifts described in the New Testament.

Many practices common during the charismatic movement echoed earlier Latter Rain emphases, including words of prophecy in congregational worship (rather than tongues and interpretation); healing prayer ministries; and relational networks across denominational boundaries.

While these charismatic leaders did not directly identify with the earlier movement, many read Latter Rain writings that shaped their theology.

Shepherding Movement

During the 1970s, another movement emerged that reflected Latter Rain themes.

Sometimes called the Shepherding or Discipleship movement, it emphasized strong spiritual oversight and relational accountability, encouraging believers to submit to a personal “shepherd” within a tiered network of leadership.

This movement adopted Latter Rain emphases on restored leadership structures, relational church networks, and strong prophetic guidance from ministers.

Controversy surrounding the Shepherding movement eventually caused many leaders to reassess those structures. But the conversation about apostolic leadership continued.

Apostolic Networks

By the 1980s and ’90s, a new wave of independent charismatic churches was growing rapidly around the world.

Often called the “Third Wave” — following the Pentecostal revival of the early 20th century and charismatic renewal of the 1960s — these congregations frequently operated outside historic denominations, with apostolic or relational networks connecting them rather than formal organizational structures.

During the 1980s, missiologist C. Peter Wagner argued that the fastest-growing churches were structured around apostolic leadership instead of denominational governance. Wagner saw this as a major shift in global Christianity.

By the 1990s, Wagner used the phrase “New Apostolic Reformation” to describe the phenomenon. Wagner called it “apostolic” to emphasize restoration of the apostolic office, a “reformation” because it sought to reshape how the Church functions, and “new” to distinguish it from earlier apostolic movements and suggest a fresh divine work.

For historians of Pentecostalism, however, the language of restored apostles and prophets was not new. Those ideas had appeared decades earlier in the Latter Rain movement.

This does not mean later charismatic movements were simply a continuation of Latter Rain theology. Many leaders in those networks had little direct knowledge of the earlier revival. Nevertheless, the similarities reveal how certain restorationist ideas have repeatedly resurfaced within charismatic Christianity.

Repeating Patterns

In 1999, the General Council entertained a resolution to reaffirm the 1949 resolution condemning these kinds of teachings. The resolution led to the creation of Assemblies of God position papers on modern-day apostles and prophets.

Why do these themes appear again and again? Part of the answer lies in the spiritual DNA of Pentecostalism itself.

From the beginning, Pentecostals have believed the Book of Acts describes the normative life of the Church. Early Christians expected miracles, spiritual gifts, and powerful encounters with the Holy Spirit. They also believed they were living in the last days and that God was restoring the Church in preparation for Christ’s return.

Those convictions create a natural longing for revival and renewal.

When believers sense that spiritual vitality has faded, they often look for ways to recover what they believe the Early Church experienced. That search sometimes produces powerful renewal — and sometimes theological experimentation and error.

Valuable Perspective

Assemblies of God leaders in 1949 did not reject revival. They rejected certain teachings they believed could lead the Church away from biblical foundations.

Their response reflects a pattern that has served the Fellowship well for more than a century — one of welcoming the Spirit’s work, while carefully weighing new teachings against Scripture.

The desire for restoration is deeply embedded in Pentecostal identity. Yet that revival must remain anchored in the authority of Scripture and wisdom of the broader body of Christ.

Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity continues to grow around the world. New ministries, networks, and movements regularly emerge promising fresh expressions of the Spirit’s work.

Many of the ideas circulating today — especially concerning apostles, prophets, deliverance ministries, and global revival — have deeper historical roots than we sometimes realize. The debates surrounding them are not entirely new.

For pastors and leaders, knowledge of church history provides valuable perspective. It helps us discern what is genuinely new, what has appeared before, and how earlier generations of believers responded.

The story of the Latter Rain movement is not simply a footnote in Pentecostal history. It is a reminder that revival and discernment must walk together.

Pentecostal believers rightly pray for fresh outpourings of the Spirit. But we must also remember that the most enduring works balance passion with biblical wisdom, spiritual discernment, and historical understanding.

This article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of Influence magazine.