At a meeting in Sydney, Australia, on May 4, 2005, the Advisory Committee of the Pentecostal World Fellowship (PWF), elected Bishop James D. Leggett, General Superintendent of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC), as its new chairman. Leggett is the fourth Pentecostal leader to chair the PWF since its organization in 1947 in Zurich, Switzerland.
Other Pentecostal leaders who have chaired the fellowship include the late Thomas Zimmerman, former General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Springfield, Missouri; Dr. Ray Hughes, former General Overseer for the Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee; and Dr. Thomas Trask, current General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God.
Bishop Leggett has served as General Superintendent of the IPHC for the past eight years. He also co-chairs the Pentecostal-Charismatic Churches of North America (PCCNA) with Bishop George McKinney of the Church of God in Christ.
“From its beginning in 1906, the Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement has grown until today it includes a constituency of over 600 million believers,” says Leggett. “Some theologians are calling the 21st century ‘the day of the Pentecostals.’ The Movement has spread around the world. It is now a major force in Christendom. Many of the mega churches around the globe are Pentecostal/Charismatic congregations.”
Besides Chairman Leggett, the PWF Executive Committee is made up of leaders from around the world. These include Lamar Vest, Cleveland, Tennessee; Prince Guneratnam, Malaysia; Cornelio Costelo, Mexico; Isak Burger, South Africa; Felipe S. Ferrez, Philippines; and David Petts, England. New additions to the Advisory Board include Dr. Jack Hayford, president of the Church of the Foursquare Gospel, based in Los Angeles, California; Dennis McGuire, general superintendent of the Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee; and Rev. Dr. Masayoshi Safu, general superintendent Assemblies of God, Komagome Toshima-ku Tokyo, Japan.
The Pentecostal World Fellowship convenes every three years. Its most recent conference, held September 14-17, 2004, in Johannesburg, South Africa, included representatives from 83 nations. The 21st World Conference is scheduled to meet again at the Bethany Church in Surabaya, Indonesia, in July of 2007. With 20,000 adherents, Indonesia’s Bethany Church is the largest congregation (and possibly the largest church facility) in South East Asia. Dr. Abraham Alex Tanuseputra serves as senior pastor of this outstanding church.
Bishop James Leggett and his wife, Faye, live in Oklahoma City. The Resource Development Center for the International Pentecostal Holiness Church is located in Oklahoma City.
April 25-29, 2006, Pentecostals from around the world will gather in Los Angeles, California, to celebrate the centennial of the “Great Azusa Street Revival.” This revival gave impetus to the modern Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement. Organizers are expecting thousands to converge on L.A. for this five-day event.
New Executive Committee. Rev. David Petts is not shown.