Pentecostals and Poverty: A Spirited Engagement

Poverty is a harsh and enduring reality in Europe. To be a redemptive movement, the Pentecostal community’s engagement with such suffering and systemic dysfunction requires it to delve deep into the word, walk with the Spirit and live as faithful disciples in a dynamic multifaceted engagement with people, place and powers. This chapter explores the Pentecostal contribution in outworking Jesus’ manifesto that proclaims good news to the poor with a pneumatological emphasis. Exercising stewardship that reflects the reign of Christ, the liberatory power of the Spirit is integral in the divine redemption plan that encompasses personal, communal and creational dimensions. The family of God, led by the Spirit, is moved by lament, empathy and hope as it critiques dysfunctional practices, reweaves communal life, tells faith-filled counternarratives and co-creates new possibilities. Spiritual gifts shape our joint mission initiatives as well as our professional and public lives where our daily acts of worship significantly contribute to a more equitable and inclusive society.