Throughout history, countless believers have gained renewed strength and purpose by following in the footsteps of faithful servants of God who showed them the way. In sparkling prose and fascinating detail, Dean Merrill captures the bold, often surprising stories of fifty such leaders--notable Pentecostal, charismatic and Spirit-empowered trailblazers, including
- Smith Wigglesworth, bold as a lion
- William J. Seymour, igniting Azusa Street
- John G. Lake, making room for the Healer
- Aimee Semple McPherson, everybody's sister
- David du Plessis, bridge-builder
- Leonard Ravenhill, sounding the alarm
- John and Elizabeth Sherrill, scribes of the renewal
- Jesse Miranda, up from the barrio
- David Wilkerson, straight shooter
- Cindy Jacobs, the "general"
By taking you into the private worlds of these men and women of God, Merrill helps you feel the quickening pulse of fearless obedience to the Holy Spirit. Let their stories fill your own heart with courage for the road ahead.
My Thoughts:
I thoroughly enjoyed reading 50 Pentecostal and Charismatic Leaders Every Christian Should Know by Dean Merrill. Although I grew up in a conservative, Pentecostal church, I knew very little about any of the men and women featured in this collection. Each mini-biography devotes four to six pages to providing condensed background information of the individual, an overview of the person’s spiritual journey and undertakings, and a perspective on how the man or woman impacted the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement. Although the biographies are kept short, many people reappear throughout the book and I thought the author did well tying it all together. I also appreciated that the author did not attempt to hide the short-comings of some individuals.
Reading 50 Pentecostal and Charismatic Leaders Every Christian Should Know opened my mind to the diversity of Spirit-filled life. I was raised a certain way, I attend a church that operates differently than I was raised, and this book shines the light on how the Holy Spirit does not fit into a particular box. He ministers through diverse methods, peoples, and belief systems.
As I read the stories of healing and spiritual gifts, my own faith was strengthened and my desire for the fullness of the Holy Spirit grew. I recommend 50 Pentecostal and Charismatic Leaders Every Christian Should Know by Dean Merrill to any Christian who enjoys biographies or is curious about the Holy Spirit.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of
this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.
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