Sanctified churches are a branch of Pentecostal Christianity that originated among American slaves. They emphasize attaining grace through prayer and good works, and some individuals receive sanctification to spread the Word of God. Services are noisy and exuberant, with dancing, singing, and speaking in tongues. The churches are often non-denominational and welcome people of all creeds.
While all churches are technically sanctified, because “sanctification” means doing something holy, when people use the term “sanctified church,” they usually mean a specific branch of Pentecostal Christianity. The sanctified church movement arose among the slaves of the Americas and reflects a distinctive cultural and religious tradition that began when slaves were first introduced to Christianity in the New World. Today, many of these churches have large black congregations, although people of all ethnic backgrounds and races can be seen worshiping in such churches.
The cornerstone of a sanctified church is that people must attain grace with God through prayer and good works. Some individuals may receive a blessing from God known as sanctification, making them vessels for the Holy Spirit. These individuals are used to spread the Word of God on Earth, in a variety of ways that can range from glossolalia to dancing. Glossolalia, incidentally, is a fancy way of saying “speaking in tongues.”
Services in a sanctified church are often quite noisy and exuberant. Congregation members are encouraged to express the Holy Spirit as it moves them, so people can dance, clap, sing, talk, enter a trance, or engage in a wide variety of other behaviors that are considered sacred gifts from God. The minister usually preaches a sermon that focuses on saving individual souls and spreading faith in Christ through good works, and these churches often meet for revivals, mass baptisms, and other events.
In many cases, a sanctified church will identify itself as non-denominational, welcoming people of all creeds to worship or visit services to learn more. Christians of more conservative sects sometimes frown on the exuberance of these churches, preferring to see more dignified services and rejecting the idea that individuals can be filled with the Holy Spirit. However, many aspects of the sanctified church are actually very true to the roots of Christianity, such as the idea that everyone should participate in preaching and spreading God’s world.
As a general rule, a sanctified church identifies itself as such in its name and public listings. He may also include “Holy Spirit” in his name, to emphasize the role of sanctification in his religious services. People interested in observing the services are usually welcome, as long as they are respectful. In a sanctified church, it is considered conventional to dress well for church, assist people if they seem to lose physical control as they act as vessels for the Holy Spirit, and join in hymns and shouts of “amen” with the rest of the congregation.
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