What is or was the Third Wave?

[dms1972]

Hi,

I've been reading a bit about this and wondering why the Third Wave is called that, and what was the first wave, and second wave? Is the third wave still ongoing? Thanks for any help you can provide to understand this a little better

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Hi,

I've been reading a bit about this and wondering why the Third Wave is called that, and what was the first wave, and second wave? Is the third wave still ongoing? Thanks for any help you can provide to understand this a little better

It is a Charismatic movement in a revival setting driven by C. Peter Wagner.
Blessings.

 

[Biblicist]

It is a Charismatic movement in a revival setting driven by C. Peter Wagner.
Blessings.

If we were to have a detailed discussion on this particular topic, it is important to understand that words, especially technical terms have their own specific and often strict meanings. Since we each come from different and diverse backgrounds, our understanding of a particular word or technical term can easily lead us off into unnecessary directions.
But to keep things simple, it is generally accepted that there have been three so-called ‘waves’ during the 20th century, as with below:

• First Wave – Early Pentecostal movement that commenced around 1900.
• Second Wave – Charismatic Renewal, between the early 1960’s through to the early 1980’s.
• Third Wave – New Apostolic Reformation, commenced in the late 1980’s.

Where things begin to become a bit messy is that there is a strong argument made that the ‘Third Wave’ which is the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), also referred to as the ‘neo-charismatic movement’ is much the same as another movement within the early Pentecostal movement called the ‘Latter Rain Movement’ (LRM) which commenced in 1948, it would sit between the First and Second Waves.
With careful reference back to my opening paragraph, the LRM and NAR share many common elements, particularly with their emphasis on Dominion theology and the role of regional apostles.

 

[GoldenKingGaze]

Hi,

I've been reading a bit about this and wondering why the Third Wave is called that, and what was the first wave, and second wave? Is the third wave still ongoing? Thanks for any help you can provide to understand this a little better

You must have read of and perhaps seen Randy Clark ministering, as he still does. And with him you may see Bill Johnson. They both do not accept the New Apostolic Reformation. My understanding is that the third wave comes through the work of John Wimber who knew C P Wagner but didn't accord Wagner's concepts, like regional apostles. The Toronto Bless, or blessing of the Father's heart, now called Catch the Fire derives from Wimber's spirituality, as does Randy's.

Wagner, Wimber and Clark all knew each other.

C P Wagner observed churches world wide for growth, and lectured on it at Fuller Theological Seminary, wrote about it, but it is unfair that such as the great South American churches who are doing well, got a label, "NAR" because of C P Wagner. They don't subscribe to his work, as many of his students didn't. Nor even those at Wagner institute today.

Instead Wimber's book Power Evangelism would represent the style of the third wave, which is the Holy Spirit not politics. Signs and wonders, divine appointments, revealing secret thoughts for repentance, healings, doing ministry God's way...

The Third Wave accepts things like the holy angels at work. Gary Oates experienced that. We English speakers took it up from the South Americans. The old protestants of the Thirty Years War era disliked the Catholic practices said to be the worship of Mary and angels... and by mistake they stopped accepting holy angels or asking for them to serve in church.

I'd say a great example of the Third Wave is Christ For All Nations, CFAN, who work in Africa and made more than 80,000,000 converts from pagan and Muslims people. Still going now under Daniel Kolenda.