A History of Christian Doctrine #3 - Online Christian Library

The Charismatic Movement
Some leading Charismatic and Pentecostal ministers
invoke both the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and the Lord
Jesus Christ at baptism. For instance, Peter Kuzmic, a
Pentecostal Croatian and the most prominent theologian
in the Balkans, usually baptizes with both formulas. 306
Larry Lea has reportedly done the same. Some say, “I baptize
you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Spirit, which is Jesus Christ.”
There is no accurate measurement of how many
Charismatics have been baptized in Jesus’ name, but estimates
range from ten to twenty-five percent. Most of
them do not regard water baptism as essential to salvation,
however, or insist that invoking the name of Jesus is
the only correct way. Nor do they explicitly reject trinitarianism
in favor of the Oneness doctrine. Even some
classical Trinitarian Pentecostals, such as ministers in the
AG, baptize in the name of Jesus Christ on this basis,
although they do not rebaptize those who have already
been baptized with the trinitarian formula.
The worship of Charismatics is free in comparison to
that of their parent denominations. It is generally not as
spontaneous or intense as that of classical Pentecostals,
however. Charismatics tend to be more subdued. There is
less emphasis on altar calls and extended prayer, and
more emphasis on praise celebration and entertainment.
For example, the independent churches commonly
employ rock music and choreography in their worship. As
Charisma noted, “Ecstatic ‘dancing in the Spirit’ has
largely given way to spontaneous and choreographed
‘dancing before the Lord.’” 307 The services of the
megachurches often take the form of Christian shows and
concerts, including dance teams and body building
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