To browse Academia. This is a list of all the Pentecostal churches that. In this chapter, I combine data gathered through participant observation, interviews, and archival and non-archival research of original documents, in order to inform an anthropological understanding of the history of Pentecostal churches in Honiara, Solomon Islands.
The insights provided by this combina- tion of data sources enable me to question earlier understandings of Pentecostal mushrooming as a result of missionary efforts from outside, and propose some interpretations of the uniqueness of conversion patterns among Solomon Islanders. Without downplaying the role of foreign influences cf. Dundon , 3; Robbins, Stewart, and Strathern , I argue that the growth of Pentecostal denominationsโrather than being analyzed solely as part of an already highly Christianized territoryโshould also be interpreted as an inde- pendent move away from mainline churches.
This development connects closely to new desires of Solomon Islanders that have been stimulated by the possibilities offered in the contemporary reli- gious landscape. Furthermore, my interpretation relates to the ways in which specific forms of value within Melanesian relationships have been influenced by the growth of Pentecostalism in other South Pacific nations.
It appears that what it means to be Christian is a subject of constant debate in Melanesia today. It follows that highlighting the self-determining character of Pentecostal schisms in Honiara provides a critical perspective from which to look at the conflicts and convergences that shape contemporary Christian identities in both Solomon Islands and beyond. This paper emanates from fieldwork being carried out since to discover why intense Pentecostal activity is proliferating in urban Accra, capital city of Ghana.
The Lighthouse Chapel International Lighthouse and the Royalhouse Chapel International Royalhouse , two examples of Pentecostal churches having a great appeal to Ghanaians, serve as case study of this project. The paper outlines some trends in the growth of the churches, which make them appeal to urban dwellers. Some members of both churches as well as people from the general public were garnered to expound some already known trends in Pentecostal churches such as their emphasis on both the spiritual and material needs of people, which invariably account for their remarkable growth.
