Upholding Pentecostal Theology

September 13, 2004

T.R. Wagar was not educated beyond the fifth grade, and for most of his life he farmed the plains of western Canada. Though education eluded him, he was an astute man with a strong desire to learn—especially about the things of the Lord.

Whether he worked or rested, a hymn or heartfelt prayer was always on his lips. His favorite pastime was reading the Bible. His life was good, simple and honest.

When his grandson, Blaine Charette, visited him during the summers, Wagar had him read the Bible aloud in the evenings. After the readings the two would discuss biblical teachings and the Christian life.

"He was a significant person in my spiritual formation,” says Charette, 48, professor of New Testament at Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington. “He took his faith seriously and read a lot of Scripture. That influenced my interest in Scripture.”

Charette’s interest grew into a passion and served as the motivation that pushed him to obtain an M.A. and then a Ph.D. in biblical studies, write two scholarly books on the New Testament and—perhaps more importantly—fall in love with sharing his knowledge.

"I hope my students leave college with a profound respect for scripture and a realization that studying the Bible is a lifelong pursuit,” says Charette, who currently serves as the vice president of The Society for Pentecostal Studies and has taught at Northwest since 1995. “I also want them to understand what it means to be Pentecostal and to take pride in the tradition."

"We Pentecostals tend to limit the distinctiveness of our theology to the baptism in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues, and then borrow the rest of our theology from other traditions,” contends Charette. “The Pentecostal ‘distinctives’ become in effect a mere ‘add-on’ to being evangelical. But our experience of the Spirit should radically affect every aspect of our thinking and practice.”

Much the way his grandfather used to challenge him to delve into the Word, Charette does the same with his students. In the classroom he enjoys throwing out a few theological observations in order to jumpstart discussions, which often take on a life of their own.

It’s a method he learned long ago in the prairie community of Wetaskiwin, Alberta. And like his grandfather, Charette’s prayer is that his students fall in love with the truth of Scripture as he has.

Article by Kirk Noonan, Printed with permission from Today's Pentecostal Evangel