What was your first experience going/visiting a Pentecostal Church?

it was very different. i am not Pentecostal but i respect your religion. i had gone more than once so... [it was the same church] people spoke in tongues, i did too and it scared me because i thought literally that Satan was taking over my body or some demon was. i felt sick to my stomach and i wanted to cry afterwards. lets just say i hated it. i hate going to any church really. i am a Christian but please do not lecture me on anything. i know Christianity is not a religion it is a relationship with the living God himself. that is just my point of view.

In an AoG evening service in 1967

I thought that they were crazy with the tongues, howling, epileptic-like movements, the condemnation of those who disagree with them, anti-intellectualism, anti- Catholicism, obsession with the end of the world, etc

but I later got to appreciate tongues and some other things

Some were well dressed and other not well dressed

I liked the first hymn they sang ' My Anchor Holds'

They were not very friendly to me

but since then I have met some very Christian Pentecostals as well as nasty ones

I now have Pentecostal prayer partners and I am a catholic Charismatic who believes in tongues and prophecy and healing

I am not even Christian myself but I have visited (or been invited to) a wide variety of churches.

I have to admit the Pentacostal service was a little scary/disturbing at first. But I realized it wasn't dangerous or anything, just different from other forms of Christianity. The people were actually very nice and the church was very cohesive and family-oriented.

I grew up in a Slavic Pentecostal church. The people were generally very nice. Girls all wore skirts and covers on their heads. Guys wore suits and dress shirts generally, but it wasn't mandatory. We did Communion on the first Sunday of every month, including washing eachothers feet. I never had any problems there. I enjoyed my stay there very much.

My first visit to a United Pentecostal Church

- music too loud (I mean, *painfully* loud)

- speaking in tongues (still seems weird to me, but by that time I had already become somewhat familiar with the practice - enough not to react with revulsion or shock)

- lots of vigorous "antics" by the pastor and some others - running around, leaping about, etc.

- the pastor seemed intent on being very expressive - that is, it seemed it was one of his purposes to appear to be excited by the subject of his preaching, presumably in an attempt to generate like excitement in the congregation

- the entire service seemed to make an effort at "showmanship". That is, making the presentation "lively" and "appealing" seemed to be a very important factor

I wouldn't be being mean, I'd be being honest....and you honestly do not want to know my impression of Pentecostal churches. Let's just say, outside of other Pentecostals, your religion is considered pagan.

I found them very scary. There was a wildness about the eyes of people that made me feel that they were either in a trance like state or possessed. Either way, I got out as quickly as I could - I didnt want to take part in anything which seemed demonic

I was raised in it, and it was horrific. The church I attended throughout my childhood was based entirely on fear.

dance