Sectarian against His Will: Gerrit Roelof and the Birth of Pentecostalism in the Netherlands

In this case study of how Pentecostalism took shape in a European context, the author uses previously unknown or unavailable primary sources to analyze the period from the beginnings of Pentecostalism in the Netherlands in 1907 to its formative years through 1930, with special emphasis on its relation to church and society. Gerrit Roelof Polman (1868-1932) was the founder and national leader during this time. Early Pentecostalism transcended barriers of race, sex, social status, nationality, and denomination, but in the eyes of many contemporaries, these elements were too revolutionary and therefore had to be condemned. The Pentecostals were rejected as false, making Polman a sectarian against his will.