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I graduated from an Assembly of God college in 1992. I left the Pentecostal / Charismatic movement 12 years ago and have never looked back. I am an ordained Southern Baptist pastor today. I have never once regretted my decision and departure from the movement. I am spiritually stronger today than ever. I have a much greater insight into spiritual truth, with a much greater illumination and understanding into the things of God.

My curiosity would be . . .

what % of such transitions, changes, shifts on the part of how many people

are psychological, emotional, sociological

theological, spiritual.

**I have a much greater insight into spiritual truth, with a much greater illumination and understanding into the things of God.**

Has this greater illumination and understanding led you to be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins? That’s how people’s sins are remitted according to Jesus and his ordained apostles.

I was raised in a rural, bible study intense, protestant church with much in common with southern baptists, except for sprinkling vs immersion (and like baptists, it was just ‘an outward sign of an inward cleasing’, which is about as anti Acts 2:38 as one can get). Yet, I knew there had to be more to believing; an experience had to be out there. But, my leaders could not testify of something they had yet to experience themselves.

So when I saw the Acts 2 message, and how it culminated in vs 38 and 39, I knew that it was truth, and I had been missing it.

It’s the fulfilling of Jesus command, just as he had told Nicodemas to be born of the water and the Spirit. Just as the Lord said “He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned” (They that don’t believe in His baptism are also unbelievers).

It’s strait and it is narrow and few there be that find it.

Lord bless

Brother, I must say that, in my not inconsiderable experience with Charismatics, there is a very fundamental difference which will forever separate them from Baptists. Whereas Baptists look to a God who is largely external to themselves for the hope of salvation, every single Charismatic I have known relies upon a claimed (borderline Gnostic) knowledge of God "within". I really think that if the words "self discovery" are banished, the communication of the Charismatic faith becomes almost impossible. The denial of self is not a key feature of their practiced believes, in my experience.