Yes, that growth has slowed in North America and the charismatic practices (both inside and outside of the movement) have also been tamed.
In other words, Pentecostals and charismatics are growing and influencing, but they also look a lot less like the Pentecostals and charismatics of a few decades ago.
Many in the movement are shying away from the oddities and excesses of Pentecostalism, while evangelicals are moving toward the theology of Spirit-filled and Spirit-led ministries.
I see both of those trends continuing.
If you are interested, here is my series on the continualist movement:
Trend #3: Networks Will Explode in Number and Influence
Denominations still matter—and they actually, for example, do most of the church planting in North America. However, networks are growing in influence and impact.
Ironically, some networks are going to become denominations (or denomination-like). For example, both the Vineyard and Calvary Chapel, some of the early forerunners of networks, basically function like denominations today.
Networks are predominantly made up of nondenominational evangelical churches. The fastest growing category in North America is nondenominational evangelicalism—so growth here is inevitable.
The future is less mainline denominations or flat evangelical denominations, and more nondenominational evangelical networks.
All of these trends have implications—some good, and some not so good. But facts are our friends. As we look to the years ahead, we need to do so with discernment and hope about what God is doing in the world through his churches.
