Pentecostalism, especially in the Southern Hemisphere seems unstoppable. A scholar of the movement, David Martin, spoke here last night. He was very hesitant to make the following statement, but made it nonetheless: "In the Church, schism may be a good thing." What he meant of course, was that God providentially uses division in the Church quite effectively to further unfurl the message of the Gospel.
Now good Catholics may shake their heads at that statement as characteristically Protestant. But let me share with you another quote,
"Could it not be that these divisions have also been a path continually leading the Church to discover the untold wealth contained in Christ's Gospel and in the redemption accomplished by Christ? Perhaps all this wealth would not have come to light otherwise..."I got that one from a book by a Catholic. Perhaps you've heard of him?
