The first part of this work constitutes of a presentation of the beginning,
development, organization and the institutionalization of the Pentecostal
Movement in Croatia. After the spontanious beginning among
the Germans in Slavonia at the beginning of the twentieth century, the
movement has developed among Croats in Slavonia during the Second
World War, while toward the end of the twentieth century it spread in
whole Croatia. At the beginning of the twenty first century there are five
denominations involved in the movement, among which the Evangelical
Pentecostal Church is the greatest in number.
The second part deals with the basic characteristics of the pentecostal
thought and practice: focus on Jesus Christ, baptism of the Holy
Spirit as fulfillment with power for witnessing, evangelism that brings
to conversion, encouragement for using the gifts of the Holy Spirit,
expressing the dynamic relationship with God in the service and the
awareness of the reality of Satan and the powers of evil.
Key words: God, Evangelical Pentecostal Church, evangelism, Jesus
Christ, Holy Spirit, baptism in the Holy Spirit, conversion