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America encouraged bible study groups and intercession among middle class women. Their leaders are linked to Neo-Pentecostal and independent Pentecostal churches. Both groups have contributed indirectly to the emergence of Neo-Pentecostal and Charismatic churches among the middle and high classes.\u000A3. Growth within Protestantism\u000AThe Neo-Pentecostals emerged in the context of Guatemalan Protestantism. They started in lands fertilized by a hundred years of Protestant history and presence in the country. A number of the members came from Pentecostal and historic churches. The LDG church was born from five churches that belonged to the central synod of the Presbyterian Church. At the same time, NEOP was born fundamentally as a result of a local revival and from the initiative, vision and leadership of the founding pastors and in this way NPCs became indigenous. The local character of Guatemalan Pentecostalism is a key factor in its growth and expansion.28 At the same time Neo-Pentecostals acquired autonomy and their own life as a new aspect of Protestantism.\u000AEven though NEOP was born in a context of Pentecostal and Presbyterian churches it has its own character. These churches influence both the Charismatic Catholics as well as other Evangelical churches. Some would even dare to suggest that some sort of process of pentecostalization is occurring within the heart of the Evangelical churches. Evangelical and Charismatic churches have adopted liturgical forms, evangelistic strategies, a \u2018spiritual warfare\u2019 worldview, use of mass media, among others. Canton calls this process the \u2018pentecostalization\u2019 of their political culture which includes the ways the converts interpret their sociological problems, war or economic crisis from a religious and ideological vision (1998:4). So without taking away from the influence of the NPCs on the Evangelical world, it is important to affirm that they reflect in their profile key characteristics of the\u000A28 Virginia Garrard-Burnett, \u2018Commentary chapter five\u2019, garrad@mail.utexas.edu 19-03-06. Freston points out that Pentecostalism growth fast in whole Latin America (1998a: 335-358). The indigenization of the Evangelical church started when the national leaders assumed the leadership of the Historic churches in the 1960s. Even though Protestantism came from outside it took root in Guatemala and the rest of Latin America.\u000A 67\u000A


































































































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