Episode 161 • 20th November 2025 • The Living Church
What can we learn from surprising encounters between Catholics and Pentecostals?
In 1906, in a no-count Los Angeles storefront, a one-eyed preacher named William Seymour, son of former slaves, began leading services on Azuza Street.
Azuza Street has gone down in history as the catalyst of the Pentecostal movement, one of the largest groups of Christians in the world today. But it’s also had deep impact on much older traditions, including the Roman Catholic Church. Charismatic Catholics owe much to brothers and sisters whose practices may make them scratch their heads.
On the other hand, maybe you’ve noticed the—could we call it?— “revival” among free-church Christians in interest in liturgy, tradition, and the sacraments.
This is the generous way God works, giving us encounters we would never have found for ourselves, and helping us share our gifts across time, space, and difference.
Today we’ll hear from a Roman Catholic missioner and a Pentecostal theologian who have been walking together this surprising road of Christian unity, and we’ll hear some of their stories.
Nathan Smith serves as the Director of Ecumenism for Glenmary Home Missioners and as a consultant for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs. In his ministry, he seeks to foster reconciliation between the Catholic Church, Evangelicals and Pentecostals. He also served with the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity at the 2024 Global Christian Forum gathering.
The Rev. Dr. David Han is the Dean of the Faculty at Pentecostal Theological Seminary and is involved in various ecumenical activities such as the Global Christian Forum, the Wesleyan Holiness Connection, the International Pentecostal and Anglican Commission, and the Catholic and Pentecostal Dialogue in the United States.
Now hold on to your rosaries. But stay ready to shout amen. We hope you enjoy the conversation.
From this episode:
US Conference of Catholic Bishops Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs
Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity
International Pentecostal and Anglican Commission
Catholic and Pentecostal Dialogue
From the ads:
Amber D. Noel, M.Div., directs the public-facing programs of The Living Church, including the podcast, events, and the Partner program. Outside of work, she is a writer and enjoys life in Atlanta.
