History of the charismatic movement

Yesterday I read Peter & Else Vlug's biography 'And we have kept the faith...', which chronicles their key role in the post-war charismatic movement in the Netherlands. Fifty intense years, from the healing revivals of the Fifties and Sixties, megafestations like the One Way Days, the Vierhouten conferences and the March for Jesus, to the start of - now established - ministries like Opwekking, De Bron, EZA, HCF and Chris, and the more recent platforms for unity.

It's quite amazing what the Builders have accomplished. Most of the Evangelical organisations that have shaped the spiritual landscape of the Netherlands came out of the youth revivals of the Fifties and Sixties. There was a lot of vision and energy, and a practical hands-on mentality to realise things. There's much to be thankful for, as God worked miracles in those days and used the pioneering spirit of the Builders to bring renewal to the Church and start a new stream of missions.

The other side of the coin is endless Evangelical activism (working for God), lack of grace towards less active or less Spirit-filled believers, and manipulative leadership. Some people had strong personalities and could not be corrected, others led double lives. Although in their biography the Vlugs openly share about life's ups and downs, and address some of these issues, they seem to be avoiding the more difficult episodes.

In 1993 for instance it became public knowledge that Ben H., the most profiled evangelist in the Netherlands, with whom the Vlug's had partnered intensively for more than 30 years, had led a double life of preaching on holiness and revival while visiting prostitutes during most of his active ministry years. When this surfaced, the Evangelical leaders quickly closed ranks and decided not to publicly communicate about it. But of course the news spread anyway, Ben H. and the Vlugs separated ways and the evangelist's marriage broke down, causing a lot of confusion among their followers. Up to today no-one has openly shared what happened, and the Vlugs have kept this difficult episode out of their book. I'm sure they did it for pastoral reasons, but likely also to protect their ministry's reputation and interests, as they must have been aware of some of the issues at hand.

Looking back on the history of the charismatic movement in the Netherlands, I would be interested in an honest evaluation: what were the blessings and the mistakes, the strenghts and the weaknesses - so we can fully benefit and learn from it. How effective has the charismatic movement been in discipling people? What were the flaws in this movement's theological practice? I guess we have to wait for a more in-depth publication to really know.