Why did many Pentecostals leave established Protestant churches to form new congregations?

Many early Pentecostals did not initially intend to leave their established Protestant churches. Instead, they sought to act as agents of reform, hoping to rid their congregations of what they perceived as growing formalism and worldliness, and to transform them into Spirit-filled communities similar to those described in the New Testament.1

However, this effort to transform mainstream denominations largely failed and was met with widespread opposition. As Pentecostal beliefs and practices—such as speaking in tongues and faith healing—gained traction, traditional churches often responded with hostility:

• Pastors who endorsed these practices were removed from their pulpits.1
• Missionaries sympathetic to the movement lost their financial support.1
• Parishioners who spoke in tongues were frequently expelled from their congregations.1
• Many traditional churches passed formal resolutions against the movement and pronounced anathemas or excommunications against Pentecostals.1

Because it became increasingly difficult to practice their faith within the institutional framework of conventional Protestantism, many Pentecostals withdrew to form their own independent congregations and denominations.1