Pentecostal Interview Paper

In recent decades, there has been a dramatic transformation in religious practices within the Latin American community. Many Latin Americans are shifting away from the traditional Catholic church and are finding their religious identity within the Pentecostal religion. The Pentecostal church focuses heavily on the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is central to how Pentecostals live and conduct their daily activities, and is a power who speaks, defines, directs and frees individuals (Gabaitse, 2015). For this paper, I decided to interview my friend Janet who identifies as a Puerto Rican Pentecostal women. I conducted this interview in her mother’s home, with the aroma of arroz con gandules and pernil filling the air. Every time I visit, Janet’s

She recalls that they always had a strong bond with God and valued religion. After coming to the states, Olga and her parents attended the Catholic church regularly, however they longed to be a part of something more intimate and familiar. They found this sense of unity when visiting their local Pentecostal church. Her uncle even became a priest. Janet was ten years old when her family began practicing this religion. She stated that her mother became involved with a man who was addicted to heroin but later became saved. They eventually married and Olga felt that her husband needed to be a part of a religion that aligned with their beliefs but was also strict and could hold him accountable for his actions. Olga’s new-found marriage heavily impacted her decision to join the Pentecostal church. When asked what it was like to have such a massive shift in religiosity, Janet said: “It was a big adjustment for me. My family was always highly religious, however now our lives revolved around the church. We attended services at the very least, three times a week. We spent a lot of time volunteering at soup kitchens, conducting coat drives, and teaching the children at the church. There were so many harsh rules that we had to abide by as members of the Pentecostal church, as I grew older I began to resent the religion. I could not play with kids from my school, I did not have much of a social life. Church was my life period, we ate, slept, and breathed Pentecostalism”. Janet described her experience as being all she knew at the time but looking back now, kind of “ridiculous”. Pentecostal women are not allowed to wear pants, and all dresses and skirts must be past the knee. They are forbidden to wear makeup, earrings, and bathing suits for breaking any of these rules is considered a sin to God. However, women are seen as being equal to men in that women are allowed to become Pentecostal