Samenvatting

This thesis explores the teachings and practices of miracles according to the leadership of two Dutch Classical Pentecostal churches and two African Initiated Pentecostal churches in Amsterdam South-East. Dutch Classical Pentecostals lay emphasis on direct personal experience of God through the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the continual use of the spiritual gifts described in the Bible. African Initiated Pentecostals emerged out of several new and independent congregations that were formed in Amsterdam South-East by African foreigners, and they are distinguished by their emphasis on the Holy Spirit.
In this thesis, most of the respondent leaders of the Dutch and African Pentecostal churches attribute miracles to supernatural manifestations. With regards to their position of miracles today, they are all non-cessationists. Further result shows that there is different perception of miracles among Dutch and African Pentecostals but both groups share common theological beliefs. Significantly for both groups also, miracles serve as important assets to confirm that God is still at work in today's church. Final result reveals some Dutch Pentecostal leaders believe that different miracle perceptions contribute to absence or few memberships of African Pentecostals in their churches. African Pentecostal leaders, however, do not believe different miracle perception as the reason why they (Africans) are not attracted to the Dutch churches, but rather attribute the cause to demographic factors, different cultural and worship expressions.