Paper short abstract:

Based on interviews with church members in South Sudan and Uganda, this paper explores how Christians perceive the terms 'Pentecostal' and 'Evangelical' and establish relationships between denominations.

Paper long abstract:

Since the late 1980s, scholars studying Christianity in Africa have discussed the Pentecostal or Charismatic movement. Some studies refer to the 'born again', who have had a conversion experience in their Christian beliefs. At the same time, many scholars have found it difficult to distinguish between the Pentecostal, Charismatic, and Evangelical movements.

However, relatively few studies address the self-identification of African Christians for these denominations and the relationships between denominations or church-related organizations, and knowledge of these issues is useful for understanding the broader situation.

In this study, therefore, I intend to examine this issue through interviews with church members. I focus primarily on church members in South Sudan, but also address the situation in Uganda.

As a result of the interviews, I found the following: 1) church members in South Sudan and Uganda made clear distinctions between the Pentecostal, Evangelical, and Charismatic movements; 2) almost all churches have relationships with churches, organizations, and denominations in Africa and the world, and these relationships exert an influence on the activities of the churches; and 3) the term 'born again' is used not only in Evangelical churches but also in mainline churches. In fact, it is used in nearly all Protestant churches, though this is not the case in Catholic churches.

These findings illustrate how Christian churches in South Sudan conduct activities across denominations or organizations, maintaining distinct identities under the broad umbrella of people termed 'born again'. Moreover, Catholic activities are separate from Protestant ones, although their activities are similar.