Customer Reviews

Growing Up Pentecostal

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Philip Yancey's "What's So Amazing About Grace?" has a memorable admonition that as Christians, you must learn to separate the Gospel from the sub-culture in which you learned it. If you grew up Pentecostal in the 50s/60s/70s, you definitely experienced a sub-culture like no other. This book details the many facets of that sub-culture. Having grown up in the Church of God, like the author, but with many fewer siblings, I enjoyed reading the tales that Conn presents about the time. The laugh out loud moments were too many to count. I still wonder what the lady in the airplane seat next to me thought about what I was reading. Along with the humorous stories, the book presents many figures that have laid a rich heritage in the Pentecostal tradition. The stories about the late Charles Beach were inspiring to read. This was a man who spent time every day praying for everyone with whom he'd ever personally shared Christ. That number had to be in the hundreds, if not thousands. James Slay, Eva Mae Lefevre, Earl Paul Sr., and Ray H. Hughes are just a few of the Church of God personalities mentioned in this book. If you grew up Pentecostal or want to hear about the way it was, this book is worth the time.

Very rarely are words absent from my fingertips, hindering my ability to write a review on an excellent book. Today, however, I am having such a dilemma because this book has almost left me speechless. In fact, I had just gotten the kids off to school and settled in to finish its last two chapters, when an alarm set on "snooze" in the next room began obnoxiously sounding off. That alarm yelled out its insufferable collage of squeaks and horns for 42 entire minutes, and I didn't even care. I was NOT going to put that book down NOW!

In his true story,Growing Up Pentecostal, J. Stephen Conn effortlessly carries his readers down the captivating, hilarious, and tenderly emotional road that is/was his life.

Mr. Conn bravely and honestly lays his whole heart wide open for the world to see. He lets his readers watch as he candidly examines the deepest crevices of his thought life while growing up as a preacher's kid, and lets us know what he's learned along the way. It leaves the reader with a fresh and renewed awareness that every single one of us, even preachers and their kids, are all still very human. We simply share a bond that includes desperately needing Jesus for every breath, every heartbeat, every second of every day, and in every circumstance of life that comes along.

Having not grown up in church one single day in my childhood, this book gave me a delightful look at the people I always perceived to be the "lucky" ones. I was so very lonely in my love for Jesus when I was a child.

Mr. Conn, your book is a wonderful gift to any pair of hands that hold it. Through your story, you prove that anything can be accomplished when one surrenders the reigns to Jesus and lets Him do the steering. You taught me to take risks- to jump right out there, unafraid- and let the will of God be done in my life. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for writing your life's story.


Carrie Lynn Jones
Author of It All Began... When Jesus Gave Me Sneakers

For the first 17 chapters, I just could not put down Stephen Conn's new book, "Growing Up Pentecostal"! My emotions were "reeling" between laughter, shock, sorrow, and disbelief. Stephen Conn's style is a combination of history, humor, biography, and religious documentation. I was completely "in the dark" about the Pentecostal religion; thus, as the story unfolded, I became completely lost in this superb book.

I often found myself laughing out loud, especially concerning the various childhood "clubs" that Conn describes. I found myself in awe of this incredible family and their ability to find "wealth" of spirit, regardless of financial burdens.

The last few chapters were not as satisfactory for me because I felt such sorrow for this young man who seemed so desperate to find meaning in his religion and to believe that his religion was the one true religion. I seemed to read between the lines that this was an extremely strict and confining experience. But, I was glad to vicariously experience these fanatical extremes via a book rather than via my own religious upbringing.

I think that "Growing Up Pentecostal" is an extremely valuable book to document fundamentalism, to document another time in America, and to document a way of life for a Pentecostal minister and his children, especially Stephen.

Accolades are deserved by Stephen Conn for his fine writing abilities, his humorous tales, his painfully truthful presentation, and his sense of self. I highly recommend "Growing Up Pentecostal".

J. Stephen Conn's biography, "Growing Up Pentecostal," provides a keen insight into the Church of God from the perspective of a child growing to manhood. Conn's wit, candor, and ability to look over the horizon in both directions create a fun and fascinating journey. From the first pages sketching the author's parents, the book follows Conn from earliest memories to the cusp of independence and manhood. Conn's journey is not just one of physical maturity, but also of spiritual growth. From the blind faith of a child to the graceful faith of maturity, Conn unflinchingly bares his soul's groaning while keeping the pace quick and the subject matter light.

The settings and situations are unique. Only Conn's Church of God holds the hands-down absolute conservative holiness Pentecostal line during a period of shifting values and emerging consumerism. The narratives tell as much about the time as they do the author. Conn's explanation of the Church of God's debate over the wear of wedding rings provides humor, insight, and even a bit of pastoral theology. The reader easily connects with Conn's amazement and anguish as he listens to the elders debate the issue with fervor and venom yet without Godly discernment.

For the uninitiated, Conn's tales of deprivation from television, movies, or other "worldly" entertainments as a preacher's kid seem almost too much to believe. The author takes us to a place even more sterile than Andy Griffith's fictionalized Mayberry. When mixed bathing (swimming with a member of the opposite gender) is a mortal sin and even drinking a Coke from a bottle might earn you a rebuke from a conscientious sister, the modern reader might likely respond with disbelief. Not so in this instance. The writer's narrative carries the ring of unvarnished truth.

This book commends itself on several levels particularly for those with a love for the Christian church. As a "just for fun" read, this book compares favorably with Brother Andrew's "God's Smuggler." Christian autobiography provides a wealth of valuable encouragement and instruction, and my children will receive this volume as part of their faith journey. I plan to give a copy to my church library as well, since a good book that respects the ethos of the Christian faith is hard to find.

Buy this book, find a comfortable spot, and turn-off your cell phone. Allow the author gently take you to a time of crew cuts, bobby socks, and the birth of rock and roll music, juxtaposed against a church where Hell lies waiting for those with pierced ears or bowling balls. Be sure to read this book in private so you won't need to explain your sudden laughter, gasps for breath, head shakes, or chuckles. More importantly, you won't have to share your copy!

Having had a grandfather who was a Church of God minister, I can relate to a lot of what the author experienced. Tales of dress codes, and strict modes of behavior were the norm for Pentecostals of old.

The author speaks in a me-to-you tone; you get the idea that he is narrating a life that was at once typical Pentecostal yet special because of his own unique experiences.

I can relate to his experience of "being horrified" of the Holy Ghost. The way He was spoken of in some Pentecostal and Charismatic circles, you'd think He was ready to "get you" at any moment.

A very moving, heartfelt story that makes for an entertaining read even if you did not grow up in this branch of Christianity. And if you didn't, this book will be a real eye opener!

Highly recommended!

J Stephen Conn has written a vivid, captivating account of his "growing up" years in Cleveland TN (even though he was born in Missouri---in the family of a pastor, author, educator, and denominational executive, all rolled into one man.

This brilliant retelling kept me spellbound for a couple of hours for several reasons:

First, I lived in TN--in that very same city, only a few blocks away from the places he describes--and know several of the people that he mentions in this great story.

Second, Conn writes with a warmth and brilliance that will capture anyone's heart. It's better than the "Waltons" of the 1970s fame, and funnier too.

Finally, J Stephen Conn has written about himself in very lucid, candid, and honest terms. He is neither overly critical, nor overly praising of himself. That is refreshing for any author, and even moreso for his readers.

This is a tremendous book.

Although I am not a Pentecostal, I read this book out of curiosity because I have Pentecostal friends. I was so caught up in the story that I could hardly put the book down. In fact, I read it twice in a week. The book opens the door to an amazing world and is highly entertaining.

I expected "Growing Up Pentecostal" to either try to convince the reader of the merits of the Pentecostal faith or to be an expose showing the shortcomings of Pentecostalism. It did neither. Instead, it is a brilliantly written "coming of age" story which sometimes had me laughing and at other times close to tears.

Mr. Conn tells his story with an almost brutal honesty, especially when he talks of his own doubts and of his relationship with his father. Although he is (or was) a preacher, Mr. Conn does not preach or try to persuade in this book. He simply shares an amazing tale that kept my rapt attention from the first page to the very end.

This was a very well written book where J Stephen Conn shares with the reader his life growing up in a Pentecostal home. At times I laughed out loud and I've shared several of his stories with friends in the past couple of weeks. There were parts that I could relate to from my own upbringing and there were parts I hope my kids never experience (hint: most of the clubs). It really is a very personal view that the author shares with us and really let's us experience being in a Pentecostal home with 11 other siblings on a pastor's salary. I was moved throughout the book and thought J Stephen Conn's writing style is very down to earth.

Having never been Pentecostal (and having never attended a Pentecostal service) I have to admit I am curious to see how much things have changed from the description we are given of the Pentecostal church 40 years ago and now. I believe he puts a human face on something that has been misunderstood over the decades.

J Stephen Conn has written a work that will capture your heart and keep you turning the pages from beginning to end. The story? that of his life told in a down to earth storytelling manner that will win you over; I promise.
Taking us from his childhood in a house packed full of brothers and sisters, Conn relates his growing up years with honesty and humor. He openly shares the doubts that troubled him concerning his faith, and his day of finally becoming a true believer is a real winner. That certainly was one of my favorite stories. To me, the tales of his childhood days are priceless and you will savor each one like a delicious morsel.
Things become a little more serious for our author as he grows and experiences life and all this world throws at us, but even in this Mr.Conn is frank and honest about his emotions and what he experienced and that I found to be refreshing.
Take it from one who has read countless stories of many lives; this one is not the norm, but is one that has been told from the heart with an easy down-home flow that will keep your interest, teach you a few things and bring you reading pleasure.
Recommended.

and you got saved every summer during the revival, whether you needed it or not -- if you spent a week going to Camp Meeting every July, and youth camp in June -- if bees could have lived in your mother's hair and your father had to hide to smoke or drink, you might have grown up Pentecostal in the South! And you know what a disorganized cultural bondage that was! But there is life after all that bondage - our ancestors walked in all the light they would accept - and it's not all bad, but there's a lot of useless emphasis on outward appearance, while` Grace is a foreign concept, and fear is the stock-in-trade.
This book spells out and laughs at us all - and tells us it's alright. Growing up Pentecostal, once you've survived it, is like eating watermelon. The meat of grace is wonderful, as long as you spit out the seeds of legalism and fear. I intend to buy a copy for all my cousins who are likewise wrestling with the rules, rather than accepting the Grace.