Pentecostal awakenings and Pentecostal congregations by nature and experience have existed in various denominations throughout the centuries since the first Pentecost in Jerusalem. As a denominational family of their own, Pentecostal congregations have emerged in many parts of the world since the beginning of the 20th century. The beginnings of the modern Pentecostal churches are in North America and Europe, but they have found their strongest spread in South America, Africa and Asia.

At the beginning of the 21st century, between 220 and 250 million people belong to Pentecostal churches, making them the second largest denomination worldwide. In Europe, Pentecostal churches are especially widespread in Scandinavia, Russia, Romania, Italy and France. Pentecostal churches bear different names; in some cases, different Pentecostal movements can be found within one country.

The emphasis of their work has always been more on commonalities of faith, experience of God and Christian mission than on uniform structures. In the framework of the Pentecostal European Fellowship (PEF), most Pentecostal churches in Europe work together or organize joint conferences.

Such associations also exist in other parts of the world. Worldwide institutions of the Pentecostal movement are World Assemblies of God Fellowship and World Pentecostal Conference.