The Missionary Bands of the World, initially known as the Pentecost Bands, were an evangelistic movement that emerged within the Free Methodist Church in the late 1880s. Founded by Vivan Dake, these bands focused on sending young, unmarried men and women to preach the gospel in various locations, including the American Midwest, West, and South. They played a significant role in the Holiness movement.
In 1882, Vivan Dake, a Free Methodist minister, organized the first Pentecost Band in Mankato, Minnesota. Three years later, in 1885, Dake formally established the Pentecost Bands in Parma, Michigan, marking a significant step in the movement’s development. In 1895, the Pentecost Bands separated from the Free Methodist Church, leading to the creation of a new organization known as the Missionary Bands of the World. This organization would officially adopt that name in 1925. Later, in 1958, the Missionary Bands of the World merged with the Wesleyan Methodist Church, bringing with them mission fields in India, Jamaica, and other international locations.