Tarrying Time: A Black Liberative Exploration of the Tradition of Waiting for the Holy Spirit

This paper critically examines the Black Pentecostal and Holiness tradition of “tarrying for the Holy Ghost” through the lens of Black liberation theology and the theological concept of time. Rooted in Acts 1:8, where believers are instructed to wait for the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, tarrying has historically functioned as a communal spiritual practice of prayerful anticipation. Within the Black Church, this ritualized waiting has signified hope, preparation, and divine empowerment for witness. Yet the practice also raises critical questions about ecclesial authority, agency, and spiritual validation. Who determines when the Spirit has been received, and how does the language of waiting shape the experiences of congregants, particularly women and young converts? This study interprets tarrying as both liberative anticipation and regulated spiritual delay. By interrogating the temporal structure of tarrying, the paper explores how spiritual longing, institutional authority, and communal formation intersect, proposing a re-reading of tarrying as active preparation for Spirit-empowered liberation and prophetic witness.