AZUSA STREET: The Revival Behind the Legend

What really happened at Azusa Street? William Seymour’s revival helped shape modern Pentecostal Christianity, but its own newspaper tells a more complicated story than the one many of us grew up hearing. In this follow-up to the Welsh Revival, we look at Seymour, Charles Parham, speaking in tongues, missionary expectations, racial divisions, and the corrections published in The Apostolic Faith. We also look at how Seymour lost influence within the movement he helped build. I’m a charismatic pastor, and I believe God was at work at Azusa. I also think we should be able to talk honestly about what went wrong. Some of what I found challenged the familiar revival story. Some of it challenged the criticisms, too. We can respect William Seymour and still examine what he taught. His willingness to reconsider may have more to teach us than another story about God’s Generals. What were you taught about Azusa Street? Let me know in the comments. Subscribe for more conversations about revival history, church leadership, and charismatic Christianity. SOURCES AND FURTHER READING Original documents: • The Apostolic Faith (Los Angeles), October 1906, no. 2, p. 1 — missionary reports and claims about speaking unlearned foreign languages. • The Apostolic Faith, January 1907, no. 5, p. 2 — “Receive ye the Holy Ghost,” “The Church Question,” and “Gifts of the Spirit.” Teaching on salvation, love, tongues, personal edification, and order in worship. • The Apostolic Faith, April 1907, no. 7, p. 1 — “In Calcutta, India,” a report from A. G. Garr that includes writing in tongues. • The Apostolic Faith, May 1907, no. 8, pp. 1–2 — A. A. Boddy’s account of Pentecostal experience in England; “At Azusa Mission,” describing arrangements for people seeking salvation and Spirit baptism. • The Apostolic Faith, September 1907, no. 10, p. 2 — notice discouraging writing in unknown languages and urging that experiences be measured against Scripture. • The Apostolic Faith, January 1908, no. 12, p. 2 — “Correction,” addressing earlier reports about Portland, baptism numbers, and healing; information about free distribution, donations, and circulation. • The Apostolic Faith, May 1908, no. 13, p. 3 — the passage describing Pentecostal power as “more of God’s love.” • Sarah E. Parham, The Life of Charles F. Parham (1930), chapter XVII, “Try the Spirits,” printed pp. 161–170. Seymour’s invitation to Parham also appears on printed pp. 154–155. This biography contains several voices and partisan accounts; its allegations are distinguished from independently established events. Background and further reading: • Frank Bartleman, How Pentecost Came to Los Angeles (1925). • Gastón Espinosa, William J. Seymour and the Origins of Global Pentecostalism: A Biography and Documentary History (Duke University Press, 2014). Page references for The Apostolic Faith refer to the original newspaper pages. Historical testimony is cited as evidence of what people reported or believed, not automatic confirmation of every supernatural claim. ORIGINAL APOSTOLIC FAITH NEWSPAPERS https://share.google/bJHDgoiIkuEg8Pi52 #AzusaStreet #WilliamSeymour #churchhistory