Azusa Street Revival, the muddled history of Pentecostalism
Azusa street revival is the most important thing which has ever happened to Pentecostalism. If the Azusa street meetings had not taken place, Pentecostalism would not have existed. Azusa street revival is also known by many as the second beginning of Pentecostalism, it was from here that the movement started by Parham was taken over and forward by William Seymour, a black evangelist. Therefore we need to expound on what really transpired during those meetings. The truth underlying the beginning of everything normally tells much about its nature.
In 1903 Seymour had attended Charles Parham's Bible school in Houston, Texas where he became committed to another false doctrine, that the Christian must be subsequently "baptized in the Holy Spirit with the initial evidence of tongues." In early 1906 Seymour was invited to Los Angeles to pastor a small holiness group which, at the time of the invitation, the church was pastored by Julie Hutchins.
Upon his arrival in Los Angeles, Seymour preached only one sermon before being locked out of the church which had invited him. In his sermon he had declared that tongues were the evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit. He said this in spite of the fact that he himself had never spoken in tongues!
Seymour moved his meetings to a home and then to an abandoned building on Azusa Street, and strange phenomena began to be evidenced. The meetings lasted more than three years, and large numbers of people visited Azusa Street to seek their own Pentecost, subsequently taking the Pentecostal theology and experience back to their homes.
Eye witnesses reported a major involvement in spiritism. Azusa Street drew in spiritualists and mediums and contemporaries of that day were reporting satanic trances and other outlandish and occult behavior.4
Ted Olsen reports that “The meetings began in the mornings and continued for at least 12 hours. There was no order of services and usually no one leading. People sang at the same time but "with completely different syllables, rhythms, and melodies"5
The members of the Azusa mission introduced changes they thought where necessary, emotional modes of religious expression, high spirit singing, spontaneous testimonies, un orderly prayers and spontaneous sermons were viewed important to replace the formal (orderly) worship services, Lecture centers and elegant cathedrals replaced camp meetings, people began yearning for a form of worship that would satisfy their spiritual desires, emotional, psychological, and physical needs. This new religion (Pentecostalism) seemed to fulfill these needs to its members, and then promising victory for them.
The services were characterized by much confusion: dancing, jumping up and down, falling, trances, slaying in the spirit, "tongues," jerking, hysteria, strange noises, and "holy laughter." One visitor described the meetings as "wild, hysterical demonstrations." The seekers would be "seized with a strange spell and commence a jibberish of sounds." A Times reporter noted that the participants "work themselves into a state of mad excitement in their peculiar zeal."6
According to eye witnesses, the movements main problem was the differences in its members beliefs, witch doctors, Satanists, Christians, scientist, cult members, young and old gathered at the Azusa Mission with each influencing in their own way. The movement members had no other choice than to break away from their mother churches so that they carry on with their new faith.
Clarence Larkin, a theologian who existed during the formation of the Pentecostal movement and was an eye witness to the activities which happened at Azusa Street had had this eye witness report
"But the conduct of those possessed, in which they fall to the ground and writhe in contortions, causing disarrangement's of the clothing and disgraceful scenes, is more a characteristic of demon possession, than a work of the Holy Spirit. From what has been said we see that we are living in "Perilous Times," and that all about us are "Seducing Spirits," and that they will become more active as the Dispensation draws to its close, and that we must exert the greatest care lest we be led astray.7
In 1903 Seymour had attended Charles Parham's Bible school in Houston, Texas where he became committed to another false doctrine, that the Christian must be subsequently "baptized in the Holy Spirit with the initial evidence of tongues." In early 1906 Seymour was invited to Los Angeles to pastor a small holiness group which, at the time of the invitation, the church was pastored by Julie Hutchins.
Upon his arrival in Los Angeles, Seymour preached only one sermon before being locked out of the church which had invited him. In his sermon he had declared that tongues were the evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit. He said this in spite of the fact that he himself had never spoken in tongues!
Seymour moved his meetings to a home and then to an abandoned building on Azusa Street, and strange phenomena began to be evidenced. The meetings lasted more than three years, and large numbers of people visited Azusa Street to seek their own Pentecost, subsequently taking the Pentecostal theology and experience back to their homes.
Eye witnesses reported a major involvement in spiritism. Azusa Street drew in spiritualists and mediums and contemporaries of that day were reporting satanic trances and other outlandish and occult behavior.4
Ted Olsen reports that “The meetings began in the mornings and continued for at least 12 hours. There was no order of services and usually no one leading. People sang at the same time but "with completely different syllables, rhythms, and melodies"5
The members of the Azusa mission introduced changes they thought where necessary, emotional modes of religious expression, high spirit singing, spontaneous testimonies, un orderly prayers and spontaneous sermons were viewed important to replace the formal (orderly) worship services, Lecture centers and elegant cathedrals replaced camp meetings, people began yearning for a form of worship that would satisfy their spiritual desires, emotional, psychological, and physical needs. This new religion (Pentecostalism) seemed to fulfill these needs to its members, and then promising victory for them.
The services were characterized by much confusion: dancing, jumping up and down, falling, trances, slaying in the spirit, "tongues," jerking, hysteria, strange noises, and "holy laughter." One visitor described the meetings as "wild, hysterical demonstrations." The seekers would be "seized with a strange spell and commence a jibberish of sounds." A Times reporter noted that the participants "work themselves into a state of mad excitement in their peculiar zeal."6
According to eye witnesses, the movements main problem was the differences in its members beliefs, witch doctors, Satanists, Christians, scientist, cult members, young and old gathered at the Azusa Mission with each influencing in their own way. The movement members had no other choice than to break away from their mother churches so that they carry on with their new faith.
Clarence Larkin, a theologian who existed during the formation of the Pentecostal movement and was an eye witness to the activities which happened at Azusa Street had had this eye witness report
"But the conduct of those possessed, in which they fall to the ground and writhe in contortions, causing disarrangement's of the clothing and disgraceful scenes, is more a characteristic of demon possession, than a work of the Holy Spirit. From what has been said we see that we are living in "Perilous Times," and that all about us are "Seducing Spirits," and that they will become more active as the Dispensation draws to its close, and that we must exert the greatest care lest we be led astray.7
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