Azusa Street Revival

Pocket Dictionary of Church History: Over 300 Terms Clearly and Concisely Defined Seymour, William J. (1870–1922)

Seymour, William J. (1870–1922). Leading revivalist of the *Azusa Street revival and pastor of the Apostolic Faith Gospel Mission in Los Angeles, Seymour rose from being the son of slaves to become one of the most influential personalities in the modern *Pentecostal movement. After studies in Charles F. *Parham’s school in Houston, Texas, Seymour was invited to hold meetings in the Los Angeles area. It was there that a charismatic revival began in 1906, lasting one thousand days with at least three meetings per day.

Nelson’s New Christian Dictionary Parham, Charles Fox

Parham, Charles Fox (1873–1929) Pioneering Pentecostal leader. In 1900 he established a Bible school in Topeka, Kansas, where he taught the apostolic faith regarding the baptism of the Holy Spirit, including speaking in tongues as its initial sign. In 1901 one of his students, Agnes Ozman, experienced the blessing and sign. Another of his students, William J. Seymour, a black Holiness evangelist, took the new message to Los Angeles where, at Azusa Street, it made history. However, the Azusa Street Revival dealt a blow to Parham’s prominence in the new movement. The final blow came when Parham was arrested in 1907 on charges of sodomy. Although the charges were eventually dropped, he never recovered his leadership and died comparatively unknown among the later generation of Pentecostals.