William Seymour
Dare to Hope!
William Seymour
(1870-1922)
“ ‘We belong to the whole body of Christ’ is a phrase that might well be applied to the band of worshipers who gathered together in the Azusa Street Mission in April of 1906. . . . Seymour cannot be claimed only by the blacks, or the Pentecostals; he belongs to the whole body of Christ—of all nations, races, and peoples. And the baptism in the Holy Spirit, with the accompanying gifts and graces does not belong only to the Pentecostals, but to the whole body of Christ—indeed unto
‘as many as the Lord our God shall call’ (Acts 2:39).”
— Frank Bartleman (1871-1936), minister and unofficial historian of Azusa Street revival
William Seymour: Hope from a Warehouse
William Seymour (1870-1922), a Black preacher blind in one eye, began holding revival meetings in a simple warehouse at Azusa Street in Los Angeles a century ago. He called it the Apostolic Faith Mission. Seymour was the son of former slaves and he shared their simple faith. As he and a few other faithful people were seeking God, the Holy Spirit fell on them as at Pentecost and they began to speak in tongues. Out of their passion for God they started a church in the only building they could afford and their impact eventually reached the world.
The building at Azusa Street had been a warehouse and had recently been used as a stable, like Jesus’ birthplace. Seymour and a small group of Blacks who were with him pitched in and cleaned it up. The seats were made of planks and the pulpit consisted of wooden crates, but eventually as many as 600 people of all races would crowd inside a space only 40 by 60 feet, with hundreds more outside. The walls were lined with crutches and wheelchairs no longer needed after people were healed. Thousands of people came from everywhere.
C. H. Mason, founder of the Church of God in Christ, went there to find out about the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. He said, “The first day in the meeting I sat to myself, away from those that went with me. I began to thank God in my heart for all things, for when I heard some speak in tongues, I knew it was right, though I did not understand it. Nevertheless, it was sweet to me.”
Miraculously, in a day of racial prejudice, many of the people who came were White. Some eventually founded denominations like the Assemblies of God that have reached millions.
Church historian Vinson Synan wrote, “What happened at Azusa Street during the next three years was to change the course of church history. . . . The central attraction was tongues, with the addition of traditional Black worship styles that included shouting, trances, and the holy dance. There was no order of service, since ‘the Holy Ghost was in control.’ No offerings were taken, although a box hung on the wall proclaimed, ‘Settle with the Lord.’ Altar workers enthusiastically prayed with seekers. It was a noisy place, and services lasted into the night.
“Though local newspaper coverage spoke cynically about the ‘weird babble of tongues’ of ‘colored mammys,’ on street corners and trolley cars, the news intrigued the city. Whole congregations came en masse to Azusa Street and stayed while their former churches disappeared. Other Pentecostal centers soon sprang up around town.”
While attending the Azusa Street meetings, Mason was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues. Seymour considered tongues to be a sign of unity, like the day of Pentecost, crossing racial lines. He said, “Don’t go out of here talking about tongues: talk about Jesus.” Frank Bartleman, a minister and historian of the movement, said, “The color line has been washed away in the Blood.”
For more than three years the Apostolic Faith Mission at Azusa Street met three times a day, seven days a week. The results have increased exponentially worldwide since that time.
Whether your church meets in a cathedral, a stable or a warehouse, hope that God will bless your dedication with results as great as theirs. It’s not the size of the building that matters, but the enlargement of your heart.
William Seymour (1870-1922), a Black preacher blind in one eye, began holding revival meetings in a simple warehouse at Azusa Street in Los Angeles a century ago. He called it the Apostolic Faith Mission. Seymour was the son of former slaves and he shared their simple faith. As he and a few other faithful people were seeking God, the Holy Spirit fell on them as at Pentecost and they began to speak in tongues. Out of their passion for God they started a church in the only building they could afford and their impact eventually reached the world.
The building at Azusa Street had been a warehouse and had recently been used as a stable, like Jesus’ birthplace. Seymour and a small group of Blacks who were with him pitched in and cleaned it up. The seats were made of planks and the pulpit consisted of wooden crates, but eventually as many as 600 people of all races would crowd inside a space only 40 by 60 feet, with hundreds more outside. The walls were lined with crutches and wheelchairs no longer needed after people were healed. Thousands of people came from everywhere.
C. H. Mason, founder of the Church of God in Christ, went there to find out about the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. He said, “The first day in the meeting I sat to myself, away from those that went with me. I began to thank God in my heart for all things, for when I heard some speak in tongues, I knew it was right, though I did not understand it. Nevertheless, it was sweet to me.”
Miraculously, in a day of racial prejudice, many of the people who came were White. Some eventually founded denominations like the Assemblies of God that have reached millions.
Church historian Vinson Synan wrote, “What happened at Azusa Street during the next three years was to change the course of church history. . . . The central attraction was tongues, with the addition of traditional Black worship styles that included shouting, trances, and the holy dance. There was no order of service, since ‘the Holy Ghost was in control.’ No offerings were taken, although a box hung on the wall proclaimed, ‘Settle with the Lord.’ Altar workers enthusiastically prayed with seekers. It was a noisy place, and services lasted into the night.
“Though local newspaper coverage spoke cynically about the ‘weird babble of tongues’ of ‘colored mammys,’ on street corners and trolley cars, the news intrigued the city. Whole congregations came en masse to Azusa Street and stayed while their former churches disappeared. Other Pentecostal centers soon sprang up around town.”
While attending the Azusa Street meetings, Mason was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues. Seymour considered tongues to be a sign of unity, like the day of Pentecost, crossing racial lines. He said, “Don’t go out of here talking about tongues: talk about Jesus.” Frank Bartleman, a minister and historian of the movement, said, “The color line has been washed away in the Blood.”
For more than three years the Apostolic Faith Mission at Azusa Street met three times a day, seven days a week. The results have increased exponentially worldwide since that time.
Whether your church meets in a cathedral, a stable or a warehouse, hope that God will bless your dedication with results as great as theirs. It’s not the size of the building that matters, but the enlargement of your heart.
