The Asuza Street revival of 1906-1909 ushered into existence the worldwide twentieth century Pentecostal renewal. The Assemblies of God was born from this renewal.
In order to trace the roots of the Assemblies of God and Azusa Street Revival, we must go back in history and see what the conditions were and what caused the hand of God to move in such a mighty way. At the turn of the century, Los Angeles was growing in population. The population was:104,266 in 1900. The city had a group of strong Christians that had been challenged by the Welsh Revival. They met regularly to pray. The group was united by bible study and prayer, and included all social classes that wanted an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
The central players in the Azusa event were: Charles Parham, William J. Seymour, Frank Bartleman, and a building called the Azusa Street Mission. Parham was considered to be the theological father of the revival event though he was not present at the beginning. Parham was a former Methodist minister from Kansas who had started a healing home in Topeka. His students were invited to study scriptures in a small bible community. There was no tuition charged, but they were required to live by faith. Parham taught: justification by faith, sanctification as second work of grace, divine healing and the premellennial second coming of Christ.
In 1901, one of Parham’s students received the baptism in the Holy Spirit. She began to speak in tongues as the spirit gave utterance. Parham studied the scripture and constructed his thesis that glossolalia was the biblical evidence of being baptized in the Holy Spirit. In 1905, the school was moved to Houston, Texas, where the same charismatic manifestations occurred.
William J. Seymour joined the school. He was a southern black holiness preacher. Seymour accepted the teaching on tongues, but did not experience that in Houston. The mantle of leadership in the Pentecostal movement was to be transferred from Parham to Seymour and the place of blessing from Houston to Los Angeles.
In 1906, Seymour went to preach in a black Nazarene church in Los Angeles. Seymour proclaimed that the Apostolic faith had 3 stages in the salvation process. People must be converted, sanctified and spirit filled. Believers were instructed to be sanctified and then spirit filled. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a gift of power upon the sanctified life. So, when we receive the gift, we have the same evidence the disciples received on the day of Pentecost in speaking in new tongues. At the Azusa street revival three themes became clear: (1) Cleansing through the blood of Jesus (2) Soon Return of Christ (3)Unity. There was a strong emphasis on the blood of Jesus and the second coming of Christ instead of on any spiritual gift.
The connection between Seymour and Parham was broken in October, 1906, Seymour invited Parham to preach at Azusa street. Parham tried to correct what he saw as abuses and in the process gave negative messages and was expelled from the church. This caused a complete rupture between Seymour and Parham that never healed. Then, the leadership of Parham was rejected because of constant charges of sexual wrongdoing. Doctrinal issues were raised, and the movement was badly fragmented and needed a standard of doctrine and content.
Southern Pentecostals came to order under E.N. Bell. he became affiliated with a group of young preachers from Texas that had renounced Parham’s leadership. Their movement continued to be called: The Apostolic Faith". But, they were completely independent from established groups that used that name. This group came into fellowship with H.G. Rogers and other independent Pentecostals to form the organization called: The Church of God In Christ and in unity with the apostolic faith movement. In 1913, the ministerial list had 352 names and the groups name was shortened to the Church of God in Christ.
The Church of God in Christ was a ministerial association that had no binding authority. In order to keep unity Bell called a general council to be held at Hot Springs in April 1914. The five general purposes of the council were: (1) Unity - To do away with divisions in the doctrine (2) Stabilization - Conserving the work so it will be built up, not torn down. (3) Effective mission outreach (4) Legal chartering of the movement (5) Consideration of a bible school to serve Pentecostals.
The general council had 300 members of which 128 were registered as missionaries and ministers. Five centers of Pentecostal ministry that influenced the early development of the Assemblies of God were: (1) The Christian and Missionary Alliance (2) Stabilization -Conserving the work so it will be built up, not torn down(3) Effective mission outreach (4) Legal chartering of the movement (5) Consideration of a Bible School to serve Pentecostals.
The general council had 300 of which 128 were registered as missionaries and ministers. Five centers of Pentecostal ministry that influenced the early development of the Assemblies of God were: (1) The Christian and Missionary Alliance (2) Dowie’s Zion (3) Chicago’s various missions (4) Parham’s Apostolic Faith work in Texas and Arkansas (5) The Alabama based Church of God in Christ. Several days after prayerful work - the Assemblies of God was formed.
It was decided local Assemblies would be called by the general scriptural name of Assemblies of God. There was no statement of faith adopted because delegates agreed the bible was sufficient rule for faith and practice. The Assemblies of God was shaped by a concern for the conservation of a revival combined with a vision for its expansion. The early beliefs of the Assembly of God included: the preaching of the word for salvation, spirit baptism, spiritual gifts, pre-millennialism, divine healing, observance of baptism and communion and the gathering of believers on local assemblies.
One of the main goals of the Assemblies of God was to spread the gospel message. They felt the responsibility for salvation for everyone in all the world. In order to facilitate evangelism, the Gospel Publishing House issued magazines to raise money for missions. So, the Pentecostal movement around the world was spreading.
Today - because of several generations of members being born into the Assemblies of God - people have not experienced the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Every generation must experience it’s own Pentecostal revival and learn the discipline of the Spirit filled life. In God’s time their will be another great outpouring of the Holy Spirit and many will be saved and lives transformed. God will heal our land if we seek his face, pray, fast and repent!
References
Bartleman, Frank Azusa Street : New Jersey: Logos International 1980
Blumhofer, Edith The Assemblies of God :A Popular History: Missouri: Gospel Publishing House 1985
Brumback, Carl. Like A River: Missouri: Gospel Publishing House.1985
Carlton, Raymond. Our Faith and Fellowship: Missouri: Gospel Publishing House 1977
Womack, David The Wellsprings of the Pentecostal Movement: Missouri Gospel Publishing House 1968
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