The Azusa Street Revival (1906–1909)

At the turn of the twentieth century, the world was restless. The industrial age had changed society, but the hearts of men still longed for the presence of God. Across America, holiness movements were calling believers back to purity and prayer. Out of that hunger came a preacher named William J. Seymour, the son of former slaves, who carried a message of spiritual power and holiness through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Though rejected and poor, he was rich in prayer. In 1906, Seymour arrived in Los Angeles to lead meetings in a small home on Bonnie Brae Street. Those gatherings became the seed of one of the greatest outpourings of the Spirit since Pentecost.

On April 9, 1906, during a prayer meeting, the Spirit of God fell in power. People began to speak in tongues, weep, and worship with holy awe. Within days, crowds filled the streets, and the meetings moved to a run-down mission building at 312 Azusa Street. There, under the simple leadership of Seymour, heaven touched earth. ‘The color line was washed away in the blood,’ wrote Frank Bartleman, an eyewitness who chronicled the revival. Men and women, black and white, rich and poor, worshiped together in unity unknown to the culture of their time. Services continued day and night for years without interruption. The atmosphere was filled with repentance, prophecy, healings, and the unmistakable presence of God. People came from around the world to witness what God was doing, and many carried the flame back to their nations.

The Azusa Street Revival emphasized the power of the Holy Spirit for every believer. It declared that the gifts of the Spirit were not relics of the past but realities of the present. The message was simple: Jesus saves, Jesus baptizes in the Holy Spirit, Jesus heals, and Jesus is coming again. The meetings were unpolished and humble, but the fire was pure. There was no program or hierarchy—only worship, love, and the authority of the Holy Spirit. The revival became a prophetic sign that God chooses the weak things of the world to reveal His glory.

The Azusa Street Revival transformed Christianity across the world. From that small mission in Los Angeles, the modern Pentecostal and Charismatic movements were born. Missionaries carried the message of Spirit baptism and holiness to Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Millions came to experience the power of God for themselves. The revival also broke racial and social barriers, demonstrating that the cross unites every tribe and tongue. More than a century later, the fire that began at Azusa Street still burns in churches, homes, and nations around the world.