The Azusa Street Revival began in Los Angeles in April 1906 and is widely regarded as the catalyst for the modern Pentecostal movement. It started in the home of Richard and Ruth Asberry at 216 Bonnie Brae Street, where a small group gathered under the leadership of William J. Seymour, a Black Holiness preacher from Louisiana. Seymour had been influenced by the holiness teachings of Charles Parham, including the belief in speaking in tongues as the evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Although Seymour was not initially welcomed in many pulpits because of his race and controversial doctrine, the Asberry home opened its doors, and Heaven followed.
William J. Seymour was a humble man, blind in one eye, known for his deep prayer life and gentle spirit. After being locked out of the church where he was supposed to preach, he continued to meet in homes, praying for a greater outpouring of the Holy Spirit. On April 9, 1906, during one of these home meetings, a man named Edward Lee began speaking in tongues. Soon after, others in the prayer group also experienced this phenomenon, including Seymour himself. The Bonnie Brae house quickly overflowed with people, and the front porch reportedly collapsed under the crowd’s weight. It was clear that something supernatural was happening.
As crowds grew, Seymour and his followers relocated to an old two-story building at 312 Azusa Street. Previously used as a stable and warehouse, the structure was transformed into the Apostolic Faith Mission. There were no instruments, no choirs, and often no preaching schedule. Services ran morning to night, seven days a week, filled with prayer, prophecy, shouting, repentance, and powerful encounters with God. People spoke in tongues, were miraculously healed, fell under the power of God, and testified to life-changing experiences. Eyewitnesses reported a visible mist or glow in the room, and sometimes a supernatural fire seemed to appear above the building, leading neighbors to call the fire department more than once.
News of the revival spread rapidly through word of mouth, newspaper reports, and hand-printed tracts distributed by the Apostolic Faith. Visitors came from across the United States and other nations, experiencing the same Spirit-baptism and carrying the flame back to their communities. Many who attended Azusa would go on to start Pentecostal churches, denominations, and mission works globally. Within a few years, the revival had birthed movements like the Church of God in Christ, the Assemblies of God, the Pentecostal Holiness Church, and more.
The Azusa Street Revival lasted until around 1915, but its impact reshaped Christianity forever. At a time when racism, sexism, and class division were rampant, Azusa was radically inclusive, welcoming Black, white, Latino, Asian, rich, poor, women, and children all under one roof in the presence of God. William Seymour never sought fame or position, yet God used him to spark a movement that has grown into over 600 million Pentecostal and Charismatic believers worldwide. Azusa was not just a revival. It was a spiritual earthquake that shook the nations.
Revival Press