Pentecostalism
- Year
- 1906
- Kind
- Tradition
What it was
A movement teaching baptism in the Holy Spirit, usually evidenced by speaking in tongues, and the continuing operation of spiritual gifts. After Topeka (1901) and the Azusa Street Revival (1906) it spread worldwide, with a huge presence today in Latin America, Africa and Asia.
Little known
Azusa was led by William J. Seymour, an African-American preacher born to formerly enslaved parents, and was strikingly interracial for its time. Many early Pentecostals believed tongues were real foreign languages given for mission.
Key figures
- Charles F. Parham1873–1929
- William J. Seymour1870–1922
- Aimee Semple McPherson1890–1944
Key documents
- Topeka Bible school: first tongues1901
- Azusa Street Revival (Los Angeles)1906
- Founding of the Assemblies of God1914
- Statement of Fundamental Truths (Assemblies of God)1916