c. 2006 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) On April 25-29, tens of thousands of people will gather in Los Angeles for the Azusa Street Centennial _ the celebration of a revival in 1906 that launched the modern Pentecostal/charismatic movement worldwide.

But this event is more than a celebration for one group of Christians, and it is more than a historical look at the amazing growth of a global movement. The centennial reminds us that the perseverance of just one man can make a difference in the entire world. In this case that would be the life of William Seymour, the little-appreciated preacher who transformed a small prayer meeting into a global revival.

Seymour, an African-American from Louisiana, was the son of former slaves. His life and his ministry were marked by hardship. He became a preacher after suffering from a severe case of smallpox that left him blind in one eye and his face disfigured. Yet he did not let his disabilities stop him. And he didn’t let the results of his illness cause him to question God’s goodness or walk away from his faith.

Instead, he persevered.

In 1905, Seymour attended training classes taught by Charles Fox Parham. Segregation laws forced him to sit in the hallway outside the class, and he was not allowed to pray with the other students. Yet he attended faithfully, drinking in every word. In February 1906, Seymour began preaching at a holiness mission in Los Angeles, where he encountered further challenges. Seymour preached on the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues, but because Seymour himself didn’t have that gift, the church became skeptical and eventually stopped him from preaching.

With yet another obstacle thrown in his path, Seymour could have given up. Once again, he could have asked God the question we all face at different points in our lives: “Why?” And without an answer, he could have walked away.

But he didn’t.

Seymour began conducting services at a home on Bonnie Brae Street. Soon, several people were baptized with the Holy Spirit. Finally, in April 1906, two months after being kicked out of the church in Los Angeles, Seymour finally received the spiritual gift he had been seeking so fervently. His faithfulness in the face of unanswered questions was finally answered. And his ministry took off.

Soon, the crowds were too large, and the revival services were moved to a building on Azusa Street. Newspaper reports were published across the United States and the world, as more and more people flocked to Seymour’s services. Within months, the Azusa Street mission became the largest congregation in Los Angeles! Services were held three times a day for three years, with numerous reports of miracles and healings among the participants.

A local newspaper reporter frowned on the revival services, calling them: “a disgraceful intermingling of races.” Little did he know the mission was years ahead of its time. The young man, who was once barred from praying with others because of segregation, was now leading a revival that tore down the barriers between races.

Today one can only marvel at the movement Seymour started. Some 600 million people across the planet now identify themselves as either Pentecostal or charismatic. Church growth experts peg the movement as the fastest growing in Christendom.

When one man is willing to stand for his beliefs despite trials and hardships, he can impact millions of people for generations to come. And this year’s Azusa Street Centennial Celebration is proof of the difference one man’s faith can make.

MO/JL END RNS

(The Rev. Billy Wilson is executive officer of the Azusa Street Centennial, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the modern-day Pentecostal movement. It will take place April 25-29 in Los Angeles. For more information, visit http://www.azusastreet.com)

Editors: To obtain a photo of the Rev. Billy Wilson and a historic file photo of William Seymour, go to the RNS Web site at https://religionnews.com. On the lower right, click on “photos,” then search by subject or slug.