William J. Seymour

William Joseph Seymour
Leader of the Azusa Street Revival William J. Seymour
Born	(1870-05-02)May 2, 1870 Centerville, Louisiana, United States
Died	September 28, 1922(1922-09-28) (aged 52) Los Angeles, California, United States
Occupation	Evangelist
Spouse(s)	Jenny Evans Moore, 1906–1922, (his death)

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Pentecostalism
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Background Christianity The Reformation Protestantism Methodist revivals Restorationism Holiness movement
Early history Bethel Bible College 1904–1905 Welsh Revival Azusa Street Revival Charles Fox Parham William J. Seymour
Theology Bible Old Testament New Testament Infallibility Fundamentalism God Trinity Father Son Holy Ghost Systematic theology Eschatology Premillennialism Sanctification Christian perfection Higher Life movement Full Gospel Finished Work Latter Rain Five solae Priesthood of all believers Conversion Born again Believers' Church Believer's baptism Private doctrines Baptism with the Holy Spirit Speaking in tongues Worship Spiritual gifts Pentecostal creeds Fundamental Truths (AOG) 12 Articles from Niagara Falls
Key people Asa A. Allen Yiye Ávila Thomas Ball Barratt Joseph Ayo Babalola Nicholas Bhengu Reinhard Bonnke William M. Branham David Yonggi Cho Jack Coe Margaret Court Lucy F. Farrow Mae Eleanor Frey Donald Gee Benny Hinn Rex Humbard George Jeffreys Kathryn Kuhlman Gerald Archie Mangun Charles Harrison Mason Aimee Semple McPherson Erik Andersen Nordquelle T. L. Osborn Agnes Ozman Charles Fox Parham Lewi Pethrus David du Plessis Oral Roberts Pat Robertson Bishop Ida Robinson William J. Seymour Ambrose Jessup Tomlinson Smith Wigglesworth Maria Woodworth-Etter Niilo Yli-Vainio Category:Pentecostals
Major denominations Apostolic Church Assemblies of God Church of God in Christ Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) Indian Pentecostal Church of God Pentecostal Saint Thomas Christians International Pentecostal Holiness Church The Foursquare Church United Pentecostal Church International
Related movements Charismatic Movement Evangelicalism Oneness Pentecostalism
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William Joseph Seymour (May 2, 1870 – September 28, 1922) was an African-American holiness preacher who initiated the Azusa Street Revival, an influential event in the rise of the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements. He was the second of eight children born to emancipated slaves and raised Catholic in extreme poverty in Louisiana.

Seymour was a student of the early Pentecostal minister Charles Parham, and he adopted Parham's belief that speaking in tongues was the sign of receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit. In 1906, Seymour moved to Los Angeles, California, where he preached the Pentecostal message and sparked the Azusa Street Revival. The revival drew large crowds of believers as well as media coverage that focused on the controversial religious practices as well as the racially integrated worship services, which violated the racial norms of the time. Seymour's leadership of the revival and publication of The Apostolic Faith newspaper launched him into prominence within the young Pentecostal movement. Seymour broke with Parham in 1906 over theological differences as well as Parham's unhappiness with interracial revival meetings.

As the revival's influence extended beyond Los Angeles through evangelism and missionary work, Seymour was in the process of developing the revival into a larger organization called the Apostolic Faith Movement. This process was ultimately defeated by power struggles with other ministers, such as Florence Crawford and William Howard Durham, which ultimately damaged the unity of the early Pentecostal movement and led to a decrease in Seymour's influence. By 1914, the revival was past its peak, but Seymour continued to pastor the Apostolic Faith Mission he founded until his death. The revival acted as a catalyst for the spread of Pentecostal practices, such as speaking in tongues and integrated worship, throughout the world. It also played an important role in the history of most major Pentecostal denominations.