William J. Seymour, preacher of the Azusa St. Church, Los Angeles, 1910-1922

Title: William J. Seymour, preacher of the Azusa St. Church, Los Angeles, 1910-1922
Alternative title: William Seymour, leader of Azusa Street Revival
Date Created: [1910-1922]
Date: 1910/1922
Collection: Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections

Description: The Azusa Mission Church played a key role in the Pentecostal movement at the turn of the twenty century. Its founder, William J. Seymour, an African American preacher, presided over the revival meetings and led the development of the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements. The first meeting was on April 14, 1906. Worship at 312 Azusa St. was frequent and spontaneous with services going almost around the clock. The services were characterized by spiritual experiences accompanied with testimonies of physical healing, miracles, and speaking in tongues. Along with members of the Holiness Movement, services were attended by Baptists, Mennonites, Quakers, and Presbyterians and by persons of different races. Women held positions of leadership. After 1915, the church went into decline; following Seymour’s death, his wife continued to hold worship services until 1931.
Portrait photograph of William J. Seymour, holiness preacher who initiated the Azusa Street Revival.

Genre: Portrait photographs
Names: Seymour, William Joseph, 1870-1922
Azusa Street Mission (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Subject Geographic: Los Angeles (Calif.)
Resource type: still image
Subjects: African American clergy
African American churches