The Azusa Street Mission and Revival: The Birth of the Global Pentecostal Movement

By Cecil M. Robeck

In The Azusa Street Mission and Revival, Cecil M. Robeck, Jr. brings to bear expertise from decades of focused study in church history to reveal the captivating story of the Apostolic Faith Mission in Los Angeles, which became known as the Azusa Street Mission. 

Sometimes the largest blaze begins with the tiniest spark.

At the dawn of the twentieth century, William J. Seymour, the son of Louisiana slaves, began meeting with a tiny congregation in a two-story wooden building in downtown Los Angeles. What began as a spontaneous gathering of believers quickly grew into a passionate revival and renewal of the work of the Holy Spirit. The movement spread at breathtaking speed. With little more than a printing press, a trolley stop, and a powerful message, the spiritual fire emanating from the Apostolic Faith Mission on Azusa Street rapidly crossed strict cultural and national borders—into Mexico, Canada, Britain, Scandinavia, Africa, India, and China. Led by William J. Seymour, the revival became the catalyst for the modern Pentecostal movement.

Today, the more than 500 million Christians who identify as Pentecostal or Charismatic can trace the roots of their faith to this humble beginning at Azusa Street. The Azusa Street Mission and Revival tells the full story of how this uniquely diverse and inclusive group grew into a powerful movement that forever changed the landscape of Christianity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Jul 25, 2017
• ISBN: 9780785217794

Reviews for The Azusa Street Mission and Revival

[atdcross · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is an excellent read that gives a much closer glimpse to the events that began the Pentecostal faith. Robeck, Jr. does not show us a perfect picture and examines, along with the positive growth and expansion of the movement, the unity and diversity of the believers, and the gracious character and overcoming faith of it's leaders, especially of William J. Seymour, but also the controversies, failures, pettiness, and weaknesses of it's leaders, which may have eroded and finally ended the revival. Chapters 7 and 8 are truly heart-breaking to read. They follow Seymour's last years in his struggle against betrayal and the church's dwindling congregation in the hopes of bringing back the initial Pentecostal revival of 1906-1908.It is amazing to read how this little group of African American believers, in the midst of severe racism where lynching was rampart, turned into a multicultural church that has miraculously expanded into the largest and fastest growing Christian denomination where an "estimated 35,000 people join the Pentecostal church each day. Of the world's two billion Christians a quarter are now Pentecostal—up from 6 percent in 1980."If one wants to know something about the beginnings of Pentecostalism, this is a must read.

[kdaugherty_11 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A little methodical in its approach, but for an individual that grew up in the faith it provides a substantial amount of history for the roots of the Pentecostal denomination.

[snotbottom-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A highly detailed account of the Azusa Street mission. The author exhaustively covers many details about the mission and revival. At times this can make for difficult, or mundane reading, however I doubt a more accurate accout exists about these events that changed the modern church in America and around the world.