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When a leader of a religious organization states, “We had origin at Azusa,” a wrong meaning is implied. The opposition immediately could question: “Is your religion—your Church—that new?”
When some who disliked the Pentecostal movement heard some associate the origin of their tongues-speaking belief with Azusa, instantly they screamed, “new issue.”
Many Pentecostal Christians while excitedly conversing about good things of Azusa have given occasion to somewhat discredit the ancientness of Pentecostalism. Some may not have known that biblical Pentecostalism has always existed in its fullness since Pentecost among different peoples in different countries.
Topeka and Azusa Were Not Sites of Origin
We must never think that Christ's Church perished, died, or became Catholic, or that it was dead for centuries and was restored or revived at Topeka or Azusa.
Some erroneously think that the modern Pentecostal movement is dated from New Year's Day, 1901. On that day a student, or some students, at Bethel Bible School in Topeka, Kansas, spoke in tongues. This was not an innovation. Thousands of others through the centuries had also known the glossolalia phenomenon. The Topeka revival was wonderful and helped to spark a new interest in continuing Pentecostalism. It was flashed by the news media. The eyes of many then looked at the doctrine of tongues-speaking.
AZUSA Another Great Shower of Pentecostal Rain
No one can discredit the wonderful Azusa meeting. It was great and illustrious. [1]Reverend W.J. Seymour had just gotten the Holy Ghost. He led the meeting for about three years. People were led to an idle building once used as a Methodist Church, located at 312 Azusa Street, Los Angeles, California. The revival went on night and day without a break.
Tongues-speaking was in the air. No instruments of music were used. The worship and singing service was heavily inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Here was a Pentecostal revival that attracted people from many part of the earth. Another great shower of spiritual rain fell. It was not the first or last one. In the supernatural atmosphere the Holy Ghost was sensed. Tongues-speaking was in the air. No instruments of music were used. The worship and singing service was heavily inspired by the Holy Spirit. Many sang in what they referred to as “the Heavenly Choir.”
What doctrine that was preached would have tended to identify more nearly with that of the Assembly of God. It was not fully patterned after Oneness Apostolic Christianity.
At Azusa hundreds of people received the Holy Ghost as per Acts 2:1-4, and spoke in celestial rhetoric; glossolalia was a common part. There was the tongues-speaker, the glossolalist; and there was the unknown tongues interpreter, the glossologist. However, the Acts 2:38 water baptism and Judaistic monotheism as in Deut. 6:4 were not preached.
There were divine miracles of healings, many sick persons were instantly healed. There were additional signs and divine wonders. Miracles were not unheard-of. There was power as the Word was preached. A Russian sister, Anna Hall, spoke to Russians[2] in their Church in Los Angeles. (Ewart, 43). It was an older Russian Church. In it were monotheists and some held the Acts 2:38 water baptism. NOTE: There were saved people in Los Angeles before Azusa.
All must admit that the Azusa Revival was another meeting where there was a massive outpouring of the Spirit. Holy Ghost power would fall, people would shake in their seats, and many would begin speaking in a heavenly language.
James Craigen, of Kokomo, Indiana, in August, 1942, related many of the above things to me. He was a newspaper reporter and saw Azusa events.
1 Frank Ewart, The Phenomenon of Pentecost, St. Louis, 1947. pp. 40-44.
2 Demos Shakarian, The Happiest people on Earth, Revell, NJ, 1975, pp.13-24. By 1890 Armenians and Russians settled in Los Angeles. | 
