## Summary The Azusa Street Revival was a series of religious meetings held in Los Angeles beginning in 1906, led by the African-American preacher William J. Seymour. Historians widely regard it as the birthplace of modern Pentecostalism. The revival spread its practices through Holiness and mission networks across the United States and beyond. ## Substance The meetings began in April 1906 and centered on a building on Azusa Street. They featured speaking in tongues, reports of healing, and intense worship, drawing participants across racial, ethnic, and denominational lines. That interracial character stood out in the segregated society of the time and is often emphasized by historians. The revival continued for several years. Visitors carried its practices home, and the movement fed the formation of numerous Pentecostal denominations in the following decades. Early Pentecostals connected the events to Acts 2 and the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost, reading their experience through that biblical frame. Historians debate how much Azusa Street originated versus amplified currents already moving in the Holiness movement. Charles Parham's earlier teaching on tongues shaped Seymour, and other revival centers existed. Still, Azusa Street is the event most often named as the movement's launch point. ## Why it matters in this wiki The revival is the historical origin of the tradition from which modern charismatic and Pentecostal Christianity descends. This wiki's engagement with charismatic theology, worship, and later prophetic movements traces back to what began here. ## Related - [[William J. Seymour]] - [[Pentecostalism]]