## Summary William J. Seymour (1870–1922) was an African-American holiness preacher who led the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles beginning in 1906. Historians widely regard him as a founding figure of modern Pentecostalism. The revival he led drew participants across racial and denominational lines, unusual for its time. ## Substance Seymour was born in Louisiana to formerly enslaved parents and came up through the Holiness movement. He absorbed early teaching on baptism in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues, in part through the ministry of Charles Parham. In 1906 he began leading meetings at a building on Azusa Street in Los Angeles. The gatherings continued for several years and became a hub for the young Pentecostal movement. Reports of the meetings spread through Holiness and mission networks, and many attendees carried the practices back to their own regions and abroad. The interracial character of the early revival is often noted by historians as significant, though the movement later fractured along racial and doctrinal lines. Seymour continued to pastor in Los Angeles until his death in 1922. ## Why it matters in this wiki Seymour anchors the historical origin of Pentecostalism, the tradition from which much of modern charismatic Christianity descends. Understanding this wiki's engagement with charismatic and revival theology starts with the Azusa Street story he led. ## Related - [[Azusa Street Revival]] - [[Pentecostalism]]