It was an old abandoned building on a run-down street. It had last served as a livery stable—before that, a warehouse. Just an old “tumbled-down shack.” But it became the tabernacle of the Lord’s presence to people hungry for the glory of God.

Pentecost hadn’t stopped in Kansas. In 1905, Charles Parham opened a Bible school in Houston, Texas. An African-American believer named William J. Seymour eagerly received the teachings there regarding the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

Earlier, a Baptist pastor in California, Joseph Smale, had heard of a tremendous revival occurring in Wales under Evan Roberts. Smale went there and Roberts encouraged him to seek such a revival in Los Angeles. When Smale returned, he instituted prayer meetings. Other similar prayer meetings began to break out in the area. While California believers prayed for a mighty move of God, the humble Seymour sat in Texas learning about the ways of the Holy Spirit.

Next, God orchestrated a divine appointment that would launch the fledgling movement to unprecedented heights. A woman from one of the California groups met Seymour in Houston and was impressed by his godliness. On her recommendation, Seymour was invited to pastor in Los Angeles. He accepted. But he preached about a fullness of the Holy Spirit accompanied by tongues. This message was foreign to his hearers’ ears. Thus, though many accepted the teaching, he was locked out of the church. He moved to a private home on Bonnie Brae Street to preach.

Here, on April 9, 1906, seven worshipers were struck by the power of God and began to speak in other tongues. Soon people of all races and from a rich variety of church backgrounds were attracted— and many spoke in tongues. It initially produced a movement that was color blind. Soon word spread and the Bonnie Brae house was too small.

The meetings moved to an old building that had originally been at African Methodist Episcopal church at 312 Azusa Street. This became the home of the revival. People visited the Apostolic Faith Gospel Mission there in large numbers. There was continuous revival for 3 years. It was not uncommon for a meeting to go from 10 a.m. until midnight.

Yet there were none of the trappings often associated with a large revival. In this, Azusa was much like its overseas companion, the Welsh revival. Organization was minimal and there was no advertising. Offerings were never taken, but could be left at the door as people left. Spontaneity was the unofficial order of service. Even the messages were generally spontaneous. When the sermon was completed, the altars were opened and people flooded to them. Witnesses marveled that preaching so simple was attended by a power so great As the Spirit moved people would “fall prostrate under the power of God.” They often got up speaking in tongues—with lives dramatically transformed.

But the movement did not exalt tongues. Seymour set the tone for Pentecostal doctrine early on when he said, “Now, don’t go from this meeting and talk about tongues, but try to get people saved.” He preached that a power for service could be found in the baptism in the Holy Ghost and fire—and that tongues would surely follow this Baptism. Though there were some excesses (found at Azusa Street, the move of God there changed people significantly. A tremendous conviction of sin turned people to Christ. It brought unbelievers and backsliders to the Cross, worldly Christians to a deeper walk, and those who were seeking more of God much of the Holy Spirit. The significance of the Azusa revival cannot be measured by a span of 3 years or the seemingly local scope of the renewal. The revival influenced people from all over the world. They came and went, taking the fire of Pen­tecost with them—to Chicago, New York City, Oregon and throughout the U.S.; to England, Norway, Sweden and other countries. Gaston B. Cash well returned to Dunn, North Carolina, where in January 1907, a revival occurred that became the “Azusa of the South.” Through his ministry several existing holiness bodies became Pentecostal, including the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee), the Fire-Baptized Holiness Church and the Pentecostal Free-Will Baptist Church. Soon the movement was multiplying itself from new revival centers. From these humble beginnings the Pentecostal movement would spread around the world. It is remarkable that, in a day of prejudice, God used a small place and a humble black preacher to help open the church’s eyes to the bigness of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. The tabernacle didn’t last. It was eventually torn down. You can find no trace of the physical building today. But you can still find its spiritual imprint—not just in Los Angeles, but in virtually every corner of the globe.