historic revival meeting took place los_angeles california origin movement led african american preacher began meeting april continued roughly revival characterized spiritual experiences accompanied dramatic worship services speaking inter racial participants criticized secular media christian behaviors considered outrageous unorthodox especially time today revival considered historians primary catalyst spread 20th century background los_angeles eyed year old son slaves student known preacher interim pastor small church houston texas terry african american woman attended small church los_angeles trip visit family houston late houston visited church preached receiving holy ghost evidence speaking experienced personally terry impressed character message home california terry suggested invited speak local church received accepted invitation february received financial help blessing planned month visit arrived los_angeles february days preaching church corner ninth street sermon preached speaking biblical evidence inevitable holy ghost following sunday march returned church found door elders church rejected teaching primarily experienced blessing preaching condemnation message came church affiliation members church rejected preaching invited stay home congregation member began hold bible studies prayer meetings small group new followers soon relocated home richard white families local churches began attend group regularly pray receive baptism holy spirit april weeks preaching prayer days intended day fast spoke time meeting shared lee testimony preached sermon acts soon began speak including later wife days later april spoke time praying night long news events quickly circulated african american latino white residents city nights speakers preach crowds curious interested porch home members audience included people broad spectrum income levels religious backgrounds eventually spoke congregation began attend meetings soon crowds large people speaking shouting singing finally porch collapsed forcing group begin looking new meeting place resident neighborhood described following words shouted days nights easter season people came morning way getting near house people came fall god power city stirred shouted foundation house gave way hurt street conditions group eventually discovered available building street downtown los_angeles originally constructed african methodist poverty town rent month newspaper referred downtown los_angeles building church moved building served wholesale house warehouse shop recently stable rooms rent upstairs small rectangular flat building approximately feet long feet wide totaling square feet sided sign house god single gothic style window main entrance discarded lumber plaster large barn like room ground floor nonetheless secured cleaned preparation services held meeting april church services held floor benches placed rectangular pattern benches simply nail elevated platform ceiling feet high initially pulpit early participant revival recalled brother generally sat shoe boxes usually kept head inside meeting prayer pride old building low bare floors second floor named faith mission housed office rooms residents including new wife large prayer room handle overflow altar services prayer room furnished chairs benches laid end end chairs mid people attempt fit building horses recently residents building flies constantly bothered attendees people diversity backgrounds came worship men women children black white hispanic asian rich poor educated people ages los_angeles skepticism desire participate races group encouragement women leadership remarkable height jim crow era racial segregation fourteen years prior women receiving suffrage united_states services worship worship street frequent spontaneous services going clock attracted revival members observer services wrote words instruments music needed angels heard spirit collections taken bills posted advertise meetings church organization touch god realize soon enter meetings leader los_angeles_times kind description meetings held street weird doctrine practice rites preach theories work state mad excitement peculiar zeal african americans whites compose congregation night neighborhood spend hours forth nerve attitude prayer claim gift able understand edition faith publication claimed common reaction revival visitors proud dressed came investigate soon high looks replaced wonder conviction comes find short time dirty floor asking god forgive little children hand accounts reports blind having sight restored diseases cured instantly immigrants speaking german spanish spoken native language black members translated languages english supernatural ability singing sporadic cappella occasionally periods extended silence occasionally slain spirit visitors gave testimony members read aloud sent mission mail prayer gift prayer sick missionaries requests given spontaneous preaching altar calls salvation baptism holy spirit family attended revival said services preaching consisted opening bible coming forward preach testify led holy spirit people continually shout meetings members mission took offering near door wanted support revival core membership individuals hundreds thousands people visiting staying temporarily years october invited speak series meetings street quickly invited reasons given street firstly personality conflicts wanted chief authority figure movement taking place presiding leaders slow changes methods leadership criticism skeptical page story titled weird los_angeles_times reporter attempted describe soon known breathing strange creed mortal understand story began newest religious sect started los_angeles local paper reporter september described following words races cry noises day night run jump shake shout voice spin circles fall floor kicking rolling pass hours dead people appear mad mentally spell claim filled spirit eyed negro preacher stays knees time head hidden wooden milk doesn talk times heard shouting supposed running thing repeatedly sing song come meetings described holy holy holy reports published world strange los_angeles christians traditions critical saying movement hyper emotional scripture lost focus christ holy spirit short time ministers warning congregations stay away called police tried building shut faith publication starting september publication revival newsletter faith issues published occasionally work white woman named member faith distributed charge thousands ministers received copies worldwide thousand copies edition printed press run reached faith publication reported world issue lead story titled come contained letter article acts series anecdotes people experience revival edition wrote token lord coming melting races nations filled power glory god spirit body making people ready meet comes faith brought increasing attention street fledgling movement emerging revival legacy revival street lost momentum media attention crowds left remained wife rest lives small african american congregation short trips help establish smaller later life died heart attack september led church congregation lost building sending missionaries faith secular reports advertised events internationally thousands individuals visited mission order witness time thousands people leaving street intentions abroad reverend visited revival effective missionaries africa working people wife sent street missionaries calcutta india managed start small revival speaking india enable speak native language later traveled china arrived hong_kong began spread mainland china working protestant churches organizations established significantly contributed early later work biblical evidence doctrine changing doctrine belief speaking explicitly belief speaking gift spiritual empowerment traveled way investigate hearing biblical prophecy acts fulfilled visitors left revival missionaries remote areas world missionaries went thirty left october years movement spread nations including britain scandinavia germany holland egypt syria palestine south_africa hong_kong china ceylon india christian leaders visited world birth movement end leaders street spun form congregations 51st street faith mission spanish missions largely composed immigrant ethnic groups particularly prolific area growth movement approach gave useful explanation charismatic spiritual climate taking root areas new missions based charisma energy nearly new churches founded immigrants poor existing denominations adopted message cleveland tennessee christ formation new denominations occurred motivated differences finished work counterparts assemblies god formed formed early controversy led split founded today million charismatic believers globe fastest growing form christianity today commonly regarded beginning modern day movement
Azusa Street Revival