User:Nswinton/notes 3
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[edit] Seymour's Education
In early 1905, 34 year old William J. Seymour was living in Houston, Texas. He was an African American son of former slaves from Louisiana.[1] He had lost his left eye to smallpox earlier in life, and wore a glass replacement.[2][3] Seymour attended a local African American holiness church. The church was pastored by Lucy F. Farrow, a former governess in the household of Charles Parham. At the time, Parham was the leader of the Apostolic Faith Movement (the original name of the Pentecostal movement). Farrow arranged for Seymour to attend Parham's classes, yet because of Jim Crow segregation he had to listen from the doorway. As a result, he could not participate in class or pray with other students.[4] Parham taught that Christians ought to have a Baptism with the Holy Spirit. Along with this belief, he taught that in every instance of such baptism that God would give intelligible languages, "speaking in tongues" for the purpose of missionary evangelism. Seymour accepted Parham's viewpoint, but only attended classes for six weeks.[5] Parham later noted that Seymour had memorized the lessons, and could recite them verbatim.[6]
[edit] Invitation to Los Angeles
Neely Terry, an African American woman who attended a small holiness church pastored by Julia Hutchins in Los Angeles, made a trip to Houston late in 1905.[6] She attended Seymour's church, where he had become an interim pastor. Seymour preached that baptism in the Holy Spirit was accompanied with speaking in tongues, and though he had not experienced this personally, Terry was impressed with his character and message. Once home in California, Terry suggested that Seymour be invited to speak at the local church.[7] When Seymour accepted the invitation in February of 1906, Parham gave his blessing and some financial assistance so that Seymour could travel to Los Angeles.[5] His visit was originally planned to last for one month.[6]
[edit] Conflict at Holiness Church
Seymour arrived in Los Angeles on February 22, 1906,[4][8] and within two days was preaching at Julia Hutchins' church at the corner of Ninth Street and Santa Fe.[7] During his first sermon, he preached that speaking in tongues was the first Biblical evidence of the inevitable accompaniment of possession of, or baptism in the Holy Spirit.[2] On the following Sunday, March 4, he returned to the church and found that Hutchins had padlocked the door.[3] Elders of the church rejected Seymour’s teaching, primarily because he had not yet experienced the blessing about which he was preaching.[6] Condemnation of his message also came from the Holiness Church Association of Southern California with which the church had affiliation.[5] However, not all members of Hutchins' church rejected Seymour's preaching. He was invited to stay in the home of congregation member Edward S. Lee, and he began to hold Bible studies and prayer meetings there.
