Pentecostalism and Mission

Abstract

The origin of the global Pentecostal Movement is the subject of heated debate. A number of suggestions are currently being explored. None of them, however, showed the dynamic missionary concern that the Azusa Street Mission did during the revival (1906–1909) that soon circled the globe. This article explains the importance of this African American congregation and its missionary contribution. While it was ridiculed by church and society, it sent out scores of missionaries. Its newspaper, The Apostolic Faith, became a widely influential instrument for taking the revival to the ends of the earth. Pastors seeking to have their ministries revitalized there through baptism in the Spirit led to still more missionary commitments. Thus, the Mission's missionary impact is unparalleled in the early Pentecostal Movement.