A House Divided: The Azusa Street Story We Don’t Always Hear

A House Divided: The Azusa Street Story We Don’t Always Hear: Hey everyone, have you ever really dug into the history of the Azusa Street Revival? It’s like the foundational story for so many of us in the charismatic and Pentecostal world. We hear all about the amazing stuff—the power, the signs and wonders, and the incredible unity. Imagine a place back in 1906, in the middle of the Jim Crow era, where Black, white, and Latino people were worshiping side-by-side, where women were leading right alongside the men. It was radical, it was awesome, and it felt like a little piece of heaven on earth.

But, you know how it is. Sometimes the most powerful things have the most fragile foundations. And the full story of Azusa has this incredible, and honestly, kind of heartbreaking, twist. It wasn’t just outside forces that ended up dimming the fire. It was something on the inside, a very human issue.

The Drama Queens… and The Mailing List

So, let’s talk about two key women from that time: Claire Lum and Florence Crawford. These weren’t just sideline people. They were right in the thick of it. Claire Lum was a total boss, co-editing the Apostolic Faith Newspaper that literally went to the ends of the earth. We’re talking 40,000, maybe 50,000 copies! It was the voice of the revival, the way people everywhere found out what God was doing. And Florence Crawford? She was already a seasoned leader, a powerhouse from the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, with a deep conviction for gender equality in ministry. These two were absolutely essential.

So what happened?

Well, here’s the kicker. The main leader of the revival, William Seymour, got married in 1908. It sounds like a happy story, right? But for Claire Lum and Florence Crawford, it was a massive problem. For reasons that seem to stem from personal and romantic disappointment, they were deeply upset by this marriage.

And what they did next is almost unbelievable. They didn’t just walk away and start their own thing. They took the Apostolic Faith Newspaper and its massive international mailing list. Just… gone. Accounts say it was “stolen” or “taken without permission.” Can you imagine? It was like someone unplugged the revival’s megaphone. The crowds at Azusa Street started to dwindle, the fire lost its central flame, and within a few years, the revival had largely faded. It’s a sobering thought: a personal grievance, spiraling into a move that crippled a global movement.

The strange thing is, their story didn’t end there. They went up to Portland, Oregon, and their new ministry, The Apostolic Faith Church, became a global powerhouse itself! They ended up spreading the same teachings from Azusa, proving that the conflict that hurt the original revival also, in a weird way, ended up spreading the message further. I mean, wow. The irony is just crazy.

A Word to Us: From Azusa to Today

This whole story is a powerful reminder for us as believers, especially those of us who are passionate about seeing God move. It’s so easy to get caught up in the big vision, the powerful moments, and the miracles, and forget about the messy, human side of things.

The Bible tells us that our real fight isn’t against flesh and blood. It’s so tempting to blame “the enemy” for everything that goes wrong. And sure, he’s always at work. But a huge part of our battle is simply learning to deal with our own stuff—our pride, our personal feelings, and our relational conflicts—without letting them derail what God is doing.

Think about it. The enemy doesn’t need to send a demon to stop a revival if a few hurt people are willing to tear it apart from the inside.

So, here’s some encouragement for all of us. Let’s make a commitment to:

• Handle Conflict Well: Don’t let bitterness take root. Be quick to forgive, slow to anger, and talk things out with grace and humility. If you’re leading or serving, remember that your personal life and how you handle relationships can have a massive ripple effect on the whole community.
• Put the Mission Above Yourself: The work of the Kingdom is so much bigger than our personal feelings, our hurts, or our egos. Let’s not let a personal disagreement become a reason to abandon a great work or, even worse, cause damage to it.
• Keep Your Eyes on Jesus: Ultimately, all movements and ministries are going to be imperfect because they’re made of imperfect people. Azusa’s racial unity eventually fractured, too, not just because of personal squabbles, but because of old, ingrained prejudices. We need to remember that our ultimate loyalty is to the One who started it all, not just to a particular group or leader.

The fire of God is amazing, and we should chase it with everything we’ve got. But let’s also remember that maintaining that fire requires us to be just as intentional about our hearts, our relationships, and our humility as we are about the work itself. God’s grace is more than enough to cover our human weaknesses, but it doesn’t give us a pass to ignore them. Let’s be people who build, not tear down, so that the next great move of God can stand strong for generations. Amen?