Azusa Street, Our Precious Heritage
As the Blind Man Sees, So Let Me See

William J. Seymore was born in 1870 to 2 former slaves.  He lived his early life in poverty.  As a young man, he made his way to Cincinnati, OH where he worked as a waiter.  It was there that he was saved and called to ministry.  While living in Ohio, Seymore contracted smallpox and was left blind in one eye.

By 1905, Seymore was living in Houston, TX where he heard the Pentecostal message and began attending a small Bible School run by Rev. Charles Parham.  Seymore had such a desire to learn more about the teaching of Pentecost that he endured the societal injustice of the Jim Crow Laws which forbade him to attend classes with white students.  He faithfully sat outside the classroom on a step daily listening to the teaching.   Within a short period of time, Rev. Parham recognized the calling of God on William Seymore, and began holding joint services with him.  Parham would speak to the white audience while Rev. Seymore would address the black congregation.  It was Rev. Parham’s hope that Rev. Seymore would be a spark that would ignite a fire of Pentecostal revival in the African-American population.

In early 1906, William Seymore accepted an invitation to preach for a group of believers in Los Angeles, CA.  He began holding Bible Studies at a small home on Bonnie Brae St.  On April 9, 1906, the first congregant was baptized in the Holy Spirit with the Biblical evidence of speaking in other “tongues”.  Word spread of the power of God and soon many were experiencing this Blessing of God.  

Within days, the crowds were so large that the small home on Bonnie Brae would no longer hold them.  An empty warehouse building that had also once served as a stable on Azusa St. In Los Angeles was secured for their new meeting house.  For more than 3 years, this was the home of a continual revival.  Services were scheduled for 3 times a day, every day, but usually ran into each other resulting in one constant worship service.

Whereas in Houston, the services were somewhat segregated, the congregation of Azusa St. Was free of the divisions of race and economic standing that so plague this world.  People of all races and levels of society freely worshiped and shared fellowship together.  As the faithful servant, Rev. Seymore, was blind in the natural sense, the true believers at Azusa St. Were blind to those things that so easily cause distrust and hate.  In this fertile breeding ground of unity and love, God was truly able to move.  Many signs, wonders, and miracles were experienced at Azusa, but the greatest was the spreading fire of the message of Hope and Salvation to a dying world that is still burning today.  

It is this history that we at Heritage Assembly of God hold so precious.  We are striving to be blind as William Seymore and his congregants were blind to the prejudices and greed of this world, for then we will truly “see” God’s hand and the fires of Pentecost will burn brighter on Preston Avenue in Lexington, Ky. as they did on Bonnie Brae St. and Azusa St.