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| PentecostalTheology.com
On March 4, 1906 – Exactly 110 years ago, Seymour was locked out of the church after preaching speaking in tongues as the first biblical evidence of the inevitable infilling in the Holy Ghost.
Seymour preached the morning service on speaking in tongues as the first biblical evidence of the Holy Ghost baptism. When he returned for the evening service, the doors were padlocked by the pastor, Mrs. Hutchins. She expressed concern that his doctrine of baptism in the Holy Spirit was not correct Holiness doctrine. After calling a meeting with the leaders of the Holiness Church of Southern California, the elders of her church rejected Seymour’s teaching, primarily because he had not yet experienced the blessing about which he was preaching. However, not all members of Hutchins’ church rejected Seymour and he was invited to stay in the home of congregation member Edward S. and Mattie Lee.
On March 7th, Seymour was invited to speak at a prayer meeting organized by J.M. Roberts at 114 South Union Street in L.A. Leaders and pastors of the Holiness Church listened to his presentation, asked questions, and took a vote. They concluded that his doctrine was not consistent with the position of the Holiness Church and told him if he was to continue as pastor of the church at 9th Street and Santa Fe Avenue, he must stop teaching Holy Ghost baptism. Thus, democracy in the church ruled out the move of the Holy Spirit for the 20th century before it ever began.
Seymour refused their mandate, gently but firmly. He continued an evening prayer meeting at Lee’s Home, which for the lack of space was moved to the home of Ruth and Richard Asberry at 214 (now 216) North Bonnie Brae Street on March 12, 1906. The meetings were held each night throughout the remainder of the month and into the month of April.
By April 6, 1906 no one had been baptized in the Holy Spirit nor spoken in tongues yet. The group at the Asberry house decided to engage in a 10-day fast while seeking the baptism in the Spirit. Three days into fasting, on April 9, 1906 Edward S. Lee was baptized in the Spirit and spoke in other tongues in the late afternoon after William J. Seymour and Lucy F. Farrow laid hands on him for healing at his house. At 7:30 p.m., the group moved to the Asberry home on Bonnie Brae Street for their regular evening service. Before the night was over, Jennie Evans Moore and several others had joined him. The news immediately spread throughout the Holiness network in the city of Los Angeles. Seymour himself was not filled with the Spirit. He would be baptized with the Holy Ghost on April 12, 1906.
Seymour preached the morning service on speaking in tongues as the first biblical evidence of the Holy Ghost baptism. When he returned for the evening service, the doors were padlocked by the pastor, Mrs. Hutchins. She expressed concern that his doctrine of baptism in the Holy Spirit was not correct Holiness doctrine. After calling a meeting with the leaders of the Holiness Church of Southern California, the elders of her church rejected Seymour’s teaching, primarily because he had not yet experienced the blessing about which he was preaching. However, not all members of Hutchins’ church rejected Seymour and he was invited to stay in the home of congregation member Edward S. and Mattie Lee.
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