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Pentecostal Apostle to the South GB Cashwell and the Dunn, North Carolina Revival started on December 31, 1906
Gaston Barnabas Cashwell known as “The Pentecostal Apostle to the South was born in 1860 and died from a heart-attack in 1916. But exactly 10 years before his passing in glory, his ministry influenced many denominations. About a dozen existing Pentecostal bodies can trace their Pentecostal heritage directly or at least in part to Gaston B. Cashwell.
In November 1906, GB Cashwell traveled to Los Angeles to visit the Pentecostal revival at the Azusa Street mission. In early December, he had an experience that he believed to be the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the evidence of speaking in tongues. They said he spoke in German.
Upon returning to Dunn, North Carolina, on December 31, 1906, Cashwell preached the Pentecostal experience in the local Holiness church. Interest in the Pentecostal experience was so great that he rented a local tobacco warehouse and began a month-long crusade. A revival broke out in North Carolina, especially in the holiness movement. Most of the ministers of the Pentecostal Holiness Church, the Fire-Baptized Holiness Church and the Holiness Free Will Baptist Churches were swept into Pentecostalism by this revival. Over the next six months, he toured the south preaching “Pentecost”. His zeal and influence in spreading Pentecostalism through the south has earned him the title of the Apostle of Pentecost to the South.
William Seymour announced in The Apostolic Faith that “Bro. G.B. Cashwell who came from North Carolina for his Pentecost, has returned on his way rejoicing to carry the good news of the Pentecost to the hungry souls there.” In December, 1906, Cashwell led a three-week revival meeting in an old tobacco warehouse in Dunn, NC, that introduced Pentecost to the entire region. Over the next two years, Cashwell was instrumental in leading hundreds into Pentecost, including M.M. Pinson, who later became one of the first executive presbyters of the Assemblies of God; A.J. Tomlinson, who founded the Church of God (Cleveland, TN), N.J. Holmes of Greenville, SC, founder of Holmes College of the Bible and J.H. King.
January of 1908 he preached in Cleveland, Tennessee, at the conclusion the General Conference of the Church of God. A.J. Tomlinson, at that time pastor of the church in Cleveland, received the Pentecostal baptism.
Pentecostal Holiness Church leaders such as G.B. Cashwell and G.F. Taylor encouraged potential missionaries to trust God to provide the necessary languages. Cashwell believed learning foreign languages in colleges would take too long and Jesus would come soon. Taylor ridiculed “scholarly clergymen and high-steeple officials” who wondered how to spread the gospel as being “19 centuries behind the times.” So, while Pentecostal churches and periodicals struggled to spread their message throughout the Southeast, they also solicited collections for foreign missions.
Shortly after Cashwell’s 1907 revival at Dunn, North Carolina, laypeople and leaders set out to places such as China, Japan, and India. Among those was PHC minister T.J. McIntosh.
McIntosh, who apparently was the first Pentecostal missionary to reach China, was the test case that revised a critical piece of this emerging formula. McIntosh was one of many who believed his xenolalic tongues were Chinese. Once in China he lamented in the Bridegroom’s Messenger, “Oh! How we would love to speak to these poor people. Of course, God speaks with our tongues, but not their language.” Reports that McIntosh and other missionaries were unable to communicate with people because God did not miraculously provide them with a foreign language caused considerable discomfort for Pentecostals. This news also elicited further criticism from their opponents.
The teaching on Spirit baptism was modified in Cashwell’s inaugural issue of The Bridegroom’s Messenger 1:1 (1 October 1907).Here he specifically contrasted xenolalia with languages learned at colleges for evangelizing the world. He called the “gift of tongues” (1 Corinthians 12) xenolalic in contrast with initial-evidence tongues orglossolalia. Cashwell argued that McIntosh and others who thought they had the gift of tongues were pure in their motives, but mistaken. Cashwell criticized the disunity these misunderstandings were causing, and called on Pentecostals to pray that missionaries would attain the necessary gift. As for himself, Cashwell realized that he had only obtained manifestations of tongues, but he continued to expect the gift of tongues just as much as he expected to see Jesus. In subsequent years, the phc greatly escalated its missionary outreach, but also made concessions by adopting stringent requirements for its missionaries, utilizing translators, and sponsoring a more traditional approach to acquiring foreign languages.
In 1906 as G. B. Cashwell and Dunn NC opened a new era for the South. It was much like the recorded meeting that he had with people of all faiths and colors. The Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterians, Holiness Church and many others gathered to seek for the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and left that meeting as changed men and women for God. Our event was made up of an audience much like his was as we anticipated what God would do. The meeting started off with the guest speaker, Dr. Vinson Synan, author of many books on the holiness and Pentecostal movement in the United States, speaking on the historical significance of this site and the man behind the movement. Then the singers came and so did the wonderful power of God to visit with each of us as the Holy Ghost ministered to each one. As this marker was dedicated in the name of the Father, a white dove was released, in the name of the Son, another white dove was released and then in the name of the Holy Ghost, the third dove was released and they ascended high above and circled until the third dove joined the first two and then they headed home. You would have to be there to appreciate the beauty of this conclusion to the dedication ceremony.
Varnel Watson
Thank you for the reminder David Lewayne Porter Dan Irving and Stephen Williams Pentecostal Apostle to the South GB Cashwell and the Dunn, North Carolina Revival started on December 31, 1906 Charles Page
Street Preacherz
We’re gonna have an old fashioned soul saving revival yet!!! What was the catylist, or initiating event?
Varnel Watson
110 years ago they sure did in Dunn, NC – too bad not much of revival left there today. But the Lord is merciful and gracious to send more rain down #sendITallDOWN
David Lewayne Porter
Revival is still going on in Dunn, NC.
You have to look for the wheat among the tares.
The pearl is in the Master’s field.
There are celebrations and services going on not only to remember 110 years ago but to see God do similar for us, to us, through us for our day, time, generation.
Now faith!
Varnel Watson
Perhaps we have different views on revival. Keep us posted
David Lewayne Porter
Revival does not come with fanfare and blowing horns, whistles, waving flags.
Revival in Dunn 110 years ago started with the personal quest of a man that took him deeper with God as he traveled 2,690+ miles and back.
The question is
Where is the hunger?
Varnel Watson
The revival with G. B. Cashwell started in 1906 and ended with his death in 1916. As far as I am aware there has not been another Pentecostal revival in Dunn NC or the close by area since then. According to Pew less than 50% of the Pentecostal churches in the area even speak in tongues today. How many members is your church in comparison to the largest Pentecostal church in Dunn?
David Lewayne Porter
Troy Day
I will be the first one to say my church falls very short of where we should be. We are not half way to the standards of the Books of Acts Church.
That is exactly why I am still there, still pastoring, still teaching, still training, still laying foundations and moving forward.
Let’s clarify something if we may.
You quote Pew saying,
“50% of the Pentecostal churches in the “Dunn” area do not speak in tongues – today”.
And then you ask me to, “compare my numbers to the numbers of the LARGEST pentecostal church in Dunn”.
So are we going by size of the church calling itself a Pentecostal church or are we comparing to the largest church who still speaks in tongues.
Can you tell me which church that would be since only half actually use tongues, or to be more accurate is used with/in tongues?
Is that speaking in tongues accompanied by the nine gifts and fruit of the Spirit as to be truly Pentecostal?
I came into my church almost 5 years ago and stopped a lot of the “emotional” things that were going on.
Why do I say “emotional”;
Shouting, dancing, speaking in tongues as they were back biting, gossiping, devils manifesting as service would get started even to the point of people having convulsions. Some would even meet visitors at the door as they were coming in telling them, “we don’t allow people like you around here”.
Yet they spoke in tongues. But do we consider that being Pentecostal based only on the tongues? “Speaking of tongues” they were mostly without interpretation when there was supposed to have been one due to the speaker trying to take control of the service..
Is that what you are asking?
Is that Pentecostal?
After three years I lost seventeen within a two month period because I started over and built the foundation of why we do what we do, including the Pentecostal experience.
Now as far as numbers.
It concerns me that you asked that for this reason;
We had an awesome three week revival – twenty four services in a row where the Holy Spirit had His way. Churches all around us had members coming to join in and bringing the lost with them.
Sinners from outside of the church saved, sanctified, filled with the Holy Ghost with tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The from within the church(es) around us from many denoominations people worshipping, praising, dancing, laid out on the floor under the presence of the Lord. It was standing room only, we removed windows, and opened others in adjacent rooms so people could see into the sanctuary.
I should not have called off the revival but I did so inorder to not overlap with a sister church’s revival starting 3 miles down the street.
After the revival ended my pentecostal church, as you asked about, went back to the size and number that it was. But now i had members with new fire and understanding. I lost some who were displeased and gained just as many new attendees. For the record I am against transfer growth from other churches, I want sinners being converted and added to the church.
Pastors at other churches asked, “what was the point of the hype, the electric bills, the time spent. What did it accomplish for the Dunn Church of God”?
The evangelist would ask the pastors presenting those questions, “how is your member (A) doing, are they still giving you trouble”?
The pastors would reply, “you know something changed, they are not combative, they are some of my strongest supporters now. They are active members, on the pastors counsel and in church leadership”.
The evangelist would inform that pastor of the fact that member (A) was touched and changed while they attended during our revival.
Same with member (B) from a second church, member (C) from a third church. And there were others. Marriages and homes were restored. Children and parents renewed relationships.
You see those pastors were looking to see if the “numbers” increased in my church.
God will give the numbers and growth to my ministry and church as I do it for Him, as I concentrate on growing The Kingdom.
So
What do we consider Pentecostal?
What do we consider revival?
Do we consider growth only as church growth or it is Kingdom growth that truly counts.
Each minister must and will answer this individually as they fulfill God’s call upon their life.
Closing thought,
If Cashwell can be traced to influencing 70 million people since 2006, then why did the Dunn area revival seem to end, or at least cool down after his death ending Azusa Street East as a major movement upon his death in 1916?
Why did no one carry on in his absence?
Sounds like when Brownsville rolled up and ended after Steve Hill was led to move on.
Again I ask,
Are we analyzing revival and pentecostalism accurately.
And brother Troy
I am truly sincere with these questions.
Varnel Watson
Lets pray things are changing in the church in 2017
David Lewayne Porter
Exactly, there is much room for needed change
Varnel Watson
1 important question among the rest bro David Lewayne Porter “Why did no one carry on in his absence?” – Some responsibilities can be handled only when given from above …
David Lewayne Porter
My I help to pick up that mantle and carry on in Dunn, NC and the surrounding areas.
Dan Irving
God will send His workers, and, He knows His times and seasons. The Lord and His prophets expressed the kingdom of God in terms of times of RAIN (Hos 10:12, Joel 2:23, Zech 10:1); DROUGHT (Is 41:8, Lk 23:31) SLEEP (Mt 13:25, 25:5, Mk 4:27), AWAKENING (Is 51:17, Mt 25:7, Rom 13:11,) NIGHT-TIME (Is 21:11, Jn 9:4,) DAYTIME (Rom 13:12) We are told to make REQUEST. On the other hand, the time is ALWAYS right to speak His Word (II Tim 4:2.) I think far too much is made today of “continuous revival.” And, I ask: Have you noticed it is the false prophets that seem to always have revival?
Charles Page
Have you noticed it is the false prophets that seem to always have revival? Woah, never thought of that!!! Tent companies always give false prophets discounts. I’ve seen that LOL
Charles Page
peace for Jerusalem! and not for the Palestinians to get a piece of Jerusalem.