The year was 1906. Holiness evangelist Frank Bartleman was saturating the City of Los Angeles with Gospel tracts. The man of God even wrote Evan Roberts in Wales for advice on how to spark a move of God in the “City of Angels” that would echo the Great Welsh Revival of 1904-1905. As the story goes, Roberts wrote back, “Congregate the people who are willing to make a total surrender. Pray and wait. Believe God’s promises. Hold daily meetings. May God bless you is my earnest prayer.”

God did bless Bartleman, and many others. The following is Bartleman’s testimony from June 15, 1906 at 312 Azusa Street, when the Spirit of God dropped what he described as a “heavenly chorus” into his soul. He suddenly found himself joining the rest who had received the supernatural gift. On this 100th anniversary of the Azusa Street Revival, Bartleman tells us in his own words:

It was a spontaneous manifestation and rapture no earthly tongue can describe. In the beginning this manifestation was wonderfully pure and powerful. We feared to try to reproduce it, as with the “tongues” also. Now many seemingly have no hesitation in imitating all the “gifts.” No one could understand this “gift of song” but those who had it. It was indeed a “new song” in the Spirit. When I first heard it in the meeting a great hunger entered my soul to receive it. I felt it would exactly express my pent up feelings. I had not yet spoken in “tongues.” But the “new song” captured me. It was a gift from God of high order, and appeared among us soon after the “Azusa” work began.