History

THE HISTORY OF AZUSA BORDEAUX AFM CHURCH

Some of the 1906 Azusa Street Revival attendants

William Joseph Seymour , Leader of The 1906 Azusa Street Revival

"Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?" Psalm 85:6
The most significant event to happen to the Christian church in the early part of this century was begun in 1906 at 312 Azusa Street in Los Angeles, California.
The Leader of this most important event was a humbly little one-eyed Negro Brother by the name of William Joseph Seymour. Brother Seymour's parents had been slaves, yet it pleased our God to use this Brother to spearhead this great Pentecostal Movement. At a later date, Brother Seymour married Sister Jennie Evans Moore who was said to be the first woman in Los Angeles to speak in tongues. She became a minister at Azusa Street and also an evangelist.
Brother Seymour learned about the deeper experience of the baptism of the Holy Ghost in a BibleSchool that Charles Parham conducted in Houston, Texas in 1905.
Invited to pastor a Black holiness church in Los Angeles in 1906. This Church was in a small house at 214 Bonnie Brae, a short, humble, dusty street in Los Angeles, California. It was here where a small group of people who were hungry for a greater move of God met to pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit with New Testament Pentecostal Power. As the news spread that people were praying for a real move of God, they were joined by other hungry souls till at last they outgrew the home where they were meeting.
After outgrowing the little house at 214 Bonnie Brae, the meetings were moved to a converted livery stable at 312 Azusa Street. Brother Seymour opened the historic meeting in April, 1906 in a former African Methodist Episcopal church building.
The Azusa Street meetings were characterized by supernatural manifestations of the Holy Spirit with many signs and wonders. Much of the time as these things were taking place, Brother Seymour sat with his head inside an old shoe box praying and seeking God to move in even greater ways.
God certainly did answer Brother Seymour's prayers and before long Sister Jennie Evans Moore began to speak in tongues. It was not long till she was followed by others who was also receiving this blessing.
The name Azusa soon becomes to many a symbol of New Testament apostolic power and glory.
The area of Azusa, California, as well as Azusa Street in Los Angeles, was named after a little Indian girl who was reported to have had gifts of healing back in the late 1800s.
What happened at Azusa Street has fascinated church historians for decades and continues to be one of the greatest and fasting growing Movements in the world today.
For over three years, the Azusa Street Apostolic Faith mission conducted three services a day, seven days a week, where thousands of seekers received the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
News of the revival was spread abroad through The Apostolic Faith, a paper that Brother Seymour sent to some 50,000 subscribers. From Azusa Street, the Pentecostal Movement spread rapidly around the world.
The interracial fellowship of those seeking this great move of God was truly amazing in the face of the racism and segregation of the times. It was truly great to see Brothers and Sisters, Blacks and Whites worshipping together under a Black pastor and it surely seemed incredible to many observers. The ethos of the meeting was captured by Frank Bartleman, a White Azusa participant, when he said of Azusa Street, The color line was washed away in the blood. Indeed, people from all the minorities of Los Angeles, a city which Bartleman called the American Jerusalem, were represented at Azusa Street.
William Seymour was and is, I believe, the most influential black leader in American religious history.
People from all over the country came to see what was happening and to receive the baptism with the Holy Ghost. Visiting pastors would return from Azusa Street Mission to their churches and spread the fire.
Brother Seymour always advised the people, "Don't go out of here talking about tongues; talk about Jesus," As for me, I'm glad that we have signs and wonders and manifestations of the Holy Spirit. I praise God for every person that prophesies and speaks with tongues and interprets, every one that heals and gets healed. I thank God that the five-fold ministry is for today and every day, for each pastor, each evangelist, each bishop, each member of His body, I thank God for all these things.
But hear me now end-time church; if you can't put away your schismatic, traditional, separatist, puritan, judgmental, ignorant, Calvinist, illiberal, oppressive, Pharisee, ways toward those Christians who are not saints, God will pass you by even in these last days and choose the ones who can. Please heed my words because I love you and have ears to hear what the spirit is saying to the churches.
Even though it lasted only three years, Azusa Street became a revival of major proportions and many thousands were converted. For Pentecostals, the events of Azusa Street marked the real beginning of the Power of God in the Latter Days.
Brother William J. Seymour, who also founded the Apostolic Faith Mission, JohnG.Lake and F. F. Bosworth went to South Africa to start the Apostolic Faith Mission Churchthere.
The tiny mission building on Azusa Street has long since crumbled to the ground, its dusty portals no longer ringing with the shouts of Hallelujah, nevertheless, the great work that begun there is still going even unto this day. Thanks be unto God for a humble Brother like Brother William Joseph Seymour.

Richard Sihlobo Ngidi, (1921-1985), Pastor of APOSTOLIC FAITH MISSION CHURCH

Richard Ngidi was born in Umzimnyathi, KwaZulu-Natal, in 1921. Ngidi was converted into Christianity in 1952. It was in one of Bhengu's evangelistic crusades (Back to God) in Lamontville, Durban. He was then baptized in water by the man of God, William Duma *(Khathide 1993:29), whose gift was also that of faith in signs and wonders. Ngidi was then baptized in the Holy Spirit. Consequently, Ngidi had to face many challenges because of the Finger of God that was upon him. His church, the American Board Mission, ostracized him severely. According to Khathide (1993:12), Ngidi together with his saved extended family had to leave. What can we say; it's part of a man's makeup. It was in 1956 that The Lord led him to the Apostolic Faith Mission **(Anderson 1992:48).
After his time in LeratoBibleSchool, Ngidi was ordained as a pastor (AFM). After fasting for 40 days, miracles began to happen; the blind saw; the cripples walked; and multitudes baptized in the Holy Spirit. The AFM in Natal grew tremendously. "He also was the first to use women workers in church planting; and thirty well-trained women were under his supervision" (:48). Two of those women were, Mrs Fisakuphi Madlala and Viola Mbotho (based in Lovu-South of Durban), who are still fully operational under that unction. Pastor Ngidi also worked with iSalukazi seVangeli, the Evangelist Evelyn Gigaba (uGogo is now based in KwaMashu-Durban).
Ngidi's standpoint
Ngidi was a God-fearing man, just as his spiritual fathers Chiliza, Bhengu, and Duma were. Ngidi was opposed to Christian involvements with politics. A mere conversation of that nature, Ngidi would lambast. "He warned the pastors of the love of money, the love of women and pride" (Khathide 1993:89) Among other factors, Ngidi emphasized the importance of fasting and prayer. According to Moruti Ralekholela, he often took only the pastors to fast and pray in the bush; far from residential areas. He also expounds vigorously that one day Ngidi took them there as usual. "A certain woman was brought there to be prayed for. She was at a point of dying. I saw that man pausing for a little beat and said, 'senizobona amandla kaNkulunkulu bafana bami' [you will see The Power of God, young men]. He looked up and sang Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me. He laid hands on her and she was healed instantly,"(extracted from Ntate Ralekholela's sermon in cassette). There is no doubt that Richard Ngidi walked with God.
A man surnamed Zulu went to Ngidi one day and asked, "Why are you so different, Pastor Ngidi. Why is God using you this much?” Ngidi replied, "It is because I am faithful with the little. I do not give as you people give. I give two types of tithes. One type is that which is commanded by the Word to be given, the other is the tithe of faith, which is not in The Word (isishumi sokukholwa)." Mr. Zulu was astonished because he knew deeply that it was difficult for him even to pay the first one (dialogue translated from Zulu).
Ngidi left an unerasable mark, the teaching on fasting and prayer. He passed away prematurely on the 4th of May 1985. His initial spiritual father Nicholas Bhengu, also passed away later in 1985.
Oh! South Africa! What have you done to deserve this blessed visitation? *Khathide, A. 1993. What a giant of faith.
**Anderson, A. 1992. Bazalwane: African pentecostals in South Africa.Pretoria: UNISA

Pastor David Mthembi

This is the man who has shouldered the responsibility of illuminating the dark part of the then Northern Transvaal (Now Limpopo Province) of South Africa. He affiliated his church membership in Swiss Mission (Presbyterian) Church. His view of Christianity was stereotypic and he did not have any personal encounter with the Lord.
God’s finger, directed him to go to Kwazulu-Natal. He did not only find money to look after his beloved family, but above everything, he found the Lord. His life was dramatically and instantly changed after he had that glorious encounter with the Lord. David Mthembi was discipled by Pastor Sangweni. It so happened that he came back home and he was so excited about the new light, which had just dawned into his life.
When he came back, unfortunately, he received a very cold reception from his home church, the Presbyterian Church. His prayer lifestyle was severely criticized. They found it ridiculous for him to speak in a strange language (Pray in tongues). He was physically removed from the church.
Pastor David started work in his house. Because of his anointing, it did not take time for him to gather members. The work grew in leaps and bounds; people came to the Lord in numbers. Some of his early converts were Pastor Jackson Mboweni, and Pastor Daniel Nyamazane Shipalana (The father of Dr Pastor NM Shipalana, the senior pastor of Apostolic Faith Mission). Pastor Daniel Nyamazane got a call to Pretoria. Pastor Jackson Mboweni became his personal assistant, like father-like son; Pastor Mboweni was also used mightily by God. They worked very closely as equals. The work grew, covered the former Gazankulu, and conquered the Phalaborwa mines, part of the former Lebowa.
Pastor David Mthembi was such a great gift from God and every work in AFM Bordeaux is pointed to him. He went up to be with the Lord on 18 May 1965, but His vision and works still continue to live.

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