T.D. Jakes Wins Prestigious William Seymour Award
Azusa Street Mission will present the prestigious William J. Seymour award during the April 7-10, 2016 Azusafest celebration! Azusafest is a three-day gospel music celebration that commemorate the Azusa Street Revival!
This year’s Azusafest will be held in conjunction with the AzusaNow celebration in the Los Angeles Coliseum on Saturday, April 9!
The award is given to a senior leader in ministry who exhibits the characteristics of the Lord’s humble servant William J. Seymour. This year’s national recipient is Bishop T.D. Jakes of the Potter’s House church in Dallas, Texas! Bishop T.D. Jakes is a co-founder of the Reconciled Church project, bringing leaders together for racial reconciliation.
Fred and Wilma Berry founders of the Azusa Street Mission & Historical Society have been awarding pastors and leaders the William J. Seymour Award since 2006. Prior recipients of the W.J. Seymour award have been: Bishop Charles E. Blake, the COGIC presiding Bishop USA; Pastor Sunday Adelaja, from Kiev, Ukraine; Dr. Patricia Bailey-Jones USA; Apostle John Eckhardt USA; Dr. Myles Munroe from Nassau, Bahamas; and Apostle Sam Korankye Ankrah from Accra, Ghana; Pastor Jabes de Alencar Sao Paulo, Brazil; Pastor Silas Malafaia in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Al Hollingsworth of Boss the Movement and Lou Engle of TheCall!
Over a century ago, a partially sighted African-American minister, William J. Seymour, came to Los Angeles to share the message that the Holy Spirit still baptizes people with the evidence of speaking in tongues. His early efforts to preach the Pentecostal message were rejected. Church leaders were suspicious of his religious doctrine and his teachings, but he persevered and kept on praying. On April 9, 1906, a powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit occurred within a small group of worshippers.
The news spread, and soon hundreds of people started coming from all over the world to the Apostolic Faith Mission on Azusa Street in Los Angeles, seeking to receive the Holy Spirit. The Azusa Street Revival lasted over three years and is widely considered to be the primary catalyst that sparked the worldwide Pentecostal Movement. Currently, it is estimated that over 800 million Pentecostals in the United States, Latin America, Africa and Asia can trace their religious origins to the Azusa Street Revival and Pastor Seymour.
Fred and Wilma Berry carry on the history of Azusa Street as international representatives through the Azusa Street Mission. The organization’s mission is to carry the flame of Azusa Street to the next generation throughout the nations of the world.
“There is an expectation of the fulfillment of William J. Seymour’s prophesy of a greater revival spreading all over the world like unto the Azusa Street Revival,” said Apostle Berry, “It’s America’s time again—God has chosen this nation for this hour—and we’re praying for leaders to come together in unity at Azusafest to unlock a catalyst to a greater wave of God’s Spirit for the Last Days harvest and revival.”
