Florence Crawford: A Trailblazing Woman of Azusa Street
Florence Crawford was probably the most influential woman who helped extend the influence of Azusa beyond the height it experienced in the first few years. Though she was not a part of the original group at Bonnie Brae, Crawford rose quickly to a place of prominence after her encounter with God at 312 Azusa Street. Crawford, in her own words, was brought up in a home of unbelief, never knowing what it was like to hear her mother pray nor lay her hand on a Bible. It was clear that God had his eye on young Florence and preserved her for His future purposes in her life. Despite poor health, it appears that she had a normal life growing up, enjoying all the social activities that young people participated in, in those days.
Encounter with God
She describes her first direct encounter with God when she was a teenager: “One night as I was dancing in a ballroom I heard a voice speak out of Heaven and say ‘Daughter, give Me thine heart.’ I did not know it was the voice of God so I went on dancing. Again the voice spoke. It seemed my feet became heavy and the place was no longer beautiful to me. Again the voice spoke much louder, ‘Daughter, give Me thine heart!’ The music died away and I left the ballroom; and for three days and nights, I prayed and wept, wrestling against the powers of atheism and darkness.
Life and Ministry
In 1890, at the age of 18, she went to Los Angeles and married a building contractor, Frank Crawford. They had two children, and after a shaky start, they eventually separated in 1907. At this time, Crawford embarked on a spiritual journey seeking sanctification through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. She moved from church to church longing to experience God in a deeper and more intimate way. Her spiritual journey finally took her to 312 Azusa Street where she met a host of “hallelujahs” that went straight through her soul.
Azusa Street Experience
Feeling that she had found her home, her own poignant words describe that day and the wonderful joy that filled her heart: “How I thank God that when I heard of the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, He led me to a little mission. It was not a fine hall, but just an old barn-like building with an old board laid on two chairs for an altar. The floor was carpeted with sawdust; the walls and beams were blackened by smoke. I looked around to see if anybody saw me go in, but I would not have cared if the whole world saw me go out. I had found a people who had the experience I wanted.
Ministry and Legacy
Soon after, she received the baptism in the Holy Spirit and was water baptized. Her gift quickly made room for her among the leadership at Azusa, and eventually, she became one of the six members of the administrative board. It was not long after that when Crawford and Clara Lum started recording all the events of the revival and with Seymour, launched the first issue of The Apostolic Faith newspaper. 5. Throughout the 13 issues of the newspaper, the exploits of Sister Crawford were shared. The first news we read about concerns the great work that she was a part of in the city of Oakland. The second issue of the newspaper reported that “In the City of Oakland, during the five weeks that the band from Los Angeles was there, Brother and Sister Evans and Sister Florence Crawford, sixty-five souls received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and thirty were sanctified and nineteen converted.”
Call to Oregon
Even though a great revival was breaking out in Oakland, Sister Crawford had a huge tug on her heart, drawing her north to Oregon. She loved what God was doing in Los Angeles and she understood that the work there was something very special, but the cry of souls was calling her to other places as she describes in the second issue: “There is no spot on earth so dear to me as this place, but I must go out and tell this story…”
Tale Tuesday 041
Date: 23rd May 2023
Title: Women of Azusa: FLORENCE CRAWFORD Part 1
Source: The Azusa Street Revival
Author: Roberts Liardon
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