Florence L. Crawford
Encyclopedia
While Florence Louise Crawford is not the founder of the Apostolic Faith Mission, she was rightfully given credit for having begun that movement in the Pacific Northwest
coast of the United States
. Initially, it was a satellite church from the original Apostolic Faith Mission, begun by William J. Seymour
.
Seymour’s Azusa Street movement, also named the Apostolic Faith Mission, began in Los Angeles
in 1906. After several evangelistic trips which took her up the West Coast
, Crawford broke away from the Azusa Street group to concentrate on the Portland, Oregon
, mission. Apostolic Faith historians list the birth of their separate organization as 1907.
Amid much ado regarding women being Christian
spiritual leaders and pastor
s, Crawford stood her ground and built her church into a small but thriving organization that kept an eye on the “mission” part of the name. She continued Seymour’s tradition of no collection plates in the church, using discreet boxes at the entrances of the churches to collect offerings.
From these offerings, Crawford managed to send a few missionaries to several countries “to spread the gospel,” to build and maintain several churches, to build a substantial printing plant, and to send, free of charge, a voluminous number of publications: numerous tracts, bimonthly church newspapers, books of church teachings, and a complete Sunday school
curriculum.
Crawford died on 20 June 1936 and was succeeded as leader of the Apostolic Faith Mission by her son Raymond Robert Crawford.
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
coast of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Initially, it was a satellite church from the original Apostolic Faith Mission, begun by William J. Seymour
William J. Seymour
William Joseph Seymour was an African American minister, and an initiator of the Pentecostal religious movement.-Biography:...
.
Seymour’s Azusa Street movement, also named the Apostolic Faith Mission, began in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1906. After several evangelistic trips which took her up the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
, Crawford broke away from the Azusa Street group to concentrate on the Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, mission. Apostolic Faith historians list the birth of their separate organization as 1907.
Amid much ado regarding women being Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
spiritual leaders and pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
s, Crawford stood her ground and built her church into a small but thriving organization that kept an eye on the “mission” part of the name. She continued Seymour’s tradition of no collection plates in the church, using discreet boxes at the entrances of the churches to collect offerings.
From these offerings, Crawford managed to send a few missionaries to several countries “to spread the gospel,” to build and maintain several churches, to build a substantial printing plant, and to send, free of charge, a voluminous number of publications: numerous tracts, bimonthly church newspapers, books of church teachings, and a complete Sunday school
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
curriculum.
Crawford died on 20 June 1936 and was succeeded as leader of the Apostolic Faith Mission by her son Raymond Robert Crawford.