Lucy F. Farrow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lucy F. Farrow
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| Born | 1851 |
| Died | 1911 Houston, Texas, US
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| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Pastor |
Lucy F. Farrow was an important African American pastor. She lived from 1851 to 1911. She played a big part in starting the Pentecostal faith. She was the first African American person known to have "spoken in tongues." This happened after she went to meetings led by Charles Fox Parham. She also helped William J. Seymour learn about this spiritual experience.
Contents
Her Life and Work
Early Life and Ministry
Lucy F. Farrow was born in 1851 in Norfolk, Virginia. She was born into slavery, which meant she was not free. Her uncle was Frederick Douglass, a famous leader who fought against slavery.
By 1905, Lucy Farrow was a pastor. She led a small church in Houston, Texas. That summer, she worked for Charles Fox Parham. He was a religious leader holding special meetings in Houston. Lucy worked as a cook for him.
A New Spiritual Experience
After Parham's meetings in Houston ended, he asked Lucy to go with him to Kansas. She went as a governess, which means she cared for his children. While she was with Parham, Lucy had a special spiritual experience. She "spoke in tongues," which is also called glossolalia. This means speaking in a language that is not known to the speaker, believed to be a gift from God.
Before she left Houston, Lucy asked her friend William J. Seymour to look after her church. When she came back, she told Seymour about her experience. She encouraged him to join a Bible college that Parham had started in 1906. There, Seymour learned many of Parham's teachings.
The Azusa Street Revival
Later in 1906, William Seymour became a pastor in Los Angeles. He asked Lucy Farrow to join him there. This is where the famous Azusa Street Revival began. Lucy became known as an "anointed handmaiden." This means she was seen as a special helper with God's blessing. She would lay her hands on people, and many would then experience the Holy Spirit and the gift of speaking in tongues.
Spreading the Message
Still in 1906, Lucy Farrow traveled to Johnsonville, Liberia, in Africa. People said she gained the gift of xenolalia. This is similar to speaking in tongues, but it means speaking a real language that the speaker has never learned. She reportedly spoke the Kru language. She used this gift to preach to the Kru people and share the Pentecostal message in Africa.
After her time in Africa, Lucy Farrow returned to Los Angeles. Later, she moved back to Houston. She became sick with tuberculosis and passed away in 1911. Her work was very important in the early days of the Pentecostal movement.
See also
