Joseph Smale
God’s ‘Moses’ for Pentecostalism
by Tim Welch
Foreword by Allan H. Anderson
Imprint: Wipf and Stock
296 Pages, 6.00 x 9.00 x 0.59 in
- Paperback
- 9781625646781
- Published: February 2014
$40.00 / £35.00
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Joseph Smale (1867-1926) was one of the central figures involved in the chain of events leading to the 1906 Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles. This important study presents the diverse influences which impacted Smale - formative years in Britain, growing up in Cornwall and Somerset amid a rhythm of Wesleyan revival; Reformed theological training under the tutelage of C.H. Spurgeon in London; migration to the United States; plus hard experiences in the 'school of anxiety' - which were all precursors for Smale's influential role as champion of Pentecostal revival. Smale's leadership will resonate with every church leader who prays for revival and longs for more Holy Spirit power experimentally. Smale's 'Moses' designation and biography have profound relevance for the church in the present day.
Tim Welch is Senior Pastor at Cambray Baptist Church, Cheltenham, and a Fellow of the Centre for Baptist History and Heritage, Regent's Park College, University of Oxford.
'Tim Welch has done a remarkable job of placing Smale within the larger social and theological contexts and helping us to understand this godly and complex Los Angeles pastor as he sought to do God's will.'
Cecil M. Robeck, Jr. is Professor of Church History and Ecumenics and Director of the David du Plessis Center for Christian Spirituality at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California, USA
'Tim Welch provides a richly detailed and illuminating account of this little known dimension of Pentecostal beginnings, namely its Baptist roots, and specifically the contribution of Joseph Smale. He also deepens our understanding and appreciation of the early days of the Pentecostal movement.'
Anthony R. Cross is a Member of the Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Oxford
'The care and accuracy that underlie this study, as well as the attention to historiographical, bibliographical and methodological features, make it an extremely strong piece of work. Tim Welch is to be congratulated upon all that he has achieved and Pentecostal historiography will never be quite the same again.'
William K. Kay is Professor of Theology at Glyndwr University and Professor of Pentecostal Studies at Chester University
'Tim Welch has discovered and mined a rich vein of primary material on Smale, and used this to produce a lively study of a significant yet neglected figure. Considerable light is shed on the beginnings of Pentecostalism, and Dr Welch's work has the potential to inform a number of historical and contemporary debates. I commend it most warmly.'
Peter J. Morden is Tutor in Church History and Spirituality, Spurgeon's College, London