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Joseph Smale was a catalytic figure in the church life of los Angeles, leading many towards the 'Promised land' of Pentecostal blessing in 1905-1906; although his subsequent experiences led him to retreat from the burgeoning Pentecostal movement.
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 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. Furthermore, his story is also educative for those contending with some of the more problematic and 'untidy' aspects of Pentecostal-Charismatic experience, involving painful power struggles, hurts, abuse of freedom, spiritual excesses and so on. Smale's 'Moses' designation and biography still have relevance for the church in the present day.
About the author
Tim Welch served as a missionary in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire for thirty-one years with SIM, including twenty-two years as national director. He began his service there at a Christian publishing house, and currently he serves as, the SIM Ministry Point Person for Literature, based in the US. He received his MA in World Christianity from Denver Seminary and his doctorate in Transformational Leadership from the Université de l'Alliance Chrétienne d'Abidjan in Cote d'Ivoire. Tim has written five books in French on practical theology and two books in English on Africans in the Bible, one for adults and one for children. He was the general editor for the Bible d'étude africaine (CPE, 2015) and a contributor to the Africa Study Bible (Oasis International, 2016). Tim and his wife Janet live in Colorado. They have two children and four grandchildren.
