Charles Fox Parham

American religious leader

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 23, 2026

Quick Summary

Charles Fox Parham was an American religious leader and a key figure in the early development of Pentecostalism. He believed that speaking in tongues, or glossolalia, was the initial evidence of baptism with the Holy Spirit. This belief, which he taught to his students at Bethel Bible College in Topeka, Kansas, became a foundational tenet of the Pentecostal movement. Parham's teachings, particularly his emphasis on the baptism of the Holy Spirit and faith healing, influenced many other ministers and contributed to the spread of Pentecostalism across the United States and internationally.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

7 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Pentecostalism
The origins of Pentecostalism
The college’s director, Charles Fox Parham, one of many ministers who was influenced by the Holiness movement, believed that the complacent, worldly, and coldly formalistic church needed to be revived by another outpouring of the Holy Spirit. He instructed his students—many of whom already were ministers—to pray, fast,…
Read More
The college’s director, Charles Fox Parham, one of many ministers who was influenced by the Holiness movement, believed that the complacent, worldly, and coldly formalistic church needed to be revived by another outpouring of the Holy Spirit. He instructed his students—many of whom already were ministers—to pray, fast,…
Read More