Who was Charles Fox Parham, and how did he influence early Pentecostalism?

Charles Fox Parham was a minister and the director of Bethel Bible College in Topeka, Kansas, who played a foundational role in the development of modern Pentecostalism. Influenced by the Holiness movement, he sought to revive what he viewed as a formalistic church through an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.1

Parham’s influence on the movement was significant in several ways:

• Glossolalia as Evidence: After his student Agnes Ozman spoke in tongues in 1901, Parham formulated the doctrine that speaking in tongues (glossolalia) was the "initial evidence" of baptism with the Holy Spirit.1
• Faith Healing: In 1903, he integrated faith healing into his ministry, establishing it as a hallmark practice of the movement.1
• Evangelical Expansion: Parham’s teachings spread through his missionary efforts and Bible schools, notably influencing William Seymour, who later led the influential Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles.1
• Theological Foundation: He helped define early Pentecostal theology, including the belief that the Holy Spirit baptism followed the experience of sanctification, a position that later became a point of doctrinal division within the movement.1