Azusafest is a three-day Gospel music festival that commemorates the Azusa Street Revival. This year, Azusafest is excited to announce the winner of the prestigious William Seymour Award to Bishop TD Jakes of the Potters House Church in Dallas, Texas! Bishop TD Jakes is a co-founder of the reconciled church project bringing leaders together for racial reconciliation.

The William Seymour Award is given to a senior leader in ministry who exhibits the characteristic’s of minister William J. Seymour. Over a century ago, the minister came to Los Angeles to share the message of the Holy Spirit. Many of his early teachings and doctrines were rejected, but Seymour kept praying and sharing his Pentecostal message. In 1906, a powerful movement of the Holy Spirit occurred and news began to spread quickly. Hundreds of people from all over the world joined together at the Apostolic Faith Mission on Azusa Street seeking to receive the Lord. The Azusa Street Revival lasted for over three years and is considered to be the catalyst that started the Pentecostal Movement. Currently, it is estimated that over 800 million Pentecostals in the United States, Latin America, Africa and Asia can trace their religious origins to the Azusa Street Revival and Bishop Seymour.

Past winners of the William Seymour Award include Apostle Sam Korankye Ankrah from Accra, Ghana; Pastor Jabes de Alencar Sao Paulo, Brazil; Pastor Silas Malafaia in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Al Hollingsworth of Boss the Movement and Lou Engle of the Call among many other great minsters. The first award was given out in 2006. Fred and Wilma Berry are the founders of the Azusa Street Mission and Historical Society, and hope this movement will continue for generations to come.