Gaston Barnabas Cashwell (April 28, 1862 or 1860 – 1916) was an early

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. He was born in Sampson County, North Carolina.His importance lies in bringing several Holiness movements into the Pentecostal camp.

Biography

G. B. Cashwell first became a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and later joined the

Holiness Church The Holiness movement is a Christian movement that emerged chiefly within 19th-century Methodism, and to a lesser extent other traditions such as Quakerism, Anabaptism, and Restorationism. The movement is historically distinguished by its emp ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

in 1903. In November 1906, he traveled to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

to visit the Pentecostal revival at the

Azusa Street The Azusa Street Revival was a historic series of revival meetings that took place in Los Angeles, California. It was led by William J. Seymour, an African-American preacher. The revival began on April 9, 1906, and continued until roughly 1915. O ...

mission. In early December, he had an experience that he believed to be the baptism in

the Holy Spirit In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts as ...

and the evidence of

speaking in tongues Speaking in tongues, also known as glossolalia, is a practice in which people utter words or speech-like sounds, often thought by believers to be languages unknown to the speaker. One definition used by linguists is the fluid vocalizing of sp ...

. Upon returning to Dunn, North Carolina, on December 31, 1906, Cashwell preached the Pentecostal experience in the local Holiness church.The Genesis of the Pentecostal Movement, Part 2
/ref> Interest in the Pentecostal experience was so great that he rented a local tobacco warehouse and began a month-long crusade. A revival broke out in North Carolina, especially in the holiness movement. Most of the ministers of the Pentecostal Holiness Church, the

Fire-Baptized Holiness Church The Fire-Baptized Holiness Church was a holiness Christian denomination in North America and much of the denomination was involved in the early formation of Pentecostalism, the advent of which caused schism in the church; it continues today in the ...

and the Holiness Free Will Baptist Churches were swept into Pentecostalism by this revival. Over the next six months, he toured the south preaching Pentecost. His zeal and influence in spreading Pentecostalism through the south has earned him the title of the "Apostle of Pentecost to the South". In the summer of 1907, Cashwell brought the message of Pentecost to evangelists H. G. Rodgers and M. M. Pinson, who carried the message to

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, and

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

. Later they would lead these churches into the Assemblies of God. Through Rodgers and Pinson, A. J. Tomlinson of the Church of God in Cleveland, Tennessee, heard of Cashwell's message and invited him to Cleveland. On January 12, 1908, following a sermon by Cashwell, Tomlinson fell to the floor. He professed to receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost and speaking in at least ten different languages. In October 1907, Cashwell started a publication in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

, called ''The Bridegroom's Messenger''. The periodical was created to spread the Pentecostal message over the country through a combination of sermons, articles, editorials, and testimonies. He edited it for seven months before turning it over to Elizabeth A. Sexton (who had been the Associate Editor since the second issue) and returned fully to his evangelistic efforts. The periodical was later taken over by Sexton's daughter and son-in-law, Hattie and Paul Barth, who organized the International Pentecostal Assemblies (now

International Pentecostal Church of Christ The International Pentecostal Church of Christ (or IPCC) is an organization formed in 1976 by the merger of two Pentecostal organizations. In 1907, Gaston B. Cashwell, called the ''Apostle of Pentecost in the South'', founded a periodical called '' ...

). Although the influence of Cashwell was strong, his time of association with the Pentecostal movement was for a brief period of three years—from his conversion in 1906 until his departure from the Pentecostal Holiness Church in 1909. In 1910 and afterward, his name no longer appeared in the roster of ministers belonging to the Pentecostal Holiness Church. Cashwell was instrumental in the development of the Pentecostal Free Will Baptists and was listed as a member of the Baptist church across the street from where he lived when he died. Cashwell's apostleship of Pentecostalism in the south influenced many denominations. About a dozen existing Pentecostal bodies can trace their Pentecostal heritage directly or at least in part to Gaston B. Cashwell, including: *

Assemblies of God USA The Assemblies of God USA (AG), officially the General Council of the Assemblies of God, is a Pentecostal Christian denomination in the United States founded in 1914 during a meeting of white Pentecostal ministers at Hot Springs, Arkansas (with e ...

Church of God (Cleveland) The Church of God, with headquarters in Cleveland, Tennessee, United States, is a Holiness Pentecostal Christian denomination. The Church of God's publishing house is Pathway Press. History Origins (1886–1902) R. G. Spurling (1857–1935), ...

Church of God of Prophecy The Church of God of Prophecy is a Holiness Pentecostal Christian church. It is one of five ''Church of God'' bodies headquartered in Cleveland, Tennessee, that arose from a small meeting of believers who gathered at the Holiness Church at Camp Cr ...

Congregational Holiness Church The Congregational Holiness Church is a Holiness Pentecostal Christian denomination that was formed in 1921. History The ''Congregational Holiness Church'' shares the early history of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, from which it ...

International Pentecostal Holiness Church The International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC) or simply Pentecostal Holiness Church (PHC) is a Holiness-Pentecostal Christian denomination founded in 1911 with the merger of two older denominations. Historically centered in the Southeaster ...

* Pentecostal Free Will Baptist Church

Biography

References

Further reading