From Azusa Street to Cordova: How Assemblies of God Became First Assembly Memphis

Part 5 of 5: The Legacy Lives On

Picture this: a small prayer meeting in 1907 Memphis, where a lawyer named L.P. Adams first experienced the Pentecostal fire that had swept from Azusa Street across America. Fast-forward 118 years, and that same spiritual DNA now flows through First Assembly Memphis on Walnut Grove Road in Cordova, Tennessee, and extends globally through ministries like Boundless Online Church. This isn't just history; it's your story, whether you're sitting in a pew in Memphis or logging in from halfway around the world.

The Thread That Connects Us All

When Charles H. Mason visited Azusa Street in 1907 and brought the Pentecostal message back to Memphis, he couldn't have imagined the ripple effects. L.P. Adams, that Memphis lawyer and teacher, received this same message from G.B. Cashwell and started what would become Grace and Truth Church of God in Christ. This interracial cooperation was radical for 1907, but it perfectly embodied the Assemblies of God heart that would emerge: the Gospel transcends every barrier.

Adams' little congregation raised a tent on Trigg Avenue in 1908, drawing hundreds. By 1911, a young man named Ralph M. Riggs had joined, the same Riggs who would later become General Superintendent of the entire Assemblies of God movement. See how God weaves these stories together? Your local church has always been part of something much bigger.

From Division to Unity: The 1934 Miracle

Here's where the story gets really powerful. By the 1930s, two separate Assemblies of God congregations existed in Memphis, one at Fort Pickering, one at Bella Place. Division had wounded the body of Christ. But on September 8, 1934, under the supervision of General Superintendent Ernest S. Williams himself, something beautiful happened: the congregations merged.

They didn't worship in either old building. Instead, they moved to neutral ground at 960 South Third Street. On October 21, 1934, the newly united congregation held their first service and officially became First Assembly of God. From division came unity. From brokenness came healing. From two struggling churches came one thriving family.

Sound familiar? That's exactly what Boundless Online Church does today, bringing together believers from every background, every zip code, every life situation into one unified family where everyone belongs.

The Mission Explosion: From Memphis to the World

As the Assemblies of God movement grew through the mid-20th century, something remarkable happened. Churches like First Assembly Memphis didn't just grow locally, they became launching pads for global missions. The same Pentecostal fire that started at Azusa Street now fueled missionaries heading to every continent.

The Assemblies of God became the world's largest Pentecostal fellowship, with over 69 million members in 212 countries. But here's the beautiful part: it all traces back to local churches like the one in Memphis where ordinary people said yes to extraordinary faith.

Layne McDonald, our Assimilation and Retention Director, often reminds us that every global movement starts with local relationships. That tent meeting in 1907 Memphis? Those Sunday services at 960 South Third Street? They were training grounds for world-changers.

First Assembly Memphis Today: Where Legacy Meets Innovation

Today, First Assembly Memphis sits at 8650 Walnut Grove Road in Cordova, Tennessee: a far cry from that tent on Trigg Avenue, but carrying the same heart. Pastor and congregation continue the legacy of "Loving God & Loving People" that started over a century ago.

But here's what makes this story even more beautiful: technology now allows that same Memphis heart to reach the globe. Through partnerships with ministries like Boundless Online Church, the spiritual DNA of Azusa Street continues flowing to homebound members, shift workers, international families, and anyone seeking authentic Christian community.

Whether you're worshiping in the sanctuary on Walnut Grove Road or joining online from your living room, you're part of the same story that began when the Spirit fell at Azusa Street and spread to a Memphis prayer meeting in 1907.

The Boundless Connection: Your Place in This Legacy

Here's where your story intersects with this rich history. Boundless Online Church isn't competing with local congregations like First Assembly Memphis: we're extending their reach. When someone in Memphis can't make Sunday service due to illness, when a military family stationed overseas needs spiritual family, when a single parent working night shifts seeks connection, Boundless provides the bridge.

Every online group, every virtual prayer meeting, every digital Bible study carries forward the same inclusive, Spirit-filled vision that started at Azusa Street. You're not just participating in "online church": you're continuing a legacy that transformed Memphis, America, and the world.

The same Charles H. Mason who brought revival from Azusa Street to Memphis understood that the Gospel breaks barriers. Geography, race, social status, physical limitations: none of these can contain God's love. That's exactly what Boundless celebrates today.

Your Invitation Into Living History

Whether you're exploring faith for the first time or you've walked with Jesus for decades, you have a place in this continuing story. Every time you join a Boundless group, share a prayer request, or connect with believers globally, you're adding your thread to the tapestry that began over a century ago.

Maybe you're in Memphis and looking for a church home: First Assembly Memphis on Walnut Grove Road welcomes you with open arms. Maybe you're anywhere in the world and need spiritual family right now: Boundless Online Church offers 24/7 community where you're never forgotten, never alone, and deeply loved by God.

The tent meetings have become sanctuaries. The prayer circles have become online groups. The evangelistic fervor has become global digital outreach. But the heart remains the same: Jesus loves you, His family welcomes you, and your story matters.

Welcome Home to Your Legacy

From L.P. Adams' tent in 1907 to your smartphone in 2025, God's been writing a story of radical inclusion and unstoppable love. The Assemblies of God movement that began at Azusa Street and took root in Memphis now spans the globe: and you're invited to be part of what comes next.

Your zip code doesn't matter. Your schedule doesn't matter. Your background doesn't matter. What matters is that the same Spirit that fell at Azusa Street, transformed Memphis, and built a worldwide fellowship is still moving today. And He's moving toward you.

Ready to join the story? Visit www.boundlessonlinechurch.org to connect with global community, or experience this legacy in person at First Assembly Memphis. Either way, you're coming home to family that's been waiting for you since 1907.

Welcome home. Your chapter in this amazing story starts now.

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First Assembly Memphis, 8650 Walnut Grove Road, Cordova, Tennessee 38018. Phone: 901-843-8600. Email: info@famemphis.net.