Spirit Inspire: Phoebe Palmer — The Mother of Healing Movement | Digitalk World

Phoebe Palmer was born in 1807 and is considered to be “The Mother of the Holiness Movement.” This movement began in 1835 with her Tuesday Meetings for the Promotion of Holiness, which continued for 39 years in New York City, where she lived with her physician husband. The success of Phoebe Palmer’s informal meetings encour-aged other women to conduct the same type of ministry, and dozens of them sprang up throughout North America. Although Palmer was already inspiring many women around the country 13 years before the Womens’ Rights Movement began, the church, unfortunately, did not understand the prophetic nature of her actions to encourage and empower women for the ministry.

“She could have graced a throne, or filled the office of a bishop, or organized and governed a new sect…. Whoever promotes holiness in all this country, must build upon the deep-laid foundations of this holy woman,” wrote a leading minister upon the death in 1874 of Phoebe Palmer (See http://www.messiah.edu/whwc/articles/articles26.htm). A century later, M.E. Dieter argued in his history of The Holiness Revival of the Nineteenth Century that “the quiet discourse and boundless activity” of Mrs. Palmer “became the major impetus in setting off a world wide [holiness] movement.” She became interested in the Wesleyan doctrine of Christian perfection; and professing with her husband the experience of “entire sanctification,” held weekly meetings at her home for the advancement of this doctrine for nearly 50 years. 

They traveled extensively in this country and in Europe supporting their views. She was also an editor of a monthly magazine titled, The Guide to Holiness, and she was the author of: The Way of Holiness (New York, 1845); Entire Devotion (1845); Faith and its Effects (1846); Incidental Illustrations of the Economy of Salvation (1852); Promises of the Father (1856); Four Years in the Old World (1865); Pioneer Experiences (1867); and Sweet Mary; or A Bride made ready for her Lord (England, 1862). John Fletcher, Wesley’s lieutenant, was the first theologian to equate the experience of entire sanctification with the baptism of the Holy Spirit given at Pentecost. William Arthur, in his book, The Tongue of Fire, also equated sanctification with experiencing the Holy Spirit. Phoebe Palmer was impacted by Fletcher’s thoughts and Pentecostal style language began to appear in her speaking and writing. During a four-year trip to

promote the revival in England, Mrs. Palmer and her husband developed an order of service based on Pentecost which later became their standard pattern. They would start by leading a hymn about Pentecost, then have Dr. Palmer read and comment upon Acts 2. Next Mrs. Palmer would exhort those present to be baptized with “an inward baptism of pure fire.” Those wishing to receive the blessing would then come forward for a prayer service around the altar, after which they would be urged to bear testimony about what the Lord had done for them.

This connection between sanctification and the baptism of the Holy Spirit would be one of the great focuses of the coming Pentecostal revival at Azusa. Palmer never claimed to be a preacher; she viewed much of the preaching of the day to be “metaphysical hair-splitting,” “oratorical displays,” and “pulpits of pedestal eminence.”She stood behind a pul-

pit, expounded on biblical topics, and drew larger crowds than most of the male preachers with whom she shared meetings. But she perceived that what she did was not preaching, but merely explaining, edifying,

exhorting, and comforting from Scripture. A fellow preacher wrote, “She was unique and peculiar, not copying anyone’s style, yet possibly reminding one of Mr. Wesley whom she so admired. I shall never forget the effect produced on both head and heart. 

Breathless attention was given so that not a word might be lost.”Not even Palmer herself could deny her ability as a revivalist. Her speaking, whether called preaching or not, is said to have won more than 25,000 converts in the United States, some 17,300 in Britain, and several thousand more in Canada. Her answer to the success of her campaigns would again be a simple “Holiness is power!” Phoebe never sought fame. All that she ever wanted was to experience Holy Spirit power. One of the many women stirred by Palmer’s example was Mrs. Amanda Smith (1837-1915). Smith, an African-American, born a slave in Maryland, eventually gained her freedom, and in 1869 said she was called to preach. While an experience of sanctification in 1868 led to Smith’s first hesitant attempts at preaching, by 1869 she was preaching regularly in African-American churches in New York and New Jersey after her husband and children had died. Smith’s success in preaching before a white audience at a holiness camp meeting in the summer of 1870 led her to commit herself entirely to evangelism.

 She traveled widely over the next eight years, and in 1878 she sailed for England, where she spent a year evangelizing at holiness meetings. From 1879 to 1881 she was in India, and after another brief stay in England she sailed in 1881 for West Africa. For eight years she did missionary work in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Following another sojourn in Great Britain in 1889-90, she returned to the United States. She preached in eastern cities until 1892, when she moved to Chicago. Before long she had become a popular preacher at holiness camp meetings. Ten years later she went to India as a missionary, then to Liberia, an African country colonized mostly by ex-slaves from the United States. She also did evangelistic work in England, Ireland, and Scotland.13 After Palmer’s death, and during the last years of Amanda Smith’s life, the Holiness revival they both helped generate began to produce many new, independent churches.

Excerpt From: "Robert Liadon-Azusa Street Revival"

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