A History of Christian Doctrine #3 - Online Christian Library

The Finished Work Controversy
Due to the Holiness roots of most black trinitarian
Pentecostal groups, they are commonly known in the
black community as “sanctified” churches.
William Durham and the Finished Work Doctrine
Shortly after the great Azusa Street revival, a prominent
minister named William H. Durham (1873-1912)
began to question whether sanctification was actually a
separate experience. Durham was a Baptist who had a
conversion experience in 1898. Under the influence of
Holiness teaching, for three years he sought for a definite
experience of sanctification. Finally, in 1901, he had an
experience that he identified as sanctification, and he
began to teach sanctification as a second work of grace.
Durham soon started a ministry in Chicago called the
North Avenue Mission. Influenced by Charles Parham,
who was preaching in nearby Zion, Illinois, many of the
members of Durham’s mission received the Holy Ghost.
Durham became convinced that this experience was genuine.
In early 1907 he visited the Azusa Street revival in
Los Angeles and received the Holy Ghost on March 2.
By his own testimony, Durham came to three important
conclusions during this time. 41 First, the baptism of
the Holy Ghost was different from the experiences that he
had identified as conversion and sanctification. “I saw
clearly, for the first time, the difference between having
the influence and presence of the Spirit with us, and having
Him dwell within us in person.”
Second, he realized that he could not simply “claim”
the baptism of the Holy Ghost as did the Holiness people
who equated it with entire sanctification. “I could not
kneel at the altar, and claim the Holy Ghost and go away.
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