- Alexander Boddy
Alexander Alfred Boddy (
15 November ,1854 -10 September ,1930 ) was anAnglican vicar and one of the founders ofPentecostalism in Britain.Early life
Boddy was born into an ecclesiastical family: his father was a vicar, and his mother was a descedant of
Mary Vazeille , who had been married toJohn Wesley . Although he trained to be asolicitor , a religious experience at theKeswick Convention convinced him he should become ordained into theChurch of England . Following several appointments, theBishop of Durham , J B Lightfoot, placed him in All Saints Church inMonkwearmouth ,Sunderland . In 1891 he married Mary Pollock.Boddy was inspired by the
Holiness Movement , and he had an intense religious experience in 1892. In 1899 his wife Mary experienced a healing from asthma and they both believed that she had a gift for healing through the laying-on of hands. In 1904 he visitedWales during the Welsh Revival and metEvan Roberts (minister) , and the following year he travelled to
Evan RobertsOslo , whereT B Barratt was leading a religious revival modelled on the events of theAzusa Street Revival inLos Angeles . Barratt was invited to Boddy's church, and subsequently Boddy and his wife began to experienceglossolalia .Boddy in Pentecostal History
All Saints in Monkwearmouth became a centre for British Pentecostalism, and Mary Boddy laid hands on the evangelist
Smith Wigglesworth . From 1908 to 1914 Boddy hosted a series ofSunderland Conventions , which gained national press attention.Boddy also helped to found the
Pentecostal Missionary Union , withCecil Polhill , and he was a member of the Pentecostal International Advisory Council (IAC). As a Church of England minister, he tried to discourage the creation of separate denominations.Teachings
Boddy taught that the purpose of the
Holy Spirit was to emphasiseChrist , and that divine love was more important than speaking in tongues. He continued to have a high view of the sacraments, and defended the practice ofinfant baptism . He warned against exaggeration as regards healing testimonies. He also believed that theSecond Coming of Christ was imminent, and he suggested that certain events duringWorld War I were portents of Biblical prophecy. After visiting theUSA , he was disturbed by an emphasis among Pentecostal churches there on money. Unlike some other Pentecostals, he supported the British war effort.Publications
Prior to his Pentecostal experience Boddy composed a number of "Roker Tracts" on Holiness subjects. He also wrote several travel books on
Russia ,Canada ,Palestine , andEgypt . From 1908-1926 he was the editor of and chief contributor to "Confidence" magazine.References
Wakefield, Gavin, "The First Pentecostal Anglican: The Life and Legacy of Alexander Boddy", Grove Books Limited: Cambridge, 2001.
Wakefield, Gavin, "Alexander Boddy Pentecostal Anglican Pioneer", Paternoster Press: ISBN 9781842273463, 2007.
External links
* [http://www.pentecostalpioneers.org Pentecostal Pioneers]
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