Bethel Bible Institute (Topeka, Kansas)

On October 15, 1900, Bethel Bible Institute opened in Topeka, Kansas, in a large former mansion nicknamed “Stone’s Folly.” What had been a symbol of earthly ambition became a setting for prayer, Scripture study, and plain dependence on God. The school gathered a small band of students who sought not mere religious talk, but a renewed life of holiness, repentance, and obedience. Their days were marked by united prayer and a steady return to the Bible as the measure of spiritual experience.

Charles Fox Parham

Evangelist Charles Fox Parham led the institute with a conviction that the New Testament church should be studied carefully and followed humbly. He urged students to search the book of Acts for the marks of Spirit baptism, pressing them to let Scripture define their expectations rather than tradition or emotion. Parham’s approach called for courage: to pray when resources were thin, to repent when sin was exposed, and to keep ministry anchored in Christ’s mission. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses…to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

Agnes Ozman and January 1, 1901

On January 1, 1901, student Agnes Ozman requested prayer for a deeper work of the Holy Spirit and was reported to speak in tongues. The event stirred intense spiritual hunger among classmates and helped shape early Pentecostal testimony about Spirit baptism. For many, the moment was less about spectacle than about consecration—an awakening to earnest prayer, reverence for God, and willingness to serve wherever Christ might send them.

Legacy and Discernment

The Topeka meetings became a reference point for later Pentecostal and charismatic movements, yet the most enduring lesson is the call to seek God with clean hands and a submitted heart. Spiritual gifts, when genuine, are meant to build up the church and advance the gospel, never to replace the authority of Scripture. “Test all things. Hold fast to what is good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21) True power is shown not only in extraordinary moments, but in steady faith, Christlike character, and a life poured out for others.