Alexander Boddy

Alexander Alfred Boddy (1854-1930) was an Anglican vicar and one of the founders of Pentecostalism in Britain.

Alexander was born into an ecclesiastical family. His father was a vicar and his mother was a descendant of Mrs. Vazeille, who had been married to John Wesley.

He trained as a solicitor but following a religious experience at a Keswick Convention he was convinced he should be ordained into the Church of England.

Following several appointments the Bishop of Durham, J. B. Lightfoot, placed him in All Saints Church (ASC) in Monkwearmouth, Sunderland in 1884. In 1891 he married Mary Pollock.

Inspired by the Holiness Movement ( See notes) he had an intense religious experience in 1892.
In 1899 Mary experience healing for asthma and believed she she had the gift of healing through the laying-on of hands.
In 1904 he visited Wales during the Welsh Revival and Evan Roberts.
In 1907 visited Oslo where T.B. Barratt was leading a revival l based on the events at the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles.
Barratt visited ASC and Alexander experience speaking in tongues.People flocked to Sunderland to hear Barratt and Boddy speak.

ASC became a centre for British Pentecostalism. 28th October 1907 Mary laid hands on Smith Wigglesworth. From 1908-14 Alexander hosted a series of Sunderland Whitsuntide Conventions which gained national press attention

He exercised his leadership through 3 agencies - the Sunderland Convention, Confidence (1908-1926) and the Pentecostal Missionary Union (PMU) formed in 1909 led by Cecil Pollhill. Plus his worldwide travelling ministry.

He was the the most pivotal figure in the formative period of British Pentecostalism. His position as vicar, a highly respected position at the time, added respectability to the new element of Pentecostalism and gave him a leading role in the movement.

The outbreak of WW1 (1915-18) and the development of the Elim movement rapidly cut his leadership for 3 reasons. His ministry was limited to parish work and war related ministry, difference in attitude towards the war- he was patriotic they were for pacifism, and thirdly the rapid growth o fElim was a cause for diversity in leadership.
Also, as the movement grew, he could no longer represent the majority of Pentecostals. ( See Ku-Hyung Cho dissertation 260= pages -a few pages included)

Alexander stayed in the Church of England; he tried to discourage the creation of separate denominations.

Sources
Thesis by Khu-Hyung Cho The Move to independence from Anglican
` Leadership

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