I am looking for the name of the Christian church which split after a
meeting in California over the question of having a black leader.  I
think it was one of the pentacostal churches: perhaps, the Church of
God in Christ.  But I am not certain.  What I know is that the Church
was lead by a black minister and some white members refused to accept
such leadership and split to form their own church.

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Request for Question Clarification by mvguy-ga on 27 Dec 2002 12:46 PST

How long ago did this event happen?  Thanks.

Dear Wes, 

The event you referred to, happened in 1906/7, in Los Angeles. In that
year, the Black preacher William J. Seymor was invited to California
to preach to a congregation of Holiness evangelists.

However, he was rejected by some members, and began to conduct the
rituals in a private house, and then in Azuza Street, where his newly
developed Pentecostal movement, the Apostolic Faith Movement, was
founded. This movement was one, where African-Americans and
White/European-Americans prayed and activated together.

There were yet other splits in the Pentecostal movement over the issue
of segregation and Black leadership. For example, "One of the first
interracial groups to form was the Pentecostal Assemblies of the
World. Loosely organized, it was founded in 1906 by men who came under
the influence of the Azusa Street revival. About a dozen years later,
Elders E. W. Doak, G. T. Haywood, and D. C. Opperman incorporated and
chartered the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World on January 25, 1919
in Indianapolis, Indiana. Due to resurfacing of racism several years
later, perpetuated by the white brethren, a great split developed.
Subsequently, Garfield Thomas Haywood ( 1880-1931 ), an African
American, became presiding bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the
World from 1925 to 1931" (Source: E. Myron Noble History of the Azuza
Street Revival 1989, Introduction -
http://dunamai.com/azusa/extra/Introduction.htm).

My search strategy included the terms "african american leader" OR
"black leader" with the terms church, split and California.

You could read more on the subject here:  
http://dunamai.com/azusa/extra/Introduction.htm 
http://www.leaderu.com/isot/docs/3wave.html. 

I think that answers your question. However, if you need
clarifications on the answer, don't hesitate to ask. I'd be pleased to
clarify the answer before you rate it.

This is was a thorough and well documented answer.  I particularly
enjoyed the fact that I was given references for further information.