Dixon Pentecostal Research Center

A Tribute to Charles W. Conn

2009-01-20T09:39:00.003-05:00

David G. Roebuck, Ph.D.

It is a common practice among historians to celebrate the birthdays of great figures from our past. Charles W. Conn would have been 89 today, and he is greatly missed by those of us who love the heritage of the Church of God and of Lee University. Last spring I was asked to give a tribute to Charles Conn and Cecil Knight at the “Landmarks of Faith” Retired Ministers and Widows conference here in Cleveland. I’ll take this opportunity to repeat an edited and updated version of my remarks in honor of Dr. Conn.

Charles W. Conn was one of only twenty-one men who have been elected as general overseer in the now almost 123 year history of the Church of God. One of twenty-one who have been considered by their peers to be men of such esteem, such ability, and such leadership that they were chosen to guide our great movement. All who are elected to the office of general overseer have previously served in many roles with distinction. These men do not simply have careers; they give their lives in service and in ministry.

Dr. Conn was born in 1920. He quietly accepted Jesus as his savior on May 1, 1939 while riding a streetcar in Atlanta, Georgia. From that point forward he was sold out to his Lord. Following a brief time at Bible Training School in Sevierville, the Church of God appointed him at the age of twenty to serve as director of Sunday school and youth in Louisiana. Two years later he began his pastoral ministry in Missouri serving the St. Joseph and Leadwood congregations.

His gift to write was quickly noticed, and the Church of God called him here to Cleveland in 1948, first as editor of Sunday school and youth materials and then as Editor in Chief of all Church of God publications. Except for a two-year term as state overseer of Virginia, he spent the rest of his life in this area. While serving at the Church of God Publishing House he took the challenge to write a comprehensive history of the Church of God; and through the pages of Like a Mighty Army and over twenty other books he will long continue to shape how we understand ourselves and the Word of God. In 1977 the Executive Council chose him as the first Church Historian of the Church of God.

A respected writer, preacher and leader, he was elected to the Executive Committee and then to the office of general overseer in 1966 at the age of 46. When term limits forced him to leave the Executive Committee, he served Lee College as president for twelve years. At the time of his death he was Lee University’s only president emeritus.

Dr. Conn loved his educational ministry. A gifted leader and preacher, near the end of his active life he told Lee University students that his happiest days were at Lee College. He had come to Lee shortly after it had become a liberal arts college. He believed that God calls men and women to preach. But he also believed that God calls all of His children in whatever occupation they serve—public school teachers, business managers, writers, and medical doctors. Whatever their vocation Charles Conn wanted the Church of God to build a college that would prepare our sons and daughters to be the very best. So he poured his life into students. After retirement, and especially after his beloved Edna had passed, he spent countless hours talking with students in the cafeteria, the Pentecostal Research Center and wherever else he found them.

As I reflect on his life I wonder how to best measure a man or woman’s legacy. By the offices they held? The buildings they built? Charles Conn guided the Church of God wherever he served. By all human measures he lived a life that we consider to be great. But I am convinced that eternity will reveal that his greatest legacy is that this Landmark of Faith poured his life into people.

He fought a good fight, he finished his course, he kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for him a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to him at that day; and not to him only, but unto all of us also that love his appearing.

Historical Figures - Real or Imaginary?

2008-06-23T16:30:00.003-04:00

Susan Fletcher

Yesterday I took a day trip to Cades Cove , a lovely corner of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It was my first time in the cove and on the way home I remarked that it is a historian/photographer/hiker's paradise. This beautiful valley was once home to a thriving community of Tennessee pioneers in the nineteenth century. Today the cove is part of the national park system and you can visit the cabins, barns, and churches where these resourceful people once lived, worked, and worshipped.

I talked with a wonderful National Park Service volunteer about the history of the cove. He told me the story of the first settlers, of the Civil War's impact on the region, and about the cove's last resident in 1999. This volunteer was extremely knowledgeable and friendly and he even indulged my questions about "Cold Mountain" and "Christy." As a public historian I appreciated his skills in historical interpretation. Actually, the National Park Service staff and volunteers do a remarkably fine job of presenting their historic sites. If you live in the South, you should definitely visit the Great Smokies and if you live elsewhere, make sure your summer plans include a trip to your nearest national park.

The volunteer told us to look for the handprints on the ceiling of the Primitive Baptist Church. When the settlers were building the ceiling, they pressed so hard against the uncured pine that the sap ran out over their fingers and left permanent handprints on the wood. This is a remarkable sight - brown fingerprints all over the ceiling. Historical figures can sometimes seem like imaginary beings, just as made-up as literary characters. That's why seeing those fingerprints made the Cades Cove settlers so real to me. Look - these people really did exist and here is the evidence to prove it.

Scholars often talk about historical evidence and sources like letters and photographs. I like this evidence best on the small, personal scale. Handprints on ceilings, a love letter saved in a scrapbook. In reading Halcy Tomlinson?s journal entry from June 20, 1906, I am reminded of how real she was - a fifteen-year-old girl living in the early twentieth century. In this entry she writes about her paycheck and what she bought with her money. You see, knowing that these historical figures whom I study think about some of the same things I think about makes them seem so real. Halcy isn't a character that someone invented - she was a real person who wanted to buy clothes and who had a summer job.

"June 20, 1906 Halcy Tomlinson

Tuesday was pay day again and I got $3.65. Now isn?t that a lot for two weeks' worth? But 'every little bit helps.' I got me a new white dress and a lot of other little things, or rather it was a few other things. My dress cost just a dollar. I have had another pay day and got $5.65. I think this is a little better."

Rescuing the Archives

2008-06-18T11:23:00.000-04:00

Susan Fletcher

Today I am thinking about the flooding in the Midwest. This morning I listened to this podcast from NPR's "All Things Considered" about the rescue efforts to save the special collections library at the University of Iowa. In the interview Nancy Baker, the director of the university's libraries, talks about putting out a call for volunteers to save rare manuscripts, photographs, and film material from the flood waters. The community responded in force and volunteers formed a human brigade to rescue the archives. My heart goes out to the museums, archives, and libraries that are facing this natural disaster. I am, however, heartened that so many people were willing to pitch in to save the collections.

Today at 2:30 our campus will undergo a brief power outage so the local utility company can work on the lines going to the new science building. A student assistant and I joked that we should have a "power outage drill" when we will go outside and enjoy the brilliant sunshine during this time. Then the conversation turned serious and we discussed actual disaster preparedness. We here in the DRC are currently revisiting our emergency plan. While the federal government continually reminds us as individuals to have a plan in case of a disaster, thinking about how to save a historical collection in such situations takes on a whole new level of complexity. Hearing about the events at the University of Iowa reminds me that we need to keep working on our plan. It also reminds me that planning for an emergency involves more than having a phone tree, knowing where the high ground is and being in contact with a good paper conservator. This case at the U of I shows me that the appeal to the human heart is perhaps more important than any of those things.

Put simply: we have some really great stuff here. Wonderful, irreplaceable things like the minute book of the first general assemblies, photographs of the Spurlings and Tomlinsons, and F.J. Lee's preaching chart. All of these things are worth saving, both in the preservation sense and in the (God-forbid) case of a disaster. If you live in the Cleveland area, keep us in mind if we ever need your help. If you live elsewhere, remember your local museums, archives, libraries, even zoos and aquariums and be willing to pitch in during times of crisis. And in times of "normalcy," you can help out by being a volunteer - museums and archives always need volunteers.

Today I am grateful for small things: that the creek behind my house hasn't flooded its banks, for scheduled and controlled power outages, and for the brilliant blue sky on this lovely day in Tennessee.

June 4, in 2008 and 1906

2008-06-04T15:41:00.001-04:00

Susan Fletcher

The spring that I wrote about in my last post has slipped away and now it is summer in earnest here in Cleveland. Three summer church camps have infiltrated the campus of Lee University. As I walked to work this morning in the warm air I passed groups of middle schoolers doing their morning devotions on the pedestrian mall. Summer camp workers were filling coolers with pint-sized water bottles, getting ready for a blistering day. This is the pattern that June and July will follow, as different camps rotate in and out. The campers arrive screaming with joy and energy on Monday afternoons and keep screaming all week until they go home on Friday, only to be replaced by other kids from other places the next week. Oh, summer camp.

Today I am thinking about how American teenagers and children spend their summers so differently in 2008 than they did in the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. (Of course, I think a lot about children during the 1800s, given the nature of my research interests). The early-twentieth century marked the beginning of summer camps as the scouting movement formed under people like Daniel Carter Beard. For working class kids during that period, however, summer meant time to work on their family's farm or to find a job that would contribute to the family's income.

In 1906 fifteen-year-old Halcy Tomlinson got a job working at the Woolen Mill in Cleveland, Tennessee. She was very excited about the prospect of making money and being able to buy some things for herself. Halcy and her sister Iris Marea and brother Homer planned to save up their earnings to buy their family a rug for their front room. Like modern teenagers, Halcy liked staying up late, going to events, and buying clothes. Here are her journal entries from May 29 and June 4, 1906.

"May 29, 1906, Halcy Tomlinson"

"Several things have occurred since I last wrote in my journal. I am working in the Woolen Mills - have been working over a week - and I think I will like it all right after I learn, if I ever do. They say I am getting along very well, but I honestly believe I did worse today than I ever did. Now then I guess I will get rich. They tease me about it just because they know I won't make very much. But I don't care. A little is better than none.

"This evening had I been home I think I would have taken a big cry. I felt like it, and it was awful hard to keep from crying anyway, because it seemed just like everything went wrong. But I don't aim for Mamma to know how bad and how tired I feel and what a bad time I had, because I am afraid she will worry about me when there is no use. I have been feeling so bad lately any way because I have had to be up so late at night. Mr. Murphy, one of our neighbors and a dear friend also, died last Saturday night, and I have been sitting up there and going to meeting when I didn't have to sit up. There is a lady preacher, Mrs. McCanless, preaching here now and she is certainly a fine preacher, no mistake. I didn't get to go tonight. I had to stay home and go to bed, for if I work I will have to sleep some. If I keep on writing I think it will be some time in the night before I get to bed. Good night...dear old Journal!

" June 4, 1906, Halcy Tomlinson

"This evening was pay evening at the mill, and my part was $5.00 for two weeks. Now "hain't" I making money? I got me a hat which cost $2.00, and Papa is going to get me a pair of slippers tomorrow or some day this week. I don't know just what they will cost. Anyway I won't have much left. My, how people can spend money!

"Mamma and Homer are gone to the country to stay a little while and it does seem so lonesome without them. Mrs. Murphy, the lady whose husband died last week, is keeping house for us while Mamma is away. She is a dear good woman. Papa is gone to meeting. He wouldn't let me go again tonight, because he said I needed to go to sleep. And I guess I do for I have been up a great deal since I last wrote, nearly every night.

"Sister McCanless has gone with Mamma and Brother to the country. There are just four of us here now and it seems like a small number, for there have been seven in the family for over a week. I will be glad when Mamma comes. She just went off today."

Tennessee Spring, in 1906 and 2008

2008-05-21T15:18:00.000-04:00

Susan A. Fletcher

Today is a spectacularly beautiful day here in Cleveland, Tennessee. Coming from the arid West, I am captivated by the lush green landscape of this part of Appalachia. I took a walk in the park yesterday and the scent of honeysuckle floated on the breeze. This is a good time of year to be in Tennessee.

While we are enjoying the peace and quiet around campus this summer, we remain very busy here in the research center. We are working on several major projects including our annual report and our General Assembly exhibit. A few weeks ago Lee University ended its spring semester and the staff of the DRC celebrated the graduation of one of our student assistants.

Thinking about the end of the school year has prompted me to post another entry from Halcy Tomlinson's 1906 diary. Halcy did not write very often between the first few musings she wrote in March of that year (which you can read in one of my previous blog entries) and the end of May. I'll sum up the few entries that she did write before moving on to her thoughts about the end of her own school year. In April she and her family celebrated Easter together and father A.J. Tomlinson spent much of that month away preaching in other towns. Halcy and her friend Eva Cramer went to a carnival and rode the Ferris Wheel for the first time and got in trouble for it when they went home.

"Halcy Tomlinson May 18, 1906

O Joy! School is out at last, and oh, how glad I am. I actually passed and that isn't all, I passed with highest honor. There was another girl who passed with honor too, but I got highest and I am so glad. I praise the Lord for it. My average grade this quarter was 96, and 95 this whole year. My grades for this quarter are: Spelling 94, reading 92, writing 90 arithmetic 100, language 95, geography 97, mental 100. Marea and Homer both passed with high credit that is next honor. Next year Marea will be in the fifth, Homer in the Sixth, and me in the seventh.

This evening, or rather afternoon, us three Tomlinsons and Ora Mileon had kind of a little party in honor of us all passing. Marea and Ora baked the cakes, first Ora ever made, and almost Marea's first, but they were real good I have returned from the Commencement where ten graduated - nine girls and one boy - and it was just simply splendid. I do hope that if I ever have the privilege of graduating I will do as well as was done tonight. I believe Grace Stamper was the best, but dear, they were all so good I can't tell hardly which was the best."

Singing the Gospel

2008-04-23T14:59:00.000-04:00

Dr. David G. Roebuck

Some glad morning when this life is o'er, I'll fly away; To a home on God's celestial shore, I'll fly away.

On Friday evening, April 3, I joined my voice with the voices of more than one hundred other singers and scholars proclaiming the familiar words of what is now one of America's best known gospel songs. This much loved tune was the first song of an evening singing hosted by The Center for Popular Music in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The singing was part of "Farther Along" - a conference on the southern gospel convention singing tradition. Albert E. Brumley first published "I'll Fly Away" in 1932, and I like so many others grew up singing it in church services and gospel singings.

Today the Church of God and Pentecostal movement use a wide range of musical styles. Many no longer sing Southern Gospel music, but the popularity of Bill Gaither's "Homecoming" video series reveals that this is still a much-loved tradition. Certainly it has been an important part of our heritage. Our own Church Hymnal is one of the best known songbooks and many Church of God ministers and families have written songs and produced recordings over the years.

At the Farther Along Conference, Lee University's Dr. Donald LeRoy presented a paper on the history of the Church Hymnal and Charles Towler spoke about the lasting legacy of the Church Hymnal. He also generously provided copies for the Friday evening singing. Jacquelyn Royal, from the staff of Lee University's Squires Library, told about our efforts to digitize and preserve Southern Gospel recordings as well as catalog songbooks.

Whatever the future of this style of music in the Pentecostal movement, it has had extraordinary influence. We cannot fully understand where and who we are, if we do not know our heritage. At the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center we are committed to collecting and preserving songbooks, record albums, scholarly interpretations and other materials related to Southern Gospel music. We invite you to make donations of materials to add to our collections as well as financial resources to help us preserve them. We also welcome your visit to see what we are doing to preserve this and other aspects of our heritage.

Halcy Tomlinson's Journal - part 1

2008-04-01T16:33:00.000-04:00

Susan A. Fletcher

Halcy Olive Tomlinson was born on March 28, 1891 in Westfield, Indiana, the oldest child of Ambrose Jessup and Mary Jane Tomlinson. The family moved to Culberson, North Carolina in 1899 to become missionaries in Appalachia. By 1903 A.J. had joined a Holiness group at Camp Creek and became the leader of the movement soon to be known as the Church of God. In December 1904 the Tomlinsons moved to Cleveland where the children could attend school.

In the spring of 1906 Halcy turned fifteen at her house on Gaut Street and started a journal. She chronicled her adventures as a teenager in Cleveland, Tennessee, and a daughter of the Tomlinson household. Her fifteenth year brought hardships during her father's missionary journeys, her first job at the Woolen Mill, and an increased faith in God.

Of all the letters and journals that we house at the Dixon Research Center, I think that Halcy's is my favorite. The journal speaks so well to many of my interests including women's history, the history of childhood and adolescence, as well as family and local history. Halcy was a sharp observer of the world around her and her diary is revealing. Her father, General Overseer A.J. Tomlinson, kept a journal of his own that recorded the progress of his ministry. Halcy's diary, however, gives us a better picture of the family dynamics in the Tomlinson household in addition to a rare portrait of what life was like for a fifteen-year-old girl living in Cleveland, Tennessee in 1906.

In this blog series, I will be posting some of Halcy's entries and will be discussing some of them. Today is April 1, 2008 so I'll start off by posting Halcy's first entries from the very end of March, one-hundred-two years ago. You can read more about her in the April 2007 issue of the Church of God Evangel, or you can visit the Dixon Research Center and read her diary for yourself. If you have any comments about the journal, you can post them on our message board, or you can E mail me at "sfletcher at leeuniversity.edu" (See how I'm trying to outwit the spammers?) Until then, happy reading!

Halcy Tomlinson March 28, 1906

"Well, well, dear old Journal I hardly know how to begin. It can't be like Docia, because I am fifteen today and she was just twelve. And then, I like our dear little room; 'our' means my little sister Iris Marea who is eleven years old and myself. Although our room is most as bare as hers, yet we like it ..Our glass is not broken, yet it is small, and instead of having a patched quilt on the bed ours has a nice white coverlet on it. Our stand is made of a box and our washstand is too. Mamma made them herself. Oh, I have the dearest mama in the world, and I just love her with all my heart. I went to school today; it is Wednesday. I got along all right, and didn't have to stay in. I have a good teacher. Her name is Miss Marea Ransome. I am in the sixth grade. We came to Cleveland just a little over a year ago, and I like to live here all right. Papa is a minister and he is so good to me. He isn't home near all the time, and oh, we are so glad when he comes home again from his appointments of preaching. It is a bad rainy day today, but it is most always bad on my birthday because it is in clustery March. And they say I am about like March in my ways too, but I just can't help it. I try to be just as good as I can, and I love everybody because I love Jesus. I am not like Docia in the respect either for I love Jesus and she didn't when she began her journal, and He is so good to me. If I want anything that I really need, I just as Him, like anyone else would their father. Papa hasn't any special salary, and the people where he preaches are not overly rich and many are real poor. They are good to give all they can, but that doesn't near meet all the expenses. But the Bibles says, 'He shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.' And He does supply our needs some way or other.

"Now dear Journal I am just telling you everything but you won't be put in print like Docia's journal. I hardly guess anyone will even read this, so I will write whatever I want to.

"I have gotten three whippings today. Marea and my brother Homer - he is between my sister and myself - and a friend (Amanda Haney) boarding here with us, whipped me sixteen stripes apiece because they said I had to have one to grow on. I got some presents today but will not mention them here."

Halcy Tomlinson March 31, 1906

"O dear, will warm weather ever come! This is the last day of March, and it is real cool for this time of year. I feel real blue this morning. We have happened to a disappointment. We were aiming to have our house painted this spring and furnished better than it is, but we have failed to accomplish what we aimed to. It surely must be nice to be rich and have plenty of money, yet we ought to be contented for what we have for I am sure He knows better than we. Papa and Mamma are both sick, and our cow Rosie died only a few days ago. It does seem terrible to have to be sick, especially anyone so good as Mamma and Papa are.

"And poor Papa has to go away to fill one of his appointments, too, this evening, and will be gone over Sunday. In one way I am glad for him to go if he can do any good, but I am sorry on Mamma's account. She said she always wanted Papa to be at home if she is feeling bad. And then, we all like for Papa to be at home. I heard Mama say only today she would like awful well to have a new coat. She hasn't had a new coat this winter. If I were only rich I would get her one. Doesn't it seem strange some people can have everything they want while others can't have even the things they need? But the Lord knows best about everything. His will be done."

Charles W. Conn

2008-03-31T16:21:00.000-04:00

Dr. David G. Roebuck

I have just returned from the funeral of a great man, Charles W. Conn. Like so many people, I first became aware of Dr. Conn in the pages of his books. My father attended Lee College when I was nine, and while Dr. Charles Conn was president. Lee College textbooks, including Like a Mighty Army, made their way into our home. As a teenager who loved history and as a Church of God PK studying to get certificates in the Church Training Course program, they later became part of my life. In those books Charles Conn introduced me to Church of God history and to rich Bible study.

I more formally met Dr. Conn in Nashville, Tennessee, as an adult. Along with his son Jeff, I was a Ph.D. student at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Conn came to preach at the Broadmoor Church of God, and we had the first of many conversations about Church of God history. Something I said in that conversation got his attention, and he became a mentor of mine. In 1991 I came to Lee as a reference assistant in Squires Library and had the privilege of helping with some of the research on the "definitive edition" of Like a Mighty Army. Then in 1997 I became director of the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center, where Dr. Conn kept an office and we often talked.

Not long after I was designated as Church of God historian in 2004, I penned the following words: "It is an extraordinary honor to follow in the footsteps of writers such as A.J. Tomlinson, E.L. Simmons, and Charles W. Conn in chronicling the history of the Church of God. The earliest known history of our movement was penned by A.J. Tomlinson in his book The Last Great Conflict and published in 1913. In 1938, E.L. Simmons wrote the first comprehensive history of the Church of God. Simmons account was simply titled History of the Church of God and advanced the story with new material and the addition of photographs. Yet, it was Charles W. Conn, a gifted writer, astute observer, and careful chronicler who has done more than any other person to record what God has done throughout our history."

Thank you Dr. Conn for all you did to preserve our Church of God heritage.

David G. Roebuck, Ph.D.

"Really the Baptism of the Holy Ghost"

2008-01-14T13:40:00.000-05:00

Dr. David G. Roebuck

I am compiling this entry on the anniversary of A.J. Tomlinson receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit in 1908. At the Church of God Intercessors Conference this weekend, General Oversee G. Dennis McGuire highlighted the significance of this event that occurred one hundred years ago. The inclusion of Church of God of Prophecy General Overseer Randy Howard was an important meaningful addition to the recognition of this extraordinary anniversary. Much of the following comes from my article in The Azusa Street Revival and Its Legacy (Pathway, 2006) edited by Harold D. Hunter and Cecil M. Robeck.

We do not know when Tomlinson first heard of the Pentecostal doctrine of Spirit Baptism as an experience subsequent to sanctification and with the evidence of speaking in tongues. In his 1913 book The Last Great Conflict, Tomlinson credited William J. Seymour with uncovering the Pentecostal doctrine and described his personal hunger for the experience. Tomlinson wrote, "In January, 1907, I became more fully awakened on the subject of receiving the Holy Ghost as He was poured out on the day of Pentecost. That whole year I ceased not to preach that it was our privilege to receive the Holy Ghost and speak in tongues as they did on the day of Pentecost. I did not have the experience, so I was almost always among the seekers at the altar. . . . By the close of the year I was so hungry for the Holy Ghost that I scarcely cared for food, friendship or anything else. I wanted the one thingthe Baptism with the Holy Ghost. I wrote to G.B. Cashwell∧ asked him to come to our place for a few days." Cashwell had attended the famous revival at the Azusa Street Mission in Los Angeles and was sharing his experience throughout the southeastern United States. When the program for the third (1908) General Assembly of the Churches of God was printed, plans for Saturday and Sunday revealed an expectancy regarding the new Pentecostal message. "Saturday, January 11th. 7:00 p.m. Service on Pentecostal lines. We expect Brother G.B. Cashwell, of Dunn, N.C." &. "Sunday, January 12th. 10:40 a.m. Preaching or Pentecostal Service " &."7:00 p.m. Service on Pentecostal lines."

Cashwell arrived in Cleveland on Friday and preached at least the Saturday evening and Sunday morning services. His report of the Sunday morning service was brief, "I gave only a few minutes talk, and asked all those who wanted the baptism of the Holy Ghost to come to the altar. The altar was full in a minute and many knelt in the aisle. We are expecting great things here if everybody will stay out of the way of the Holy Ghost." Four received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit that morning including Tomlinson.

Tomlinsons testimony incorporated many of the spiritual manifestations that were common occurrences in the early Pentecostal movement. According to Tomlinson, while Cashwell was concluding his message, "The Spirit came on me and down I went on the floor, right by the side of the stand on the rostrum." Tomlinson continued, "My mind was clear, but a peculiar power so enveloped and thrilled my whole being that I concluded to yield myself up to God and await results." Those results for Tomlinson were dramatic. They included shaking, rolling, tossing, and a sense of levitation. He recorded, "As I lay there great joy flooded my soul. The happiest moments I had ever known up to that time&.Oh, such floods and billows of glory ran through my whole being&."

These waves of joy were then followed by a vision in which Tomlinson traveled to many areas of the world including all the inhabited continents. In his vision, Tomlinson believed that his tongues speech was in fact the languages of the native peoples of the countries he was visiting. This was a common belief among many early Pentecostals who were convinced that the purpose of the latter day rain was to provide the church with supernatural tools to win the lost in the last days. Also in Tomlinsons vision, devils were cast out, people were saved, and he was reminded of Mark 16 and signs following believers. In his journal Tomlinson concluded, "This was really the baptism of the Holy Ghost as they received Him on the day of Pentecost, for they all spake with tongues. With all I have written it is not yet told, but judging from the countries I visited I spoke in ten different languages."

Fulfilling the Call

2007-06-28T13:35:00.000-04:00

David G. Roebuck

Last week began and ended with profound opportunities for me to reflect on my journey and the calling that we have here at the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center. The week began on Monday, June 18, with the home-going celebration of Dr. Cecil B. Knight. It ended with a deeply moving retreat for Lee University faculty and staff to discuss our calling.

Dr. Knight was instrumental in my coming to the Church of God Theological Seminary as a student in 1981. Ten years later he was on the board that hired me to work on the Squires library faculty, and on that same board when I was hired to direct the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center in 1997. In his tribute to Dr. Knight, Dr. Paul Conn reminded those at the memorial service how God had used Dr. Knight at a critical time in the life of the Church of God. With Dr. Knight's leadership, it was possible to be both a loyal member and an agent for positive change. Thankfully, this past winter I was able to sit for about six hours with Dr. Knight and record the story of his life and ministry on video tape. Those hours were both a labor of love and my commitment to a calling to preserve the stories of how God has worked among both leaders and laity in the Church of God.

The purpose of Lee University's Faith Learning retreat is to help staff and faculty reflect on their personal calling as well as prepare to mentor students who are developing their own sense of God's calling. I was reminded of how my journey has been full of surprises and uncertainty, while always guided by God's hand even though it has sometimes seemed to be an unseen hand.

My first sense of a definite call of God came about the age of twelve while praying with my friend Eddie Stone in a Lee College prayer room. During my teen years I believed my life would be dedicated to local church ministry, and I attended West Coast Bible College to prepare for that. But while a student at the Church of God Theological Seminary, faculty such as Harold Hunter and Don Bowdle helped me to realize how important understanding the roots of our theology and heritage was to me. I had always loved history, and somehow God opened the door to attend Vanderbilt University and study the history of Christianity. To my surprise, as I approached the end of my studies at Vanderbilt, it seemed that no one wanted to hire me. Then God used Dr. Knight to bring me to Cleveland and eventually to direct the Research Center.

My life is now full of opportunities to combine my love for the Church and my love for history with my calling to serve God and the kingdom of God. At the Research Center we work with local congregations in understanding and preserving their heritage, we teach Lee University and Church of God Theological Seminary students about the Church of God and the Pentecostal movement, and we write for a variety of readers from scholars to interested laity. Like many others we face the challenges of balancing opportunities and resources. But we trust that the God who calls us will call others to walk along with us.

The Church of God Historical Commission

2007-05-01T15:03:00.000-04:00

David G. Roebuck

One of the opportunities we have at the Research Center is to support the work of the Church of God Historical Commission. I am a member of the Commission, Janie Hand currently serves as the secretary, and the Research Center is often called upon to provide routine office services for the work of the Commission.

At our recent meeting in April, the Historical Commission discussed a number of items including ways of celebrating upcoming anniversaries such as the 125th Anniversary of the Church of God (2011). We also took the time to tour many early Church of God historical sites including the Barney Creek site in Monroe County, Tennessee, where Richard and R.G. Spurling founded the Christian Union in 1886. Although I have been to these sites many times and often lead "Heritage Tours," I never tire of reflecting on what God did among us more than 100 years ago now.

The Mission of the Historical Commission is to preserve and perpetuate the history and heritage of the Church of God and its global Pentecostal mission. Our Statement of Purpose is: "The purpose of the Church of God Historical Commission is to promote the preservation, understanding, and appreciation of the history and heritage of the Church of God, worldwide. It shall give special attention to the collecting and preserving of historical documents and to the writing of history at all levels: the local church, the various jurisdictions, the departments and institutions of the church, and the general church. It shall also seek to produce, and to encourage the production of, historical materials (written, audio-visual, Internet) and to promote occasions for the church to remember, appreciate and celebrate its history and heritage."

Along with other members of the Historical Commission, I would be happy to hear your thoughts about our work and how we can preserve the wonderful history and heritage of the Church of God. Members include: Paul L. Walker, Liaison; Floyd D. Carey Jr., Chairman; Christopher C. Moree; Robert D. McCall; Hoyt E. Stone; Joel Trammell; Jerry Jeter, James M. Beaty, Consultant; David G. Roebuck, Church Historian; and Charles W. Conn, Church Historian Emeritus.

A Typical Week?

2007-02-15T10:01:00.000-05:00

David G. Roebuck

This past Saturday I joined other family members to help my brother-in-law's family move into a new home that God has blessed them with. While taking a lunch break someone asked me what I do for a living. It is easy to talk about directing the Research Center and teaching at Lee University and the Theological Seminary. But that doesn't do much to explain a typical week.

Although it is hard to know what a typical week really is, last week was certainly a full one. Monday involved a web-cast training session sponsored by the Society of American Archivists. The Research Center hosted the session on using PDF files for preservation. We invited friends from Squires Library and the Cleveland Public Library to join us. The digital age brings many opportunities and challenges to archives such as ours.

Tuesday because with a visitor bringing by a donation of materials. Jerry Bradwell is the grandson of H.L. Trim. Trim and his second wife Flora were early Church of God leaders. Mr. Bradwell brought us a great family photo and some important history of the family. Tuesday also included teaching the course "History and Theology of the Pentecostal Movement" at Lee University.

The famed Bennie Triplett came by to use our reel-to-reel tape player. I can't verify his claim that the Research Center has the only one in town, but I am thankful that we have a way to play the hundreds of reel-to-reel tapes in our collection. Later we set up a display for Black History Month at the Church of God International Offices. I ended the day with a conference call of the Executive Committee of the Society for Pentecostal Studies. Since I became Executive Secretary in 2003, the Research Center has served as the main office for this organization of almost 600 scholars of the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement. These days my SPS responsibilities take up much of my time as we prepare for the upcoming annual meeting that Lee University will host March 8-10.

On Wednesday our Archivist, Susan Fletcher, and I attended a special service and brunch at the International Offices celebrating Black History Month. We were able to display some wonderful photo albums of black congregations in the Church of God and solicit the identification of some of the congregations.

Thursday began with a meeting of the Church of God Board of Church Ministries. This is an occasional meeting of Church leaders for information sharing. Afterwards I met privately with General Overseer Dennis McGuire to talk about the possibility of updating Like A Mighty Army at an appropriate time. Thursday afternoon and evening included two lectures and dinner with Dr. John Woodbridge, who teaches Church History at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and was a special guest at Lee University.

Friday began with an oral history interview with former General Overseer Cecil B. Knight. This was part of a project in which we are interviewing former members of the International Executive Committee. So far I have been blessed with interviewing Dr. Ray H. Hughes Sr., and the Reverend Woodrow C. Byrd. The plan is to conduct three or four interviews with each person in order to preserve an extensive history of his life and ministry. T. Scot Carter, Chad Guyton and their staff are doing a terrific job making this possible.

It was a great week, and I'm thankful for all of the opportunities that God is giving us.

An Assembly Celebration

2007-01-31T08:36:00.000-05:00

David G. Roebuck

This past Friday and Saturday, January 26 and 27, was the 101st anniversary of the First General Assembly. Each year the Church of God of Prophecy holds an anniversary service in the house where the original Assembly was held in Camp Creek, North Carolina. For several years now I have attended this service, and in recent years they have invited me a speaker on the program. This year I spoke about the fruit of that first Assembly in terms of the ministry of the church in 1906 and the subsequent second Assembly where we adopted the name Church of God.

I am very appreciative that the Church of God of Prophecy saw fit to purchase the house and preserve it. Originally owned by the Shearer family, it is often called the Murphy House because Melissa Shearer Murphy and her husband, J.C., hosted the First Assembly in 1906. He died the next May, and she relocated to Cleveland, Tennessee. Although much of the original house no longer exists, the ceiling, walls and floor of the room where the First Assembly met have been preserved.

The house is open to visitors, and I frequently take school and church groups to visit it and other Church of God historical sites. One of the things I like to do while there is to read the minutes of that First Assembly and to pray for the leadership of the Church of God. A.J. and Mary Jane Tomlinson published the minutes of the First Assembly in tract form not long after the Assembly was held. The Dixon Pentecostal Research Center holds both the original handwritten minutes and the published minutes. We have scanned these and all other Assembly minutes up to 2002 in order to make them available on CD-Rom. It is one of the many things we are doing to preserve the history and heritage of the Church of God.

Giving Thanks

2006-12-15T10:23:00.000-05:00

David G. Roebuck

This week the staff of the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center met together and reflected on the blessings of this past year and our wishes and prayers for the New Year. It has certainly been a busy and blessed time, but there is much work yet to be done.

Several of our activities this year were the result of the calendar. The year 2006 was the centennial anniversary of the first Church of God General Assembly, the famous Azusa Street Revival, and the North Cleveland Church of God. It was also the twentieth anniversary of Dr. Paul Conn's service as president of Lee University. Each of these anniversaries gave us opportunities to communicate how much God has blessed the ministries of the Church of God and the Pentecostal movement. The Research Center created exhibits related to our first Assembly, the centennial of North Cleveland, and the last twenty years of excellence at Lee University. Our exhibit at the 71st General Assembly in Indianapolis told the story of 100 years of General Assemblies, and was a focal point of the denomination's celebration of those early pioneers. Our exhibit about Lee University is now on display at the local Museum Center at Five Points and is a unique opportunity for us to share with the broader public.

In addition to exhibits, I was privileged to participate in two major celebrations of the Azusa Street Revival. A great team of people helped me to present a track of classes on "Preserving Pentecostal History and Heritage" in what was an amazing week of activities in Los Angeles last April. It was a great blessing to see so many Pentecostal/Charismatic people come together to celebrate what God has done and is doing. Then in September I traveled with Billy Wilson's team to minister at a similar celebration in Jakarta, Indonesia. God is clearly at work in this island nation, which has more Moslems of any country in the world.

The year 2006 included an abundance of other activities. Besides the day-to-day service we give to researchers, we have had several publications such as Church of God History and Heritage, the "Chronicles" articles in the Evangel, and two book chapters. We sponsored the Azusa Lectures in February and introduced a fundraising project called "Voice of a Legacy." Through it we hope to purchase important dissertations and interview men and women who have added so much to our history. One of the exciting projects we began is the digitizing of our collection of Southern Gospel music. Finally, thanks to WinWorld, we were able to debut a new website this year as well.

Much more could be told about these and other activities, but it was our staff that made 2006 so successful. Janie Hand has been secretary at the Research Center for ten years, and is indispensable in the Center's communication with the various departments and agencies of the Church of God. Kim Roebuck, our database manager, has been with us for over five years and brings terrific computer skills to everything we do. This past April, Susan Fletcher joined us as the first trained archivist in the history of the Research Center. She has already moved us forward in processing collections, and has worked especially well with our student assistants and interns.

We have so much to be thankful for, but we also face challenges in the coming year. Several important donations of papers and other archival materials that remain unprocessed. Noted collections include the papers of the J. Herbert Walker Sr. and J. Herbert Walker Jr. families, the papers of former General Overseer Ray H. Hughes Sr., and those of former Missionary Vergil Wolf. Processing these and other materials require resources such as labor, space and computer equipment. Regrettably financial constraints have left us with fewer staff and outdated computers. And the materials we have received now fill our shelves to overflowing.

So as we give thanks for this past year, we also pray that God will give us wisdom and resources to meet the challenges we will face in 2007. We ask for your prayers and support as we fulfill our calling to preserve our Pentecostal history and heritage.

Celebrating Special Days

2006-12-11T09:58:00.000-05:00

David G. Roebuck

Yesterday my son, William, and I attended Heritage Day at the Kinser Church of God just outside Cleveland, Tennessee. The church was founded in 1912 and has a rich history of community ministry and distinguished pastors such as F.J. Lee, E.J. Boehmer, and T.L. McClain. Today the church is doing well under the leadership of Pastor Guinn Green. Among other blessings the congregation has just purchased a beautiful baby grand piano.

The highlight of the day was a video telling the history of the congregation in narration and photographs. The video was the culmination of a great deal of research and labor by Marilyn Kinser Kinney, whose family donated the property today's church buildings occupy. Known originally as the Dunn Tabernacle, the congregation has faced challenges and trials but has a bright future.

I especially enjoyed attending the service with William who is celebrating his 13th birthday today. Now that he is a teenager, his mother and I expect we are facing new challenges and trials just as surely as the parents of all teens do. But William has a great heritage in the Church of God. He has been taught well and has many people who love him. No congregation, family or individual has any guarantee for tomorrow. But we have a godly heritage upon which we can build today as we plan for tomorrow. That heritage, today's opportunities, and God's promises are worth celebrating.

If your congregation has recently celebrated an important anniversary write to me at droebuck@leeuniversity.edu and tell me about it. If you have one coming up, write to us here at the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center, and we can help you celebrate it.

David G. Roebuck, Ph.D.

About our Ministries

2006-09-12T10:06:00.000-04:00

Dr. David G. Roebuck

Last night I had the privilege of being introduced to the Church of God Administrative Bishops who are in town for a State/Regional Overseers Conference. All of the various ministries of the Church of God International Offices were reviewed, and our liaison Dr. Paul Walker included both the Dixon Research Center and the Church of God Historical Commission in his presentation.

In preparation for the evening I was asked to list four or five of our ministries here at the Research Center. I boiled them down to: 1) Provides a library of Church of God and Pentecostal materials for students and scholars; 2) Preserves the archives of the Church of God; 3) Teaches Church of God and Pentecostal history and theology at Lee University and the Church of God Theological Seminary; 4) Publishes Church of God History and Heritage and other publications; 5) Prepares historical displays for general and local church events.

Each of these could be expanded to say more about our activities, but I think this is a good summary of our primary work. Because we work with a variety of publics such as students at Lee University and the Church of God Theological Seminary, other Church of God departments and agencies, as well as any scholar or visitor who walks in the door, we never know what a day will bring. Today I am working on an exhibit celebrating the last twenty years of Lee University, reviewing our financial budget for this year, and meeting with the leadership of Squires Library. Tonight Ill be teaching Church of God History and Polity at the Theological Seminary. But if today is typical, there will be some surprises before I leave for home about 9:30 this evening.

We do all of this because we know that preserving our heritage is important. If you have any interest in becoming involved in our ministry here at the Research Center, please dont hesitate to call us.

Summer in Review

2006-09-05T11:30:00.000-04:00

Dr. David G. Roebuck

I am writing this update on September 5, which many people regard as the beginning of the fall. It has been an intense and productive summer here at the Dixon Research Center.

Our most important accomplishment this summer was preparing the Heritage Exhibit for the Church of God International General Assembly. At each Assembly the Research Center partners with the Church of God Historical Commission to prepare a major exhibit. This year our theme was The Assembling of the Saints, and we highlighted the centennial of the first General Assembly along with one hundred years of General Assemblies. We also emphasized the centennial of the great revival at the Azusa Street Mission in Los Angeles. Thousands of people viewed the exhibit, and we are thankful for all of the comments we have received.

There are many other summer events that I could report on. In June, our archivist, Susan Fletcher, and I attended the annual meeting of the Historical Society of Church of God Movements. This year the Society met at the headquarters of the Church of God (Mountain Assembly). Also in June, I was a guest speaker at the Church of God of Prophecys Heritage Day. It is always a personal delight and privilege for me to participate in this annual event. Bishop Fred Fisher and his wife, Betty, have been real friends to us here at the Research Center. We congratulate them as they conclude his last month as General Overseer of the Church of God of Prophecy.

This summer also saw the fruit of a project that we have been planning for several months. With the support of Dr. Dennis McGuire and the Church of God Executive Committee, along with the assistance of T. Scot Carter and Church of God Communications, we have initiated an interview series with those who have formerly served on the Executive Committee. In June we traveled to Lakeland, Florida, and conducted three interviews with W.C. Byrd. Brother Byrd served on the Executive Committee as an Assistant General Overseer from 1970 to 1972. Then in August we completed four interviews with Dr. Ray H. Hughes, who was first elected to the Executive Committee in 1966. Chad Guyton and his team have been great to work with on this project. We will add these interviews to our Voice of a Legacy project as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read about some of our summer activities. Do not hesitate to contact us here at the Research Center if we can be of any service to you. We encourage you to get involved in preserving your heritage wherever you are serving the Lord. And we welcome inquires as to how you can support the Center through you donations of historical materials and funding for special projects.

Welcome to the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center

2006-05-31T16:44:00.000-04:00

Dr. David Roebuck

Welcome to the new website for the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center. The Center is grateful to the talented people at WinWorld for their help in creating our site. We welcome your comments and suggestions about the site.

The Research Center congratulates the Family Worship Center Church of God in Augusta, Maine, on your 70th Anniversary celebration this past May 21. Organized as the Augusta Church of God in 1936, the Family Worship Center is said to be the third oldest Church of God in Maine. The Research Center thanks the Reverend Rodney Friend for donating the history of the church to the Center.

If your church has recently celebrated an anniversary please let us know. If you are about to celebrate a special anniversary, we are happy to assist in any way that we can. Contact the Research Center at 260 11th Street NE, Cleveland TN 37311 or 423-614-8576 or dixon_research@leeuniversity.edu.