Daniel Ramirez, New History Group Leader!

Congratulations to Daniel Ramirez, the new leader of the History Interest Group for SPS. Daniel was elected to a 3 year term at the SPS 2009 meeting in Eugene, Oregon.

DANIEL RAMIREZ (PhD Duke University/Department of Religion) is an Assistant Professor in religions of the Southwest borderlands at Arizona State University. Dr. Ramirez' areas of research and teaching include religions of the Southwest borderlands and migration, with a special interest in the history of religious contact, conflict, and conversion in the Americas and in the transnational and cultural dimensions of religious practice. Of particular interest are the role of music as a religious or symbolic remittance and catalyst for religious change and the question of indigenous conversion.

2009 Meeting in Eugene

The 2009 meeting of the Society for Pentecostal Studies convened in Eugene, Oregon on March 26, 2009. The theme of the 3 day meeting was "Pentecostal/Charismatic Intersections: What Does the Spirit Have to Say through the Academy?". Estrelda Alexander, Pentecostal historian served as program chair. The society met jointly with the Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches of North America (PCCNA). Several plenaries involved members of both societies.

The History Group's parallel sessions included presentations on eschatology at Azusa Street (Larry McQueen); an re-examination of Seymour's understanding of tongues as "Bible Evidence" (Renea Brathwaite); higher education and ministerial training in early Pentecostalism (Joel Halldorf and Doug Chapman); early Pentecostalism and German Expressionist art (Jen Miskov) and issues of gender and marriage as seen in the ministries of Phoebe Palmer and Aimee Semple McPherson (Leah Payne).

Important New Resource: Early COG Publications Now on DVD!

Church of God Publications, 1901-1923 is now available from the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center. This unique collection includes on one DVD Rom all major writings published by the Church of God during its foundational years. Among the thousands of searchable pages are R.G. Spurling’s The Lost Link, A.J. Tomlinson’s The Last Great Conflict, and J.W. Buckalew’s Incidents in the Life of J.W. Buckalew. Other documents include General Assembly Minutes, all known copies of the Church of God Evangel, the first published songbook, Tears with Joy, and many lesser known publications.

Order Church of God Publications, 1901-1923 by sending check or money order for $49.95 (postage included) to Dixon Pentecostal Research Center, 260 11th Street, NE, Cleveland, TN 37311.

A complete list of titles on the DVD Rom includes:
Samson’s Foxes (1901-1902)
The Way (1904-1905)
Church of God Evangel (1910-1923)
The Faithful Standard (1922)
General Assembly Minutes (1906-1923)
“Published Letters” by A.J. Tomlinson
Book of Doctrines
Book of Prophecy: Questions and Answers on the Entire Book of Revelation by F. J. Lee
Demonology by F.J. Lee
The Doctrine of Balaam by A.J. Tomlinson
Incidents in the Life of J.W. Buckalew by J. W. Buckalew
The Last Great Conflict by A.J. Tomlinson
Life, Incidents and Experiences of Louise Werner by Louise Werner
The Lost Link by R.G. Spurling
Questions Answered by M.S. Lemons
Remarkable Incident
Signs of the Times by T.S. Payne
Holiness Hymns by B.O. Rosenbaum
Tears with Joy, [first songbook] edited by E Haynes and M.S. Lemons
Bible Training School Correspondence Lessons, 1-20 with Final Exam

Horton Endowment Announced

The Dr. Stanley M. Horton Scholarly Resources Endowment

To honor Dr. Stanley M. Horton’s remarkable service to AGTS, to the Assemblies of God and to the greater Pentecostal community over the past seven decades, AGTS is initiating the Dr. Stanley M. Horton Scholarly Resources Endowment Fund, in conjunction with the Pillars of the Faith initiative. We invite you to help us reach our goal of $25,000 for this endowment. For those who contribute $125 or more, AGTS will send you a copy of Dr. Horton’s forthcoming biography, Stanley M. Horton: Shaper of Pentecostal Theology by Lois E. Olena with Raymond L. Gannon.

Interest from this endowment will be used to purchase scholarly resources for the Cordas. C. Burnett Library at AGTS—specifically biblical-theological and biblical language resources, as these areas have been so important to Dr. Horton over the years.

Please go to this link for more information, to contribute to the endowment, and to reserve your copy of Dr. Stanley Horton’s biography today! (The book releases in April and will be shipped in May to those who contribute $125 or more to the Dr. Stanley M. Horton Scholarly Resources Endowment.) For a $250 gift, we will send you a copy signed by Dr. Horton.
Contributions can also be made by mailing or calling the Development Office.

AGTS Development Office
1435 N. Glenstone
Springfield, MO 65802

1-800-467-AGTS x1012

Passing of Ogbu Kalu

I've just been informed of the passing of Dr. Ogbu Kalu, member of the Society and African church historian. Details are forthcoming. Following is his bio from the McCormick website.

Ogbu came to McCormick in 2001 from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he had served as Professor of Church History for many years. He is an elder in the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria. He has served as visiting professor at several institutions, including Harvard, Bayreuth, Toronto, McGill, Edinburgh, Pretoria, and the Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Seoul. He has published extensively: 15 books, including Power, Poverty and Prayer: The Challenges of Poverty and Pluralism in African Christianity, 1960-1996 and as editor, History of the Church in the Third World: Vol. III, African Christianity: An African Story, plus more than 150 articles in journals and edited volumes.

For many years, Ogbu provided leadership in theological education in Africa and he is currently the Director of the Christianity in Africa Project. He is married to Dr. Wilhelmina J. Kalu, a child psychologist and counselor. They have four children.


Education
B.A. University of Toronto
M.A. McMaster University
M.Div. Princeton Theological Seminary
Ph.D. University of Toronto
D.D. McGill University