Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he instructed his disciples to ‘Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high’ (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4 KJV). Drawing from these words, the practice of having "tarrying" services became a uniquely Pentecost ritual whereby believers actively lingered in Pentecostal services for the … Continue reading Pentecost: How Long Does it Take?
Metro Pentecostal Church Celebrates 100 Years
Tulsa is a city with a rich history of Oneness Pentecostalism. Following the split between Trinitarian and Oneness believers in the Assemblies of God in 1916, it is unclear if any Oneness congregations were maintained from the number of early Pentecostal believers in Tulsa. The first known church was started In 1922, when a Oneness … Continue reading Metro Pentecostal Church Celebrates 100 Years
Mildred Wicks: The Greatest Female Preacher of the Healing Revival
While researching the history of Pentecostalism in Tulsa, I discovered many stories of women who shaped Pentecostalism in Oklahoma. Perhaps none was more important than Mildred Wicks, an important Pentecostal Holiness Revivalist who was recognized in the 1950s as the one of the greatest preachers and healing evangelists of the Healing Revival. Mildred Wicks was … Continue reading Mildred Wicks: The Greatest Female Preacher of the Healing Revival
A Conversation About Oral Roberts: Voices of Renewal Podcast
Voices of Renewal is a podcast from Regent University looking at the activity of the Holy Spirit of renewing the church throughout history. A few weeks back I joined Dr. Corne Bekker for a conversation about Oral Roberts and his role in renewal theology in the church. You can listen by clicking the image below … Continue reading A Conversation About Oral Roberts: Voices of Renewal Podcast
God Broke Me on The Wheel of My Prejudice: Jonathan E. Perkins
Jonathan Ellsworth Perkins was an early Assemblies of God pastor who served from 1924-1926 at the "5th and Peoria" Assembly of God in Tulsa. Perkins was an important early leader who wrote The Brooding Presence, one of the first AG books on the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Perkins also served with Stanley Frodsham as Associate Editor … Continue reading God Broke Me on The Wheel of My Prejudice: Jonathan E. Perkins
Influence Magazine Podcast
Earlier this week I was interviewed by George P. Wood, the Editor of the Assemblies of God magazine, Influence. We talked about my book and the history of AG eschatology. You can listen to this podcast, and the many other interesting interviews on the website or in your podcast apps.
The African Roots of the Day of Pentecost
A Pentecostal reflection on Thomas C. Oden's claim that the first Pentecost took place in the home of an African Jewish woman.
Practical Advice Before You Pursue a PhD
Some practical advice for those who want to do a theology PhD.
New Book: Imagining the Future.
I am excited that my dissertation on the history of Assemblies of God eschatology is now available from ORU Press. https://www.amazon.com/Imagining-Future-Development-Assemblies-Eschatology/dp/1950971082/ Since the Assemblies of God began in 1914, a great importance was placed on the belief in the second coming of Christ. However, in recent decades, a segment of AG ministers and educators have … Continue reading New Book: Imagining the Future.
Pentecost and the End of the KKK in Bixby
When my family moved to Bixby, Oklahoma in 1985, it was a tiny town of only 5,000 people and didn't have a single fast food restaurant. Today it is over 20,000 people and it is hard to tell where Bixby ends and Tulsa begins. But in the early years, it was a small town on … Continue reading Pentecost and the End of the KKK in Bixby