RECENT DONATION

A person wishing to remain anonymous has donated the funds for this book to be added to the PRC. What a treat to add this book, by a one time interim president of the institution, to this growing collection.

AN EYEWITNESS REMEMBERS THE CENTURY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Dr. Vinson Synan.

Premier Pentecostal historian Vinson Synan shares for the first time his engaging personal assessment of and involvement in the extraordinary events of the last 100 years that gave birth to the charismatic and Pentecostal movements. Because of his unique position and participation in most of these events, Synan offers a rare and fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the phenomenal events that took place when the Holy Spirit fell at Azusa Street; the subsequent formation of the Pentecostal denominations; the surprising birth of the charismatic renewal; the emergence of charismatic Catholicism; the Toronto Blessing; and beyond.

FEATURED TITLE: Heaven Below

Grant Wacker, academic from Duke University, has written Heaven Below. In this lively history of the rise of pentecostalism in the United States, Grant Wacker gives an in-depth account of the religious practices of pentecostal churches. He also provides an engaging picture of the way these beliefs played out in daily life in both positive and negative ways as people struggled to establish 'heaven below'. Utilizing numerous primary resources, the work details both the scope and diversity of the early Pentecostal movement but also the common threads of faith and vitality the movement embodied.

R.O.CORVIN

Dr. R.O. Corvin was born in Ada, Oklahoma and was the first president of Southwestern Christian University (then called simply Southwestern Pentecostal Holiness College). He served from 1946 to the 1960's when he left to head up the School of Religion at the new Oral Roberts University. During this time period ORU's School of Religion functioned as the recognized theological seminary for the Pentecostal Holiness Church (now the IPHC).

After leaving ORU, he established several modular and correspondance training programs and wrote over 90 lessons which continued to impact leaders and church members the world over.

His books, thesis, and dissertation, including most of his training manuals from his correspondence programs, are in the SCU Pentecostal Research Collection.

His Educational Background:

B.A. Newberry College

M.A. University of South Carolina

Th.B. Holmes Bible College

B.D. Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary

D.R.E. Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Ph.D. University of Oklahoma

Books In The PRC Collection at Southwestern Christian University:

David and His Mighty Men * (1950)

A Survey of Southwestern Christian University* (1956) 

Looking at the Future Through the Eyes of Daniel* (1973)

Religious and Educational Backgrounds in the Founding of Oral Roberts University* (1967)

Faith and Action of Old Testament men: New Testament Men, Great Women of the Bible, Theology and Morals,... *(1981)

Corvin, R.O. David and his Mighty Men. Eerdmans, 1950

Other Sites:

http://www.bible-ebooks.com/page5.html

THOMAS AARON, A.B., B.D.(1897-1951)

Thomas Aaron served as the President of King's College after the school moved to Kingfisher and followed as the second President of King's College (Dr. George Ryder) and was followed in turn by Clarence H. Williams (1930-1935). Aaron had degrees from Oglethorpe University, Atlanta Theological Seminary, and Holmes Bible and Missionary Institute. In 1933 he was chosen to take the helm of Emmanuel College from G.F. Taylor. The Georgia campus would be home for many years, til ill health caused his retirement in 1949. Yet, for a short time he led a growing school on a 120 acre campus in Kingfisher County, Oklahoma and left a legacy that would lead to the development of Southwestern College in 1946.

EARLY PENTECOSTAL SCHOOL PAVED THE WAY FOR SCU

A persistent myth has been that pentecostals are anti-education. The image above serves to illustrate that this was far from the case for many segments of the pentecostal movement. The value and import of a good education was firmly rooted in some groups and regions. The difference was that pentecostals also desired a strong and vital spiritual environment to support and nuture students in the process.

In 1928-29 the above image appeared in the "King's College, Illustrated Catalog". King's College had been started in Checotah, Ok in 1925 and continued there until the school moved into the vacated, Kingfisher College, located just outside Kingfisher and they operated there from 1927 to 1935. Dan W. Evans was instrumental in the development of a Pentecostal Holiness school in the region. In 1925 the school opened in Checotah, named for pioneer preacher and leader, Bishop J. H. King. King had been a leader first in the Fire Baptized Holiness Association and in Oklahoma as early as 1906.

In 1926, the school moved to Kingfisher with only about 100 students but by 1928 they had over 300 and had to turn away as many as 100 due to lack of space. Aaron was aided in his role as President by Dan T.Muse, Dan W. Evans, Lycurgis Lynch, Dr. George Ryder and others. In 1930, Clarence Williams took over the helm as leader and served in that role until the school closed in the middle of the Great Depression.

The curriculm served K-12 and offered course tracks in Business and Theology (including foreign missions). Music instruction was a highlight with a band, orchestra, classes in brass, strings, piano, guitar, vocal and other skills.

[SCU Archives; "One Nightclub and a Mule Barn: (2006)]