Cleveland, TN—One of the Church of God’s most prolific missionary educators celebrates his 100th birthday today, January 30, 2025.

Saved and filled with Holy Spirit on April 14, 1940, in Smithfield, N.C., James Beaty looks back to that day when he was just 16 and “delivered from the power that had held me in bondage.” From that day forward his life would be dedicated to serving his Lord and the Church of God.

His first missionary assignment was to Haiti in 1946, a country to which he would return to later in his ministry. The trip followed his studies at Atlantic Christian College and beginning at Vanderbilt University School of Religion. In 1948 he married Virginia Green, who would be his faithful partner in ministry for 67 years until her passing in 2015.

After earning the M.Div. from Vanderbilt, the newlyweds left in 1949 to serve as missionaries to the Dominican Republic for three years where the young James located and supervised the purchase of property that later became the campus of the Bible School there.

In 1952, the Beatys returned to Haiti as missionaries where James was the country’s overseer, educational director, supervised 100 day schools, and coordinated the purchase of seventeen acres and building of the Seminaire Biblique campus. In years to follow, he would serve as superintendent of South America (1959-67) and represented the Pentecostal movement on the Board of the Communidad Teologica, a cooperative effort among evangelical and Pentecostal churches, serving as vice president and interim president.

In 1963, he earned a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from Vanderbilt and from then on carried the prestigious title of Dr. James Beaty. He would begin a seven-year career at Lee College (University) in 1967 where has a member of the faculty member involved in teaching and assisting with accreditation. In the days when not many possessed a doctoral degree, Dr. Beaty was the first teacher of religion in the Humanities Department before the Bible College was merged with the Liberal Arts College in 1968.

In other areas, Dr. Beaty served as a charter member and secretary on the General Board of Education (1968-74) and assisted in the development and implementation of the Ministerial Enrichment Institutes, the Spanish Institute of Ministry (president, 1974-80), and what would become the Pentecostal Theological Seminary. Joining PTS in 1980, Dr. Beaty was the third full-time faculty member, Academic Dean (1980-96), director of the extension program in Puerto Rico, and director of the Special Training Program in Haiti. He remains a member of the PTS faculty today.

Earlier this month, Dr. Beaty attended a luncheon in his honor. In attendance were all five members of the Church of God Executive Committee, their spouses, and other special guests.
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“Dr. Beaty is one of those rare individuals who is gifted in multiple areas of ministry,” stated General Overseer Gary Lewis. “His inspiration has influenced thousands called to the mission field, and his academic credentials have made him a legend at both Lee University and Pentecostal Theological Seminary. Now, as a centenarian, he has solidified his legacy even greater in Church of God history. Happy Birthday, Dr. Beaty!”

Cleveland, TN–“Pillars of Pentecost: Church of God History – Our First Fifty Years” is now open to the public at the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center on the campus of Lee University.

Under the leadership of Chairman James E. Cossey, the Church of God Historical Commission and the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center produced and unveiled “Pillars of Pentecost” at the Church of God’s 79th International General Assembly in Indianapolis this past July. The exhibit, which is now installed at the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center, opened in Cleveland this past November with a program that included comments from Church of God Historian Dr. David G. Roebuck and Assistant General Overseer Dr. Mark Williams. The exhibit will remain open through June 2025.

The Church of God Heritage Exhibit features stories, photographs, and artifacts telling the inspirational history of many Church of God pioneers. The exhibit explores the vision and sacrifices of men and women God used to build the Church from a single congregation on the banks of Barney Creek in eastern Tennessee to today’s global movement of more than nine million members in more than 190 nations and territories of the world.

​“The pages of Scripture reveal much about God’s people,” observes Roebuck. “From the Garden of Eden to John the Revelator on the Isle of Patmos, we continue to benefit from the accounts of their lives – we are inspired by faithfulness, and we learn from failures. The same is true of our Church of God pioneers.” R.G. Spurling desired to faithfully build a Church founded on loving God and loving neighbor. W.F. Bryant and fellow pilgrims in the Camp Creek community of western North Carolina sought to be sanctified and received the blessing of an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. A.J. Tomlinson left his Indiana home to minister to the children of Appalachia. His leadership expanded the Church of God’s vision into a global harvest and also led to a painful season of discerning better administrative policies and practices.

Beginning with R.G. Spurling’s Christian Union in 1886, the “Pillars of Pentecost” exhibit utilizes 26 panels and seven display cases to highlight the Church of God’s focus on reaching the harvest at home and abroad. Central to this growth was the passion and vision of A.J. Tomlinson – a “home missionary” whose Pentecostal experience transformed his ministry and that of the Church. Then 50 years from the movement’s formation at Barney Creek, J.H. Ingram circled the globe to reach the world with the gospel.

Accompanying the exhibit is a 40-page magazine by the same name, which was also unveiled at the General Assembly. It is available at the exhibit free of charge while supplies last or can be ordered by sending $5 per copy for shipping and handling to Dixon Pentecostal Research Center, 260 11th Street NE, Cleveland, TN 37311. A free PDF of the magazine is available by clicking here.

The Heritage Exhibit is free and open to the public during regular operating hours of the library, which can be found by clicking here. Squires Library is located on the corner of 11th Street and Paul Conn Parkway.
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For more information about the exhibit, contact Roebuck at [email protected].