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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 don’t hesitate to call us.
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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. |
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