Dr. Estrelda Alexander will present the 10th Annual Azusa Lecture, “From Azusa to Cleveland: Embracing Our Common Heritage” on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. in the North Cleveland Church of God’s Dixon Chapel.
Dr. Alexander is president of William Seymour College as well as an ordained minister in the Church of God. Prior to her founding the college, she served as professor of theology at Regent University School of Divinity and as associate dean for community at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.
After serving as a pastor and church planter, her recent ministry focused on providing theological education for underserved communities.
Dr. Alexander is a scholar of Black Pentecostalism and author of numerous books, essays, and journal articles. Her published books include “Black Fire Reader,” “Black Fire: 100 Years of African American Pentecostalism,” “Limited Liberty: The Ministry and Legacy of Four Pentecostal Women Pioneers,” and “The Women of Azusa Street.” She also co-edited two books with Amos Yong such as “Phillip’s Daughters: Women in the Pentecostal Movement” and “Afro-Pentecostalism: Black Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity in History and Culture.” Her current project is a multi-volume “Dictionary of Pan African Pentecostalism.”
Dr. Alexander has lectured and preached across the United States and has served as president of the Society for Pentecostal Studies. The Society honored her book, “Black Fire: 100 Years of African American Pentecostalism,” with their Pneuma Book of the Year Award in 2012 and granted her its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.
Following the lecture, the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center will honor Dr. Wallace Sibley, third assistant general overseer of the Church of God, with the Spirit of Azusa Award and a reception. Dr. Sibley began his ministry in 1963. Following his service as pastor and evangelist, the Church of God has either appointed or elected him to numerous leadership offices at state and international levels including administrative bishop of Florida and Southern New England, regional director of Evangelism for the Southeast Black Churches, director of Cross-Cultural Ministries, assistant director and director of evangelism and home missions, and Secretary General.
“Dr. Sibley has been an exemplary model of a spiritual father to sons and daughters around the world, and he has pioneered efforts to reach a multi-cultural harvest,” said Dr. David Roebuck, Church of God historian. “Like William J. Seymour, Dr. Sibley has preached the Pentecostal message, been a beacon of racial reconciliation, and led with distinction.”
The Azusa Lecture is being held in conjunction with Heritage Week at the Pentecostal Theological Seminary. Alexander will preach in the Seminary’s chapel service on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 11 a.m. She will also present a lecture on “The Women of Azusa Street” on Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 11 a.m. The public is welcome to attend these events.
The Dixon Pentecostal Research Center is sponsoring the 10th Annual Azusa Lecture in partnership with other Church of God ministries. According to officials, the purpose of the Azusa Lecture is to celebrate the rich heritage the Pentecostal Movement. The Dixon Pentecostal Research Center launched the annual lecture in 2006 on the occasion of the centennial anniversary of the revival at the Azusa Street Mission in Los Angeles, Ca. Church of God Historian Charles W. Conn noted that the Los Angeles revival, which lasted from 1906 to 1909, “is universally regarded as the beginning of the modern Pentecostal Movement.”
The Los Angeles revival began when African-American Pastor William J. Seymour preached a message of Spirit baptism following salvation and sanctification. What started as a home prayer meeting attracted throngs of seekers and was moved to an abandoned church building at 312 Azusa St. Hundreds traveled to the Azusa Street Mission, received a personal baptism of the Holy Spirit, and took that message to their homes, churches, and communities. The Pentecostal Movement quickly became a great missionary movement, and the twentieth century came to be called the “Century of the Holy Spirit.”
Founded by Dr. Charles W. Conn on the campus of Lee University, the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center has one of the world’s most significant collections of Pentecostal materials and archives of the Church of God. In addition to students at Lee University and the Pentecostal Theological Seminary, numerous scholars use the center’s holdings of materials related to the Pentecostal Charismatic Movement.
For more information about the Azusa Lecture contact the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center at 423-614-8576 or dixon_research@leeuniversity.edu.