Conn Historical Writing Awards Announced
By David G. Roebuck
The Church of God Historical Commission announces the winners of the Charles W. Conn Historical Writing Award. The 2006-2008 award winners are Dr. H. Lynn Stone for his book, From the Manger to the Mountain: The Journey of a Local Church (Pathway Press, 2006), and Dr. Dale M. Coulter for his article, “The Development of Ecclesiology in the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee): A Forgotten Contribution?” published in Pneuma: The Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies (Spring 2007).
Stone, who serves as administrative assistant of the Division of Education, authored From the Manger to the Mountain as “a historical perspective on the North Cleveland Church of God and its biblical mandate for ministry.” The book was written on the occasion of the centennial of the oldest continuing Church of God congregation.
Coulter is currently an associate professor of historical theology at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia. A graduate of Lee University and Oxford University, his article demonstrates how early Church of God leaders cared deeply about the doctrine of the Church.
The Church of God International Executive Council created the Charles W. Conn Historical Writing Award in 2002 to honor long-time Church of God author and historian Dr. Charles W. Conn. Dr. Conn wrote the most substantial history of the Church of God in 1955. When Like a Mighty Army was revised in 1977, the Church of God designated Dr. Conn as Church Historian. Following the passing of Dr. Charles W. Conn, a tribute edition of Like a Mighty Army has been released this year.
The mission of the Historical Commission is “To preserve and perpetuate the history and heritage of the Church of God and its global Pentecostal mission.” Its purpose is to promote the preservation, understanding, and appreciation of the history and heritage of the Church of God. The Commission gives special attention to the collecting and preserving of historical documents, to the writing of history, and to promoting occasions for the church to remember, appreciate and celebrate its heritage.
The Charles W. Conn Historical Writing Award and the biennial Church of God Heritage Exhibit at the International General Assembly are among the ministries of the Historical Commission. The commission selects both a book and an article each General Assembly period to receive the writing award. The Heritage Exhibit has been a popular attraction of each assembly since 1996. The exhibit is prepared by the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center and is usually built around a theme highlighting an important aspect of Church of God heritage.
