O.W. Polen Leaves Legacy of Leadership in Church of God
Reverend Doctor O.W. Polen, 89, a well-known leader in the Church of God, died on Saturday, October 16, 2010 in Cleveland, Tennessee.
The ministry of Dr. Polen is marked by milestone achievements in leadership in the Church of God. Born on the last day of the year in 1920, Reverend Polen was raised a Baptist, but converted to the Pentecostal faith at the age of 11, joining the Church of God in 1941. The next year he began his formal ministry and married Neva Grace, the woman who would be his partner in ministry for the next 64 years until her death in 2006 at the age of 87. Together they raised two daughters, Janet and Connie.
O.W. Polen’s early ministry in the Church of God will be remembered as innovative and progressive. Following a pastorate in Shelby, Ohio, for the next eight years (1946-54) he served as state youth and Christian education director in his home state of Ohio. While there he conducted Ohio’s first youth camp. His leadership was recognized with an appointment to the General Youth and C.E. Board and then as the assistant youth and C.E. director for two years from 1954-56. His first elected leadership post came when the General Council voted him director of the Department of Youth and Christian Education where he served from 1956-60. During this time he inaugurated a youth world missions program, which evolved into the highly successful YWEA program of today.
Upon leaving youth leadership, Rev. Polen accepted the pastorate of the West Flint Church of God in Michigan. There he led a successful congregation, while reaching out to the community. He rose through the ranks of leadership with the Greater Flint Ministerial Association, eventually serving as president. Also in this period he was elected as a member of the Executive Council of the Church of God, serving from 1966-70 and later from 1972-76.
In 1968 O.W. Polen was appointed state overseer of the Delmarva-D.C. region where he served for the next two years before accepting the post that would define his legacy in the Church of God.
In 1970, Rev. Polen became editor-in-chief of Church of God publications, a role he would fill for the next 18 years. His tenure is the longest of any in the history of the Church of God. His leadership was marked by advancements and increases in the circulation of the Evangel and other publications. He led innovations and ideas, such as the Evangelaire distribution program, establishment of the Pentecostal Minister magazine and conducted writer’s seminars. He authored numerous articles and publications, including Editorially Speaking (volumes 1 and 2), The Sunday School Teacher, and Living By The Word.
Reverend Polen was respected in the Evangelical circles, advancing to the highest leadership levels of several organizations. In the International Pentecostal Press Association (IPPA), he was a board member, secretary/treasurer and vice president, and served as president on two occasions, 1976-79 and 1982-85. He was on the advisory board of the Mid-America Sunday School Association and International Christian Education Association, chairman of the Denominational Sunday School Secretaries, National Sunday School Association (NSSA), member of the NSSA General Council and treasurer of the Youth Commission of NSSA.
Awards and recognitions were plentiful in Rev. Polen’s ministry and included such honors as Church of God Chaplains Commission Historical Award, first recipient of the James Deforest Murch Journalism Award from the National Association of Evangelicals, an honorary doctoral degree from West Coast Christian College, member of the Lee College President’s Council for nine years and inclusion in Men of Achievement, Dictionary of International Biography and Who’s Who in Religion.
Following Rev. Polen’s retirement as editor-in-chief he continued to work with the leadership of the Church of God, serving as part-time Coordinator of Special Projects for the Executive Committee from 1988-97.
He is survived by: two daughters, Janet Price and Connie Lynn Polen both of Cleveland; grandchildren, Kendra and Antonios Zakkas, Craig Rathbun, Kathryn and Kendall Maroon all of Cleveland; great-grandchildren, Tyler, Tucker and Vanessa Maroon, Nathan, Ean and Kentan Zakkas, Trevor Rathbun all of Cleveland.
A Remembrance of Life Service will be conducted at 2:00 P.M. on Tuesday, October 19 at North Cleveland Church of God, Dixon Chapel, with Pastor Mitchell Maloney, Pastor Kelvin Page and Dr. Tim Hill officiating. Interment will follow in Sunset Memorial Gardens. The body will be at the church for viewing one hour prior to the start of the service.
The family will receive friends on Monday, October 18 from 6:00 until 8:00 P.M. at North Cleveland Church of God, Dixon Chapel.
