Bishop Blake is joining with Dr. Jay Earhart Brown, president of Memphis Theological Seminary, in offering the Church of God in Christ as co-host of the 40th anniversary meeting of the Society for Pentecostal Studies in Memphis in March of 2011. Bishop Blake has authorized Dr. David Hall to work with Brother Jeffrey Gros, FSC of Memphis Theological Seminary in the planning.
While it is early in the planning, it is hoped that the event will begin at Mason Temple with a celebration of COGIC contribution to Pentecostal heritage, and significant historic events from Memphis.
It is also hoped that there will be publications from COGIC on its contribution to global Pentecostalism, ecumenism and Christian witness in the period preceding the meeting, and that there will be significant papers from COGIC and African American Pentecostalism at the 2010 and 2011 Society for Pentecostal Studies annual meetings.
Many members of the Society are looking forward to meeting in Memphis to touch more of COGIC history directly. We are also working with All Saints Bible College to see that COGIC students, like those from MTS, have a chance to meet and hear internationally known Pentecostal scholars and get a taste for the intellectual dimension of the Gospel enterprise.
*Brother Jeffrey Gros, FSC
Distinguished Professor of Ecumencal and Historical Theology
Memphis Theological Seminary
Well, this is a good development. If for no other reason than SPS has tended to meet in either difficult to reach locales like Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, KY, or at small schools, such as this year’s meeting at North Central University in Minneapolis. Who wants to be in Minnesota at the end of winter?
Indeed, I hope COGIC-background scholars and AfroPentecostal scholars in mass will participate in this meeting that that COGIC will be deeply exposed to the work of this scholarly society.