Farmer makes pilgrimage to Springfield

Sixty-nine years ago an eleven-year-old boy, Elvin Farmer, walked door-to-door in Glenwood, Arkansas, asking friends and neighbors to buy the Pentecostal Evangel for two cents each. It was a very proud moment for the earnest young man when he learned that he was the top seller in his area and that his achievement would be noted in the October 15, 1938 issue of the Pentecostal Evangel.

That story prompted one of his four daughters to recently visit the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center, located in the Assemblies of God Headquarters in Springfield, Missouri. A thorough search yielded the 1938 article, which was to be a surprise gift for Farmer’s 80th birthday party in California in April 2007.

Two months later, Farmer, his daughter, and his grandchildren visited Springfield and toured the Assemblies of God Headquarters. Farmer, a faithful Assemblies of God member for 80 years, currently attends Calvary Christian Center Assembly of God in Yuba City, California.

According to his daughter, Darla, Farmer is “very proud that he raised his four daughters in the Assemblies of God.” She stated that the tour allowed him “to see the inner workings” of the Fellowship and “gave him a stronger sense of belonging.”

When traveling through Springfield, be sure to stop and visit the Assemblies of God Headquarters. Free tours include visits to the Gospel Publishing House, AG World Missions, the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center and more! Explore our websites for more information on the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center museum and the guided walking tour of the Assemblies of God national headquarters.

Photo: young Elvin Farmer, circa 1938.

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Posted by Darrin Rodgers

Missing GPH songbook: “Songs of Light and Life” (1926)

You may remember that in January 2007 we discovered a new (old) Assemblies of God hymnal that we had not seen before. It was published by Gospel Publishing House in the 1940s, but somehow disappeared from sight and mind for decades before re-emerging. It is now safely stored in the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center vault! Click here for the announcement of that exciting find.

It happened again! At least, we hope it will. A search through old issues of the Pentecostal Evangel yielded yet another GPH songbook that we do not have in our collection. We have never seen a copy of it, and we do not know of any other person, archive or library that owns a copy.

The Pentecostal Evangel, from June 19, 1926 through Aug 13, 1927, advertised a new GPH songbook — Songs of Light and Life. One advertisement, published in the June 19, 1926 issue (page 15), stated that the songbook, which contained 165 songs, was well-suited for revival services and camp meetings. The ad warned readers that they should order quickly because of the limited quantities on hand. The price? It cost twelve cents per copy; fifteen cents postpaid.

If you have a copy of Songs of Light and Life or if you know where one is located, please contact the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center at archives@ag.org.

Posted by Darrin Rodgers

Celebrating 100 years of Pentecost in Springfield, Missouri

Farmhouse where Lillie Corum was baptized in the Spirit in 1907

June 1, 2007 marks 100 years of Pentecost in Springfield, Missouri.

Just after the Azusa Street revival broke out in Los Angeles in 1906, Evangelist Rachel Harper Sizelove began writing glowing reports to her sister, Lillie Corum, who lived in Springfield, Missouri. Mrs. Corum started reading copies of William Seymour’s Apostolic Faith paper, and she earnestly began seeking and praying to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

The next May, Rachel Sizelove traveled from Azusa Street to Springfield to visit her sister and family. And in an all-night prayer meeting, Lillie Corum was baptized in the Spirit at her farmhouse in the wee hours of June 1, 1907. She is credited with being the first person in Springfield to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. And soon afterwards, the Corum family, rejected by their Baptist pastor, began holding prayer meetings in their home. This was the beginning of Central Assembly of God, the mother church in Springfield, Missouri.

We discovered a new [old] hymnal!

Do you know the story behind the above hymnal, Glorious Gospel Hymns, published by Gospel Publishing House?

We at the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center thought we had a complete collection of all Assemblies of God hymnals ever published, so when a donor gave us a copy of Glorious Gospel Hymns last year, we did a double take. Research into old issues of the Pentecostal Evangel yielded the above advertisement (published March 9, 1946, and Feb. 15 and Aug. 30, 1947), so it was likely published in 1946.

Since we had never seen Glorious Gospel Hymns, it must not have received wide circulation. The thick, 670-page hymnal contains The Apostles’ Creed, responsive readings, and other selections not found in the other gospel songbooks produced by GPH during that time period.

This edition of Glorious Gospel Hymns was compiled and edited by Haldor Lillenas, assisted by more than five hundred pastors, evangelists, and other church workers. According to the introduction, the book was prepared because of the “need among many denominations for a hymnal having a combination of the most famous and widely used hymns and the strongest and best loved gospel songs obtainable.” Haldor Lillenas produced a hymnal by the same title in 1931 for use by the Church of the Nazarene.

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Posted by Darrin Rodgers