A Tribute to Dr. Vinson Synan

We are sad to hear that Dr. Vinson Synan passed away Sunday morning March 15th, 2020. Synan was widely regarded as the premier Pentecostal historian, publishing over twenty books on the Pentecostal and Charismatic movement. He was also recognized for his work as an ambassador for the Charismatic Movement during the 1970s-1980s. Synan served on the faculty of Regent University, Oral Roberts University and Emmanuel college.

Synan holds a special place in the history of the HSRC. Synan first came to ORU as PhD Student in 1966 while doing his PhD research on the Holiness-Pentecostal Movement at the University of Georgia. Synan was the second PhD level research to visit the Center after ORU opened in 1965. At the time ORU's Pentecostal Research Center was the first center for primary research on the Pentecostal movement. He notes, "For a Pentecostal Historian, it was like Heaven on earth." Oral Roberts also tried to recruited him to come to ORU when he was finished. But God had other plans and led him into leadership in the Pentecostal Holiness Church. Synan's influence continued to grow as he started the Society for Pentecostal Studies in 1970 and became a leader in the Charismatic Renewal. He served as a bridge between Pentecostals and the Charismatic Renewal, eventually becoming the leader of the North American Renewal Services Committee.

In 1990, Synan accepted an offer to come to Oral Roberts University to serve as the Director of the Holy Spirit Research Center and Professor of Church History. Synan was the first director of the HSRC to hold a PhD. During his time, Synan donated many of his own materials to the Center helped re-invigorate HSRC's reputation as a premier Pentecostal and Charismatic Archive. He also helped establish the HSRC as one of the best archives for materials on the Charismatic Renewal. Synan left this post in 1994 to go to Regent University to start a PhD program.

In 2016, Synan returned to ORU to serve as Interm Dean of the School of Theology a and helped start the ORU PhD program. For the past two years he has served as a Scholar in Residence. In 2018, the Holy Spirit Research Center recorded videos of Synan's life story called "Where the Spirit Leads Me: An Oral History of the Life and Ministry of Vinson Synan, Ph.D.". In it he shares the stories of his life, ministry, and academic journey. These are freely available on the ORU Digital Showcase.