Dr. Lee Roy Martin will present “In Spirit and in Truth: Renewing Biblical Worship” for the 19th Annual Azusa Lecture, taking place on Thursday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. in the Lee University Chapel. Following Martin’s presentation, the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center will honor Dr. Delton Alford with the Spirit of Azusa Award and a reception for his exemplary leadership in music ministry.  

Martin is Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Languages and the James W. Hamilton Professor of Teaching Lay Involvement at the Pentecostal Theological Seminary, where he has taught since 1992. A bishop in the Church of God, he has served as a lead pastor for more than 25 years and is currently associate pastor at Grace Community Church in Cleveland. 

He is editor of the Journal of Pentecostal Theology, Old Testament editor of the Pentecostal Commentary Series, and he has written more than 40 books including “A Worshiping People: A Pentecostal Study of Vibrant Worship for the Believer.” Martin earned his Doctor of Theology in Old Testament from the University of South Africa, his Master of Divinity from the Pentecostal Theological Seminary, and his Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies from Lee University. 

Dr. Delton Alford is a senior adjunct faculty member at Lee. Having joined the Lee music faculty in 1962, he later served in numerous administrative positions including vice president and dean. He founded the internationally known ensemble, Lee Singers, which he directed from 1963 to 1978, and was named Lee University’s Distinguished Alumnus of the Year in 2013. 

A writer, arranger, and producer, Alford has been honored with four Dove Award finalist nominations, served as a choral consultant with Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra, and has been a choral clinician for numerous public schools, colleges, and churches. Throughout his ministry, he has been a sought-after worship leader for local, national, and international gatherings. Alford has served the Church of God in various administrative positions including Director of Music at Pathway Press, Chairman of the Church Music Committee, Director of Church of God Music Ministries, and CEO of SpiritSound Music Group.  

The purpose of the Azusa Lecture is to celebrate the rich heritage of the global Pentecostal Movement. The Dixon Pentecostal Research Center launched the annual lecture in 2006 in recognition of the centennial of the revival at the Azusa Street Mission in Los Angeles. Church of God Historian Charles W. Conn noted that the Los Angeles revival, which lasted from 1906 to 1909, “is universally regarded as the beginning of the modern Pentecostal Movement.” 

The Los Angeles revival began when African-American pastor, William Joseph Seymour, preached a message of Spirit baptism following salvation and sanctification. What started as a home prayer meeting attracted crowds of seekers and was moved to an abandoned building at 312 Azusa Street.

Hundreds traveled to the Azusa Street Mission, received a personal baptism of the Holy Spirit, and took that message to their homes, churches, and communities. The Pentecostal Movement quickly became a great missionary movement, and the 20th century came to be called the “Century of the Holy Spirit.” 

Founded by Charles W. Conn on the campus of Lee University, the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center is one of the world’s significant collections of Pentecostal and Charismatic resources as well as the archives of the Church of God. In addition to students at Lee University and Pentecostal Theological Seminary, numerous scholars utilize the center’s holdings. The center interprets the Pentecostal Movement through teaching, publications, and historical exhibits and is a resource for Church of God ministries throughout the world. Dr. David G. Roebuck serves as director, and the Reverend David “Gene” Mills Jr. as archivist. 

Those unable to attend in person may view the lecture and award presentation livestream at leeu.live or facebook.com/dixonprc. 

For more information about the Azusa Lecture, contact the Dixon Pentecostal Research Center at (423) 614-8576 or dixon­[email protected].