
Following much prayer and consultation with numerous people including Dr. Mathew, Dr. Reid-Martinez and I are pleased to announce that for the upcoming academic year, Dr. Vinson Synan, Ph.D., will assume the role of Interim Dean of the College of Theology and Ministry at Oral Roberts University with the rank of Professor of Church History. His service will begin August 1, 2016.
Many of you know Dr. Synan, for he has a close relationship with ORU and has been serving as a member of the Board of Trustees. He will step down from the Board to accept his new role as Interim Dean of the College of Theology and Ministry. Dr. Synan also served as the Director of the Holy Spirit Research Center at Oral Roberts University from 1990 to 1994. Most recently, Dr. Synan has served as the Dean of the Regent University School of Divinity and has published numerous articles and publications related to the history of the Pentecostal movement with the Holy Spirit and Spirit-Empowered themes. He is one of the highest regarded scholars in this movement. Please join me in welcoming him to this new and challenging position.
Please also join me in prayer as a robust search process commences for a new Dean of the College of Theology and Ministry. We believe that although Dr. Mathew’s transition is a loss for us, God has someone in mind that will be able to lead this college into the future with great success. Further announcements regarding the search process will be forthcoming this fall.
[Editor's comment: Dr. Vinson Synan will also be part of the new Ph. D. Program at ORU. He and Carol will move to Tulsa and begin work on August 1. Vinson wrote in an email, "I look forward to again being a part of the ORU family."
We are extremely proud of Dr. Vinson Synan. He and I have been close friends for decades. We worked closely together when I was president of Southwestern College. He taught history for us. He served as the General Secretary of the Pentecostal Holiness Church at that time. I had the privilege to nominate him for that position at the General Conference in Roanoke, VA. I was on active duty with the Air Force as a chaplain during that conference.
Many of you know Dr. Synan, for he has a close relationship with ORU and has been serving as a member of the Board of Trustees. He will step down from the Board to accept his new role as Interim Dean of the College of Theology and Ministry. Dr. Synan also served as the Director of the Holy Spirit Research Center at Oral Roberts University from 1990 to 1994. Most recently, Dr. Synan has served as the Dean of the Regent University School of Divinity and has published numerous articles and publications related to the history of the Pentecostal movement with the Holy Spirit and Spirit-Empowered themes. He is one of the highest regarded scholars in this movement. Please join me in welcoming him to this new and challenging position.
Please also join me in prayer as a robust search process commences for a new Dean of the College of Theology and Ministry. We believe that although Dr. Mathew’s transition is a loss for us, God has someone in mind that will be able to lead this college into the future with great success. Further announcements regarding the search process will be forthcoming this fall.
[Editor's comment: Dr. Vinson Synan will also be part of the new Ph. D. Program at ORU. He and Carol will move to Tulsa and begin work on August 1. Vinson wrote in an email, "I look forward to again being a part of the ORU family."
We are extremely proud of Dr. Vinson Synan. He and I have been close friends for decades. We worked closely together when I was president of Southwestern College. He taught history for us. He served as the General Secretary of the Pentecostal Holiness Church at that time. I had the privilege to nominate him for that position at the General Conference in Roanoke, VA. I was on active duty with the Air Force as a chaplain during that conference.