Pentecostal History by the Numbers: 2022 FPHC Report

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Another year has come and gone, and the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center (FPHC) has continued to expand its influence and its collections—assisting researchers, processing archival materials, and making materials accessible online. THANK YOU to staff members, donors, and church leaders for helping to build both the Assemblies of God and God’s Kingdom through our work at the FPHC!

The FPHC has become the largest Pentecostal archives in the world – a world class repository of materials documenting the Assemblies of God and the broader Pentecostal movement. Church leaders, scholars, students, and other researchers around the world depend on the FPHC’s resources and services.

Here are some highlights from 2022:

150,000 Catalog Records

In 2022, the FPHC created 7,750 new catalog records, which broke the 150,000 mark. As of December 31, 2022, the FPHC catalog contained 155,115 catalog records. Each record represents an item or a collection that has been processed and that is now in the FPHC online database, which allows end-users to search, do research, and place orders for materials.

The growth of the FPHC’s collection has been remarkable. When Darrin Rodgers came in July 2005 to serve as director, the FPHC catalog contained about 49,000 records. In 17 years, the FPHC more than tripled the number of records. This has been possible because of the behind-the-scenes work by FPHC staff of collecting, preserving, and making accessible these treasures of the faith.

163 Languages

The Assemblies of God is diverse (44% of AG USA adherents are non-Anglo) and global (95% of AG adherents live outside the US). This is reflective of the incredible growth and diversity of the broader Pentecostal movement. Importantly, the FPHC seeks to document this diverse and global constituency. In 2022, 10% of new FPHC catalog records were for materials in languages other than English. The FPHC now holds materials in 163 languages (up from 158 languages in 2021).

The ten languages with the largest numbers of catalog records are below:

3,000 Reference Questions

Each year, countless thousands of people use the FPHC’s research website. The vast majority find what they need on the website. In 2022 approximately 3,000 thousand people (NLRC employees, church leaders, students, people in the pew, and other researchers) contacted FPHC staff for additional personal assistance. The FPHC’s Reference Archivist, Glenn Gohr, alone fielded 2,368 request inquiries. Other FPHC staff members assisted numerous others.

1 Million Views

In 2022, the FPHC blog (https://ifphc.wordpress.com) reached 1 million views since its launch in 2007. We received just over 100,000 views in 2022. The blog features “This Week in AG History” columns, as well as other posts related to Pentecostal history and the Heritage Center.

100 Years of the Pentecostal Evangel

The FPHC is making progress on adding digital resources to its website. All known surviving issues of the Pentecostal Evangel (1913-2014) are now on the FPHC website. Our Digital Archivist, Todd Trask, is in the process of re-scanning issues from 1992 to 1999, replacing the remaining low resolution black and white scans created 23 years ago. The Pentecostal Evangel, our flagship AG periodical for 100 years, continues to promote our AG testimony.

61 Services at 25 Churches and Events

In 2022, the FPHC’s Heritage Speaker, Ruthie Oberg, spoke in 61 services at 25 churches and district and national events in 10 states. Her compelling messages bring our heritage and testimony to life, furthering the mission of the FPHC and of the Church.

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Do you have Pentecostal historical materials that should be preserved? Please consider depositing these materials at the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center (FPHC). The FPHC, located in the Assemblies of God national offices, is the largest Pentecostal archive in the world. We would like to preserve and make your treasures accessible to those who write the history books.

Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center
1445 North Boonville Avenue
Springfield, Missouri 65802 USA
Phone: 417.862.1447 ext. 4400
Toll Free: 877.840.5200
Email: Archives@ag.org