Preserving and sharing the Oneness Pentecostal heritage is the mission of The Center for the Study of Oneness Pentecostalism (CSOP), originally known as the Historical Center of the UPCI.
The work of preserving the history of the Oneness Movement and the United Pentecostal Church began in 1981 by Calvin and Virginia Rigdon under the direction of the Historical Committee chaired by J.L.Hall.
The Rigdon’s are responsible for the vast majority of CSOP’s holdings.
Photo to the left is of Calvin and Virginia Rigdon.
At the request of General Superintendent David K. Bernard, a number of changes were made.
The decision was made to relocate CSOP to the Urshan campus, and a new governing and fundraising committee (Pentecostal Heritage Society) was formed with David Fauss, the grandson of a prominent early Pentecostal pioneer, as chairman and Robin Johnston as director of CSOP.
The partnership between CSOP and the Urshan community is mutually beneficial.
The Urshan community has easy access to a treasure of historical resources and, through CSOP, is building the leading scholarly collection in the Oneness Pentecostal movement. CSOP benefits greatly from the community of scholars at Urshan University and UGST.
The Center for the Study of Oneness Pentecostalism is a research depository for Oneness Pentecostalism related material and artifacts. CSOP’S mission is to collect, preserve, and make accessible documents and artifacts related to the UPCI, Urshan University and UGST. Other Oneness Pentecostal movements are included in this.
CSOP is also a museum where related artifacts are on rotation or permanent display.
All donated and gifted materials to the Center for the Study of Oneness Pentecostalism are considered outright and unrestricted donations to be used in the best interests of the Center. We believe in the necessity of preserving the past for use in the future.
“Where the past is present” -Calvin Rigdon