Educator, author Gary McGee dies

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 - 4:45 PM CST

The AGTS Web site features a page that will contain information about McGee's funeral as it is made available.

McGee

Dr. Gary B. McGee, longtime Assemblies of God educator, died shortly before noon today, December 10, 2008. McGee was hospitalized on November 13 with complications due to a bacterial infection and a weakened immune system from a long fight with cancer. McGee, 63, was released from the hospital yesterday and passed away at home with his family present.

Few Assemblies of God educators have attained the breadth of influence achieved by McGee. His extensive college and seminary teaching experience spanned five decades (1967-2008), he was a prolific author, and he helped to build bridges through his leadership in numerous professional and interchurch organizations.
He was Distinguished Professor of Church History and Pentecostal Studies at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, where he taught since 1984. He previously taught at Central Bible College (1970-1984) and Open Bible College (1967-1970).

McGee authored seven books, edited and contributed to three books, and he wrote chapters in 15 books, 41 journal articles (since 1993), and 129 articles in 12 dictionaries. He was a frequent contributor to denominational publications, including "Today's Pentecostal Evangel," "Assemblies of God Heritage," "Advance," "Enrichment," and "Paraclete." He is probably best known for his two-volume history of Assemblies of God World Missions, "This Gospel Shall Be Preached," for his biographical approach to Assemblies of God history, "People of the Spirit" and for coediting the award-winning "Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements." He completed his last book, "Miracles, Missions, and American Pentecostalism," (forthcoming 2009) just weeks before his death.

McGee traveled extensively and also taught at Asia Centre for Evangelism and Missions, Singapore; Continental Theological Seminary, Brussels, Belgium; Evangelical Theological Seminary, Osijek, Croatia; Kiev Bible Institute, Kiev, Ukraine; Romanian Bible Institute, Bucharest, Romania; and Southern Asia Bible College, Bangalore, India.

McGee emerged as one of the most highly respected and loved educators in the Assemblies of God, as well as one of the most articulate voices concerning the history of Pentecostal missions. In the academic community, McGee was best known for his publications on the history of early Pentecostalism and missiology. His family and friends knew him as a man of sterling character, good humor, humility, spiritual sensitivity and personal warmth.

Upon his graduation from Central Bible College in 1967, he began teaching at Open Bible College (Des Moines, Iowa). He received his ordination from the Iowa District Council in 1969. He returned to Springfield, Missouri, in 1970, where he would become a fixture for the rest of his life. He began teaching at his alma mater, Central Bible College, and in 1971 completed the Master of Religious Studies at Concordia Theological Seminary (St. Louis, Missouri). McGee completed his M.A. in Religious Studies at Missouri State University (Springfield, Missouri) in 1976, and his Ph.D. in Church History at St. Louis University in 1984. Upon completion of his doctorate, McGee began teaching at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. He was named Distinguished Professor of Church History and
Pentecostal Studies in 2006. In March 2008, the Society for Pentecostal Studies conferred on him the Lifetime Achievement Award.

McGee leaves behind his wife, Alice, his two daughters, Angela Brim and Catherine McGee, and two grandchildren, Bailey and Marshall Brim, all of Springfield, Missouri.

The AGTS Web site features a page that will contain information about McGee's funeral as it is made available: http://agts.edu/faculty/mcgee.html.