As Director of Archives and Research, I hope to…
- Use my family history as a way of connecting with people in the IPHC. As you can see below, both my mother and grandfather gave their entire working lives to the IPHC, and I care deeply about this denomination, its people, and its future. Much of my research has been about IPHC women preachers, so a significant focus of my life has been on the IPHC as well.
- Use my doctorate in Rhetoric, Composition, and the Teaching of English to help shape our story as a denomination. Collecting, sharing, and contextualizing stories is a powerful way to help people understand the heritage they have inherited when becoming part of the IPHC.
- Use my knowledge of persuasion to help win grant funding to get us closer to fully digitizing our collection. We have hundreds of cassette tapes, vhs tapes, microfilm reels, and reel film to digitize. It is extremely expensive to do so. However, grant funding might help us with that goal as well as with sharing our story.
- Use my background in archival research to help those using the archives. Three of my four books, along with several journal articles and the dissertation for my doctorate, required archival research.
- Use my growing knowledge in Archival Studies, obtained through the Archival Studies Certificate I earned in May 2025 at Louisiana State University, to help organize and sort the three vaults down to the item level. The courses in this degree have also taught me about participatory archives, outreach activities, and museum management (helpful for the public side of our archives).
- Use my growing knowledge of IPHC history to help guide those looking for materials in the archives collection.
- Use my background in researching IPHC women preachers in helping to identify and to share materials to make that history clear and accessible.
I have a wonderful family who has long been a part of the IPHC!
I am the daughter of LaDonna Scott, the granddaughter of Robert Laverne and Lennie Cordie Rex, and the niece of Lonnie and Betty Rex. All have made significant contributions to the IPHC, as many of you also have.
Here’s a news article posted on mom’s retirement, if you would like to learn more about her, my grandfather, and our service to the IPHC.
Education: I earned my Ph.D. in Rhetoric, Composition, and the Teaching of English from the University of Arizona in 2007 with a 4.0 g.p.a, graduating Summa Cum Laude. Dr. Vinson Synan served as a fourth member of my dissertation committee because I desperately needed an expert in IPHC history to review my work on IPHC women preachers in Oklahoma. Dr. Harold Hunter, the former Director of Archives and Research, played a huge role in my studies, sending me a bibliography of over one hundred books (it turns out I did not really know anything I thought I knew about Pentecostals), and connecting me with materials included in my dissertation and first book, as well as directing me towards those I could interview. I owe him a great deal.
I earned a Certificate in Archival Studies from Louisiana State University in their online program in May 2025. While I am paying my own tuition, I am grateful for the time afforded to me to learn.
Three of the four books I’ve published draw on archival research:
The Role of Female Seminaries on the Road to Social Justice for Women, with Abraham Ruelas; Wipf & Stock, 2015. Reviewed in 2017.
Deep Roots: Defining the Sacred Through the Voices of Pentecostal Holiness Women Preachers, Kindle Publishing, 2013.
“Women with the Good News”: The Rhetorical Heritage of Pentecostal Holiness Women Preachers. Centre for Pentecostal Theology Press, 2010.
- Nominated for the 2011 Oklahoma Book Award for Best Book in Non-Fiction through the Oklahoma Center for the Book
- Required reading for the New Horizons Oklahoma Conference for women ministers with the International Pentecostal Holiness denomination (I’m not sure this is still the case!)
- Reviewed in Pneuma 34 (2012): 146-7 by Angela Tarango, Assistant Professor of Religion at Trinity University
My most recent book is on the intersection of feminism and Christianity, and the first chapter focuses on women preachers and how they inadvertently advanced a woman’s right to speak publicly:
“This Present Darkness:” Meet Me on the Battlefield, foreword by Abraham Ruelas, Wipf & Stock, 2021. This book was reviewed in Pneuma in 2023.
Journal publications related to IPHC women and history include:
“Rhetoric, Religion, and Authority: Pentecostal Holiness Women Preachers Speaking Truth.” Priscilla Papers. 24.4 (Autumn 2010): 11-16.
“Preaching in the “Open Air”: The Ministries of Early Women Preachers in Oklahoma.” The Chronicles of Oklahoma. LXXXVIII.3 (Fall 2010): 316-333.
“Post 1960s Pentecostalism and the Promise of a Future for Pentecostal Holiness Women Preachers.” Cyberjournal for Pentecostal-Charismatic Research #16. January 2007. <http://www.pctii.org/cyberj/table.html>. This was published in the journal Dr. Hunter edited and produced, giving me my first peer-reviewed publication.
Because of Dr. Hunter, I joined the Society of Pentecostal Studies (which was started by Dr. Synan–read his presentation on how he started it here) and had three papers published in the Conference Proceedings:
“The Female Seminary and the Rise of Social Justice for Women,” Annual Papers for the Society of Pentecostal Studies, 2012.
“Legacy as Techne in the Rhetorics of Women Preachers.” Annual Papers for the Society of Pentecostal Studies, 2011.
“The Holy Spirit and Corderian Ethos.” Annual Papers for the Society for Pentecostal Studies, 2008.
I currently serve as the co-leader of the Theology and Education Interest Group for SPS, along with Dr. Frederick Ware. I am also a member of the Library and Research Committee for SPS.
In 2010, I published this magazine article:
“Our Spiritual Heritage: IPHC Women Called to Preach.” IPHC Experience. March 2010.
Because of Dr. Hunter, I was a speaker at these two events:
- “IPHC Women Preachers.” IPHC Centennial Celebration: Looking to the Future. Falcon, North Carolina. January 31, 2011. The audience was around 2300 denominational pastors and leaders and families.
- “The Changing Faces of Women’s Leadership in the International Pentecostal Holiness Church.” Archives Luncheon, July 29, 2009, International Pentecostal Holiness General Convention. The audience was 85 pastors, leaders, and members of the IPHC.
Recently, I gave this presentation:
“IPHC’s Early History,” Chaplain’s Retreat, Skirvin Hotel, OKC, July 2024
I’ve also given these presentations related to my IPHC research:
“Undercurrents: Feminist Pentecostal Theologians,” Rhetoric and Religion Conference, University of Memphis, October 2023
“The Female Seminary and the Rise of Social Justice for Women: The Rhetorics of Power,” Rhetoric Society of America, Philadelphia, PA, May 2012.
“The Female Seminary and the Rise of Social Justice for Women,” Society for Pentecostal Studies, Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA, March 2012.
“Legacy as Techne in the Rhetorics of Women Preachers,” Society for Pentecostal Studies, Memphis, TN, March 2011.
“The Holy Spirit and Corderian Ethos,” Society for Pentecostal Studies, Duke University, March 2008.
“Generative Ethos as Epistemic Rhetoric and the Instantiations of Identity for Three Pentecostal Holiness Women Preachers,” Conference on College Composition and Communication, New York, March 2007.
“Pioneers and Pentecostalism in Oklahoma: How Place Creates Spiritual Identities,” New Directions Conference, University of Arizona, April 2006
“Intersections between Rhetoric, 21st Century Pentecostal Holiness Women Preachers, and Feminism,” Conference on College Composition and Communication, Chicago, March 2006.
“Intersections between Oklahoma History, Women Preachers, and the Pentecostal Holiness Faith,” Rhetoric and Christian Tradition Conference, Chicago, May 2005.
“Women Preachers in the American Pentecostal Holiness Denomination,” at “The Rhetoric of Particular Christian Traditions,” SIG Roundtable, Conference on College Composition and Communication, San Francisco, 2005.
I was invited to speak these two times:
“Exhorters and Laborers in Christ: Early American Women Preachers and First Wave Feminism,” Center for Lifelong Learning, May 2020.
“The Measuring Stick.” Collinsville Pentecostal Holiness Church, July 17, 2011. For Women’s Ministry Emphasis Month. Collinsville, VA. Pastor Dan Woods.
I gave this interview:
“A Legacy of Women Preachers,” interviewed by Lee Grady for the IPHC Experience. (September 2010): 11.
Special training I’ve received related to women includes:
- Rhetoric Society of America’s Ninth Biennial Summer Institute, Summer 2021, hosted by Syracuse University, a workshop on “Religious Rhetorics of Resistance,” taught by Kristy Maddux and Andre E. Johnson.
- National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute, Early American Women’s History, July 2015, Providence, Rhode Island: Two weeks of lectures, historical tours, and archival work directed toward use in the classroom.
- Rhetoric Society of America’s Third Biennial Summer Institute, Summer 2009, Penn State University: Attended “Rhetoric and the Sacred in the 21st Century,” a workshop taught by Robert Glenn Howard and Susan Zaeske of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Applicants were competitively selected based on research and potential.
Also, this is a related professional development opportunity I participated in as a learner:
- “Spirit and Scripture: A Symposium on Renewal Biblical Hermeneutics.” Regent University School of Divinity, Virginia Beach, VA, October 2008.
The items listed above are a part of my c.v., but not the entirety of it. I also study visual rhetoric, technical writing, and composition. My whole c.v. is about 20 pages long. I am active in teaching, scholarship, and service in my field.
My training in archives is ongoing.
In 2021, I completed six workshops at the University of Arizona:
“The Roots of Knowledge: A Workshop Series on Teaching Through Archives.”
- Workshop 1: Introduction to Teaching with Primary Sources
- Workshop 2: Panel Discussion-Introduction to the UArizona’s Archives
- Workshop 3: Working with Physical Archives
- Workshop 4: Newspapers and Digital Collections
- Workshop 5: Panel Discussion-Primary Sources in the Sciences, Social Sciences, and Design
- Workshop 6: Exploring Archives at the Center for Creative Photography
In the Fall of 2024, I began taking graduate courses for a certificate in Archival Studies through the University of Louisiana in their online program. I completed this in May 2025.
Courses completed:
Advanced Seminar in Archives (On the Archival Multiverse)
Introduction to Archival Theory, Principles, and Practices
Archival Arrangement and Description
Introduction to Museum Management
Preservation Management of Physical Records
In December of 2025, I will take one more course, Introduction to Digital Curation.
This summer of 2026, I hope to sit for the exam to become a certified archivist.
In the summer of 2025, I will be offering a workshop for the International Writing Across the Curriculum Association on understanding the human side of archives and its value. We will look for ways to contribute to the IWCA resources through adding interviews.
In the fall of 2025, I will offer a faculty workshop on using an archival project in a Technical Writing class to demonstrate how learning goals can be met in creative, meaningful ways.
If you have any questions about my scholarship or presentations, I welcome your questions. Just email me: kwelch@iphc.org.