Erskine Holt
Encyclopedia
Erskine Leo Holt was Christian minister, missionary and religious leader who established many independent House Church
communities throughout the United States
. He was a one of the founders of the Pan-American Mission and later founded Corvilla, a Christian retreat center in Zephyrhills, Florida
.
he sang to make his living as a nightclub entertainer.
Following a religious experience in 1943, Holt redirected his life towards the ministry, attending Central Bible Institute, an Assemblies of God
Bible school in Springfield, MO. Following his graduation, he served in the Assemblies of God as a pastor and evangelist, both in the United States and in Africa
. He was also designated the national soloist for the Assemblies of God with a daily radio program.
In 1947 the Latter Rain Revival, precursor to the Latter Rain Movement emerged in the Assemblies of God and Holt associated himself with that movement. When the movement was rejected by the leadership of the Assemblies of God, Holt and a number of other adherents were dismissed or resigned from the Assemblies of God. Holt, along with Donald W. Murphy, former missionary to India and Illinois District Superintendent for the Assemblies, joined Dr. Thomas Wyatt at the Wings of Healing Temple in Portland, OR. Holt also spent time at Bethesda Missionary Temple in Detroit, MI, the spiritual center of the Latter Rain Revival, founded by Myrtle Beall. It was there that Holt met and married Lucille Hamer. In 1950 Holt and his wife Lucille moved to Portland, Oregon where he was Dean of Bethesda Bible Institute till 1954 and also on staff at the Wings of Healing Temple. He also sang on the international Wings of Healing Radio Broadcast. In November 1953, Holt along with Max Wyatt, Paul Shaver and Paul Cannon met Dr. Thomas Wyatt and Raymond G. Hoekstra in Ibadon, Nigeria where they held huge meetings at the Race Track with many thousands attending. Great healings and miracles happened nightly. Completing those meetings they went to Accra, Gold Coast (Ghana) in meetings with healing and miracles happening there. After a week Dr. Wyatt and Hoekstra returned home. Holt and Max Wyatt remained for a month leaving the two younger men to continue the meetings all over Ghana and Nigeria. Upon leaving the Bible School, he founded Shiloh Temple in Muncie, Indiana.
He was a significant contributor to the Jesus Movement
of the 1970s. Presenting himself as part of the "establishment" he was also able to connect with the hippie
youth culture of that era and organize their informal gatherings into ongoing house church
congregations. As an older, mature Christian leader, he was able to provide some guidance to otherwise leaderless youth gatherings. Holt encouraged the development of house churches on college campuses. As the Jesus Movement came to its quick end, many of the house churches he formed or nurtured moved into forming established churches, including Calvary Chapel
.
After the demise of the Jesus Movement, Holt continued to travel throughout the United States, and on occasion to other nations. He continued to visit "remnant" groups of Christians, such as those in house churches and informal Bible study gatherings that were not connected to any denomination or structure.
Holt was a follower of Charismatic Christianity
and believed in traditional Pentecostal gifts, such as speaking in tongues. He strongly advocated a teaching known as "five-fold ministry
."
House church
House church, or "home church", is used to describe an independent assembly of Christians who gather in a home. Sometimes this occurs because the group is small, and a home is the most appropriate place to gather, as in the beginning phase of the British New Church Movement...
communities throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He was a one of the founders of the Pan-American Mission and later founded Corvilla, a Christian retreat center in Zephyrhills, Florida
Zephyrhills, Florida
Zephyrhills is a city in Pasco County, Florida. The population was 10,833 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 11,854. It is a suburb of the Tampa Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area...
.
Biography
In his twenties, Holt graduated from college with a degree in chemistry and for a while taught that subject at the high school level. During the late depression and early years of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he sang to make his living as a nightclub entertainer.
Following a religious experience in 1943, Holt redirected his life towards the ministry, attending Central Bible Institute, an Assemblies of God
Assemblies of God
The Assemblies of God , officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely-associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination...
Bible school in Springfield, MO. Following his graduation, he served in the Assemblies of God as a pastor and evangelist, both in the United States and in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. He was also designated the national soloist for the Assemblies of God with a daily radio program.
In 1947 the Latter Rain Revival, precursor to the Latter Rain Movement emerged in the Assemblies of God and Holt associated himself with that movement. When the movement was rejected by the leadership of the Assemblies of God, Holt and a number of other adherents were dismissed or resigned from the Assemblies of God. Holt, along with Donald W. Murphy, former missionary to India and Illinois District Superintendent for the Assemblies, joined Dr. Thomas Wyatt at the Wings of Healing Temple in Portland, OR. Holt also spent time at Bethesda Missionary Temple in Detroit, MI, the spiritual center of the Latter Rain Revival, founded by Myrtle Beall. It was there that Holt met and married Lucille Hamer. In 1950 Holt and his wife Lucille moved to Portland, Oregon where he was Dean of Bethesda Bible Institute till 1954 and also on staff at the Wings of Healing Temple. He also sang on the international Wings of Healing Radio Broadcast. In November 1953, Holt along with Max Wyatt, Paul Shaver and Paul Cannon met Dr. Thomas Wyatt and Raymond G. Hoekstra in Ibadon, Nigeria where they held huge meetings at the Race Track with many thousands attending. Great healings and miracles happened nightly. Completing those meetings they went to Accra, Gold Coast (Ghana) in meetings with healing and miracles happening there. After a week Dr. Wyatt and Hoekstra returned home. Holt and Max Wyatt remained for a month leaving the two younger men to continue the meetings all over Ghana and Nigeria. Upon leaving the Bible School, he founded Shiloh Temple in Muncie, Indiana.
He was a significant contributor to the Jesus Movement
Jesus movement
The Jesus movement was a movement in Christianity beginning on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s and spreading primarily through North America and Europe, before dying out by the early 1980s. It was the major Christian element within the hippie counterculture,...
of the 1970s. Presenting himself as part of the "establishment" he was also able to connect with the hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
youth culture of that era and organize their informal gatherings into ongoing house church
House church
House church, or "home church", is used to describe an independent assembly of Christians who gather in a home. Sometimes this occurs because the group is small, and a home is the most appropriate place to gather, as in the beginning phase of the British New Church Movement...
congregations. As an older, mature Christian leader, he was able to provide some guidance to otherwise leaderless youth gatherings. Holt encouraged the development of house churches on college campuses. As the Jesus Movement came to its quick end, many of the house churches he formed or nurtured moved into forming established churches, including Calvary Chapel
Calvary Chapel
Calvary Chapel is an evangelical association of Christian churches with over one thousand congregations worldwide. Calvary Chapel also maintains a number of radio stations around the world and operates many local Calvary Chapel Bible College programs. It presents itself as a "fellowship of...
.
After the demise of the Jesus Movement, Holt continued to travel throughout the United States, and on occasion to other nations. He continued to visit "remnant" groups of Christians, such as those in house churches and informal Bible study gatherings that were not connected to any denomination or structure.
Holt was a follower of Charismatic Christianity
Charismatic Christianity
Charismatic Christianity is a Christian doctrine that maintains that modern-day believers experience miracles, prophecy, speaking in tongues, and other spiritual gifts as described in of the Bible...
and believed in traditional Pentecostal gifts, such as speaking in tongues. He strongly advocated a teaching known as "five-fold ministry
Five-fold ministry
Fivefold Ministry is a Christian belief that the five offices of Apostle , Prophet , Evangelist , Pastor and Teacher referred to in remain active and valid offices in the contemporary Christian church.Adherents of this ecclesiology also commonly...
."