Biography
Ambrose Jessup Tomlinson was born to a Quaker family in Westfield, Indiana on September 22, 1865. After marying Mary Jane Taylor in Fayette, Indiana in 1889, he worked as a Bible salesman and home missionary which brought him to Appalachia in the mountains of southwestern North Carolina. He operated a children's home, school, and farm in Culberson, North Carolina. In 1903, he joined with the Holiness Church at Camp Creek, North Carolina alongside R. G. Spurling and W. F. Bryant. He quickly ascended to leadership in the group and in 1909 was selected as the first general overseer of the group that had been renamed the Church of God. He served in that office until 1923 when he became the leader of the group now known as the Church of God of Prophecy.
Tomlinson was instrumental in moving the Church of God from the mountains into a growing city of the New South, Cleveland, Tennessee, which enabled the movement to utilize tools of modernity to spread the Full Gospel. He was a prolific publisher having steered the publication of the periodicals, Samson's Foxes, The Way, Church of God Evangel, The Faithful Standard, and later the White Wing Messenger. He also wrote The Last Great Conflict and other stand-alone works. He was an orphanage director, pastor, Bible college superintendent, and denominational leader.
Tomlinson passed away on October 2, 1943 after serving as a church leader for four decades. He and Mary Jane had four children, Homer, Milton, Halcy, and Iris.
Gender
Occupations
Found in 170 Collections and/or Records:
File — Box: M0015-20, Folder: 1
Scope and Contents
This group of letters were found in a chest in the Tomlinson home on Gaut Street.Authors:S. S. McConnell, Superintendent of Banks, State of Tennessee; F. J. Lee; E. J. Boehmer; C. T. Anderson; M. W. Letsinger; L. A. Richard; L. A. Riohard; J. S. Lwellellyn; William D. Bowers; J. H. Brooks; T. J. Byerly; J. A. Davis; W. M....
Dates:
1921–1924
File — Box: M0015-3, Folder: 40
Scope and Contents
Partial Letter from Sister L.A. Thomas, March 17, 1913From A.J. Tomlinson to E.B. Simpson, September 28, 1915
From H.N. Scoggins to A.J. Tomlinson, May 13, 1918
From Millard C. Reeves to A.J. Tomlinson, June 9, 1919
Olympia, South CarolinaFrom A.J. Tomlinson to Millard C. Reeves, January 14, 1920From Millard C. Reeves to A.J. Tomlinson [on reverse of January 14 letter]From Charles Carroll to Robert L. Ayers, December 12, 1921, Valley...
Dates:
1913 – 1922
File — Box: M0015-3, Folder: 27
Scope and Contents
From A.J. Tomlinson to Mr. J. B. Adams, September 29, 1930
From A.J. Tomlinson to Lum Smythers, October 27, 1930
From M.S. Lemons to A.J. Tomlinson, May 8, 1931
From A.J. Tomlinson to M.S. Lemons, May 11, 1931
From Tabernacle Committee to Brother Jones, April 22, 1935
From Tabernacle Committee (form letter), April 22, 1935
Letter to Ethel Cummings from A. J. Tomlinson,
April 15, 1939 [1 page. Discusses the issue of long hair
for women]From The Emergency...
Dates:
1930 – 1943
File — Box: M0015-10, Folder: 3
Scope and Contents
From Homer Tomlinson to A.J. Tomlinson and T.L. McLain,
October 12, 1909, Cleveland, TennesseeFrom Homer Tomlinson to A.J. Tomlinson,
August 17, 1910, Cleveland, Tennessee From Homer Tomlinson to A.J. Tomlinson,
June 8, 1919, Lake Champlain, New York [enclosed: two articles, ca. June 1919]From Homer Tomlinson to A.J. Tomlinson,
July 28, 1919, New York CityFrom Homer Tomlinson to A.J. Tomlinson,
February 24, 1920, Long Island, New York...
Dates:
1909 – 1932
File — Box: M0015-3, Folder: 26
Scope and Contents
To Spurling from Tomlinson, October 29, 1930
To Tomlinson from Spurling, December 2, 1930
To Spurling from Tomlinson, December 6, 1930
From Tomlinson to Spurling, January 17, 1931
From Spurling to Tomlinson, December 1, 1931
To Tomlinson from Spurling, November 6, 1932
Dates:
1930 – 1932
Item — Box: M0110-1, Folder: 2
Scope and Contents
From the Collection:
The Paul C. Pitt collection consists of personal and ministerial information, particularly of Pitt's ministry with the Bethany Mission in Shantung, China.
The bulk of the collection are working notes of a biography concerning the life and ministry of Pitt titled, Beloved of the Chinese, written by Peggy (Humphrey) Scarborough. Source notes from W. P. McCrae, Jennie Rushin, and John A. Abernathy are also included.
Dates:
1928-1931
Item — Box: M0015-3, Folder: 16
Scope and Contents
From the Collection:
This collection consists of business and personal items belonging to members of the Tomlinson family spanning the years 1900 to 2015. The items have been divided into series according to family members, and organized chronologically within each series. The first series contains photographs, papers, books, and artifacts relating to the patriarch of the family, Ambrose Jessup Tomlinson. These items trace Tomlinson’s early work in the Church of God and the birth of the Church of...
Dates:
September 12 – 18, 1934
Scope and Contents
two copies
Dates:
Copyright: 1949
Item — Box: M0015-1, Folder: 23
Scope and Contents
From the Collection:
This collection consists of business and personal items belonging to members of the Tomlinson family spanning the years 1900 to 2015. The items have been divided into series according to family members, and organized chronologically within each series. The first series contains photographs, papers, books, and artifacts relating to the patriarch of the family, Ambrose Jessup Tomlinson. These items trace Tomlinson’s early work in the Church of God and the birth of the Church of...
Dates:
March 1949
Item — Box: M0015-3, Folder: 13
Scope and Contents
From the Collection:
This collection consists of business and personal items belonging to members of the Tomlinson family spanning the years 1900 to 2015. The items have been divided into series according to family members, and organized chronologically within each series. The first series contains photographs, papers, books, and artifacts relating to the patriarch of the family, Ambrose Jessup Tomlinson. These items trace Tomlinson’s early work in the Church of God and the birth of the Church of...
Dates:
undated
