Dr. French graduated with his Ph.D. from one of the leading European universities, the University of Birmingham in England, in December 2011. His Doctoral Thesis is the first of its kind, researching the foundations of the Oneness Movement at a major university under the supervision of well-known and well-published college administrator, educator, and author Dr. Allan Anderson, Director of the Graduate Institute at the University of Birmingham.
The 140,000-word Thesis is entitled “Early Oneness Pentecostalism, G. T. Haywood, and the Interracial Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (1906-1931)” and uncovers a wealth of historical treasures and important bits of missing data regarding the early growth, development, and leadership of Oneness Pentecostalism. The core of the research documents the fascinating and important primary sources regarding Haywood’s role in the interracial success of the early movement, especially the PAW, the forerunner organization of the UPCI. The Thesis demonstrates the trajectory of the emerging movement from inception to a movement of more than 30 million today.
Dr. French has also earned degrees from and/or studied at the Apostolic Bible Institute (St. Paul), Crighton College (Memphis), Wheaton College and Wheaton College Graduate School, and the University of Indiana (Bloomington). In addition to the Ph.D., he holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Ancient Language (Greek), a Master of Arts degree in New Testament Theology, and a four-year degree in Pentecostal Studies. His earlier Master of Arts Thesis at Wheaton College Graduate School on the history of the Oneness Pentecostal movement gained national recognition when published in 1999 under the title Our God Is One: The Story of the Oneness Pentecostals. It is a landmark study, and now a best-seller, regarding the history and expansion of the Oneness movement into a worldwide phenomenon.
After the publication of Our God Is One, he also developed for publication a laminated doctrinal booklet series, “Steadfast in the Apostles’ Doctrine,” in a fold-out pamphlet format. The series includes two full-color titles, The Oneness and Jesus’ Name Baptism.
Talmadge and Rebecca French have been married for forty-five years and have three sons. Talmadge L. French began preaching ministry in 1976 and evangelized for four years. He served three years as an assistant pastor in West Memphis, Arkansas, with Rev. Bobby McCool, then went to the Chicago area to establish a new church in Wheaton, Illinois, beginning in 1983. He served for a time on the UPCI Illinois District Board.
In 1994, he began commuting to Indianapolis as an Instructor of Bible, Theology, and Biblical Languages at Indiana Bible College of Calvary Tabernacle, Paul Mooney, President. In 2000, the French family moved to Indianapolis to become the full-time Dean of the Department of Biblical Studies, continuing as a full-time Instructor. In 2005, he became the Executive Vice President of Indiana Bible College, a position he held from 2005-2007.
After leaving IBC in May 2007, he became Provost of the Apostolic School of Theology, Sacramento, California, and instructor of theology and biblical languages, developing extensive course work for online accredited Apostolic studies, including online courses in Greek and Hebrew. These courses, including Greek and Hebrew, Theology and Doctrine, Philosophy, Ethics, Evangelism, and more, are now being prepared for online availability through the Oneness Studies Institute.
The Frenches moved to Durham, North Carolina, in 2009, serving as a minister with the First Pentecostal Church, after which, in 2010, they established their family in the Raleigh Temple of Pentecost to begin a temporary period of full-time itinerant ministry as they entered the final year of PhD studies with the University of Birmingham, UK, which was completed in 2011. Talmadge and Rebecca became the pastor here at Apostolic Tabernacle in July of 2011.
