Receiving the Spirit at Old First Church

Receiving the Spirit is a gentle, honest, and sensitively written account of a Congregationalist minister who found the Holy Spirit in the Catholic Charismatic Movement and who then preached his deepened faith in mainline churches across the country. The book focuses specifically on the Colonial Church of Edina in Minnesota, where Arthur Rouner Jr. was senior minister for thirty-two years and where many members of the congregation of 3,800 also "received the spirit." The church grew significantly during the term of Rouner's pastorate, reaching out into the surrounding community with social ministries and biblical studies programs.

Arthur A. Rouner Jr. is a graduate of Harvard College, New College (Edinburgh, Scotland), and Luther Theological Seminary where he earned his Doctor of Ministry degree. He is the author of twenty-five books, including How to Love, Healing Your Hurts, Being Present, and Forgiveness: The Road to Reconciliation. Following forty-plus years in parish ministry, Dr. Rouner went on to found The Pilgrim Center for Reconciliation. He served as president of the organization for over twenty years. Working side by side with his wife, Molly, he facilitated retreats where thousands in East African countries and in the United States were healed through the process of forgiveness and reconciliation. He now serves as President Emeritus of the organization.