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David Shelby Corlett
David Shelby Corlett (November 17, 1890 – January 12, 1969) was an American preacher, educator, and author whose ministry profoundly shaped the Church of the Nazarene through his leadership and writings on holiness theology. Born in Chetopa, Kansas, to Henry W. Corlett and Mary Shelby, he graduated from Peniel College in 1916 with a B.A., earned an M.A. from Pasadena College in 1922, and completed a B.D. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1928, later receiving honorary D.D. degrees from Bethany-Peniel College (1930) and Northwest Nazarene College (1945). Converted in his youth, he was ordained in the Church of the Nazarene in 1915 and began preaching in Texas churches. Corlett’s preaching career included pastoring in Texas and serving as a revivalist before transitioning into education and leadership roles. He was president of Peniel College (1920–1927), dean at Arkansas Holiness College (1927–1928), president of Bethany-Peniel College (1930–1935), and dean at Nazarene Theological Seminary (1945–1952), where he also taught theology. From 1940 to 1965, he edited the Herald of Holiness, the denomination’s flagship publication, amplifying his influence. Author of books like The Baptism with the Holy Ghost (1945) and Forward with Christ (1935), he emphasized sanctification and practical Christian living. Married to Lillie Morgan in 1915, with whom he had two children, he died at age 78 in Kansas City, Missouri, leaving a legacy of holiness preaching and Nazarene scholarship.
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David Shelby Corlett emphasizes the importance of making a full consecration or abandonment of oneself to God in order to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit. This consecration goes beyond surrendering one's will and possessions; it involves yielding the entire life, body, soul, and spirit into God's hands for His Spirit to fill. It requires a deep commitment where Jesus rules without a rival in our hearts, signifying a complete ownership by God.
Full Abandonment to God
As a basis for the exercising of this faith of appropriation the child of God must make a full consecration or abandonment of himself to God. This is not merely a surrender of his will to God, he has done that in his surrender to be a child of God. He must yield the whole life, the whole self, fully into the hands of God for the specific purpose that He may fill him with His Spirit. No shallow conception of consecration will do in this case. It is not merely meeting a condition at one time for some blessing. It is a contract of a life relationship in which the full dominion of heart and life is yielded into the hands of God. The old hymn of consecration states it thus: My body, soul and spirit, Jesus, I give to thee; A consecrated offering, Thine evermore to be. It is not merely giving all of the possessions to God, nor the renouncing of the opinions of friends or loved ones when such Opinions may contradict God's will for His children. It is above all the full yielding or abandonment of self to God, where self is no longer on the throne but where Jesus rules without a rival. We may do well sincerely to consider, "Am I fully yielded to God? Does He fully own me?" It is only as we consciously make such an abandonment of ourselves to God that we may meet the condition for the baptism with the Holy Spirit.
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David Shelby Corlett (November 17, 1890 – January 12, 1969) was an American preacher, educator, and author whose ministry profoundly shaped the Church of the Nazarene through his leadership and writings on holiness theology. Born in Chetopa, Kansas, to Henry W. Corlett and Mary Shelby, he graduated from Peniel College in 1916 with a B.A., earned an M.A. from Pasadena College in 1922, and completed a B.D. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1928, later receiving honorary D.D. degrees from Bethany-Peniel College (1930) and Northwest Nazarene College (1945). Converted in his youth, he was ordained in the Church of the Nazarene in 1915 and began preaching in Texas churches. Corlett’s preaching career included pastoring in Texas and serving as a revivalist before transitioning into education and leadership roles. He was president of Peniel College (1920–1927), dean at Arkansas Holiness College (1927–1928), president of Bethany-Peniel College (1930–1935), and dean at Nazarene Theological Seminary (1945–1952), where he also taught theology. From 1940 to 1965, he edited the Herald of Holiness, the denomination’s flagship publication, amplifying his influence. Author of books like The Baptism with the Holy Ghost (1945) and Forward with Christ (1935), he emphasized sanctification and practical Christian living. Married to Lillie Morgan in 1915, with whom he had two children, he died at age 78 in Kansas City, Missouri, leaving a legacy of holiness preaching and Nazarene scholarship.