William Branham Involved With "The Family"
After discussing "The Family" cult with Dr. Steven Hassan, we both realized the importance of focusing my research on William Branham's connections. Not only was Branham connected to very powerful people in Washington (William D. Upshaw, Roy E. Davis, etc), Branham was connected to other organizations that were either likely or absolutely involved. Though this research is in its early stages, Branham was without question involved in The Family. In fact, Branham mentions his involvement several times on recorded sermons, usually in reference to attending the National Prayer Breakfast, and a photograph was taken of Branham attending.
After discussing "The Family" cult with Dr. Steven Hassan, we both realized the importance of focusing my research on William Branham's connections. Not only was Branham connected to very powerful people in Washington (William D. Upshaw, Roy E. Davis, etc), Branham was connected to other organizations that were either likely or absolutely involved. Though this research is in its early stages, Branham was without question involved in The Family. In fact, Branham mentions his involvement several times on recorded sermons, usually in reference to attending the National Prayer Breakfast, and a photograph was taken of Branham attending.
The National Prayer Breakfast is a yearly event held in Washington, D.C., in February organized by the cult "The Fellowship Foundation", otherwise known as "The Family". Superficially, it functions as an open forum for the political, social, and business elite to assemble and pray together. The Family, however, is an "invisible" or clandestine organization recognized for strongly influencing powerful public figures.[1] The breakfast was first organized by Abraham Vereide in Seattle, where William Branham likely connected to other ministers in attendance.[2] In 1953, Vereide moved the organization to Washington where successors Douglas Coe and Richard Halverson assumed leadership roles.
Shortly after moving to Washington, William Branham began attending the National Prayer Breakfast.
Sometime ago, a few weeks ago, having breakfast or—in the room at Washington, DC, and a speaker, Mr. Nixon, the Vice President of the United States, was speaking at this time. And he was talking of how Communism was sweeping the land and the space we had to—to travel. For instance, the goal that the world faces like that… Communism has this much of it already. See? And then, that part is mixed up between believers and unbelievers. And Christ said that the Gospel should go to all the world. So every Christian’s got a tremendous job ahead of him. And we must be up and doing, quickly, right about our Father’s business, at once. Every person, and every denomination, every—every person in his own church, to get behind the pastor and the program and to back it up with all that we have to back up with. And that’s why I’m putting my shoulder to the wheel, as God will permit me, to try to bring to each one the view, as far as I have knowledge to do, of the soon coming of our Lord Jesus.
Branham, William. 1954, July 18. The Great Coming Revival And The Outpouring Of The Holy Spirit (54-0718A).
According to Branham, The Full Gospel Businessmen's International, led by Demos Shakarian, was in regular attendance[3] and both Branham and FGBMI "associated together"[4] with powerful figures in Washington. Through the National Prayer Breakfast, Branham himself became connected to the Vice President himself. After the breakfast, Vice President Nixon and several State Senators held private meetings in William Branham's home.[5]
For more information, read the book The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power and see the Netflix documentary series The Family.
References
[1] NPR. The Secret Political Reach Of 'The Family'. Accessed. 2021, Jul, 22. Npr. Accessed 2021, Jul, 22 from https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120746516. "2021/22/07 NPR. The Secret Political Reach Of 'The Family'. Accessed The common factor among these political players is their involvement with the Family, a secretive fellowship of powerful Christian politicians that centers on a Washington, D.C., townhouse The common factor among these political players is their involvement with the Family, a secretive fellowship of powerful Christian politicians that centers on a Washington, D.C., townhouse."
[2] Branham, William. The Godhead Explained. 1961, Apr, 25. The Godhead Explained (61-0425B). "1961/25/04 The Godhead Explained And so then, finally, it come to a showdown. And that showdown was at Seattle, Washington, about 1946. And one morning I was brought to the hotel lobby, something like this, with a—a breakfast of some ministers. And I had to talk to two main men William Branham And so then, finally, it come to a showdown. And that showdown was at Seattle, Washington, about 1946. And one morning I was brought to the hotel lobby, something like this, with a—a breakfast of some ministers. And I had to talk to two main men."
[3] Branham, William. A Wedding Supper. 1956, Oct, 4. A Wedding Supper (56-1004). "1956/04/10 A Wedding Supper And the eastern people received the Holy Spirit first. And civilization always travels with the sun, and so has the Gospel traveled with the sun. But civilization, to my opinion, came by the Gospel. You take any country that doesn't respect God, the… Oh, my, there's not much civilization to it. And so civilization… Christianity is the grass roots of civilization. And that's a remark that Mr. Nixon said one morning at a breakfast we were at up there at Washington, DC for the Christian Business Men William Branham And the eastern people received the Holy Spirit first. And civilization always travels with the sun, and so has the Gospel traveled with the sun. But civilization, to my opinion, came by the Gospel. You take any country that doesn't respect God, the… Oh, my, there's not much civilization to it. And so civilization… Christianity is the grass roots of civilization. And that's a remark that Mr. Nixon said one morning at a breakfast we were at up there at Washington, DC for the Christian Business Men."
[4] Branham, William. The Great And Mighty Conqueror. 1957, Apr, 21. The Great And Mighty Conqueror (57-0421S). "1957/21/04 The Great And Mighty Conqueror peaking with a man the other day, a diplomat from Washington, DC, and he said, at a little testimony at a—a breakfast where we were associated together, he said, "Brother Branham, I've been a Lutheran all my life. But," he said, "the other day while attending an old-fashioned revival," said, "I knelt down at an altar, and wanted to get an experience with God." He said, "And while I was there on my knees…" Now, this is a Washington diplomat that even served under President Cooledge. And when he "looked up," he said, "I saw a vision of Jesus." He said, "I am able to speak nine different languages, fluently." He said, "But I couldn't find one word to say, of all those nine languages." He said, "So I just raised up my hand, and He give me a new one, to talk with." He said, "I have just seen the Glory of His face William Branham peaking with a man the other day, a diplomat from Washington, DC, and he said, at a little testimony at a—a breakfast where we were associated together, he said, "Brother Branham, I've been a Lutheran all my life. But," he said, "the other day while attending an old-fashioned revival," said, "I knelt down at an altar, and wanted to get an experience with God." He said, "And while I was there on my knees…" Now, this is a Washington diplomat that even served under President Cooledge. And when he "looked up," he said, "I saw a vision of Jesus." He said, "I am able to speak nine different languages, fluently." He said, "But I couldn't find one word to say, of all those nine languages." He said, "So I just raised up my hand, and He give me a new one, to talk with." He said, "I have just seen the Glory of His face."
[5] Branham, William. Why. 1961, Apr, 13. Why? (61-0413). "1961/13/04 Why William Branham For the first time out of that chair without those crutches and things for sixty-six years: Congressman William D. Upshaw. Fine friend of Churchill and all those. And as you all know that when I went there and prayed for King George when he had multiple sclerosis and he was healed instantly; the next day played eighteen holes of golf, and he couldn't even set up for just a few minutes at a time. 8 And I was up to Gustaf's. And Gustaf's brother is a Pentecostal. And why do you, some of you people dally into Pentecostal? Is because you live here in a little city and don't know the rest of the world. Forty percent of our government is Pentecostal; that's right, or either Pentecostal influence. Billy Graham said, "No longer can you hide the Pentecostal church. It's the fastest growing church in the world." What did… Our Sunday Visitor, the Catholic church make a statement that last year alone the Pentecostals had a million, five hundred thousand registered converts, more than all the rest of them put together. We're not a bunch of trash. We've come out of the alley; we're up on glory. That's… But, it's where the Pentecostal church, and the government officials, and all had breakfast. And Mr. Nixon right there in Washington, DC and speaking a few days with some of the state senators in my home… Ask my secretary. These private interviews like we had this morning, and what we have of a morning where the people come to find out what the Lord has to say. They stay there. We wait there until the Lord speaks not like these little visions you see here; I mean, you do them. But doctors, statesmen, congressmen, potentates from world over…"