Jim Jones Recruitment Into Branham's Message Cult

Thanks to the hard work of our researchers and the information uncovered in the "missing" archives of the Voice of Healing, we have been able to piece together the timeline of Jim Jones' recruitment into William Branham's "Message" sect.  This was very challenging, considering that multiple organizations involved with Jones' recruitment deny any ties, and many sermons, publications, and other documents are allegedly "missing" or "misfiled".  

When we pieced together the timeline for Jim Jones, there was one section of the timeline that simply did not make sense.  Jones was a Methodist minister, but he was preaching at a "Full Gospel" church in Indianapolis.  Many, many times, Jones shared the pulpit at the Full Gospel church, advertising many "healings".  The piece of the puzzle that did not fit was the church's affiliation.  It was officially an Assemblies of God Church, and the Assemblies of God fully denounced Latter Rain during the time that "The Message" was known as "The Latter Rain Message".  It should have been an anti-healing-revival church.  Because of this, the earliest we were able to tie Jim Jones to William Branham's Message sect before this month was towards the end of 1955 when Jones was ousted from the Full Gospel church and given ordination papers by Latter Rain minister and Branham promoter Joseph Mattsson-Boze.  That Full Gospel church was the Laurel Street Tabernacle, and it was no ordinary Assemblies of God church.  Because of this, the timeline has shifted significantly.

New articles have been published and existing articles updated to reflect the shift in the timeline:

Jim Jones
Roy H. Wead
Lester Sumrall
Laurel Street Tabernacle
Peoples Temple Indiana Timeline
Open Letter to William Branham

Roy H. Wead is the key to understanding this intricate puzzle.  Wead was the Indiana District Superintendent for the Assemblies of God in Indiana.  He was also a strong supporter and promoter of "The Message".  Wead defended Branham and the Latter Rain sect on the floor of the Assemblies conference and continued to reject their ruling against Latter Rain throughout his life.  As a result, Indiana was considered to be a "rogue district" by the Assemblies of God, and it allowed the healing revivals in many of their churches.  During Wead's years as the Indiana District Superintendent and largely due to the quickly spreading Latter Rain movement, Indiana experienced the largest growth in the Assemblies each and every year.  A new church was planted each and every month for thirteen straight years.  

When the Laurel Street Tabernacle was re-dedicated in its new location in 1949, Wead preached the dedication service.  Lester Sumrall, who was also heavily involved with the Healing Revival and later host of Bosworth/Branham meetings at his church in South Bend, Indiana, held several revival services at Laurel Street Tabernacle.  In other words, Laurel Street Tabernacle was re-dedicated as a "Full Gospel" "Message" church.  It was at this very church where Jones began his transition from a Methodist minister to a convert into Branham's "Message" sect, and over time he would eventually co-lead the church.  Jones was advertised in the Indianapolis newspapers as frequently preaching every service for the Laurel Street Tabernacle.  

We do not have the exact date that Jones was recruited into the "Message" at Laurel Street.  Based upon the information given about the growth and spread of the "Message" in the Laurel Street Tabernacle and other similar churches in the State of Indiana, it is quite possible that Jones spent some time as a visitor before graduating into a leadership position.  What we do know is that Jones was a "Message" minister long before hosting William Branham at the Cadle Tabernacle in 1956, bringing more clarity to his statement, "there are things about the Message that you may not see but it is God," and a broader understanding of his emotional state when he and several other ministers in the Voice of Healing movement denounced William Branham and condemned him to death in an open letter to William Branham in 1957 after Branham did or said something to be resented at one of the several Branham revivals hosted by Jim Jones.