Billy Paul Birth Certificate Confirms Multiple Lies

A few weeks ago, we reviewed the marriage license of William Paul (Billy Paul) Branham and Ollie May Christopher. If Billy Paul was honest about his birth year, it would have meant that Hope Brumbach was already pregnant when William Branham and she were married. We asked the question: Did William Branham have a "shotgun wedding"?

As it turns out, Billy Paul was not honest with the government when filling out his marriage license. This and other government records related to Billy Paul Branham create significant problems for later versions of William Branham's stage persona related to his birth year. In his post-1945 stage persona, William Branham claimed that everywhere he went, fortune tellers informed him that stars and planets aligned when he was born, and the date mentioned was April 6, 1909.[1] This date, however, does not match the 1908 year that William Branham used on government documents[2] or the 1907 birth year that appears to be the actual year of his birth. When Billy Paul Branham was born, September 13, 1935, William Branham listed his age as "27" on the birth certificate. This would place his birth year in 1908, which matches the date Branham used on his marriage certificate to Hope Brumbach.

When Billy Paul married Ollie May Christopher, Billy Paul listed his birth year as September 13, 1934.[3] If this date were correct, and considering the date of William Branham's marriage to Hope Brumbach, it would mean that Hope was already pregnant with Billy Paul at the time that she married William Branham. William Branham claimed to have annulled the marriage between Billy Paul and Ollie May Christopher.[4] Government records confirm, however, that Ollie May sued Billy Paul for divorce on September 23, 1953.[5] Billy Paul's birth certificate suggests that he was dishonest about his birth year in order to advance his age from 17 to 18. For this reason, the marriage was annulled.

Link to the Birth Certificate:
https://william-branham.org/site/resource?key=aa1c2e8c-7044-49c7-a399-f5a0ff6e86e1&parent=billy_paul_branham

Link to the Divorce Record:
https://william-branham.org/site/resource?key=15c37262-5c15-492b-b76c-5dbdac1f3c97&parent=billy_paul_branham

Pages updated:

Billy Paul Branham:
https://william-branham.org/site/people/billy_paul_branham

Birth Year:
https://william-branham.org/site/topics/birth_year

References

[1] Branham, William. The Revelation That Was Given To Me. 1960, Feb, 10. The Revelation That Was Given To Me (60-0210M). "1960/10/02 The Revelation That Was Given To Me And she said, "You were born on April the 6th, 1909, at five o'clock in the morning." She said, "That's when certain stars," she said, "crossed or something." (Or astronomy.) And I said, "I don't know nothing about it, and care less." So she said, "You may pass it by," but said, "if you would respect it, it would shake the world." I said, "Tell this young sailor here, when he was born." She said, "I couldn't do it." So then I was almost to my place where I was going to get off. My righteous indignation all up, my face all red, shaking, scared, I was glad to get off that bus William Branham And she said, "You were born on April the 6th, 1909, at five o'clock in the morning." She said, "That's when certain stars," she said, "crossed or something." (Or astronomy.) And I said, "I don't know nothing about it, and care less." So she said, "You may pass it by," but said, "if you would respect it, it would shake the world." I said, "Tell this young sailor here, when he was born." She said, "I couldn't do it." So then I was almost to my place where I was going to get off. My righteous indignation all up, my face all red, shaking, scared, I was glad to get off that bus."

[2] Marriage Certificate: Rev. William M. Branham, Hope. Marriage Certificate: Rev. William M. Branham, Hope Brumbach. 1934, Jun, 22. "1934/22/06 Marriage Certificate: Rev. William M. Branham, Hope Brumbach Hope Marriage Certificate: Rev. William M. Branham"

[3] Marriage Certificate: William Paul Branham, Ollie May Christopher. 1953, Aug, 12. "1953/12/08 Marriage Certificate: William Paul Branham, Ollie May Christopher"

[4] Branham, William. Questions And Answers #3. 1964, Aug, 30. Questions And Answers #3 (64-0830M). "1964/30/08 Questions And Answers #3 I said, "Oh, go on," just kept on like that. He goes around and tell his mother, and his mother laughed at him. You know what he done? Run off with some little kid still in common school and got married. We annulled the wedding, the father of this girl and myself. We annulled the wedding, but he was married just the same. He's my boy setting here listening at me now. Now, that's exactly William Branham I said, "Oh, go on," just kept on like that. He goes around and tell his mother, and his mother laughed at him. You know what he done? Run off with some little kid still in common school and got married. We annulled the wedding, the father of this girl and myself. We annulled the wedding, but he was married just the same. He's my boy setting here listening at me now. Now, that's exactly."

[5] 1953, Sept 23. Civil Docket, Clark Circuit Court #28713. "Parties May Branham vs. William Branham. Action Divorce". "1953, Sept 23. Civil Docket, Clark Circuit Court #28713. "Parties May Branham vs. William Branham. Action Divorce"."

[6] Green, Pearry. 1969. The Acts of the Prophet. "Billy, I may not be here but you won't be an old man until sharks will swim right where we are standing". "Green, Pearry. 1969. The Acts of the Prophet. "Billy, I may not be here but you won't be an old man until sharks will swim right where we are standing"

[7] Branham, William. Law or Grace. 1954, Oct, 6. Law or Grace. "1954/06/10 Law or Grace William Branham Law or Grace. "I said, 'No.' I said, 'See, honey, I'm getting old.' I said, 'I'm on forty-five years old.' I said, 'I'm an old man.' Said, 'I ain't…My,' I said, 'I'm getting old. I…don't make any difference to me whether I'm bald-headed or what. Doesn't matter to me, as long as I don't go, take-take bad colds so easy. Yeah.'"