William Branham: Religious Racketeering
Special thanks to our researchers, who have now identified the source of William Branham's faith healing training. It should come as no surprise that this, too, came from Branham's mentor, Roy E. Davis. And at the time William Branham joined forces with Davis,[1] Davis was facing criminal charges for "religious racketeering".[2] William Branham converted to the "faith" of a con artist that had just been publicly exposed.
Special thanks to our researchers, who have now identified the source of William Branham's faith healing training. It should come as no surprise that this, too, came from Branham's mentor, Roy E. Davis. And at the time William Branham joined forces with Davis,[1] Davis was facing criminal charges for "religious racketeering".[2] William Branham converted to the "faith" of a con artist that had just been publicly exposed.
William Branham claimed not to have learned "how to heal" from Davis, and that Davis began his faith healing ministry in the 1950s. Branham claimed to be a Baptist preacher, ordained in a Baptist church by Roy Davis, whom Branham claimed to also be a Baptist preacher.[3] This was not the case. Like William Branham, Roy Davis had a long history of posing as a Baptist minister. Letters and affidavits confirm that Davis was ex-communicated from the Baptist church. He was caught in the act and the State Board of Missions for the Florida Baptist Witness confirmed that Davis was not a Baptist preacher.
Important Notice: The State Board of Missions through its Ex. Com. regrets to say that in its best judgment Mr. Roy E. Davis, now operating in and around Jacksonville and posing as a Baptist preacher, is not worthy of the confidence of the brotherhood, nor the public at large. A thorough investigation has been made and from the many personal letters and affidavits in hand from trustworthy brethren, it is evident that Mr. Davis is an excluded member of a Baptist church, and that he has a long and black record behind him. Signed: W. L. C. Mahan, Pres., C. M. Brittain, Acting Sec'y.[4]
Also like Branham,[5] Davis used the confidence scheme of convincing victims that he could heal those who had faith. Davis (and Branham) anointed unsuspecting victims with oil during the "divine healing" part of the service and convinced them that their faith was the catalyst for healing.[6] Many were not healed in Davis' meetings, similar to what has been reported in Branham's meetings.[7]
Davis was armed and dangerous.[8]
New research documents uploaded:
1923, July 7. Bartow Tribune:
https://william-branham.org/site/resource?key=908404f3-bd68-423b-96e6-bc3379e1f358&parent=roy_e._davis
https://william-branham.org/site/resource?key=d939a174-fa7e-442f-83e8-667a349f653d&parent=roy_e._davis
1927, February 18. the Nugget:
https://william-branham.org/site/resource?key=6d259224-40cc-4d58-a4d2-c2c7de7de33b&parent=roy_e._davis
1927, February 25. the Nugget:
https://william-branham.org/site/resource?key=e3d95969-1e18-4c95-90f2-3cb9c03eae31&parent=roy_e._davis
1930, Mar 20. Indiana Times:
https://william-branham.org/site/resource?key=d9c6cc52-b40e-4f9c-996a-47cf9dc28dc9
References
[1] Branham, William. A Testimony Upon The Sea. 1962, Jul, 26. A Testimony Upon The Sea (62-0726). "1962/26/07 A Testimony Upon The Sea I want to ask you: Do you believe? See that picture over there, that Pillar of Fire that's on the picture? You seen it. Now, I've seen That since I was a little boy, it's all down through the records. The first time that was ever taken, the Canadian newspaper packed it thirty-one years ago, across the whole province of Canada, all the provinces, the dominion of Canada, said, "A mystic Light appears over a minister while baptizing in the river." That was in 1930, at the foot of Spring Street at Jeffersonville, Indiana, when around ten thousand people was standing there, I was baptizing my seventeenth person William Branham I want to ask you: Do you believe? See that picture over there, that Pillar of Fire that's on the picture? You seen it. Now, I've seen That since I was a little boy, it's all down through the records. The first time that was ever taken, the Canadian newspaper packed it thirty-one years ago, across the whole province of Canada, all the provinces, the dominion of Canada, said, "A mystic Light appears over a minister while baptizing in the river." That was in 1930, at the foot of Spring Street at Jeffersonville, Indiana, when around ten thousand people was standing there, I was baptizing my seventeenth person."
[2] Arrest Pastor as Racketeer. 1920, Mar, 20. Indianapolis Times. "1920/20/03 Arrest Pastor as Racketeer LOUISVILLE, Ky., March 20. the First case of alleged religious racketeering was taken to court here when the leader of the Holy Bible Mission was accused by a member of his flock of obtaining money under false pretenses. The defendant, the "Rev." Roy E. Davis, 40, has been conducting missions in Texas and Georgia for more than ten years LOUISVILLE, Ky., March 20. the First case of alleged religious racketeering was taken to court here when the leader of the Holy Bible Mission was accused by a member of his flock of obtaining money under false pretenses. The defendant, the "Rev." Roy E. Davis, 40, has been conducting missions in Texas and Georgia for more than ten years."
[3] Branham, William. The Angel Of The Lord. 1953, Jun, 4. The Angel Of The Lord (53-0604). "1953/04/06 The Angel Of The Lord And Doctor Roy Davis was, Missionary Baptist Church that ordained me into the Missionary Baptist Church, was the one who sent him to me—the one who first told me I had a nightmare, when the Angel of the Lord came to me. Now he's preaching Divine healing himself. See? So he said in his letter, many of you read in the "Voice of Healing," where he said, "If I hadn't been backslid in my own heart, I would've believed the boy in the beginning." See? And so now he sent him over there William Branham And Doctor Roy Davis was, Missionary Baptist Church that ordained me into the Missionary Baptist Church, was the one who sent him to me—the one who first told me I had a nightmare, when the Angel of the Lord came to me. Now he's preaching Divine healing himself. See? So he said in his letter, many of you read in the "Voice of Healing," where he said, "If I hadn't been backslid in my own heart, I would've believed the boy in the beginning." See? And so now he sent him over there."
[4] Bad Record for a Preacher. 1927, Feb, 18. The Nugget. "1927/18/02 Bad Record for a Preacher The Nugget The Nugget."
[5] Branham, William. God's Provided Way. 1953, Dec, 1. God's Provided Way (53-1201). "1953/01/12 God's Provided Way William Branham Now, reading of this text will be of Elijah, this great prophet of God. And then, about how that we're to call the sick, and, when the sick, or, call the elders, rather, and anoint the sick with oil and pray over them. The prayer of faith shall save the sick. And he said, "The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man."
[6] Bad Record for a Preacher. 1927, Feb, 18. The Nugget. "1927/18/02 Bad Record for a Preacher Collections were taken up all along in order to make it interesting to him. The wise man carried a little bottle of oil, which he used on certain nights when he took up the divine healing part of the program, claiming that with the use of a little of this stuff he could heal all those who have faith. Several tried it for bad colds and first one complaint then another Collections were taken up all along in order to make it interesting to him. The wise man carried a little bottle of oil, which he used on certain nights when he took up the divine healing part of the program, claiming that with the use of a little of this stuff he could heal all those who have faith. Several tried it for bad colds and first one complaint then another."
[7] See Alfred Pohl. "See Alfred Pohl."
[8] Bad Record for a Preacher. 1927, Feb, 18. The Nugget. "1927/18/02 Bad Record for a Preacher The Nugget. "Carried a pistol, jumped board bills, and a lot of other things charged The Nugget. "Carried a pistol, jumped board bills, and a lot of other things charged."