G. T. Haywood: The Victim of the Flaming Sword

Researchers have connected Indiana Oneness Pentecostal Leader Garfield T. Haywood to Roy E. Davis' migration to Indiana to pose as a "Pentecostal minister" and start the Pentecostal sect, "Pentecostal Baptist Church of God" — the cult that created William Branham's ministry and later transitioned to the Billie Branham Pentecostal Tabernacle and eventually the Branham Tabernacle. Apparently, Haywood's work towards equality and Civil Rights made waves through white supremacy organizations. Shortly after publishing his tract, "Victim of the Flaming Sword", white supremacy leaders responded with more violent extremism.

New research page added:
https://william-branham.org/site/research/people/garfield_t._haywood

Rev. Garfield T. Haywood was a black Pentecostal preacher in Indianapolis who was one of the early founders and presiding bishops of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World.[1] During the reign of the Indiana Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s, Haywood was persecuted for both his religion,[2] his skin color, and his interracial services.[3] As much as forty percent of his congregation was white,[4] and Haywood held revivals all across Indiana.

Haywood was one of the early adherents of the "Jesus Name" doctrine, the belief that converts to Christianity should be baptized in the name of "Jesus" instead of the "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" as is practiced in Trinitarian churches. Haywood was a founding member of and one of the strongest advocates for "Oneness Pentecostalism".[5] As a result, Indianapolis became a major international center for adherents of Oneness Pentecostalism and many Pentecostals around the globe abandoned the doctrine of the Trinity.[6]

In January of 1923, Garfield Haywood published his tract entitled "Victim of the Flaming Sword". The religious tract focused upon the third chapter of the Book of Genesis from the Old Testament which described mankind being driven out of the Garden of Eden never to return due to "a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life." Symbolically, this could easily be applied to the heavily persecuted black Christians of the era. Haywood's tract declared that Jesus Christ made a way around the "flaming sword" which Christians would find "in the last day".

In the heat of the struggle He cried, "I thirst," and as darkness settled upon Him the lamentable cry, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me," brought the terrible conflict to an end. And when He cried with a loud voice, "It is finished," He gave up the ghost and entered into paradise. Thus he braved the flaming sword and gained for us a right to the tree of life in the midst of the paradise of God. (Revelation 2:7, 22:14). Whether we live or die, that life is for us and He shall raise us up in the last day. (John 6:54; Revelation 2:10.) [7]

The white supremacy answer to Haywood's tract was formed just months after "Victim of the Flaming Sword" was published. Col. William Joseph Simmons, founder of the 1915 Ku Klux Klan,[8] and his second in command,[9] Roy E. Davis organized a white supremacy group named "The Knights of the Flaming Sword"[10] and held their first meeting in February of 1924. Though the group did not last very long due to financial issues, Roy E. Davis, a Baptist minister, continued the mission and invaded Indiana Pentecostalism by posing as a Pentecostal and founding a Pentecostal sect. In Jeffersonville, Indiana, Davis organized the headquarters for the "Pentecostal Baptist Church of God" which eventually transitioned into the "Billy Branham Pentecostal Tabernacle" and was later renamed "Branham Tabernacle".

"The Waterway", a hymn frequently heard in William Branham's revival and later in churches associated with William Branham's cult of personality was penned by G. T. Haywood.[11] While distracting listeners from Haywood's work and claiming to have been "God's Voice" to bring the "correct baptism" to the world, William Branham used Haywood's song as inspiration.

As the late minister of the Gospel, when the pentecostal message first started falling, the late Dr. Haywood, just before...He, I guess, didn't...Maybe when he was in his best, one day when the Spirit struck him. He was a poet, besides a preacher. He grabbed his pen and penned it. "It shall be Light in the evening time,The path of glory you will surely find;In the water way is the Light today,Buried in the precious Name of Jesus. Young and old, repent of all your sin, And the Holy Ghost will surely enter in;For the evening Lights have come,It is a fact that God and Christ are one."[12]

Even today, many of William Branham's converts believe that William Branham is the reason that churches around the world abandoned the Trinitarian baptism to become "Jesus Only".

References

[1] Ray Boomhower. "Haywood, who published numerous articles and tracts on behalf of his faith, rose to become Presiding Bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World.". "Ray Boomhower. "Haywood, who published numerous articles and tracts on behalf of his faith, rose to become Presiding Bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World."

[2] Points of Interest. 1985, Jun, 16. Indianapolis Star. "1985/16/06 Points of Interest Bishop Garfield Thomas Haywood, for whom a portion of Fall Creek Parkway is named, was one of the major founders of Pentecostal Assemblies of the World at a time when the denomination was the target of ridicule and persecution. Early Pentecostals were unpopular with other religious groups because they believed in speaking in tongues, disapproved of many 'worldly things' and did not believe in the Trinity teaching Bishop Garfield Thomas Haywood, for whom a portion of Fall Creek Parkway is named, was one of the major founders of Pentecostal Assemblies of the World at a time when the denomination was the target of ridicule and persecution. Early Pentecostals were unpopular with other religious groups because they believed in speaking in tongues, disapproved of many 'worldly things' and did not believe in the Trinity teaching."

[3] French, Talmadge L. 2014. Early Interracial Oneness Pentecostalism: G.T. Haywood and the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (1901-1931). "Haywood was undoubtedly a most remarkable man whose achievements in attaining racial integration in an era of Jim Crow segregation laws that were de jury in the South and de facto in the North, were nothing short of amazing.". "French, Talmadge L. 2014. Early Interracial Oneness Pentecostalism: G.T. Haywood and the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (1901-1931). "Haywood was undoubtedly a most remarkable man whose achievements in attaining racial integration in an era of Jim Crow segregation laws that were de jury in the South and de facto in the North, were nothing short of amazing."

[4] Cebula, Judith. It's not about color for this congregation in Indianapolis. 2002, Mar, 17. It's not about color for this congregation in Indianapolis. "2002/17/03 It's not about color for this congregation in Indianapolis It was a lovely atmosphere, a time when 60 percent of the congregation was black and 40 percent was white Judith Cebula It was a lovely atmosphere, a time when 60 percent of the congregation was black and 40 percent was white."

[5] The Bio of Garfield Thomas Haywood. Accessed. 2022, Feb, 23. Glenn Cook, an elder from the Azusa Street Mission who had accepted the revelation of the mighty God in Christ and baptism in the Name of Jesus arrived in Indiana and was received by Bishop Haywood and his congregation at 11th and Senate. Accessed 2022, Feb, 23 from https://www.apostolicarchives.com/articles/article/8801925/173303.htm. "2022/23/02 The Bio of Garfield Thomas Haywood. Accessed In early spring 1916, Bro. Glenn Cook, an elder from the Azusa Street Mission who had accepted the revelation of the mighty God in Christ and baptism in the Name of Jesus arrived in Indiana and was received by Bishop Haywood and his congregation at 11th and Senate. On 6 March 1916, Bishop Haywood and 465 members of his church were baptized in Jesus' Name in Eagle Creek, marking the first Apostolic baptisms east of the Mississippi River (Dugas 17). J. Roswell Flower, the General Secretary of the Assemblies of God and a prolific opponent of the Oneness movement, sent a telegram to Haywood warning him of Bro. Cook's "error." The message arrived too late, and Bishop Haywood, fully convinced of the veracity of Cook's message, became one of the most avid and effective proponents and propagators of Oneness theology In early spring 1916, Bro. Glenn Cook, an elder from the Azusa Street Mission who had accepted the revelation of the mighty God in Christ and baptism in the Name of Jesus arrived in Indiana and was received by Bishop Haywood and his congregation at 11th and Senate. On 6 March 1916, Bishop Haywood and 465 members of his church were baptized in Jesus' Name in Eagle Creek, marking the first Apostolic baptisms east of the Mississippi River (Dugas 17). J. Roswell Flower, the General Secretary of the Assemblies of God and a prolific opponent of the Oneness movement, sent a telegram to Haywood warning him of Bro. Cook's "error." The message arrived too late, and Bishop Haywood, fully convinced of the veracity of Cook's message, became one of the most avid and effective proponents and propagators of Oneness theology."

[6] Church History. Accessed. 2022, Feb, 24. Christtempleac. Accessed 2022, Feb, 24 from https://christtempleac.org/church/history. "2022/24/02 Church History. Accessed Because of his bold stance, Indianapolis quickly became the major international center for the 'oneness' doctrine Because of his bold stance, Indianapolis quickly became the major international center for the 'oneness' doctrine."

[7] Haywood, Garfield Thomas. 1923. The Victim of the Flaming Sword. "Haywood, Garfield Thomas. 1923. The Victim of the Flaming Sword."

[8] Rebirth. Accessed. 2022, Apr, 4. Ehistory. Accessed 2022, Apr, 4 from https://ehistory.osu.edu/sites/ehistory.osu.edu/files/mmh/clash/Imm_KKK/KKK%20pages/Subnarratives/Rebirth.htm. "2022/04/04 Rebirth. Accessed The rebirth of the Klan began in 1915 when William J. Simmons, enamored of secret societies and fraternal organizations, attempted to resurrect the "Invisible Empire" at a ceremony in 1915 at Stone Mountain, Georgia, near Atlanta"

[9] Davis, Roy. Knights Flaming Sword Asked to Lay Down Arms. 1925, Jan, 19. Chattanooga Daily Times. "1925/19/01 Davis, Roy. Knights Flaming Sword Asked to Lay Down Arms Immediately thereafter I became quite active in conferring this second degree, which resulted in banishment papers being made out against me for entering into a conspiracy to disrupt or overthrow the Klan Immediately thereafter I became quite active in conferring this second degree, which resulted in banishment papers being made out against me for entering into a conspiracy to disrupt or overthrow the Klan."

[10] Date Set for "Flaming Sword" Knights' Debut. 1924, Feb, 14. The Times. "1924/14/02 Date Set for "Flaming Sword" Knights' Debut Flaming Sword" Knights' Debut. 1924, Feb 14. The Times. Col. Joseph Simmons, founder of the Ku Klux Klan, who relinquished his offices in that body following the sale of royalties he held, will organize 'The Knights of the Flaming Sword' in Atlanta, February 26, the date set for their first Georgia gathering"

[11] "The Waterway" Bishop G. T. Haywood. Accessed. 2022, Apr, 5. Members. Accessed 2022, Apr, 5 from https://members.tripod.com/apostolic_univ/id20.html. "2022/05/04 "The Waterway" Bishop G. T. Haywood. Accessed The Waterway"

[12] Branham, William. A Super Sign m) p 105. 1959, Jan, 12. A Super Sign (59-1227m) p 105. "1959/12/01 A Super Sign m) p 105 William Branham A Super Sign (59-1227m) p 105"