Branham Team Fights for Cult Leader - Jack Moore and Avak Hagopian

In a newly uncovered 1948 letter addressed to U.S. immigration officials, William Branham’s campaign manager, Jack Moore, advocates passionately on behalf of Avak Hagopian. Special thanks to author Roy Weremchuk for this incredible find.

See Roy's research article:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/394130693_When_Jack_T_Moore_supported_Avak_Hakobian?channel=doi&linkId=688b18ffc3cb2665f06285ff&showFulltext=true

The letter not only confirms that Moore personally met with Avak in Miami but also affirms his belief in the healer’s divine gift and ministry calling. Moore describes Avak as a “sincere servant of God” whose spiritual abilities had been “definitely confirmed” and whose continued presence in the United States was both a religious and moral imperative. This is significant for multiple reasons, including the date of the document. February 10, 1948, was during the height of the Latter Rain movement, when Jack Moore helped organize the Branham campaigns and shortly before helping to edit The Voice of Healing. It was almost a year after Moore had met with William Branham and Gordon Lindsay. Since Branham's and Avak's healing mission in Palm Springs was a complete failure, and Krikor Arakelian's son never recovered, it is a clear display of the precedent set by Moore and others for "healers" with a track record of failed "healings."

It is to my knowledge also, that this sincere servant of God desires to remain in America for an extended period of time for the greater fulfillment of his anointed ministry here. {...} I feel that you will be doing a great favor for the young man, and for our country.
— Jack Moore, Feb 10, 1948

This letter places Avak squarely within the orbit of Branham’s closest collaborators, offering new proof that the mystic’s rise was not only sponsored by Armenian-American businessmen but also endorsed by key figures in the Healing Revival's leadership structure.

The Miami Meeting

Jack Moore’s letter explicitly mentions his meeting with Avak Hagopian in Miami in early 1948, a detail that situates their encounter within a critical moment in the Healing Revival timeline. It helps properly date the photograph taken with Raymond Hoekstra, Avak Hagopian and William Branham — a photograph that has mysteriously disappeared from Branham cult archives.  This period coincided with the North Battleford Latter Rain revival, a significant spiritual awakening that influenced many key figures in the Pentecostal and Healing Revival movements. The Miami meeting suggests that Avak’s intersection with Branham was not confined to California, where he is often primarily associated, but was part of a broader national campaign that extended into the southeastern United States. Placing Jack Moore at this revival is significant. Avak was actively engaging with revival leaders and networks across the country, positioning him as a more prominent figure in the movement than previously acknowledged.  

Moore’s Role in the Revival Movement

Jack Moore’s endorsement carries substantial weight given his multifaceted role in the Healing Revival. As William Branham’s campaign manager, Moore was instrumental in organizing and promoting Branham’s healing campaigns, which were foundational to the revival’s growth. Additionally, Moore served as associate editor of The Voice of Healing, the principal publication disseminating news and testimonies from revival meetings, and was a leader within the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International (FGBMFI), an organization that mobilized laymen in support of charismatic ministries.

Moore’s public and private support of Avak Hagopian thus functions as a powerful credential, effectively integrating Avak into the established revival leadership. His testimony affirms that Avak was not an isolated or marginal figure but one whose ministry was recognized and validated by those at the movement’s helm. 

Moore’s dual identity as a minister and businessman enhances the letter’s persuasive power. His familiarity with both spiritual matters and practical realities lends credibility to his assessment of Avak’s importance. The letter reflects a common pattern in revival-era immigration appeals, where spiritual leaders advocated on behalf of foreign-born ministers whose ministries were deemed vital to the American religious landscape. 

This letter also deepens our understanding of the Armenian-American network that supported Avak Hagopian’s ministry. Previous research has identified sponsors such as Krikor Arakelian and Tatos Kardashian, prominent Armenian businessmen who facilitated Avak’s campaigns and helped secure his position in the United States. Moore’s involvement adds a new dimension to this network, indicating that collaboration extended beyond ethnic or business ties to include strategic alliances with Branham’s inner circle. 

Historical Reframing

The discovery of Jack Moore’s 1948 letter necessitates a reevaluation of Avak Hagopian’s role in the early Healing Revival. Rather than a peripheral or fringe mystic, Avak emerges as a figure endorsed by Branham’s closest allies and integrated into the revival’s leadership network. His ministry contributed to the atmosphere of expectation, healing, and spectacle that characterized the movement’s formative years.

Recognizing Avak’s place within this constellation challenges prevailing narratives that marginalize his contributions and highlights the complex interplay of ethnicity, spirituality, and organizational strategy in the Healing Revival. Future scholarship must consider these dynamics to fully appreciate the revival’s multifaceted history and the diverse actors who shaped its trajectory.

Letter from Jack Moore to U.S. Immigration Office in Philadelphia, PA