William Branham Historical Research
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Fred Sothmann

Fred Sothmann was one of William Branham's closest associates, sermon distributors, and later promoters of Branham's most extreme theological claims. After first hearing Branham in 1947, moving to Jeffersonville in 1959, and beginning sermon recordings in 1961, Sothmann received exclusive rights in 1962 to reproduce Branham's recorded sermons through the William Branham Evangelistic Association, giving him a central role in preserving and spreading Branham's message. Over time, Sothmann helped advance the belief that Branham was more than a prophet, openly describing him as "God" and claiming that Branham performed works greater than Jesus Christ, making him a major figure in the elevation of Branham from revival preacher to divine end-time figure within the Message movement.

Fred Sothmann was a close friend, associate, and business partner of William Branham. Sothmann first heard William Branham in 1947, moved to Jeffersonville in 1959, and started recording sermons in 1961. He was granted the sole rights to reproduce William Branham's recorded sermons in 1962 by the William Branham Evangelistic Association, and was involved in the distribution of these sermons throughout much of the rest of his life.

In later versions of Branham's stage persona when Branham promoted his Manifest Sons of God theology and the notion that the spirit of Elijah in the 20th century was the return of the "Son of Man from the Bible, Sothmann helped propagate the notion that Branham was the return of Jesus Christ.

"Brother" Branham was the one hay bailers like me that introduced him but he was "God", nothing short of it.
Fred Sothmann
Do you know that "Brother Branham did more than Jesus Christ did? Jesus Christ "always done things by a vision". Brother Branham says, "now this is not no vision, and cursed be the person that'll open your eyes and lift your head up". When I tell you to put your head down and close your eyes. And he "healed" a blind woman in Chicago. And things like that, "creating squirrels" -- that's greater than Jesus done! Jesus took fish and give more fish, but he never created anything!
Fred Sothmann