Mishawaka
Mishawaka, Indiana, is where later versions of William Branham's stage persona claimed that he first encountered Pentecostalism.
Mishawaka, Indiana, is where later versions of William Branham's stage persona claimed that he first encountered Pentecostalism.
Many historians who describe William Branham's history in the healing revivals base their information on the details described by these later versions of Branham's stage persona. The timelines that the present were invented by Willliam Branham himself. In later versions of the timeline, Branham falsely claimed that he was a Baptist minister[1] instead of Pentecostal.[2] He claimed that he had "never seen" Pentecostals before.[3] Also according to those versions, William Branham was allegedly visited by an "angel" in May 1947.[4] This is problematic for Voice of God Recordings and Spoken Word Publications who continue to promote that version of Branham's stage persona because the very first healing revival for sale on their shelves is the month prior, April 1947, and Branham claimed that he was getting "new gadgets for recording".[5] (Which suggests the usage of the old gadgets for recording.)
It becomes even more problematic when one considers Branham's pamphlet, "I Was Not Disobedient to the Heavenly Vision". That pamphlet describes a healing ministry beginning as early as 1936.[6] The pamphlet describes Branham receiving a "double portion" of the "divine healing gift", which did not come by an "angelic visitation".
The 1934 date, however, has a huge impact on all details surrounding William Branham's first wife, Hope. According to Branham, God killed Hope in the 1937 flood because he "listened to his mother-in-law" and refused his alleged "gift of healing"
And—and there, friends, is where my sorrows started. I listened to my mother-in-law in the stead of God. He was giving me the opportunity. And there this gift would’ve been manifested long time ago, if I’d just went ahead and done what God told me to do.[7]
As it turns out, the later versions of William Branham's life story were not quite honest.
On August 15, 1934, shortly before Branham's Mishawaka trip, Rev. Frank Curts of Cincinnati preached at Branham's Pentecostal Tabernacle on 8th and Pratt Street, before the Billy Branham Pentecostal Tabernacle was built on 8th and Penn Street.[8] Frank Curts was a well-known and well-respected Pentecostal Leader,[9] connected to Rev. G. B. Rowe in Mishawaka. Curts apparently invited William Branham to speak at G. B. Rowe's church in Mishawaka at the September convention. William Branham actually mentioned this connection but pretended not to know either Curts or Rowe. Branham purposefully misspelled G. B. Rowe's last name, and Voice of God Recordings (purposefully?) misspelled Curts.
And I set down by a colored brother. And I set down there; they had the conference up in the North. So they couldn't have it in the South on account of the—the mixing of the colored and the white. And so, I set down by a colored brother there. I had on a little T-shirt, you know. Nobody knowed me, so and a pair of seersucker trousers. I was setting there listening, and a man, I believe, from Cincinnati by the name of Kurtz, and he came out. Now, he belongs to one of those Pentecostal organizations, don't know which one it was. But best I remember, the man's tabernacle…His name is Raugh, R-a-u-g-h, a German, Raugh, Raugh, or something like that. And it was a…I got set down there, you know, and I thought, 'I'm going to enjoy this well today.' So this minister walked out; he said, 'Last night on the platform there was a young preacher here, I believe the youngest we had in the audience; his name is Branham. Billy Branham,' said, 'If he's in the audience? Well, we want him to bring the message this morning.'
My, I hunkered down real low so, seersucker trousers and T-shirt you know; so I got down real low, you know. And he announced again, said, 'Anybody outside know anywhere of Billy Branham is, from Indiana, down at Jeffersonville.' Said, 'Tell him to come to the platform.'
Branham, William. 1951, July 22. Life Story (51-0722A)
In newer versions of his stage persona, William Branham stated that he left his newlywed wife to "go fishing at Lake Paw Paw" left her at home, and stumbled onto a revival at Bishop G. B. Rowe's Church in Mishawaka. He introduced himself as a Baptist minister, was introduced to Pentecostalism, returned home, and then did not participate.
According to eyewitness testimony,[10] Branham arrived in his revival touring vehicle, which had advertisements about his "healing revivals". And this was no ordinary meeting; Branham (as a Pentecostal minister) was attending the September 17-23, 1934 General Assembly of Pentecostals. As he was working with Roy E. Davis at the time, Davis apparently had sent Branham to represent the Pentecostal Baptist Church of God sect. The assembly was discussing the unification of several Pentecostal sects, and having Branham in the meeting would have been strategic, though it does not appear that Davis’ Pentecostal sect was included in the merger.
1934. Mishawaka Indiana. September 17-23. General Assembly held at Bishop G. B. Rowe’s church. William Branham reportedly visited this meeting driving a panel truck with advertisements about his ‘healing revivals’. Later Branham would claim this is where he first saw Pentecostalism. He would also claim he was again water baptized at this time in Paw Paw Lake (near Mishawaka) but no one has ever claimed to be the one who baptized him. Branham was not impressed with the multi-cultural aspects of the PAJC as it was contrary to the dogmas advanced by his friends in the Klu Klux Klan (KKK). Branham later claimed he did not start his evangelism until 1948. He said that in 1934 he was a Baptist. He claims to have been baptized in Jesus name but no Jesus name minster ever presented to have baptized Branham. The only baptism of record for Branham is one apparently by Klansman Alonzo Roy Davis in 1922. It seems that faced with the arrest and conviction of Branham associate Davis for a variety of fraudulent charges that Branham shifted away from the Baptist meetings he and Davis had conducted and turned to wooing the attention of the more gullible Pentecostals. In the 1920’s Branham and Davis were frequent guests of meetings held in Nashville, TN at the Shrine of the Goddess Athena.[11]
This significantly changes William Branham's statements concerning his wife, Hope, and our understanding of the relationship with his mother-in-law. It appears that Branham was truthful in that he left Hope at home when he took the trip. If Branham was already holding healing revival tours in 1934, the year in which he was married, there is no doubt that she was left at home many, many times.
When the timeline of Hope's death is considered along with this new information, it paints a much different picture for a "Life Story" — one that wouldn't have sold recordings and books. As William Branham was touring the country in 1936, claiming to heal the sick in an already established "healing" ministry, his wife Hope was back home, sick and dying.
It would have been very difficult for William Branham to have sold his "healing revivals" to the masses while he could not heal his own wife back home ...