William Branham purchased and owned several automobiles during his lifetime, and was gifted automobiles including luxury vehicles. Using the 1907 version of his birth year and the age Branham used when describing it in 1956, Branham's first vehicle was purchased as early as 1923 at age 16.[1] When Branham described his first vehicle, however, it was during the time that his stage persona claimed to have been born in 1909,[2] and he claimed that it was a 1926 model. If that claim was true, then William Branham purchased a brand new vehicle at age 16 or 17 contrary to his claims of being extremely poor during those years.
William Branham purchased and owned several automobiles during his lifetime, and was gifted automobiles including luxury vehicles. Using the 1907 version of his birth year and the age Branham used when describing it in 1956, Branham's first vehicle was purchased as early as 1923 at age 16.[1] When Branham described his first vehicle, however, it was during the time that his stage persona claimed to have been born in 1909,[2] and he claimed that it was a 1926 model. If that claim was true, then William Branham purchased a brand new vehicle at age 16 or 17 contrary to his claims of being extremely poor during those years.
Remember when I had that little old T-model Ford, little old ’26 model? How I would polish that thing! I was just a kid, about sixteen, seventeen years old[3]
Photographs of William Branham's early years also contradict the poverty claims. Though the automobiles are difficult to differentiate and/or identify, details clearly show multiple new vehicles. These differences are easily identified by looking at the radiators. One automobile has a radiator that was thin and round at the bottom, while another was wider and less round at the bottom. One was straight at the top, with an eagle ornament. The types of the vehicles were also different. One car was a two-seater with a convertible top. Another was a sedan.[4]
In 1947, William Branham was sponsored by the Kardashian family for a healing revival with Avak Hagopian to assist in the healing of Krikor Arlelian’s son. Among those involved in the revival was Demos Shakarian, Tatos Kardashian’s nephew and founder of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International that continued to sponsor Branham long after 1947. According to Branham, the family tried to gift him a Cadillac, and Branham refused due to his own code of ethics. He said, "Not me, brother, that don’t run in my blood to do that".
And here, some time ago somebody wanted to give me a Cadillac car. And I said, "Do you mean to tell me that I have..." I said, "Brother, I'm glad you got one." One said, "We just gave Avak one; why not give you one?" I said, "Look, brother, you mean to tell me that I'd go down through Arkansas, and some of them poor little women out there pulling that cotton sack, and their back broke, and eating fat bacon, perhaps, and--and corn meal for breakfast, and say, 'There goes Brother Branham,' going down the street out there in a Cadillac car?" I said, "Not me, brother. That don't run in my blood to do that." No, sir. If I got what I deserved, I'd ride a bicycle or be walking if it was going through there. No, that's right, brother. But it's all right now, any of you's got a Cadillac, I ain't saying nothing against a Cadillac, but that's just... That's for you. See? All right.[5]
Later, Full Gospel Businessman's Association International published an article in their newsletter containing a description and photographs of the celebration wherein they presented William Branham with the Cadillac, and Branham's acceptance of the vehicle. Though Branham's stage persona continued to claim that he would never accept the Cadillac, the reality is that the luxury vehicle was one of Branham's many expensive automobiles.
