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Humble Beginnings in the Hills of Kentucky
Born on April 6, 1909, in a small log cabin with a dirt floor in Kentucky, William Branham came into the world under a swirl of light — literally. Witnesses described a whirling light that entered the room and hovered over his crib, foreshadowing the supernatural path his life would take. Raised in abject poverty, Branham had no formal education, barely spoke proper English, and never learned to read properly. He came from a family with little religious influence, making the spiritual path he eventually followed all the more remarkable.
From a young age, Branham experienced unusual spiritual encounters. A mysterious wind spoke to him under a tree when he was just seven, warning him never to defile his body, as he was destined for a divine work. This warning guided him throughout his youth, as he struggled with peer pressure and the confusion of a call he didn’t fully understand.
Conversion and a Call to Ministry
After surviving a brush with death in his teenage years, Branham had a vision while lying on a hospital bed, where he encountered what he believed was the voice of God calling him to preach. His immediate transformation led to a personal revival — he sought salvation in a shed behind his home, where he was born again and later healed of a chronic illness during a church service.
Branham was soon ordained as an independent Baptist preacher, preaching in tents and small chapels. His sermons attracted growing attention due to the manifest presence of the supernatural, especially healing miracles and prophetic revelations. Yet, the real turning point in his ministry came in 1946.
The Angelic Visitation and Birth of a Global Healing Ministry
One night in May 1946, while praying in desperation, Branham experienced a visitation from an angel who told him he was called to take a gift of divine healing to the nations. The angel informed him that he would be given two signs: the ability to detect diseases through vibrations in his left hand, and the gift of word of knowledge — revealing secrets of the heart.
From this moment, Branham’s ministry exploded. People were healed of incurable diseases, demons were cast out, and even the dead were reportedly raised. Massive crusades followed, drawing tens of thousands. His meetings in St. Louis, Jonesboro, and South Africa became landmarks in Pentecostal history. His influence helped launch the ministries of other great evangelists like T.L. and Daisy Osborn, Oral Roberts, and Gordon Lindsay.
Partnerships and Publications
Branham’s ministry gained momentum with the help of Gordon Lindsay, who served as his campaign manager and biographer. Together with Jack Moore, they launched The Voice of Healing magazine, which chronicled healing revivals across America and beyond. This publication became the platform for many rising evangelists of the healing revival era.
Branham was notably humble and never sought fame. He refused large gifts, lived modestly, and emphasized his role as merely a servant of God. His meetings were deeply spiritual, structured to create an atmosphere conducive to faith and divine healing. However, his dependency on a perceived angelic presence became a cornerstone of his ministry.
Personal Tragedy and Turning Point
In 1937, before his healing ministry took off, Branham suffered devastating personal loss during a massive flood in Indiana. His wife, Hope, and their baby daughter Sharon died during the catastrophe. These events deeply marked him and would later inspire the deep compassion he exhibited while ministering to the sick and brokenhearted.
Doctrinal Controversies and Decline
Despite a powerful and authentic healing ministry, Branham’s later years were overshadowed by controversy. After parting ways with Gordon Lindsay and surrounding himself with unqualified advisers, Branham began to drift from his core calling. He ventured into deep theological territory he was not equipped to handle. He began to teach bizarre and heretical doctrines, including:
- The “Serpent’s Seed” theory — claiming Eve had sexual relations with the serpent.
- The denial of eternal hell.
- Anti-denominationalism, claiming that organized churches were of the devil.
- That he was the end-time “Elijah” and the messenger to the Laodicean Church Age.
He claimed special revelations and titles that placed him above accountability, a dangerous path that caused great confusion among his followers and concern among his peers.
Death and Posthumous Veneration
In 1965, Branham was involved in a tragic car accident and died on Christmas Eve. His death shocked the Pentecostal world, and some of his followers refused to believe he was truly gone. His body was kept unburied until Easter 1966, with some hoping he would rise from the dead. Today, a sect called the “Branhamites” or “The Messengers” still believes he was a prophet, even the forerunner to Christ.
Despite the doctrinal errors of his final years, Branham’s earlier ministry left an indelible mark on the church. His legacy lives on in the global Pentecostal and Charismatic movements.
Lessons from William Branham’s Life
The life of William Branham offers powerful lessons:
- Obedience to God’s call must be balanced with spiritual accountability.
- The gifts of the Spirit are powerful, but character and doctrine must be cultivated alongside them.
- No spiritual gift can substitute for sound theology.
- The anointing is not an endorsement of everything someone teaches or does.
Branham’s life challenges believers to stay within the boundaries of their divine calling, to seek wisdom and accountability, and to always elevate the Word of God above visions, signs, or personal ambition.
