[149], The "word of knowledge" gift used by Branham was also subject to much criticism. On November 30, 2021, Bishop Brennan was installed as the Eighth Bishop of Brooklyn, serving the people of Brooklyn and Queens. [271][1], In his book Churches that Abuse, Ronald Enroth wrote that some churches use Branham's teachings to "belittle, insult, and berate" their members as part of their discipleship teachings on submission, humility, and obedience. A dog or any other animals, once a year, and that for her babies; not for sexual pleasure, but for her babies. Branham believed in positive confession. [194] He argued that there were many people named Jesus but there is only one Lord Jesus Christ. [100] Branham would also call out a few members still in the audience, who had not been accepted into the prayer line, stating their illness and pronouncing them healed. 16 Comments. Joseph Cochrane [30] Branham said that he heard a voice speaking to him while he was recovering from the accident, which led him to begin seeking God. [79], Author and researcher Patsy Sims noted that venues used to host campaign meetings also hosted KKK rallies just days prior to the revival meetings, which sometimes led to racial tensions. [11] Branham told his publicist Gordon Lindsay that he had mystical experiences from an early age;[10] and that at age three he heard a "voice" speaking to him from a tree telling him "he would live near a city called New Albany". 3D 630, "Shiloh's future in question after Living Word dissolves", "Insight: German sect victims seek escape from Chilean nightmare past", "Krefeld and its connection to Colonia Dignidad", "Schfer's former henchman speaks for the first time: asks for his share after a millionaire agreement between Villa Baviera and the CDE", "Pastor's polygamy beliefs under scrutiny", "Pastor suspeito de crimes sexuais contra fiis morre de Covid-19, em Goinia", "Five Founders and Marketers of Two Hedge Funds Indicted on Conspiracy and Securities Fraud Charges", "Five Church Leaders Plead Guilty to Securities Fraud Conspiracy", "Administrative Proceedings File No. [161] The bad feelings and breakdown of cooperation between the leaders of the movement contributed to the end of the healing revival. [112][94] Attendance at the meetings generally exceeded 7,000 despite resistance to his meetings by the state churches. [278], Branham's followers are often in the news for criminal activity. Branham later claimed he saw a car in 1960 that fulfilled his vision. To their surprise, their investigation failed to confirm any cases of actual healing; every person they interviewed had failed to recover. By the 1960s, he began to make frequent references to the scripture claiming that through his ministry the "Son of Man was being revealed". [7] At the time they were held, his inter-denominational meetings were the largest religious meetings ever held in some American cities. [211], According to Steven Hassan, "Branham's sermons lay the foundation to believe that black people are the inferior race. Only follow up after Branham's waiting period had passed could ascertain the result of the healing. Followers of Branham's son expect the resurrection of Branham to fulfill unfinished prophecies. Nov. 2, 2010 -- The pastor of a Georgia megachurch with thousands of followers, who was twice married and is a father of . [137][138], Similar allegations came from Branham's European campaigns. It's not sensible. Father William J. Brennan, a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Louisville, died Aug. 31. [216] Some African followers of Branham's teachings have embraced the racial components and openly call for the "submission of the black man to the white man". [32][33], At the time of Branham's conversion, the First Pentecostal Baptist Church of Jeffersonville was a nominally Baptist church which adhered to some Pentecostal doctrines, including divine healing and speaking in tongues; Branham reported that his baptism at the church was done using the Jesus name formula of Oneness Pentecostalism. Supporters of polygamy claim Branham authorized the practice in his 1965 sermon entitled "Marriage and Divorce". His parents were extremely poor farmers. [283], Paul Schfer, a follower and promoter of William Branham's teachings based in Chile, was discovered to have been running a compound where he was sexually molesting and torturing children in 1997. (uncredited) Makeup Department Production Management [162], According to Collins, Jim Jones and Paul Schfer were influenced to move to South America by Branham's 1961 prophecy concerning the destruction of the United States in a nuclear war. Brennan was the son of William Joseph Brennan, an Irish immigrant who was a brewery worker and union organizer, and Agnes McDermott Brennan. Branham would often tell supplicants what they suffered from, their name, and their address. Within minutes of his birth in a tiny one-room cabin, a strange Light entered the room and hovered over the bed where he was laying. July 29, 1997 Mrs. Brennan, members of the Brennan family, Justices of the Supreme Court, Members of Congress, the administration, Father Jordan, Father O'Hara, Monsignor: Throughout our history, a few powerful ideals have transformed the lives of our people. "[5] He made a lasting influence on televangelism and the modern charismatic movement,[6] and his "stage presence remains a legend unparalleled in the history of the Charismatic movement". Gumbura and his followers were polygamous. [35], During June 1933, Branham held tent revival meetings that were sponsored by Davis and the First Pentecostal Baptist Church. [179], Throughout his ministry, Branham taught a doctrine of faith healing that was often the central teaching he espoused during the healing campaign. William Byrd and Jonathan Edwards were both very well respected, religious men. William Philip, Minister. [98] Branham was the first American deliverance minister to successfully tour in Europe. The cards were submitted to Branham's team who would choose the supplicants to be prayed for by Branham and organize the prayer line. [200] When he was given a new Cadillac, he kept it parked in his garage for two years out of embarrassment. Duzyer also reported that several of Branham's prophecies, like the 16 drownings or the destruction of the United States, were never fulfilled. There was also evidence that Mercer sexually abused children. But still, a real genuine Christian has to be a segregationalist [sic]. Brennan attended public schools in Newark, and graduated from Barringer High School in 1924. See? "[309][310] Kacou Philippe, a leader of Bramham's followers in Africa, was arrested in 2017 for hate speech and sentenced to one year prison after preaching in multiple African nations that blacks should be submissive towards whites. [268] While most churches adhere to a common set of tenets, the "extreme local authority" of the church promoted by Branham has led to widespread differences in interpretation of Branham's prophetic teachings. Matthew Brennan. William Branham deceived him self, and all who listened to his messages. [240], Branham, however, adopted the teaching of Charles Taze Russell which associated the image of the beast with Protestant denominations. [314], In 2018, Pastor Thodore Mugalu, a leader of Branham's followers in the Democratic Republic of Congo encouraged his followers to violence against Catholics in his country. Born: April 25, 1906, in Newark, N.J., the second of eight children of William Brennan and the former Agnes McDermott. Any Christian's a segregation. Recruiters do not tell new members that the cult originated with deep ties to white supremacy groups." Followers of Branham's teachings in Colonia Dignidad were portrayed in the 2015 film Colonia. That's exactly right. [106] Upshaw sent a letter describing his healing claim to each member of Congress. In February 1952, the Branham campaign published an article claiming Plaff had visited the hospital the day after he was prayed for and his cure was confirmed by medical tests. Without this consciousness he seems to be perfectly helpless. Branham died following a car accident in 1965. [10][16] Branham stated he never violated the command. [181][182] His unique arrangement of doctrines, coupled with the highly controversial nature of the serpent seed doctrine, caused the alienation of many of his former supporters. [31][10] The church was pastored by Roy Davis, a founding member of the second Ku Klux Klan and a leading recruiter for the organization. [47] The church flourished at first, but its growth began to slow. [179] Throughout the 1960s, Branham demanded his listeners leave any denomination they were part of to demonstrate their loyalty to him and his message. [229] The sermons focused on the Book of Revelation 6:117, and provided an interpretation of the meaning of each of the seals, which Branham connected with his prior sermons on the church ages. Reporters attempted to confront Branham over these issues, but Branham refused to be interviewed. [139][140], In 1955, Leonard Steiner, pastor of a Pentecostal church in Zurich Switzerland that hosted a Branham meeting reported cases of failed healing and the negative consequences for members of his congregation. Wathen Distilleries in nearby Louisville, Kentucky. In a 2008 California court case, authorities investigating Leo Mercer's group of Branham followers in Arizona discovered that following "Branham's death in 1965, Mercer gradually became more authoritative, employing various forms of punishment. Let it alone the way God made it. [96], Branham would often request God to "confirm his message with two-or-three faith inspired miracles". [87] Bosworth endorsed Branham as "the most sensitive person to the presence and working of the Holy Spirit" he had ever met. [150], The IRS investigation showed Branham did not pay close attention to the amount of money flowing through his ministry,[154] and had failed to document gifts and donations he received or how the proceeds were used. [154] Branham reported his annual salary to the IRS as $7,000 ($66,633 in 2020 dollars) while his manager Gordon Lindsay's was reported at $80,000. A. [118] El Paso Herald-Post reported hundreds of attendees at one meeting seeking divine healing. [65], Divine healing is a tradition and belief that was historically held by a majority of Christians but it became increasingly associated with Evangelical Protestantism. Having left home at 19, William Branham worked on a ranch in Arizona. [173] According to Weaver, Branham's views on modern culture were the primary reason the growing Charismatic movement rejected him; his views also prevented him from following his contemporaries who were transitioning from the healing revival to the new movement. He investigated the phenomena and discovered that the cloud had been created by an exploded Thor rocket carrying a classified spy satellite launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base that failed to make orbit. Branham interpreted the cloud to be the face of Jesus Christ, and a fulfillment of 1 Thessalonians 4:16: "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout". Prophecy MUST be judged . [172], Branham developed a unique theology and placed emphasis on a few key doctrines, including his eschatological views, annihilationism, oneness of the Godhead, predestination, eternal security, and the serpent's seed. William Branham of Jeffersonville, Ind., prayed for her and assured the heartbroken mother her daughter would live. [177], Many believed the rapture was imminent and that it was necessary to be near Branham in Arizona to take part. Military personnel involved in the launch stated that they had "immediately recognized the McDonald cloud as from an explosion of a rocket the afternoon of 28 February 1963". [44], Besides Roy Davis and the First Pentecostal Baptist Church, Branham reported interaction with other groups during the 1930s who were an influence on his ministry. "[127] One such case was Carol Strubler, who at age nine in 1954 was prayed for by Branham at a recorded revival in Washington, D.C., when he preached a sermon entitled "The Deep Calleth Unto The Deep". William M. Branham was born near Burkesville, Kentucky, on April 6, 1909,[10][11][12][a][b] the son of Charles and Ella Harvey Branham, the oldest of ten children. Investigators in South Africa followed up on the reported healings and found that 46 of the people Branham said had been healed had failed to recover. Related To Sharon Brennan, Amanda Brennan. [177], Pentecostal churches which once welcomed Branham refused to permit him to preach during the 1960s, and those who were still sympathetic to him were threatened with excommunication by their superiors if they did so. The coterie reunites to consider how to oppose a seemingly overwhelming enemy. [87] On the night of January 24, 1950, Branham was photographed during a debate between Bosworth and local Baptist minister W.E. Best regarding the theology of divine healing. [135], According to Kydd, "the controversy surrounding Branham deepened" with time. [82][f] The story of Samuel the Prophet, who heard a voice speak to him in the night, inspired Branham's name for the publication. [175] As a result of their view of his teachings, many Pentecostals judged that Branham had "stepped out of his anointing" and had become a "bad teacher of heretical doctrine". [133], In 1948, W. J. Taylor, a district superintendent with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, raised concerns again following another wave of Branham meetings and asked for a thorough investigation. In 2014, Robert Martin Gumbura, a leader of Branham's followers in Zimbabwe, was arrested and convicted for raping multiple women in his congregation. God be merciful to him. In response, the churches which hosted Branham's campaign conducted independent follow-up interviews with people Branham pronounced healed to gather testimonies which they could use to counter the negative press. Sharon Rose, who had been born with her mother's illness, died four days later (July 26, 1937). Brennan dating back to the early years of his ministry. There is nothing designed to stoop so low, or be filthy, but a woman. And she can sway more of them to hell than any other instrument Satan has got. or. [10][11] According to Branham, that year his family moved to Jeffersonville, Indiana. Right. Branham claimed to visit and pray for King George VI while en route to Finland in 1950. Owen Burns E.V. Rev. [177] Before he died, some of his followers had already begun compiling his sermons and treating them as oral scripture, with a significant minority of his followers believing in his divinity. According to Weaver, "his pronouncements with respect to women were often contradictory". [144] After reviewing the results of the investigation, one minister concluded "that the cures claimed are so largely exaggerated as to be almost fraudulent in their claim. He could not be reached for comment. [151], Finances became an issue again in 1956 when the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) charged Branham with tax evasion. [177] Many followers moved great distances to live near his home in Jeffersonville and, led by Leo Mercer, subsequently set up a colony in Arizona following Branham's move to Tucson in 1962. Learn More. [184] As a result, the theology he developed in the later years of his life seemed "complicated and bizarre" to many people who admired him personally during the years of the healing revival. Most Reverend Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. [213] Although not widely accepted, Parker's teachings were well known among Baptists in Indiana and Kentucky; Parker also connected the serpent's seed to the non-white races. [315][316], In 2021, Steven Hassan's Freedom of Mind Institute published an article labeling Branham's followers a cult stating, "Branham's ministry was characterized by white supremacy and deeply misogynist attitudes. [172][199] He denounced cigarettes, alcohol, television, rock and roll, and many forms of worldly amusement. One of his first was a prophetic vision he reported having in 1916 foretelling that 16 men would fall to their death during the construction of the Clark Memorial Bridge. He explained that the allegations eroded the trust of the crowds who attended the healing services. [60] Their obituaries reported Branham as pastor of the Pentecostal Tabernacle, the same church where their funerals were held. [124] Criticism of Branham's use of this gift was primarily around its nature; some asserted that it was a non-Christian practice and accused him of witchcraft and telepathy. William Philip has been minister of the Tron since August 2004. . [146] Branham generally attributed the failure of supplicants to receive healing to their lack of faith. [208][209] Branham believed that the serpent was transformed into a reptile snake after it was cursed by God. "[25] Leaders in Branham's movement have taken actions to prevent followers from discovering the true origin of the serpent seed teaching. 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