Heroes of the Faith Apr –Jun 21012 Taster

APRIL – JUNE 2012

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April – June 2012 Issue 10 £3.50 $6.00 €5.00

heroes of the

faith

INSIDE:

• The Mother of Pentecost

Pentecostal powerhouse Maria Woodworth-Etter

• Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Renowned Bible teacher who preached simple grace

• John G Lake

Wealthy man who gave it all away to spread the gospel

• From Cairo to Capetown!

Reinhard Bonnke and his dream of a bloodwashed Africa PLUS • TL Osborn • DL Moody • Saving souls as Titanic sank

inspiring insights from men & women who proved God

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APRIL – JUNE 2012

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Inside this issue...

SEE PAGE 35 FOR DETAILS

5 WELCOME

His giant crusades have given huge impetus to the Church in previously unreached areas

8 THE MOTHER OF PENTECOST

Maria Woodworth-Etter may have looked tame, but she certainly wasn’t a woman to be messed with

12 HEROES OF THE BOOK

The Mother of Pentecost but Pentecostal She may have looked like ‘your grandmother’, was certainly not a woman powerhouse Maria Woodworth-Etter reports to be messed with. David Littlewood

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he goes at it like a footpad (highway robber) tackles his prey. By some supernatural power she just knocks for it, ’em silly when they are not looking the and while they are down she applies of hydraulic pressure and pumps the grace was God into them by the bucketful.’ This meetpart of an 1885 newspaper report of ings held by a remarkable woman evangelist many, in which hundreds found Christ. So never in fact, that the police said they had had seen such a change in their city that to do! been so cleaned up they had nothing The evangelist was Maria Woodworthhuge but Etter – diminutive in stature in faith and in the power of the Holy Spirit. During 45 years of mainly itinerant most ministry, she experienced some of the remarkable manifestations of the Spirit and is seen since the Acts of the Apostles, of the regarded by many as the grandmother Pentecostal movement. born Maria, pronounced Mar-eye-a, was and was in 1844 on a farm in Lisbon, Ohio, She converted to Christ at the age of 13. immediately felt the call to preach even women recognise not did though her church death preachers. Added to that, the tragic she of her father when she was 12 meant had to drop out of school and this, together PH with her later disastrous marriage to children, six her Woodworth, who fathered made a preaching career most unlikely.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, tragedy struck the Woodworth home when disease

How renowned Bible teacher Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones preached grace to a man who had lost hope

15 THE BOWLING GREEN EVANGELIST 16 17 18 20

Smith Wigglesworth

TIME TRAVEL amazing answers to prayer WORDS TO LIVE BY & Bible crossword THE BIG PICTURE TL Osborn in Paris

AN ACTIVE HERO OF THE FAITH Reinhard Bonnke is still seeing people being saved after more than 50 years in ministry

six chilclaimed the lives of five out of their her dren. Maria kept her faith in God but husband appeared never to have recovered. loss With her life in turmoil through the within of her children and the nagging call for to preach, Maria searched the Scriptures guidance. Here she found Joel’s prophecy on both out poured be would Spirit the that in men and women. She then had a vision which angels came into her room. They fields took her to the West where she saw to of waving golden grain, which began she So preached. she when fall like sheaves obeyed the call of God on her life. the Unschooled and relying entirely on Holy Spirit for what to say, Maria launched her preaching ministry in 1880. Tremenand dous conviction came upon her hearers people cried and fell to the floor in repenvision, tance. Then, as she had seen in her to take extraordinary manifestations began and place which marked out her ministry which also brought fierce persecution.

She writes, “Fifteen came to the altar fell women and Men mercy. for screaming and lay like dead. I had never seen anything but like this. I felt it was the work of God to did not know how to explain it or what time, say.” After lying on the floor for some shouting the people arose with shining faces the praises of God. These ‘trances’ (which WoodworthEtter called ‘the power’) became a major into talking point. People would often fall hell trances, have a vision of heaven and

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Men and women fell and lay like dead.

I had never seen anything like this. I felt it was the work of God but did not know how to explain it or what to say

and get up soundly saved. Even on their homes way home from a meeting or in their the miles away, people would fall under

power of God. Maria herself often went into a trance during a service, standing like a statue raised for an hour or more with her hands while the meeting continued. She regarded the phenomenon as the same type Peter received at Joppa. Her critics, of course, took a different view, and Maria was dubbed the ‘trance evangelist’ and the ‘voodoo princess’, and was often charged with hypnotising people.

Her style of meetings was very different late 19th the of order from the usual church century, with shouting, dancing, singing that and fervent preaching. Maria believed

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The Apostle Peter may have been writing from experience when talking about being tested by fire

14 MAN BROUGHT TO LIGHT!

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Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones

The Doctor who brought man to light it was his as an outstanding Bible teacher, and Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones is remembered on life itself to one man who had nearly given up preaching of grace that brought hope

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yebrows were raised when, in 1928, a brilliant young doctor gave up his career in medicine to become pastor of a struggling Calvinistic Methodist mission church in Aberavon, South Wales.

After all, the young man had risen to become chief clinical assistant to Sir Thomas Horder, the King’s physician, at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London.

What was he thinking of to leave a promising medical career to preach to people in a working class area?

Some regarded his change of career as romantic, others as crass stupidity, but Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) had no doubt about God’s call on his life to preach. During his years at Aberavon the church was revived under his ministry and, although

‘the Doctor’ later became better known as a great Bible teacher, in his early years in Wales his evangelistic ministry was the instrument through which many of his hearers found Christ.

One such person was a notorious character called William Thomas, better known to the locals as ‘Staffordshire Bill’.

Bill lived three or four miles up the valley from Aberavon and during his years of employment he had carried on a door-to-door business selling fish. However, his insatiable thirst for alcohol would often mean he had to rely on his pony to take the fish cart home while he himself lay drunk among the unsold fish, having fallen backwards off the driver’s seat as the cart went up the steep hill!

By the time he was 70, the pony and the fish cart were long

30 SAVING SOULS AS STEAMER SANK

32 34

John Harper was saving lives physically and spiritually as the Titanic sank a century ago

BOOK REVIEWS – Recommended reads

WHAT IF... he hadn’t visited class?

The day that changed DL Moody’s life

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The bowling green evangelist

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gone, but not his habit of excessive drinking. One Sunday afternoon he was in the workingmen’s club in Aberavon, drinking himself into a sodden state. As usual he was alone, as even men with few moral standards had long since learned to avoid the filthy language and general aura of unpleasantness that surrounded Staffordshire Bill. Later he confessed that this particular afternoon he was feeling low, hopeless and depressed, seeking to drown his sorrows and fears with drink.

However, he happened to overhear a conversation between two men at the table next to him who were talking about the preacher at the local chapel. The snippet he heard was to change his life. “Yes,” said one man to his companion, “I was there last Sun-

day night and that preacher said nobody was hopeless – he said there was hope for everybody.”

The thought arrested Bill and, with his brain now completely sobered, he said to himself, “If there’s hope for everybody, then there’s hope for me. I’ll go to that chapel myself and see what that man says.”

However, Bill’s intentions were not so easily realised. On that first Sunday evening he stood outside the church for some time until his nerve failed him and he went home. Throughout the wretched week that followed he waited for the next Sunday evening. However, when he arrived at the chapel he heard singing and realised he was late for the service.

Filled with fear and with his heart in his boots he once more turned away and went home, even

Lloyd-Jones’ wife, Bethan. The more miserable than before. With congregation member introduced two such setbacks Bill might him by saying, “Mrs Jones, this is have been tempted to go back Staffordshire Bill.” Bill, however, to his old ways, but the Spirit of flinched as though he had been God had started a work in him, struck a sudden blow. With an something, which prevented him agonised look on his face he said, drowning his sorrows in drink “Oh no. Oh no. That’s a bad old as he had in the past. The third name for a bad old man. I am WilSunday evening found him once liam Thomas now.” again outside the church, longing Old things had truly passed to go in but fearful of doing so. away and all things had become This time, however, a member new for the man who now of the congregation saw him and insisted as being known as Wilwelcomed him with the words, liam Thomas. The change in his “Are you coming in, Bill? Come life was apparent for all to see. me.” with and sit Although an elderly man at the That same night Staffordshire time of his conversion, he thought Bill passed from darkness to light nothing of walking the three or as he heard ‘the Doctor’ preach. four miles up and the steep hill to He found that he could understand attend church. In fact, he was at what was being said from the every meeting – twice on Sunday, pulpit and at the end of the sermon the Monday evening prayer meethe believed the gospel and his ing, the Wednesday night church heart was flooded with light. The fellowship and the Saturday night transformation in his face was men’s meeting. remarkable – people said the face Through his meeting with ‘the of the old sinner now had the radiDoctor’ – and more particularly ance of a saint! the Doctor’s Saviour – William As Bill walked out that night, Thomas’ battered old face was lovingly shepherded by the transformed and radiated with member of the congregation who inner joy. had invited him in, he passed

hile many stories about Smith Wigglesworth quite naturally concentrate on the miracles he performed at campaign meetings, this should not obscure the fact that he was also an insatiable personal soul winner.

His friend, the late George Stormont, remarked that, “Right through to old age, Wigglesworth sought the lost. There was a park near his home and few people who frequented it were missed in his witnessing. He shared Christ with almost all he met.”

Smith’s grandson, Leslie Wigglesworth, tells how he loved to evangelise at the bowling greens.

“Grandpa used to love to walk out in the parks on his own and he would gently walk down to a nearby park and sit by the bowling greens.

“He would commune with God and eventually someone would come and sit down beside him. Immedi-

Soul winner Smith

ately he would talk to them about the Lord Jesus.

“Because his communication with God was so rich, people were saved around the bowling green, or around the tennis courts and even around the cricket pitches.

“He used to like a game of cricket and while he was watching the cricket he would be talking to the nearby people about the Lord Jesus. That was his ‘open space evangelism.’” ● Information and photographs taken from In The Steps Of Smith Wigglesworth by Philip Taylor, available from amazon.co.uk or www. smithwigglesworth.com

The bowling greens and park bench from where Smith evangelised

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20 APRIL – JUNE 2012

and of someone who is still very much alive This issue we celebrate the life and ministry Bonnke than 50 years of preaching – Reinhard active for the Lord, even after more

Reinhard Bonnke

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Reinhard Bonnke speaking at the Bethel Convention in 2011

he young German missionary had a dream one night in which he saw a map of Africa being washed in in blood. And the Holy Spirit whispered was his ear: “Africa shall be saved!” This to lead the beginning of the vision that was Reinhard Bonnke on an audacious advento ture preaching Christ ‘from Cape Town Cairo’.

He was well out of the limelight at the of time, serving God among the poor people Lesotho (formerly Basutoland), a mountainous nation entirely surrounded by South as a Africa. Yet despite his obvious success years missionary there, Bonnke’s first five that in Africa only confirmed his conviction the key to world evangelism was aggressive of the preaching of the gospel in the power Spirit with signs following.

So in 1973 he invited a notable evangeSouth list, who was making headlines in the to African press with reports of healings, hold a campaign in Maseru, the Lesotho the first capital. A great crowd gathered for meeting, eagerly anticipating miracles.

However, all fell flat when the evangelist for abruptly left the service without praying when the sick. But worse was to follow. For for Reinhard went to collect the evangelist packthe next day’s meeting, he found him told had ing to leave, saying the Holy Spirit

25 THE MAN WITH A MIDAS TOUCH

Wealthy businessman John G Lake gave away all he had to take the gospel to South Africa

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APRIL – JUNE 2012

Day Bonnke heard: ‘My word in your mouth is as strong as my word in my mouth’

born in 1940 in what was then Konigsberg His (now Kaliningrad) in East Germany. father, parents were both Pentecostals, his Hermann, having been saved and healed an of tuberculosis under the ministry of American Pentecostal evangelist. Hermann working was an officer in the German army, of his in supplies and logistics and, because as strong witness for Christ, he was known the ‘preaching officer’.

By the summer of 1944, as the Second the World War was reaching its conclusion, the German army was in full retreat with ReinRussians closing in on Konigsberg. and hard’s mother, Meta, took her children Rusfled from the terror of the advancing from sians. Although under constant attack Russian aircraft, the family miraculously spent made its way to Denmark where they refugee the next three-and-a-half years in a camp before being reunited with Hermann, camp who had been held in a British POW in Kiel, Germany.

NaDisillusioned by the conduct of the zis, Hermann vowed to spend the remainder after of his days preaching the gospel and,

him to go!

Left alone to face the large crowd which was by now packing the church, Reinhard to prayed desperately and then announced to the disappointed pastors: “I am going preach tonight and God will do miracles.”

As he preached, the power of the Spirit to the was so strong that his interpreter fell floor. And as he waited for him to recover, in Reinhard heard God’s voice: “My word in my your mouth is as strong as my word mouth.”

Taking hold of his faith, Reinhard miracles prayed for the sick and astonishing and took place. Blind eyes were opened went cripples began to walk. The miracles to on all day with many giving their lives afChrist. And as he lingered in the church ter the crowds had eventually left, Bonnke realised that God had given him a breakplunder through in his ministry – he was to day he hell and populate heaven. From that in vast has regularly addressed huge crowds well as as Africa over all meetings open-air in many other parts of the world.

Preaching officer The fifth of six children, Reinhard was

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the would one day take place throughout world under his ministry.

Reinhard’s call to Africa was further of a confirmed in 1957 when he saw a vision map of Africa with just one city – Johanneshe was burg – marked on it. Two years later accepted into a great missionary college, not the Bible College of Wales, where he short only learned English in a surprisingly for God trust to how learnt time, but also his every need. The college was founded by that great man of faith, Rees Howells, whose son, Samuel, carried on the same found faith traditions as his father. Reinhard for his experiences of having to trust God a every penny during his college course he left great foundation for his ministry, and man of college as a man of faith as well as a the Word.

Since launching CFAN his ministry has witnessed more than 60 million people fill out decision cards and accept Christ into their hearts

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6 TL OSBORN

APRIL – JUNE 2012

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Maria Woodworth-Etter

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from Editor Dave Littlewood

in 1950, being pensioned off from the army miles he pioneered a church in Krempe, five from the family home at Gluckstadt.

Although none of his older brothers faith, showed any interest in their father’s he Reinhard was different. By the time to was ten, he had committed his life fully the misChrist and was taking an interest in to mislistening sion field. One day, when he sionaries talking about their experiences, A received a definite call of God to Africa. few months later he was mightily baptised says in the Holy Spirit, an experience he a that “boosted my faith like super-charging car engine.”

From the age of 14, Reinhard started at accompanying his father to the services Krempe. One day, during a prayer meeting, in he experienced a sensation of electricity sick his hands and, when he prayed for a This woman, she was miraculously healed. that was a foretaste of the many miracles

George Jeffreys end On his way home from Wales at the of his course, Reinhard had a remarkable meeting with the great Elim evangelist, in George Jeffreys. Killing a few hours young London with a little sightseeing, the student by ‘chance’ found himself outside Jeffreys’ house in Clapham. Gaining the old admittance, he spent some time with sudevangelist, at the end of which Jeffreys denly laid hands on Reinhard and prayed got his blessing upon him. The young man up knowing he had received something just a significant from God. Jeffreys died with few weeks later, making the meeting Reinhard all the more remarkable and significant.

Returning to Germany, Bonnke set about proving his call by doing evangelistic and work under the guidance of his father, finally by pioneering a church in Flemsberg marin 1964. During this time he met and his ried Anni Sulzle, who quickly became enthusiastic co-worker. Anni and Reinhard were to have three children – Kai-Uwe (‘Freddy’), Gabriele and Suzanne.

After two years in Flemsberg, the Bonnkes offered themselves as missionarFellowship ies to the German Pentecostal did (BPF). In spite of the fact that the BPF they not send missionaries to South Africa, with were accepted, and in 1967, together set sail their first child, Reinhard and Anni for Durban.

A year of probationary ministry with the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa was made difficult by the apartheid attitudes of some of the South African hands Christians. When told not to shake

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Sav ing sou ls as steamer sank and spiritually as John Harper was saving lives physically Littlewood tells his the Titanic sank a century ago. David remarkable story

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John Harper

t’s 100 years since the RMS Titanic set sail on its ill-fated, maiden voyage across the Atlantic. The ship, regarded by many as ‘the unsinkable’, set sail 10th from Southampton to New York on April 1912 with 2,223 people on board.

However, just four days into the crossing, at 11:40 pm on April 14 1912, the Titanic the hit an iceberg and sank at 2.20 am on 1517 morning of April 15 with the loss of lives. to One factor that crucially contributed nearby the high death rate was the failure of rescue. ship, the Californian, to come to the two The Titanic stayed afloat for more than Caliand half hours, which meant that the before fornian had enough time to reach her she sank. In the end it was the Carpathia up the which came to the rescue and picked

until survivors from the lifeboats – but not two the Titanic had been sunk for almost hours.

While the Californian stood aloof from the disaster, one man at least was giving their his all to save his fellow men – both bodies and their souls. Among the passengers in the freezing water was a widowed preacher from Glasgow, Rev John Harper. the to way his He had been on board on his Moody Bible Institute in Chicago with six-year-old daughter, Nana. was As soon as it was realised the liner safety sinking, John took his little girl to the into of a lifeboat. He could easily have got the boat with her but he was too concerned the for the souls of the people on board his little Titanic to do that. Instead he kissed one girl and told her he would see her again

on day. Then he went back into the melee witdeck both to assist others and also to ness to them about Christ.

Church pioneer John Harper was born in 1872 to solid as Christian parents and accepted Christ Four Lord of his life when he was just 13. he years later at the ripe old age of 17, of began to preach by going to the streets be his village and pleading for people to reconciled to God. In 1896, John Harper pioneered a Harper church, which is now known as the with Memorial Baptist Church. John began grown just 25 members, but the church had years to over 500 members when he left 13 but married had he time this later. During sadly was soon widowed.

Ironically, John Harper almost drowned he was several times during his life. When into two-and-a-half-years of age, he fell his by resuscitated be to a well and had out mother. At the age of 26, he was swept surto sea by a reverse current and barely a leaking vived. And at 32 he faced death on in his ship in the Mediterranean. Perhaps, to providence, God used these experiences be the prepare this servant for what was to ultimate test of his faith.

When the Titanic finally went under, in John Harper swam among the people accept to them the ice-cold waters urging Christ before hypothermia set in. The Four effects of his witness are remarkable. years after the disaster, a young Scotsman Canada, stood up in a meeting in Hamilton, and said, “I am a survivor of the Titanic. that When I was drifting alone on a spar

awful night, the tide brought John Harper near of Glasgow, also on a piece of wreck, ‘No,’ I me. ‘Man,’ he said, ‘Are you saved?’ on the said. ‘I am not.’ He replied, ‘Believe saved.’

Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be “The waves bore him away; but, strange and to say brought him back a little later, I said, he said, ‘Are you saved now?’ ‘No,’ said ‘I cannot honestly say that I am.’ He again, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, off and thou shalt be saved,’ Then he took ‘You his life vest and gave it to me saying, he need this more than I do.’ Shortly after went down; and there, alone in the night, I and with two miles of water under me, believed in Christ.

Last convert “I am,” said the young man, “Rev John Harper’s last convert. I was saved that of two night by the kindness and sincerity truth men: one who gave me not only the And about Christ but his life jacket as well. died I was also saved by the One who had sins, many years before on a cross for my but so I could be saved not just in this life is told The story of John Harper’s bravery forever.” in The Monthly Evangel newspaper Perhaps predictably, the character of HolJohn Harper is not mentioned in the lywood blockbuster Titanic, a romanticised and ‘hero’ the which in piece of fiction ‘heroine’ indulge in a somewhat sordid he love affair. No matter. Shortly after John finally disappeared under the waves, of was welcomed in heaven as a true hero that realised who the faith. He was a man while eternity was more than this life and, way other people were trying to buy their lives, onto the lifeboats to save their own John Harper gave of his life so that others might be saved.

The Bible says, “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lays down his life for his friends.” John Harper gave up friends his life not just for his but for people who he didn’t even know – but people who were in desperate need of salvation.

Before the waters finally claimed him he spent his last breath urging others to accept the Saviour he loved. And in this he was truly the hero of the Titanic.

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APRIL – JUNE 2012

WELCOME

Fields are ready for harvest

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he reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”

So said the author Mark Twain after hearing that his obituary had been published in the New York Journal.

One could apply the same maxim to the Church of Jesus Christ, which, despite countless doom and gloom prophecies about her imminent demise, continues to expand and spread the good news of Jesus Christ throughout the world. Today we can safely say that the true Church of Jesus Christ is bigger than it has ever been.

One reason for the phenomenal growth of the Church during the 20th century in many parts of the world has been the divine raising up of men and women with a truly apostolic evangelistic anointing.

These are people who have preached the gospel with signs following and hence have acted as an arrowhead to pierce the spiritual darkness of this world.

Maria Woodworth-Etter was an uneducated woman who looked like a granny but who could knock strong men senseless with the power of God in her meetings. Both John G Lake and DL Moody were successful businessmen who turned their undoubted talent at selling this world’s goods to winning souls for Christ.

And the evangelists TL Osborn and Reinhard Bonnke have become legends in their own lifetimes by holding phenomenally successful gospel crusades to enormous crowds throughout the world, with signs and wonders following their ministries.

Very different in approach was the renowned teacher, Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones, yet he also enjoyed remarkable success as an evangelist. And, did you know that Smith Wigglesworth was just as much at home as a personal soul winner as he was conducting healing campaigns?

It is our prayer that as you read this edition of Heroes of the Faith it will inspire you to pray that God will send out a new generation of workers into the harvest fields of the whole earth to do the great work of apostolic evangelism.

Truly in our troubled world the fields are white for harvest as they perhaps never have been before and, as Reinhard Bonnke is fond of saying, we don’t just need the sickle, but the combine harvester to bring in the harvest in these last days.

David Littlewood, Editor

Consulting Editors

Dave Allen, former lecturer and Dean of Mattersey Hall College; Des Cartwright, official historian for Elim; Mathew Clark, Director of Postgraduate Studies at Regents Theological College; Dave Garrard, a missionary for 23 years in Zaire; William Kay, Professor of Theology at Glyndwr University; RT Kendall, long time minister at Westminster Chapel; Barry Killick, an Elim Minister for over 30 years; John Lancaster, who lectured on systematic theology for 25 years at Elim’s Bible College; Steve Uppal, an AoG minister who leads All Nations Christian Centre in Wolverhampton.

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Maria Woodworth-Etter

The Mother of Pentecost She may have looked like everybody’s favourite grandma, but Pentecostal powerhouse Maria Woodworth-Etter was certainly not a woman to be messed with. David Littlewood reports

claimed the lives of five out of their six children. Maria kept her faith in God but her husband appeared never to have recovered.

With her life in turmoil through the loss of her children and the nagging call within to preach, Maria searched the Scriptures for guidance. Here she found Joel’s prophecy that the Spirit would be poured out on both men and women. She then had a vision in which angels came into her room. They took her to the West where she saw fields of waving golden grain, which began to fall like sheaves when she preached. So she obeyed the call of God on her life.

Unschooled and relying entirely on the Holy Spirit for what to say, Maria launched her preaching ministry in 1880. Tremendous conviction came upon her hearers and people cried and fell to the floor in repentance. Then, as she had seen in her vision, extraordinary manifestations began to take place which marked out her ministry and which also brought fierce persecution.

She writes, “Fifteen came to the altar screaming for mercy. Men and women fell and lay like dead. I had never seen anything like this. I felt it was the work of God but did not know how to explain it or what to say.” After lying on the floor for some time, the people arose with shining faces shouting the praises of God. These ‘trances’ (which WoodworthEtter called ‘the power’) became a major talking point. People would often fall into trances, have a vision of heaven and hell

❛

Men and women fell and lay like dead.

I had never seen anything like this. I felt it was the work of God but did not know how to explain it or what to say

❛

S

he goes at it like a footpad (a highway robber) tackles his prey. By some supernatural power she just knocks ’em silly when they are not looking for it, and while they are down she applies the hydraulic pressure and pumps the grace of God into them by the bucketful.’ This was part of an 1885 newspaper report of meetings held by a remarkable woman evangelist in which hundreds found Christ. So many, in fact, that the police said they had never seen such a change in their city that had been so cleaned up they had nothing to do!

The evangelist was Maria WoodworthEtter – diminutive in stature but huge in faith and in the power of the Holy Spirit. During 45 years of mainly itinerant ministry, she experienced some of the most remarkable manifestations of the Spirit seen since the Acts of the Apostles, and is regarded by many as the grandmother of the Pentecostal movement.

Maria, pronounced Mar-eye-a, was born in 1844 on a farm in Lisbon, Ohio, and was converted to Christ at the age of 13. She immediately felt the call to preach even though her church did not recognise women preachers. Added to that, the tragic death of her father when she was 12 meant she had to drop out of school and this, together with her later disastrous marriage to PH Woodworth, who fathered her six children, made a preaching career most unlikely.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, tragedy struck the Woodworth home when disease

and get up soundly saved. Even on their way home from a meeting or in their homes miles away, people would fall under the power of God. Maria herself often went into a trance during a service, standing like a statue for an hour or more with her hands raised while the meeting continued. She regarded the phenomenon as the same type Peter received at Joppa. Her critics, of course, took a different view, and Maria was dubbed the ‘trance evangelist’ and the ‘voodoo princess’, and was often charged with hypnotising people.

Her style of meetings was very different from the usual church order of the late 19th century, with shouting, dancing, singing and fervent preaching. Maria believed that

APRIL – JUNE 2012 9

APRIL – JUNE 2012 25

John G Lake

The man with the Midas touch!

John G Lake was a wealthy businessman who gave away all he had before setting off to take the gospel to South Africa. In just five years the Pentecostal message spread through the country like wildfire, writes Charles Gardner

S

outh African Pentecostals and Charismatics have been an undeniable blessing to the worldwide body of Christ – men like David du Plessis, who helped spark off the Charismatic movement and, more recently, Ray McCauley and others he has influenced.

But the strength of the Pentecostal movement in South Africa today can be traced back to a Canadian-born missionary called John G Lake, a wealthy businessman who gave away all he had before setting sail for Cape Town in 1908. Lake had the Midas touch, not only in business but also in the things of the Spirit. Whatever he touched turned to gold, and after just five years in South Africa he left behind 1,250 preachers, 625 congregations, 100,000 converts and saw countless miracles! Yet it all came at a cost more expensive than gold – a faith truly tried in the fires of adversity.

The extraordinarily bold and energetic man of faith started out as a sickly child surrounded by death and sorrow. Lake (1870-1935) was born in Ontario but moved with his family to Michigan, USA, when he

was a teenager. He was one of 16 children, half of whom died, many of them from a strange digestive disease that nearly killed him too. He suffered with it for nine years and experienced almost unbearable sorrow watching so much tragedy around him.

Tears and grief overshadowed his childhood and he never saw anything good come from it, apart from an intense personal desire for the power of God in his determination to beat sickness and disease. And although after his conversion Christians tried to console him with the thought that God meant the sicknesses for good, Lake kept looking for a miracle.

Determined prayer Following the move to Michigan he was converted as a result of a Salvation Army meeting but joined the Methodists. He was eventually healed through his own determined prayer, but another problem emerged with his legs growing out of shape through rheumatism contracted through working in a waterlogged mine. Again he was told he was glorifying God in his sickness, but he

went to see a healing evangelist in Chicago called John Alexander Dowie where his legs were straightened and he became convinced that healing was for everyone. He was still surrounded by sickness, but his brother, who had been an invalid for 22 years, walked out of Dowie’s Divine Healing Home fit and well. His 34-year-old sister, who was dying of breast cancer and had to be carried there on a stretcher, was also healed while another sister (with a bleeding condition) was raised from the dead after Lake sent a telegram to Dowie requesting prayer.

Sickness had also struck his young wife, Jennie, who became paralysed with tuberculosis and an incurable heart disease.

He decided he would take up her case himself after he was struck by Acts 10:38, which spoke of Jesus ‘healing all that were oppressed of the devil’. He clearly saw that Satan was the oppressor and Jesus the healer. So he set the time for it – April 28 1898 at 9.30am – and asked others to join him in prayer. As he laid hands on her at that very hour, his wife was totally healed and Lake’s healing ministry was born.

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Don’t Don’t miss miss the the next next packed issue... inspiring issue...

• Donald Gee • –Eric Liddell Pioneer teacher and

the man who put principle and Pentecostal statesman faith above an Olympic medal

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Pentecostal powerhouse

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dynamic and colourful martyred for her faith woman preacher of Los Angeles

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•pioneering Dr Martyn healing evangelist who saw Lloyd-Jones incredible miracles

Renowned Bible teacher

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preached simple grace • who Wigglesworth New letters from the •ultimate John collection G Lake Wealthy man who gave it

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