Preacher William Branham told and retold his life story over decades, drawing in followers with tales of a backwoods childhood touched by supernatural occurrences.
Voice of God Recordings says this was Rev. William Branham's birthplace in Burkesville, Kentucky.
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A light appears above Rev. William Branham's head as his photo is taken during a debate with a skeptic in Houston, Texas, in 1950. Message followers believe the light was a supernatural being from the Holy Spirit, vindicating Branham's ministry and healing powers. They call the light the "Pillar of Fire."
Rev. William Branham with Dall sheep and mule deer trophies in Tucson, Arizona. The deer is "Big Jim," shot during the hunting trip in Colorado when followers believe he spoke a storm away, according to Voice of God Recordings. Branham was an avid hunter and outdoorsman.
The Branham Tabernacle at 804 Penn Street in Jeffersonville, Ind. is pictured on Jan. 14, 2024. The church used to be pastored by Roy E. Davis, but the building burned down in early 1933. Davis left the state and gave Branham his congregation. Branham rebuilt the church, laying the first cornerstone later in 1933 and officially naming the building the Branham Tabernacle, according to the Branham Tabernacle website. Critics dispute that date.
Weaver
Rev. William Branham and his wife Meda Branham in the late 1940s.
A large crowd gathers to hear Branham preach at Greyville Race Track in Durban, South Africa, according to Voice of God Recordings.
Bergen
Rev. William Branham at Sunset Mountain in Arizona.
The halo-shaped cloud that appeared in the sky above Arizona on Feb. 28, 1963. Message believers regard the cloud as a supernatural sign from God. The cloud was the result of a missile launch at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, though people didn’t know that then.
Photos of the late Rev. William Branham are displayed in the lobby of Voice of God Recordings, a nonprofit that distributes the recorded and written sermons of Branham around the world, in Jeffersonville, Ind. on Jan. 15, 2024.
The late Rev. William Branham's grave is pictured in Jeffersonville, Ind. Jan. 14, 2024. He died in 1965. Millions of people around the world still follow Branham and his teachings to this day. They believe he was a prophet. Some visit his grave on Easter each year to see if he will be resurrected to carry out unfulfilled prophecies.
Jeremy Evans, spokesperson for the nonprofit Voice of God Recordings, pulls out a tape of a William Branham sermon that is displayed in a recording studio in the nonprofit’s office and production facility Jan. 15, 2024, in Jeffersonville, Ind. Voice of God Recordings has translated some of the more than 1,200 sermons into 70 different languages and is working on translating all of them into both written and audio form.
Paul LaFontaine, pastor of Literal Life church in Michigan, preaches during a Wednesday night service Nov. 1, 2023.
Joseph Branham
Leaders influenced by the late Rev. William Branham have overseen controlling religious groups worldwide.
Contact columnist Tim Steller at tsteller@tucson.com or 520-807-7789. On Twitter: @timothysteller
Contact reporter Emily Hamer at emily.hamer@lee.net or 262-844-4151. On Twitter: @ehamer7
