An Interview with John Collins

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/11/01

Abstract

An interview with John Collins. He discusses: cultural, geographic, linguistic, and religious family background; influence on his development; pivotal moments in following Branham and then not; characterization of members and non-members; what convinces him of his perspective; the essential message of William Branham and the Gospel; the potential status of the movement as a cult; the core doctrines of the Believers of William Branham; experience of life in and out of the William Branham community; and the reason Believers (and non-believers) should not follow the Believers’ theology.

Keywords: Believers, cult, Gospel, John Collins, Prophet, William Branham.

An Interview with John Collins: Author & Webmaster, Seek The Truth^[1],[2],[3]

*Footnotes in & after the interview, &bibliography & citation style listing after the interview.*

1. In terms of culture, geography, language, and religion, where does your family background reside?

I was born in Jeffersonville, Indiana, and was raised in the states of Indiana, Arizona, South Carolina, Georgia, and Kansas.  Culturally, we were a mixture of different parts of the country, but I would say that the Southern Indiana culture had a great influence.  Both maternal and paternal sides of my family claimed to be “non-denominational Christian,” but aligned more closely with a unique flavor of Pentecostalism that originated in Indiana.

2. How did this influence development?

My grandfather was a key figure in the groups and splinter groups that form the religious following of William Branham that is collectively called “The Message.”  For about fifty years, my grandfather was the leader of Branham’s Tabernacle in Jeffersonville, Indiana. After Branham’s death in 1965, my grandfather was partially responsible for holding the cult together.

3. You were a follower of William Branham. What were pivotal or influential moments for you in becoming a follower and ex-member?

After being born and raised in “The Message,” I had little choice in becoming a member.  Because of my grandfather’s position of leadership and recognition, our family was what some would call “cult royalty,” which created a very difficult psychological barrier in attempting to leave the group.  This barrier was amplified by the group’s indoctrination. Like many religious cults, it programs its followers to believe that questioning fundamental cult doctrine is the pathway to destruction or even death.

It was after a series of life changing events that I began a journey, seeking to find answers to difficult questions that were surfacing through the indoctrinated fear.  I was suffering deep depression after job loss and severe illness in the family, and before long I began questioning life itself.  As time went on, the depression intensified and I found myself no longer able to rebound.

During this hardship, a cousin who had left “The Message” several years’ prior learned of my struggle and began phoning daily to offer support and encouragement.  This became fundamental in my exit from the group, because it was a difficult situation for my mind to reconcile.  While we were programmed to believe that any who left “The Message” were “possessed by a demon,” “backslidden,” or “evil,” my unbelieving cousin was literally saving my life from suicide.  In contrast, none in the cult were offering any support, and their neglect was beginning to seem like a result of the belief system I had begun to question.

This version of Pentecostalism focuses on “healing” as an evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit, while viewing sickness (especially mental health) as “demonic.”  As I turned to the “believers” for help, some of them associated my onset of depression with “demonic forces.”  Rather than offer support, they offered condemnation or fear.  At the climax of my struggle with depression, I was advised by professionals to begin a regimen of anti-depressants, and told that they were necessary for my body to function.  While my cousin supported their advice and encouraged me to get the help I needed, cult pastors warned me that they had witnessed others take such medication and shortly afterward, “demons led them away from ‘The Message.’”

Interestingly, I believe the cult pastors may have been correct, though I would disagree with the cause that led to the effect.

4. Outside of the “Believers,” he was a post-World War II Healing Revival preacher. Inside, to the Believers, he was a modern Prophet. What characterizes each perspective to you?

Branham was one of hundreds of evangelists who capitalized on political fear after the second World War.  There were several world-renowned healing revivalists — some of them who claimed prophecy several years before Branham’s birth.  There were also many “prophets” who gained popularity long after his death, but most of his followers are only aware of the [alleged] history Branham claimed.

People outside “the Message” can freely study his prophecies or compare his doctrine to the Christian Bible without indoctrinated fear of critical thought.  As they deprogram, many escapees study and recognize the number of times these “prophetic claims” were changed, and examine the “prophecies” that either failed or were “prophesied” long after the event they “predicted.”  Many of these people come to the conclusion that Branham was just another minister in a long line of “faith healers” in the Post WWII Healing Revival.  But “prophecies” that did not come to pass exactly as he “predicted” place Branham in a much different category with Christians examining his message.  The Christian Bible offers many warnings about men who “prophesy” and their “predictions” do not come to pass with full accuracy.  To the informed Christian community Branham would be considered a charlatan.

Those in “The Message” repeatedly listen to the published recordings of Branham’s sermons from 1947 to 1965, and their examination of Branham’s many prophetic claims is limited to his own account.  Most in “The Message” cult are not aware of any failed prophecies, and  believers are not informed of the alterations Branham made to those “predictions” or their “outcomes.”  Worse, they are sheltered from any factual evidence unsupportive of Branham’s claims, often instructed by cult pastors to avoid television, internet, social media, or other means of gaining information to promote critical thinking.  In fact, Branham himself taught that “science” and “education” was demonic.[4]

Simply put: believers who have never or only partially examined the accuracy of Branham’s “prophecies” consider him a “modern prophet.”  Those who fully examine the facts usually become “former believers”, and see Branham as just one of many in a long line of revivalists capitalizing on the fears that came with world conflict.  I myself was in the former category for over thirty years.

5. What convinces you of your perspective?

Being raised from birth under the continual undue influence of a separationist belief system makes even the smallest change in perspective extremely difficult.  Most of the people we have worked with to escape the cult describe their journey to freedom in much the same way:  “We left kicking and screaming.”  One does not easily admit being wrong, and it’s painful to accept being wrong on levels of this magnitude.  In our case, a change of perspective is to admit living in an alternate reality while striving to convince others to live there.  It took several months to fully change my perspective, and that change came only through countless hours of careful examination of the belief system and the men who created it.

At the beginning of my journey, I was convinced that Branham was a prophet, sent by Almighty God to warn the world of the coming Apocalypse.  Members of “The Message” are indoctrinated to believe that Branham started having “divine predictions” as a toddler, and those “prophetic occurrences” became more frequent as he grew older.  Cult pastors often recite or play recordings of Branham’s many accounts of his “life story,” describing a “Huck Finn”-style childhood in the hills of Kentucky, trapping and fishing to support his widowed mother and several siblings in a one-room log cabin near Burkesville, Kentucky.

During the indoctrination process, many of the children in the cult cry as they listen to the accounts of tragic events in Branham’s life that he endured under the wrath of an angry God as he was punished for avoiding his “calling” to be a Pentecostal “prophet.”  According to Branham, after having a series of “seven prophecies” as a Baptist minister in 1933 (or 1931 or 1932), he ignored “God’s calling” for him to be a Pentecostal minister at the advice of his mother-in-law.  Because of this choice, Branham claimed that his father, brother, sister-in-law, wife, and daughter died in within weeks of the 1937 Flood that pummeled the city of Jeffersonville.  Under this strong level of mental conditioning, even the adults forbid themselves to question how Branham’s father died when Branham was a small child[5] while also dying long after Branham began his own religious ministry.[6]

It is only after a “believer” is able to push through the programmed fear enough to question the belief system that they are finally able to critically examine Branham’s self-promoted claims to be a modern prophet.  Beyond those boundaries, one becomes free to examine factual evidence to either support or deny his claims.  It sometimes takes years before an ex-member can examine historical fact in a balanced and rational approach.

While the cult would have its members believe Branham’s prophetic insight was 100% accurate, newspaper and magazine articles, court record, and Branham’s own transcripts tell a much different story.  Most of his “seven prophecies” were introduced into his sermons long after the event they describe, yet many details of the “prediction” are found to be inaccurate.  Many descriptions of the “prophecies” change from retelling to retelling, to the extent that over time some become entirely new “prophecies.”  If we count the many changes, additions, and subtractions to Branham’s list of “seven prophecies,” we end up with a list of fifteen.[7]  Some of these fifteen appear to have been a result of World’s Fairs, newspaper and magazine articles.[8]

Such is the case with many of Branham’s “predictions” beyond the fifteen.  Branham convinced his followers that he predicted the death of sixteen men during the construction of an Ohio River bridge,[9] yet Coast Guard logs, bridge historians, and newspaper articles do not support his claim.  Interestingly, newspapers describe sixteen men dying years before his birth on another bridge nearby.[10]  Similarly, fundamental issues exist with each of Branham’s prophetic claims.  After a short period of examining the accuracy of his “predictions”, the examiner is forced to ask themselves the question: “Was Branham really a ‘prophet’?”

Still, this is not enough to solidify one’s position.  Though a man proclaiming to be a prophet has many failed or inaccurate prophecies, we must leave room for the title “false prophet.”  As strange as this may sound, it takes far more examination to realize that this title also does not fit.  One must separate the “mythical Branham” from the “historical Branham.”  As the researcher digs deeper into historical fact to reconstruct the “historical Branham”, or the account of Branham’s life that we can confirm through documented historical fact, one begins to question even the title “false prophet.”

Branham’s ministry began through one Rev. Roy E. Davis,[11] who fled from Louisville, Kentucky after being exposed for sex with a minor[12], fraud[13], and theft.  Davis was an official spokesman for the Ku Klux Klan[14], and was one of the founding members of William Joseph Simmons’ 1915 reincarnation of the Klan.  Davis claimed to be one of the only men who could boast of having achieved all degrees of the Klan, and helped write the Klan’s constitution, by-laws, and ritual when it was revived.[15]

Shortly after leaving Louisville, Davis started a Pentecostal Baptist church in Jeffersonville, Indiana, making Branham an elder.[16]  After a series of civil and criminal lawsuits in the Jeffersonville area, Davis left Jeffersonville, and Branham assumed leadership of the congregation.  Elders in Davis’ church transitioned into Branham’s church.[17]  From 1915 through the late 1960’s, Roy Davis left behind a trail of illegal activity from Georgia to California as he rose from official spokesperson of the Klan to Imperial Grand Dragon of the Original Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.[18]  Davis and his accomplice, former Congressman and Klansman William D. Upshaw began promoting Branham’s ministry after having claimed “prophecy” to defraud religious victims in the San Bernardino, California area.  Their promotion apparently resulted in Branham’s sudden and instant popularity, especially when the (very mobile) Upshaw claimed to be healed by Branham from a life confined to a wheelchair.[19]  After discovering the sinister history behind the creation of Branham’s ministry, along with the long trail of deception and fraud by his creators, it becomes apparent why Branham was less than truthful about his past.

The “historical” Branham casts huge doubts on Branham’s supernatural claims.  When comparing recorded history to Branham’s supernatural tales, the researcher begins to notice huge discrepancies and conflicting statements.  Tragic, life-changing events one would never forget are not consistent from retelling to retelling, and it becomes obvious that Branham embellished or created stories.  And it appears his creation was for the sole purpose of establishing the persona of an illiterate, Old-Testament-style prophet living in a modern world.

It is at this realization that most escapees of “The Message” cult begin to question every claim made by Branham.  Claims that can be examined historically, including prophecies, match the same pattern of discrepancies and conflicts. As a result, most researchers conclude that his “prophecies” are not accurate.

Once presented with the evidence, they require no convincing to leave the cult.  The facts speak for themselves, and Branham’s supernatural claims quickly unravel by studying his own testimonies.  As I stated, I was fully immersed into “The Message” for over thirty years.  When the facts became available, I fled for my life.

6. What is the essential message of William Branham and the Gospel?

When I speak to new escapees from the Branham cult, I find that it is easier to understand their particular “flavor” of “The Message” by asking them the question:  “What was Branham’s ‘Message’”.  Few cult churches agree on the nature of “The Message,” yet all assume Branham had a consistent “Message.”

All “Message” cult churches believe that Branham was sent by Almighty God to prepare the world for the second coming of Jesus Christ.  But within that summary, each “sect” of the cult has different interpretations of the “Message,” insomuch that this “preparation” becomes difficult to reconcile.  Some believe that Branham himself was the return of Jesus Christ, while others believe him to be a prophet.  Some believe him to be a prophet, but believe his “Message” was the return of Jesus Christ.  Others still believe that he was preparing the way for the Christ, just as John the Baptist did in the King James Bible.  Extremists in the “Message” cult claim that they are the Christ to replace Branham’s “Christ.”

Likely, these differences are a result of the believers falsely assuming Branham’s “Message” was consistent from 1945 to 1965.  When cult members describe his sermons as “The Message” they describe “The Message” in such a way that it would seem persistent and consistent.  Escapees who examine his sermons usually identify several fundamental inconsistencies.  Ironically, some cult sects also have identified inconsistencies, and believe that only a subset of the sermons, from 1963 to 1965 are “The Message,” creating a new “Message.”

If one fully examines the many conflicting “Messages,” however, there is one consistent theme.  Branham’s “gospel,” could be best summarized as this: God sent me [Branham], therefore the words I [Branham] speak are the Voice of God to you.  In fact, Branham himself began making this claim in 1951:

Now, I’m just your brother, by the grace of God. But when the Angel of the Lord moves down, It becomes, then, a Voice of God to you. Maybe it… If I offended you by saying that, forgive me. But I felt that might been resented. But I am God’s Voice to you. See? I say that again. That time was under inspiration. See? And I—I felt bad about it the first time, but It repeated it. Now see, I can say nothing in myself. But what He shows me, I say it.

Branham, 51-0505 – My Commission

Using this “Voice of God” statement as a basis to compare his different “Messages,” they quickly align.  He claimed that he was born the day after cult leader John Alexander Dowie died[20] (March 10, 1907), becoming the “biblical Elisha” to the believers of Dowie – who believed Dowie was the “prophet Elijah.”  Christians are familiar with Elisha’s “double portion” of the Spirit of God, and those who believe “The Message” place this endowment upon Branham.   Therefore, most believers see Branham as the “return of Elijah”.

Interestingly, Branham also claimed to have been born in two years later, 1909, for another “Message.”  In this much different “Message,” Branham claims to be similar to Moses, and convinces his followers that an “angel” told him that he would be given the same “two signs” of Moses.[21]  Though he signed his first marriage certificate using birth year 1908, and though most Christians are familiar with the “three signs of Moses,”[22] not two, many of his followers accept this version of “The Message.”  Many combine the two, believing Branham was “Elijah” who had the “two signs of Moses.”

Branham also claimed to be similar to John the Baptist, who would introduce Jesus,[23] and compared himself (or more specifically, his cult) to the “five-hundred-year-old Enoch” that walked with Noah before the Great Flood.[24]  Though the Christian Bible describes an Enoch that escaped death at age 365 and Noah as the most righteous man on the face of the planet, this version of Branham’ “gospel” compares his cult to an Enoch figure who escaped destruction while comparing other Christians to an “unrighteous Noah” that suffered the Flood.

While there are too many “Messages” to list in this article, all bear the same basic characteristics, which can be summarized as follows:

• God is about to send “judgment” to those who did not listen to me [Branham]
• Those who listen to me [Branham] will escape a horrific death
• Those who oppose me [Branham] will suffer a horrific death
• My [Branham’s] prophecies confirm this to be true
• My [Branham’s] sermons are the Voice of Almighty God.

7. Some characterize the movement as a cult. Does this seem accurate to you? If so, why?

Any group of people who form a certain set of beliefs based around the life and times of another person is a “cult,” and that term in-and-of-itself is not problematic.  After the Jonestown Massacre when Americans were discovering the death of hundreds of members of the People’s Temple cult following of Jim Jones, this word became associated with pure evil.  Interestingly, Branham appears to have played a significant part in lifting Jones into power[25] when he held a joint meeting with Branham in Indianapolis.[26]

Whether or not “The Message” is labeled as a “cult” is not of any great importance.  But whether the group is labeled as a “destructive cult” is of great concern.  According to Steven Hassan’s B.I.T.E. model[27], a destructive cult is any group using psychological and other technique to control behavior, information, and emotions while limiting information available to its members.  Hassan’s foundation, Freedom of Mind, lists “The Message” as a mind control cult meeting all of these criteria and lists some of the ways in which they do.[28]

In working with those who have escaped the cult, we have not yet came across a single person who does not agree with Hassan’s assessment.  Many use the term “brainwashing,” many are angry that so much information has been withheld from the public, and all would remember altering their behavior to conform to the group.  It is the thought control that is most problematic, because one must fully deprogram before beginning to understand this concept or recognizing the level of control.

After deprogramming, most cult escapees feel violated in a similar manner to those who’ve suffered years of sexual or physical abuse.  Some suffer PTSD, and all who find freedom would recognize the “spiritual abuse.”

8. What are the core doctrines of the Believers of William Branham?

Like the many “Messages” of Branham, there are just as many sets of “core beliefs.”  Each set is similar in the fact that they were based upon American Pentecostalism, but differ in which core beliefs are required to “escape destruction.”  As cult victims escape, they often compare differences between the core set of doctrines in their “Message sect” to other escapees.  This comparison results in an initial state of shock, but after examining Branham’s transcripts, it becomes apparent that each set of beliefs and rules were based on Branham’s own statements.  We have attempted to capture some of the most common of these doctrines and beliefs on seekyethetruth.com, however it would be very time-consuming to identify and document them all.

9. What has been your experience of life in and out of the community of Believers?

I can honestly say that I did not feel as though I “suffered” or was “brainwashed” for the first thirty-plus years of my life while trapped in a religious cult.  In fact, it took me several months after escaping to use the word “cult.”  The people were very close to each other, like one big family.  And there are many, many good people in “The Message.”  A destructive cult cannot grow without healthy members and situations.  I did not experience the physical and sexual abuse that many cult escapees describe, and did not feel oppressed by the many extra-biblical rules.  Having been born and raised in the cult from birth, I did not long for freedoms that I had never experienced.

After escaping, however, my perspective changed considerably, and after only a few years I recognized this level of “closeness” as unhealthy.  Like having been born and raised as a prisoner-of-war who returned to America years later, the taste freedom is bittersweet.  One does not know oppression until they have experienced freedom.

Every aspect of my life has changed for the better.  No longer are my thoughts being controlled through fear tactics and psychological technique, and I’m free to think.  No longer are extra-biblical rules imposed upon me, and I’m free to worship.  No longer does my behavior conform to a group, and I have experienced the benefit of individuality.  But most important, no longer is vast amounts of information being withheld from me to make a very flawed set of beliefs appear to be perfection.

10. Why should Believers (and non-believers) not follow the Believers’ theology?

Whether you are a “believer” or an “unbeliever,” it does not take much study to recognize Branham’s self-promotion.  A simple examination of any the “messages” will paint a picture of a man whose “predictions” or “supernatural experiences” placed himself in a category above other men and women of his religious following.  Historically speaking, men who do this have led their groups to tragic destruction – some of which were a result of Branham’s influence.  Jim Jones promoted himself, and took the lives of over 900 people.  Leo Mercier, a “Message” cult pastor of a commune Branham supported, physically and sexually molested his followers.[29]  Paul Schafer’s “Message” commune in Chili was recently brought to the big screen in the movie “Colonia,” describing the rape and torture of “believers.”[30]  Any time a group of people place a single human in absolute authority of doctrine and/or scripture, it is a potential for grave danger.  The fruits of Branham’s “Message” speak for themselves.

Though these examples may seem extreme, none of the victims viewed themselves as “extremists” when recruited.  Yet they slowly became victims of extremist leaders by placing full authority of scripture and doctrine into the hands of fellow human beings.  This practice continues still today in the “Message.”  William Branham is given full authority of scripture and doctrine, and many cult pastors are given similar power while their victims fall prey.   At the same time, cult pastors are withholding controversial information for the sole purpose of limiting their victim’s choice to leave on their own free will, in a strategy very similar to the extreme examples before their tragic events.  Worse, indoctrination camps are being established to program children before they are able to make mature decisions.

The question is not whether or not cult members should follow William Branham’s “theology.”  The question is whether or not they are aware of the dangers in the choices they have made, and whether or not those choices are being influenced by the withholding of critical information.  The potential for tragedy is very high in a splintered group of “believers” who are being persuaded by limited information and undue influence.

Thank you for your time, Mr. Collins.

Bibliography

1. A Dreadful Fate – Terrible Caisson Disaster on the Ohio River – Sixteen Men Drowned Like Rats. 1890, Jan 10.  Dixon Evening Telegraph.
2. Branham, William. 1965, August 1.  “God of this Evil Age.”
3. Branham, William. 1960, August 5.  “Lamb and Dove.”
4. Branham, William. 1951, September 29.  “Our Hope is in God.”
5. Branham, William. 1963, March 18.  “The First Seal.”
6. Branham, William. 1953, June 1.  “Whatever He Says To You, Do It.
7. Branham, William. 1951, July 19.  “Who Hath Believed Our Report?”
8. Branham, William. 1959, October 4.  “Who Is This.”
9. Brown, Ellrodt. 2012, May 9.  Insight: German sect victims seek escape from Chilean nightmare past.    Accessed from http://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-chile-sect-idUSBRE8480MN20120509
10. Collins, J. (2016, October 7). Colonia Dignidad and Jonestown. Retrieved from http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=67352.
11. Collins, J. & Hassan, S. (2016, October 7).  Mind Control and Jonestown. Retrieved from http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=67372.
12. Davis Indicted by Grand Jury. 1930, Oct 14, Courier Journal.
13. Deep Study: Roy E. Davis, Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan and the Kennedy Assassination. 2016, October 10.  Accessed from http://seekyethetruth.com/resources-deep-davis.aspx
14. Deep Study: The Branham Tabernacle. 2016, October 10.  Accessed from http://seekyethetruth.com/resources-deep-branham_tabernacle.aspx
15. Deep Study: William D. Upshaw and the Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. 2016, October 10.  Accessed from http://seekyethetruth.com/resources-deep-upshaw.aspx
16. First Pentecostal Baptist – Dr. Roy E. Davis Pastor. 1933, February 18.  Evening News.
17. Group Information: The Message. (2016, October 15).  Accessed from https://freedomofmind.com/Info/infoDet.php?id=883&title=The_Message
18. Klan Refused Hall. 1923, Jan 12.  Reading Times.
19. Ku Klux Klan Active in Shreveport, Area. 1961, February 10.  The Times (Shreveport).
20. People v. Loker. (2008, July 7).  44 CAL. 4TH 691, 188 P.3D 580, 80 CAL. RPTR. 3D 630
21. Posts on the Municipal Bridge Vision. 2016, October 10.  Accessed from http://searchingforvindication.com/bridge.html
22. Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs, Raven: The Untold Story of Jim Jones and His People, (USA: Dutton Adult, 1982, 622 pages).
23. Steven Hassan’s BITE Model of Cult Mind Control. (2016, October 15).  Accessed from https://www.freedomofmind.com/Info/BITE/bitemodel.php
24. The Basics: The Prophecies of 1933. 2016, October 10.  Accessed from http://seekyethetruth.com/resources-basics-1933prophecies.aspx
25. The Easy Questions: Driverless Eggcar. 2016, October 10.  Accessed from http://seekyethetruth.com/resources-easy-eggcar.aspx.
26. The Intersection of Branham and Jim Jones. (2016, October 15).  Accessed from http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=65112
27. The Three Signs of Moses. 2006, November 10.  Accessed from https://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/the-three-signs-of-moses
28. Branham’s First Pastor. 1950, October.  Voice of Healing.  Accessed from http://en.believethesign.com/index.php/File:VofHealingOct50pg14.jpg
29. Writ Is Issued for Evangelist. 1931, Sept 9.  Courier Journal  

Appendix I: Footnotes

[1] Author & Webmaster, Seek The Truth

[2] Individual Publication Date: November 1, 2016 at www.in-sightjournal.com; Full Issue Publication Date: January 1, 2017 at https://in-sightjournal.com/insight-issues/.

[3] Photograph courtesy of John Collins.

[4] Branham, William.  1965, August 1.  “God of this Evil Age.”

[5] Branham, William.  1951, July 19.  “Who Hath Believed Our Report?”

[6] Branham, William.  1953, June 1.  “Whatever He Says To You, Do It.

[7] The Basics: The Prophecies of 1933.  2016, October 10.  Accessed from http://seekyethetruth.com/resources-basics-1933prophecies.aspx

[8] The Easy Questions: Driverless Eggcar.  2016, October 10.  Accessed from http://seekyethetruth.com/resources-easy-eggcar.aspx.

[9] Posts on the Municipal Bridge Vision.  2016, October 10.  Accessed from http://searchingforvindication.com/bridge.html

[10] A Dreadful Fate – Terrible Caisson Disaster on the Ohio River – Sixteen Men Drowned Like Rats.  1890, Jan 10.  Dixon Evening Telegraph.

[11] Wm. Branham’s First Pastor.  1950, October.  Voice of Healing.  Accessed from http://en.believethesign.com/index.php/File:VofHealingOct50pg14.jpg

[12] Davis Indicted by Grand Jury.  1930, Oct 14, Courier Journal.

[13] Writ Is Issued for Evangelist.  1931, Sept 9.  Courier Journal

[14] Klan Refused Hall.  1923, Jan 12.  Reading Times.

[15] Ku Klux Klan Active in Shreveport, Area.  1961, February 10.  The Times (Shreveport).

[16] First Pentecostal Baptist – Dr. Roy E. Davis Pastor.  1933, February 18.  Evening News.

[17] Deep Study: The Branham Tabernacle.  2016, October 10.  Accessed from http://seekyethetruth.com/resources-deep-branham_tabernacle.aspx

[18] Deep Study: Roy E. Davis, Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan and the Kennedy Assassination.  2016, October 10.  Accessed from http://seekyethetruth.com/resources-deep-davis.aspx

[19] Deep Study: William D. Upshaw and the Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.  2016, October 10.  Accessed from http://seekyethetruth.com/resources-deep-upshaw.aspx

[20] Branham, William.  1951, September 29.  “Our Hope is in God.”

[21] Branham, William.  1960, August 5.  “Lamb and Dove.”

[22] The Three Signs of Moses.  2006, November 10.  Accessed from https://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/the-three-signs-of-moses

[23] Branham, William.  1959, October 4.  “Who Is This.”

[24] Branham, William.  1963, March 18.  “The First Seal.”

[25] Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs, Raven: The Untold Story of Jim Jones and His People, (USA: Dutton Adult, 1982, 622 pages).

[26] The Intersection of Branham and Jim Jones.  (2016, October 15).  Accessed from http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=65112

[27] Steven Hassan’s BITE Model of Cult Mind Control.  (2016, October 15).  Accessed from https://www.freedomofmind.com/Info/BITE/bitemodel.php

[28] Group Information: The Message.  (2016, October 15).  Accessed from https://freedomofmind.com/Info/infoDet.php?id=883&title=The_Message

[29] People v. Loker.  (2008, July 7).  44 CAL. 4TH 691, 188 P.3D 580, 80 CAL. RPTR. 3D 630

[30] Brown, Ellrodt.  2012, May 9.  Insight: German sect victims seek escape from Chilean nightmare past.  Reuters.  Accessed from http://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-chile-sect-idUSBRE8480MN20120509

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