To see video documentation of these various ministries, click on the ‘Video’ tab on the menu and select the individual ministry or select the images on this page.

The Ministries Of Signs And Wonders

The doctrine of Divine Healing was firmly established in the ministry of Jesus in the Gospels and by the Apostles in the Epistles. In the subsequent history of the church, although it never entirely disappeared, the practice did not have the same prominence as it had in the New Testament era. It was not until the mid 1800’s that we see it emerging once again in miraculous power.

The first ministry to demonstrate the power of God to heal was that of John Alexander Dowie. A Scotsman, Dowie first experienced God’s healing power when his congregation in Australia was ravaged by the Bubonic plague. When Dowie started praying for the sick he saw them delivered from the plague and, from that time on, no other members of his congregation died. He rose to international prominence when he established the City of Zion, Illinois and demonstrated the Power of God as thousands of people were delivered from every sickness and disease.

Another powerful ministry of that time was the healing evangelist Maria Woodworth Etter. After many years of disappointment and hardship, she obeyed the call of God on her life and she too emerged as a major force in the re-emergence of Divine Healing in the Church.

As we move into the 20th century we find a new group of men and women emerging, many from Dowie’s ministry in Zion, Illinois. Probably the most influential of these people was John G. Lake whose demonstration of the Power of God in South Africa turned the country upside down. On his return to the United States he continued his healing ministry, first of all in the healing rooms in Spokane, Washington and then in Portland, Oregon where over one hundred thousand confirmed healings took place.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic in the Midlands of England, another significant personality was emerging. An illiterate plumber by the name of Smith Wigglesworth. His intimidation, rather gruff demeanor, brought him much criticism from the religious powers that be but his faith in God produced healings and miracles of the most extraordinary kind. As he travelled around the world, God continued to confirm His Word with signs following.

Back in the United States we find the flamboyant ministry of Aimee Semple McPherson. A farm girl from Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada and widowed at an early age, she sprang to prominence when she established the Four Square Gospel at the Angeles Temple in Los Angeles. Her services were extravagant but effective. John Lake once described her healing ministry as the most powerful he had ever experienced.

After these people passed from the scene, Divine Healing took a step back from the spotlight but only for a short time. Another wave of healing was on the horizon known as The 1947 – 1958 Healing Revival.
It is generally recognised that the individual who started off this revival was William Branham. Branham’s proficiency in the Word of Knowledge was amazing. People who accompanied him on a regular basis testified that they never knew him to be wrong. The content of his messages as he ministered to people was so precise that it raised faith to the extent that the people were healed.
Another evangelist who was influenced by William Branham was Oral Roberts. In fact, it is reported that after a visit to one of Branham’s meetings, Oral Roberts decided to incorporate Divine Healing into his evangelistic campaigns.

Two other healing evangelists of note during this period were A. A. Allen and Jack Coe. This was the era of the ‘Big Tent’ meetings with many thousands travelling great distances to experience the Power of God for themselves. Allen and Coe were brash and flamboyant, but many thousands of people were healed and set free. This was the era of Gordon Lindsay’s Voice of Healing and it was reported that upwards of 120 healing evangelists were travelling across the country laying hands on the sick and seeing them recover.

To see video documentation of these various ministries, click on the ‘Video’ tab on the menu and select the individual ministry or select the images on this page.