William Branham, His Impact on Modern Christianity, and a Warning about His Teachings

In the hills of Kentucky, William Branham came into the world in a dirt-floor log cabin. The year was 1909. But he claimed at his birth that a “Light come whirling through the window, about the size of a pillow, and circled around where I was, and went down on the bed.” At the age of 3, Branham claimed to have received his first revelation from God. He had another revelation at the age of 7. He marked this as evidence of what he believed was a special divine calling on his life.

At the age of 19, though, Branham wasn’t found in the pulpit but rather in the boxing ring. He had a short career as a boxer, winning 15 fights. But at the age of 22, his boxing career was cut short as near-fatal accident involving natural gas led to his hospitalization. At the hospital, he had a religious experience and shortly thereafter began attending the First Pentecostal Baptist Church of Jeffersonville, Indiana. By 1933 Branham had surrendered to the ministry and was holding tent revival meetings.

In 1934 Branham took over as pastor for Roy Davis, a founding member of the second KKK after Davis was arrested. Branham would maintain ties with the Klan throughout his life and ministry. Branham remained the pastor there until 1946, though the church did undergo a name change—it became The Branham Tabernacle.

This name change is a reflection of the growing influence of Branham. During this time period, the “second wave” of Pentecostalism was gaining steam. Branham was heavily influenced by the growing Pentecostal movement. And by the late 1940s and early 1950s, Branham had gained widespread attention for his claims of divine healing and his gift of discernment where he’d claim to accurately diagnose disease and reveal personal details without prior knowledge. Thousands flocked to his revival meetings, and Branham became a prominent figure within certain segments of Pentecostalism.

His ministry and popularity began to dwindle in the late 1950s and some within the movement began to distance themselves. Financial difficulty also brought his revival meetings to a halt. He then turned to teaching the things which he claimed to have been given through supernatural revelation. Many now believed that Branham had gone off the deep end, but his most ardent followers increased their following. Some even claimed for him the title of Messiah.

In 1965, Branham died in a car accident in Arizona. After his death, some created a religious group around his teachings—now known as Branhamism.

What Is Branhamism?

It’s difficult to pin down exactly the contours of Branhamism, but there are a few teachings from Branham that are emphasized. I will focus on three that seem to be most unique to Branham or have the most influence today.

Restorationism

Restorationism is the idea that the forms and practices of the primitive Christian church need to be restored today. Branham did not begin this movement but he is an influential figure for many contemporary restorationists. The central idea here is that the church was corrupted very early “with the Antichrist spirit,” and it needs to be restored.

This restoration movement holds to the importance of a return of apostles and prophets along with the signs and wonders which were present in the first century. It also sought the elimination of non-primitive forms of worship. Branham’s version of this decried all forms of denominationalism. And he believed that once the church was restored then the rapture would occur.

Serpent Seed

This teaching did not originate with Branham. Its origins surprisingly go back to first-century Gnostics. It was revived in the 19^th century by American religious leaders who promoted white supremacy. Serpent seed is the belief that Eve did more than disobey God, she had sexual relations with the serpent and birthed Cain as a result. After the fall, Adam and Eve produced two more children, Abel (who Cain killed) and Seth.

If it stopped there, it’d only be strange. But as it continues, folks like Branham teach that there are two distinct races of people. Genesis 3:14-15, adherents to this doctrine believe that the conflict of history is between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. It was taught that Jews and other non-white races are descendants of the serpent. Some even go so far as to teach that the serpent's descendants have no souls, are partially descended from animals, and deserve to be enslaved. Branham, in particular, connected this teaching with the curse of Ham theory.

Branham’s Eschatology

Most of Branham’s teaching from 1960 onward focused on biblical prophecy. Using Scofield’s understanding of the churches in Revelation. They also believed that there would be a particular angel or messenger to represent each church age. The final age, the Laodicean age, was identified as the current time period. And Branham, it was believed by his adherents, was the messenger to this age.

He delivered a series of sermons in 1963 which he claimed he received through an angelic visitation. In reality, his sermons were borrowed from other teachers of the time (Clarence Larkin and Charles Taze Russell). He believed that in a cloud in 1963, the face of Jesus Christ was present, thus fulfilling 1 Thessalonians 4:16. The rapture would be imminent. Though Branham died in 1965, many of his followers took up this teaching, and some believed that Christ did appear in 1963.

Branham also made several prophecies during his ministry. He claimed to have been given visions in 1933 that he didn’t reveal until 1953 (after most of the events had taken place). Many of his prophecies were so vague that they could easily be filled out later. As an example, he claimed America would elect the wrong president. He claimed this was fulfilled with John F. Kennedy in office. He also predicted that the rapture would happen by 1977. He also predicted that Los Angeles would sink into the ocean.

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Legacy

Branham had many other strange beliefs. Yet, the teaching and ministry of Branham have held at least some influence on beliefs within various segments of those claiming the Christian faith, even today. Adherents of the Latter Rain Movement of Pentecostalism find origins in Branham’s revivals in 1948.  

It’s difficult to measure the influence of Branham. On one hand, he was rejected by much mainstream Pentecostalism. But one cannot deny that Branham, along with Oral Roberts, were influential for their healing ministries immediately following World War II.

His charismatic preaching style and tent revivals were emulated by many. And Branham was influential in introducing the world to a young man by the name of Jim Jones. Yes, the Jim Jones of Peoples Temple fame.  Many other influential preachers were influenced by Branham’s practices.

Furthermore, his influence on the restorationism movement should not be under-considered. As Wikipedia explains:

Branham has been called the "principal architect of restorationist thought" of the Charismatic movement that emerged from the healing revival. The Charismatic view that the Christian church should return to a form like that of the early church has its roots in Branham's teachings during the healing revival period. The belief is widely held in the modern Charismatic movement, and the legacy of his restorationist teaching and ministering style is evident throughout televangelism and the Charismatic movement.

Yet, the legacy of Branham within Pentecostalism is often diminished. He is an enigmatic figure, with some considering him a cult leader and others being far more sympathetic. Apart from his influence on other streams of faith, an entire movement centered around Branham’s teaching emerged. Some believe that there are over 300,000 followers of Branham worldwide—though it's difficult to get an exact figure.

Conclusion

What do we do with the life and ministry of William Branham? Personally, I believe him to be a heretic. His denial of the Trinity is enough to place him in that category. His teaching on the serpent seed is also horrendous. His view of women was also atrocious. I’m hesitant to even share this quote because I don’t want to give it oxygen, but it might show the danger of Branham:

There is nothing designed to stoop so low, or be filthy, but a woman. A dog can't do it, a hog can't do it, a bird can't do it. No animal is immoral, nor it can be, for it is not designed so it can be. A female hog can't be immoral, a female dog can't be immoral, a female bird can't be immoral. A woman is the only thing can do it. She is designed, alone, for filth and unclean living. ... A dog can't, and no other female can. It's just the woman that can. A dog or any other animals, once a year, and that for her babies; not for sexual pleasure, but for her babies. The old sow hog, the old slut dog, once a year, one moment, that's for her babies. But a woman is designed for any time she desires. ... A woman is a by-product of a man. She's not even in the original creation. That's exactly right. ... By her beauty and her sex control, her shape that was given to her by Satan, the by-product that Satan did, she is sent to deceive sons of God. And she can sway more of them to hell than any other instrument Satan has got. That's exactly right. Only a piece, scrap, made of a man, to deceive him by; God made it, right here has proved it. That's what she was made for.

— William Branham, Marriage and Divorce, February 21, 1965

Now, why do I share all of this? Because teachings like Branham's have a tendency to gain new life in new generations. We might not use the same words, but there are little sprouts of things like serpent seed in the teaching of some charismatic and Christian nationalism teaching even today. Sometimes it’s helpful to pull the curtain back and look at where some of this will take you.

Branham has dangerous and ultimately unhelpful teaching and should be avoided. You might not hear the name William Branham, but you may be exposed to some of this teaching. We do our best to stick to the Scriptures.

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