William Sowders

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    William Sowders was born in Louisville, Kentucky on September 13, 1879 and died on November 20, 1952 at the age of seventy-three.

    William Branham admitted that he attended William Sowders' School of the Prophets in Louisville. It is not surprising that many of William Branham's fundamental doctrines bear a strange likeness to that of Sowders'.

    Similarities between William Sowders and William Branham

    Sowders Branham
    The followers of William Sowders believed that God called and vindicated him. God used him in a ministry of restoration to restore and reveal His Word to His Sons and Daughters. Sowders' ministry did not add to the Bible - but rather the mysteries contained in Scripture are revealed and will ultimately give Rapturing Faith to the Bride of the Lord Jesus Christ in this Age. These things are only to indicate a Divine a-vindication that my theology is right. That's exactly right. The Word of the Lord came to the prophets.[1]


    And I believe that through those seven thunders will be revealed in the last days in order to get the Bride together for rapturing faith; because what we got right now, we--we wouldn't be able to do it. There's something we've got to step farther; we--we can't have enough faith for Divine healing hardly.[2]

    Sowders taught that every religion outside his followers was false and part of Babylon, the great whore of Revelations, of which the Catholic Church is part of. So we find that our Message is, today, the Message that we have, of, "Come out of Babylon, and be free...[3]
    The name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost was Jesus! Jesus was the family name since the Son possessed the same name as His Father.,And the Holy Ghost was the spirit of them both.,Jesus was the name given to the family of God in Heaven and in earth. ...the Name of God is JESUS, for that is the Name He came in. He is LORD JESUS CHRIST. And what name does a woman take when she marries the man? She takes his name. It will be His Name that is given unto the bride when He takes her to Himself.[4]
    The doctrine of the Trinity is "a false, unbiblical doctrine" originated by Satan. Jesus said, "Except you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." He is the revelation of God, the Spirit of God revealed in human form. If you can't believe that, you're lost. You put Him a third person, second person, or any other person besides God, you're lost.[5]
    The truth of the Godhead is between the Trinity and the Oneness. There is where the oneness missed it, there is where the trinity missed it, both sides of the road. But the happy medium is right in between.[6]
    Strict hair and dress code for women. Strict hair and dress code for women.
    Taught that only men could be in true leadership positions and that essentially women were to submit to the man under all circumstances. The nature of a woman is to submit to a man.[7]
    The doctrine of a burning hell where the wicked are tortured eternally after death is false. I believe in an Eternal death, same as I believe in an Eternal Heaven, but not an Eternal hell. There's no such a thing as Eternal hell. There is an Eternal death for the people that are... Many of them, religious, in the world today, has always been dead.[8]
    The essential thing he taught was that one was to actually baptize IN the name of Jesus. The apostle Paul said, "Whatsoever you do in word or in deed, do all in the name of Jesus." One cannot baptize IN the name of Jesus if he himself is operating IN, and belongs to, another name (such as a denomination). Peter, with the keys, said the same thing; every other apostle, the whole Church; until the early Nicaea Council when Roman Catholic church organized, accepted titles instead of Name. You're either baptized into the Roman dogmas of denomination, or baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ, one or the other. It's on your hands; you can't wash It off.[9]
    He said this would be a time of church mergers, and again he was correct.,These religions within the framework of the World Council of Churches and the Roman Catholic Church are allied with the United Nations and are very active in working through that agency.,They are striving for an eventual one world government. They're getting bundled, all these organizations. Big bundles is coming to one big bundle. That's right. What is that bundle? You know what it is. World Council of Churches, forming the image of the beast. Truly... Well, I'll tell you the Bible says that Romanism will rule the world. Exactly right. Where does the feet go out in the... That prophet who seen all the Gentile kingdom come right down at the end, it didn't go communism; it went Romanism. Exactly. Here we are in these days, people presuming, joining right into that thing...[10]
    William Sowders amazingly predicted racial riots would take place. Now, I'm a Southerner. And there is one thing I'd like to say about them, I wish I could talk to Martin Luther King. That man, being a Christian, don't know he is leading his people right into a death trap, where there is going to be millions of them killed. See? He is wrong.[11]
    God will see that it continues in the earth until the Body of Jesus Christ reaches maturity and the last remaining members that make up the Bride of Jesus Christ are made ready.[12] I don't know when, for a crowning of my ministry. I'll stay just as true as I could be. I don't know what it'll be; I don't know when it'll be. And I... But when He's ready, I am. Now, look here. I hope He'll crown my ministry with this, of letting me take the clothes of the Word and dress His Bride in the clothes of the Word and for His righteousness.[13]

    Quotes of William Branham

    An old man, one of the first that I ever seen in the realms of Pentecost and came to my house when I was just a--a little lad, and set in my room. And I've been always, for Pentecost, I wasn't critical, but I didn't understand that speaking in tongues before these things happened. And I still, we know that there is some of it make-believe, but behind it there's a genuine article. And this man come to my room when I was just a boy preacher and set in there one day. And I come in and he went... he kind of jumped and threw his hands up and spoke in tongues . And he said, "Thus saith the Lord," speaking in tongues , said, "A great ministry lies before you that God will use you to shake the world." And the elderly brother, is setting right back there, is John Ryan.[14]


    I met an old man that's here in the church maybe now, or he was here over to the church, by the name of John Ryan. And I met him at a place... The old fellow with long beard and hair, and he may be here. I thought he was from Benton Harbor up here, at the House of David.

    And they had a place in Louisville. I was trying to find them people, and they called it the School of the Prophets. So I thought I'd go over and see what that was. Well, I didn't see nobody rolling on the floor, but they had some strange doctrines. And there's where I met this old man, he invited me to come up to his place.[15]


    Footnotes

    1. BE.NOT.AFRAID_ CHAUTAUQUA.OH 60-0609
    2. THE.FIRST.SEAL_ JEFF.IN MONDAY_ 63-0318
    3. DOORS.IN.DOOR_ FLAGSTAFF.AZ V-17 N-3 SATURDAY_ 65-0206
    4. PHILADELPHIAN.CHURCH.AGE - CHURCH.AGE.BOOK CPT.8
    5. THE.ANOINTED.ONES.AT.THE.END.TIME_ JEFF.IN 65-0725M
    6. THE.SEED.SHALL.NOT.BE.HEIR.WITH.THE.SHUCK_ LA.CA 65-0429B
    7. WE.WOULD.SEE.JESUS_ SPOKANE.WA THURSDAY_ 62-0712
    8. A.THINKING.MAN'S.FILTER_ JEFF.IN 65-0822E
    9. WHAT.SHALL.I.DO.WITH.JESUS.CALLED.CHRIST_ JEFF.IN 63-1124M
    10. PRESUMING_ S.PINES.NC 62-0610M
    11. O.LORD.JUST.ONCE.MORE_ HOT.SPRINGS.AR 63-0628M
    12. The doctrinal teachings of William Sowders were taken from http://www.gospelassemblyfree.com/
    13. PRESENT.STAGE.OF.MY.MINISTRY_ JEFF.IN 62-0908
    14. 51-0718 THE.ANGEL.OF.THE.LORD_ TOLEDO.OH
    15. HOW.THE.ANGEL.CAME.TO.ME.AND.HIS.COMMISSION_ CHICAGO.IL FOOTPRINT.BOOK MONDAY_ 55-0117


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