Rev. Wm. Branham Ministers in Tacoma, Wash.
The hour we had prayed for and so earnestly desired to come was fully realized on Tuesday, July 23, when William Branham phoned and said he had arrived in Tacoma. This was his third visit to this city since God commissioned him in a special way to go into all the world and preach the gospel. He came the third time sent of God and anointed both to preach and work the Works of God by the Spirit.
People began coming on Monday, three days before the opening meeting. They continued to come by car, bus, plane and train. It was a busy time for many of us.
The meetings were held in the Memorial Field House of the College of Puget Sound which seats 6,000 people. It was here that our Honorable President Eisenhower spoke last fall when he campaigned and toured the northwest. From the first, the meetings were well attended but increased in numbers every day. A conservative estimate of the last meeting was about 4,000 people. There was a very good representation of about 100 to 200 ministers in every service.
Rev. Charles Weston, pastor of Bethel Temple, San Francisco, was the afternoon speaker. His manner of teaching the Word of God deeply gripped and stirred the hearts of the people to hunger after God and experience His divine promises.
The choir, under the leadership of Don Rody, sang at all evening services and proved a great blessing and inspiration throughout the campaign. The Bethel orchestra played as a prelude to the evening services.
Special invitations were sent to the local Full Gospel churches and pastors. A number gave wonderful support to the meetings by closing their regular services. Such a Christian spirit is deeply appreciated.
Rev. William Branham spoke to a ministers' fellowship breakfast on Friday, about 75 attending. On Saturday he was the guest speaker of the Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International local chapter.
On Thursday night Brother Branham ministered by vision to a family of American Indians telling them their names and the city they were from. He also told them their son was blind and to have faith that Jesus would restore his sight. The boy was asked to come to the platform, being led by his mother. He was prayed for and then walked off the platform alone. His sight was returning to him! This stirred the whole congregation; many more were healed that night. It was a great service never to be forgotten. I spoke to the father of the Indian boy on Sunday night. He told me that before his son was prayed for, he could hardly see the outline of a man at a close distance. "But now he sees and walks anyplace. Truly," he said, "God has done great things for us. My son always carried his head downward, now he looks up. Why? Because he can see."
There were also many who publicly accepted Christ when Brother Branham gave the invitation to sinners and backsliders. The impact of these meetings will not soon be forgotten.
Rev. Branham was interviewed by some from the staff of a Seattle radio station who were deeply moved by his ministry. This interview was recorded and broadcast over the same station.
Monday after the campaign I met a preacher who said, "Now I have truly seen the ministry of the Apostolic Age restored to the Church." So God is again fulfilling His promise of restoring all things to the Church. Let us pray and seek God until we are molded as clay by the Master's Hand, so we can be a means to be used by Him in fulfilling His promise to the people of God in the end of this Age of Grace.