In contrast to the critics who want to question everything supernatural in the life and ministry of Brother Branham, the fanatical followers have made him more than a man.

Right after the funeral of the prophet on April 11, I asked the brothers in Jeffersonville on April 12 and 13, 1966, to transcribe and print the tape-recorded sermons so that they could be translated into other languages. This took place under the term “Spoken Word Publications.” Roy Borders, whom I knew personally, and who also had been Brother Branham’s secretary, assumed responsibility for it. All of the other brothers, whether they were from New York, Tucson, or Texas, were on their way home because, much to their disappointment, the anticipated resurrection of the prophet had not happened on that Easter Sunday.

The term “Spoken Word” remained unchanged until the early 1980s. That marked the time when the deification of the prophet was carried out openly, and the Voice in Rev 10:7 was from then on “Voice of God.” Every word of the prophet was now God’s Word, even if he said “a-a-a-a.” That was how it had to be printed and translated. Now all the stories he had told were also words of God, and thus began the worship of the man. Brother Branham was appointed to be the “Voice of God,” and everything he had said was considered to be God’s Word. This was being based on the authority of 1 Cor 7, where Paul gave an account of both his opinion and what the Lord had said: “And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord … But to the rest speak I, not the Lord …” Although Paul himself made the distinction there between what the Lord had said and what he said, from then on both were supposedly in force as the direct Word of God. Paul was just giving advice because of the distress at that time (v. 26) and even wrote: “But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none …” (v. 29).

William M. Branham was not only a prophet; he was also a human being like everybody else. For 10 years, I stayed in personal contact with him, spoke on the phone with him from Krefeld, rode along in his car while he was at the wheel; I ate and drank with him, and I also witnessed his infallible ministry as an eye- and ear-witness in Europe and the USA. I have also kept the 21 letters from Brother Branham: The first one is dated November 11, 1958, and the last one September 30, 1965. And as I have stated repeatedly in my publications, my ministry is connected with his ministry like no other one on earth. To this day, no brother can testify of receiving a direct calling, nor name the day and hour, time and place, or specific commission, the way the prophet confirmed it in my case on December 3, 1962, in the presence of two witnesses. At his direct request, I preached in his tabernacle in Jeffersonville on Sunday, December 2 during the morning and evening services.

However, if the Bible is put aside at the beginning of the service right after an introductory Scripture has been read and then only quotes from the sermons are read and tailored to fit one’s own concept, then I cannot and may not remain silent any longer in that regard. When now in message circles the only topic is Branham, by saying: “The prophet said!”, “The prophet said!”, when volumes with stories from his life and books with various interviews and photo albums with up to 340 photographs are published, then it is the worship a man, a cult. When the grave becomes a pilgrimage site and special rooms with personal items are made into relics, then it is idolatry. I am saying this in full responsibility before God.

In contrast to the critics who want to question everything supernatural in the life and ministry of Brother Branham, the fanatical followers have made him more than a man.

Right after the funeral of the prophet on April 11, I asked the brothers in Jeffersonville on April 12 and 13, 1966, to transcribe and print the tape-recorded sermons so that they could be translated into other languages. This took place under the term “Spoken Word Publications.” Roy Borders, whom I knew personally, and who also had been Brother Branham’s secretary, assumed responsibility for it. All of the other brothers, whether they were from New York, Tucson, or Texas, were on their way home because, much to their disappointment, the anticipated resurrection of the prophet had not happened on that Easter Sunday.

The term “Spoken Word” remained unchanged until the early 1980s. That marked the time when the deification of the prophet was carried out openly, and the Voice in Rev 10:7 was from then on “Voice of God.” Every word of the prophet was now God’s Word, even if he said “a-a-a-a.” That was how it had to be printed and translated. Now all the stories he had told were also words of God, and thus began the worship of the man. Brother Branham was appointed to be the “Voice of God,” and everything he had said was considered to be God’s Word. This was being based on the authority of 1 Cor 7, where Paul gave an account of both his opinion and what the Lord had said: “And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord … But to the rest speak I, not the Lord …” Although Paul himself made the distinction there between what the Lord had said and what he said, from then on both were supposedly in force as the direct Word of God. Paul was just giving advice because of the distress at that time (v. 26) and even wrote: “But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none …” (v. 29).

William M. Branham was not only a prophet; he was also a human being like everybody else. For 10 years, I stayed in personal contact with him, spoke on the phone with him from Krefeld, rode along in his car while he was at the wheel; I ate and drank with him, and I also witnessed his infallible ministry as an eye- and ear-witness in Europe and the USA. I have also kept the 21 letters from Brother Branham: The first one is dated November 11, 1958, and the last one September 30, 1965. And as I have stated repeatedly in my publications, my ministry is connected with his ministry like no other one on earth. To this day, no brother can testify of receiving a direct calling, nor name the day and hour, time and place, or specific commission, the way the prophet confirmed it in my case on December 3, 1962, in the presence of two witnesses. At his direct request, I preached in his tabernacle in Jeffersonville on Sunday, December 2 during the morning and evening services.

However, if the Bible is put aside at the beginning of the service right after an introductory Scripture has been read and then only quotes from the sermons are read and tailored to fit one’s own concept, then I cannot and may not remain silent any longer in that regard. When now in message circles the only topic is Branham, by saying: “The prophet said!”, “The prophet said!”, when volumes with stories from his life and books with various interviews and photo albums with up to 340 photographs are published, then it is the worship a man, a cult. When the grave becomes a pilgrimage site and special rooms with personal items are made into relics, then it is idolatry. I am saying this in full responsibility before God.