## Summary William Branham (1909–1965) was an American evangelist known for his healing ministry during the post-World War II revival. His campaigns in the late 1940s and 1950s drew large crowds and helped shape a generation of Pentecostal and charismatic ministers. A distinct body of followers later organized around his teaching, commonly called the "Message" movement. ## Substance Branham rose to prominence around 1946 as a leading figure in what historians call the post-war healing revival. Alongside other traveling evangelists, he held tent and auditorium campaigns centered on divine healing and prophecy. Many later revivalists cited his meetings as formative. Over time, Branham's teaching moved away from mainstream Pentecostal doctrine. His distinctive claims placed him outside the broader movement in the eyes of many Pentecostal bodies, and after his death in a 1965 car accident, his followers continued as a separate movement built around recordings of his sermons. His ministry connects historically to mid-century revival currents, including the Latter Rain movement, though the relationships among these streams are debated by historians. ## Why it matters in this wiki Branham is a reference point for tracing the roots of later charismatic and prophetic movements that this wiki examines. Several ideas that surface in modern charismatic critique trace lineage, directly or indirectly, to the mid-century healing revival he helped lead. ## Related - [[Latter Rain]] - [[Manifested Sons of God]]