Bethshan Hall - Boardman (1884)
On this site was Bethshan Hall, which was purchased to house people needing healing and for meetings. The hall held 600 and was the venue for the beginning of the first ever Healing Conference, organised by William Branham, that led to the Healing Revival in America as the anointing was taken from here to Chicago and the ministry of Alexander Dowie. The anointing went from there to John G Lake, then to Branham and Kathryn Kuhlman. An historic place indeed.
An excerpt from an account of the International Faith Healing Conference
On Monday morning, June 1, this conference, which extended until Friday, as opened at Bethshan Hall. There was a numerous attendance and some time having been spent in prayer, Rev W E Boardman, who presided, announced that brethren were present from America, Australia, France, Germany, Holland, India, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. For some time it had been earnestly desired by a number of honest enquirers to know more of faith-healing than they had learned from the accounts which had come under their notice. It was hoped that this conference, in which it was intended there should be full inquiry, but no controversy would be found useful to such.
Pastor Schrenk (Germany) said he had come from attending a funeral, that of his own dogmatism, and he should advise all who wished to arrive at the truth to bury their own notions on the subject, and to listen to the voice of the Lord.
Pastor Hussey (Chicago), Captain Dennis, Dr Woods Smyth and others expressed the conviction that the gifts of holiness and healing should never be separated, in as much as sanctification or wholeness is a gift pertaining to body, soul and spirit. In the afternoon there was a large attendance of visitors at the Agricultural Hall.
An excerpt from an account in the Chrisitan Herald of a weekly meeting there on June 9th 1886
After much prayer and praise from all parts of the assembly, and the many requests for prayer had been laid before God, the meeting was addressed by Elizabeth Baxter... Upon the call for testimony, Seargent W A Dickinson (Salvation Army) said: 'About two years ago I was anointed for heart disease and I believe the Lord healed me. Last autumn I was anointed here for nervous exhaustion and God so restored me that I have since been able to do as formerly.'
Mr Drysdale: 'The Lord some time ago healed me of blood poisoning and since then I have dealt with Jesus for a tumour in my side and another on my right wrist, and Jesus healed me.
Mr A Tolhurst: I suffered from nervous exhaustion which produced dyspepsia and vomiting of a most chronic kind. Since I trusted the Lord for the sanctification of my soul, He has healed my body as well, so that I can eat a hearty meal, and I am now strong to the Glory of God.
Additional Information
The image was taken several years ago. I see from Google Earth that the site has since been redeveloped.