When I was a little girl, no older then ten years of age, I had stumbled across a woman unlike any I have known before. She wasn't like the ladies in the Baptist church that I was accustomed to being around; where people were quiet and conservative in their dress and speech. Now to sit in front of my t.v.set watching this lady in a flowing white dress walk as if she had authority. Her speech was bold and powerful, not timid and shy like the women I was used to seeing. I wouldn't have given her too much time, (because it was quite a weird site for someone so young), if it wasn't for this one phrase; "Jesus is more real to me then you are!" For a little girl who was hungry to know the real Jesus, one 'with skin on it,' this sounded appealing.
This went on for many days, watching this woman of extraordinary power waltz on stage just to talk to us about Jesus, it didn't seem to effect her that there was a camera following her everywhere she went. 'That too seemed odd, I wouldn't want a camera stuck in my face, would you?'
It wasn't long before my very conservative mother walked in the room while watching Ms. Kuhlman share another intriguing story. "What are YOU DOING?" "She's a witch and I don't ever want to catch you watching her again!" "All lies!"
My mother's strong objection didn't keep me from my fascination with this evangelist with a great gift of prayer and as my relationship with the Lord grew, I couldn't help but be drawn into a powerful prayer ministry. For her prayer life seem to fill in the gap where others left off. Where some were put out to pray for just a few minutes, she would often pray until the camera were no longer running...
Though I listened to what she preached, I heard what she prayed and that changed my life. After I matured and grew I learned she was far from perfect, but inspite of her imperfections, her legacy still lives on today...
Here is what Wikipedia has to say about her:
Early Years:Kathryn Johanna Kuhlman was born in Concordia, Missouri, to German-American parents.[1] She was born-again at the age of 14 in the Methodist Church of Concordia, and began preaching in the West at the age of sixteen in primarily Baptist Churches.
Career: Kuhlman traveled extensively around the United States and in many other countries holding "healing crusades" between the 1940s and 1970s. She had a weekly TV program in the 1960s and 1970s called I Believe In Miracles that was aired nationally. The foundation was established in 1954, and its Canadian branch in 1970. Joan Gieson became her assistant for 8½ years.
Following a 1967 fellowship in Philadelphia, Dr. William A. Nolen conducted a case study of 23 people who claimed to have been cured during her services.[2][3][4][5] Nolen's long term follow-ups concluded there were no cures in those cases.[6][7] Furthermore, one woman who was said to have been cured of spinal cancer took off her brace and ran across the stage at Kuhlman's command; her spine collapsed the following day and she died four months later.[6][8]
By 1970 she moved to Los Angeles conducting faith healing for thousands of people each day as an heir to Aimee Semple McPherson.[9] She became well-known despite, as she told reporters, having no theological training.[9] She married Burroughs A. Waltrip of Dallas, in which city he left his wife and two children, to marry Kuhlman in Iowa City, Iowa.[9] She described Waltrip as "the best-looking guy there ever was".[9] They soon divorced, as Kuhlman explained, "because he was divorced I had to choose between him and my work".[9]
In 1975, Kuhlman was sued by Paul Bartholomew, her personal administrator, who claimed she kept $1 million in jewelry and $1 million in fine art hidden away and sued her for $430,500 for breach of contract.[10][11] Two former associates accused her in the lawsuit of diverting funds and illegally removing records, which she denied and said the records were not private.[12] According to Kuhlman, the lawsuit was settled prior to trial.[6]
Death and Legacy: In July 1975 her doctor diagnosed her with a minor heart flareup and she had a relapse in November while in Los Angeles.[13][dead link] As a result, she had open heart surgery in Tulsa, Oklahoma from which she died in February 1976.[1] Kathryn Kuhlman is interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California. A plaque in her honor is located in the main city park in Concordia, Missouri, a town located in central Missouri on Interstate Highway 70.
After she died, her will led to controversy.[14] She left $267,500, the bulk of her estate, to three family members and twenty employees.[14] Smaller bequests were given to 19 other employees.[14] According to the Independent Press-Telegram , her employees were disappointed that "she did not leave most of her estate to the foundation as she had done under a previous 1974 will."[14] The Kathryn Kuhlman Foundation has continued, but in 1982 it terminated its nationwide radio broadcasting. She influenced faith healers Benny Hinn and Billy Burke. Hinn has adopted some of her techniques and wrote a book about her.[15
Do YOU have a story about Ms.Kuhlman you'd like to share?
She was definitely using Christianity for fame and fortune while claiming otherwise. She was a witch.
ReplyDelete