Only Believe

Thank you Rev. Stewart for writing this book. I have read it several times and it has given me great inspiration.

Don Stewart was an eye-witness to the miraclous in the ministry of many well-known Evangelist. His book "Only Believe" is an inspiring report of the supernatural as seen through the eyes of one who saw it on almost a daily basis. He did a very good job of weaving his way through much of the "negatives" and the "rumor-talk" surrounding the healing revival of the 40's, 50's and 60's. You'll be blessed by what you read.

This is a wonderful companion book to "All Things are Possible" written by David E Harrell. Where Harrell draws the unbiased facts, Stewart as an insider fills in the background color. Together, they are a fairly complete picture of the Healing Revival, circa 1947-1969 and its colorful evangelists, yet separately, they both leave gaps. To his credit, Stewart doesn't evade to tough questions on AA Allen (His drinking problem, his being prone to showmanship and theatrics, his death) or any of the evangelists, but handles them with the same kind of love that a parent has when they talk about their child's problem. You get the sense that Allen really was a "father figure" to this young minister. Stewart also takes us into the ministries of some of the "lesser known" evangelists of the movement, men such as Tommy Hicks and Velmer Gardner. These "lesser known" men had powerful ministries, yet were always in the shadow of the giants Branham, Roberts, Coe and Allen. One thing I found odd about Stewart's book was the absence of the ministry of RW Schambach. He, as with Stewart, was an associate evangelist under Allen, and he had and still has a powerful and enduring ministry, yet the book is silent on him. The only mention of Schambach is one paragraph on page 156 calling him a "powerful preacher". Leroy Jenkins and Marjoe Gortner had more written on them. This is strange, maybe jealousy or a sense of betrayal when he left Allen's team? Only Stewart knows. Another negative was Stewart's seeming self promotion. He titled his chapter "The Last of the Healing Evangelists", and went on to state that there is only "Benny Hinn, Reinhard Bonkke and myself" left as big healing evangelists. He also implies in the book that his ministry is the only one with Apostolic Succession from the Healing Revival. Again, he conveniently left out RW Schambach and even TL Osborne. Stewart gives glowing and much deserved credit to the ministries of Oral Roberts and William Branham. Both were bridge builders, Branham brought Oneness and Trinitarian believers under one campaign roof, and Roberts brought Pentecostalism and the Charismatic movement together. He also convincingly spoke of the battles Jack Coe, Allen and eventually the rest of the evangelists had with the Assemblies of God (AofG). He made a good argument on why the evangelists felt threatened by the AofG, and why they left. Overall, I enjoyed the book, and it has a place on my bookshelf next to Harrell's "All Things", Liardon's "God's Generals" and the Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements". Stewart's candid answers to the unpleasant questions and the compassion he had when he spoke of their weaknesses had me to re-think my own beliefs about these men and their character. If I brought one thing away from the book, it is that God pours His gifts into earthen vessels, and in the end, looking at the vessel discarded is in no way a indication of what it was filled with at one time

As we look to our past, it prepares us for our future. I was impressed with the author's views and insights on these various Generals of the Faith, who have gone on before us. I was inspired and encouraged by the author's facts of the late Rev. A.A. Allen's accounts. I gleaned a lot from the author's willingness to be open and candid in his writings. My hat is off to you, Rev. Don Stewart for sharing these sometimes very painfull accounts of our beloved, Rev. A.A. Allen. What a helpful insight into our past, it will help with our future. If you have not purchased a copy of the book, get one. It is much needed in your libary today. I've recommended it to a friend, and I highly recommended it to those in search of facts from our past of Great Men and Woman of God. You won't be disappointed.