ALLEGED FAITH-HEALER SPONSORED BY THE CHURCH

NZ Truth, Issue 1202, 13 December 1928, Page 7

ALLEGED FAITH-HEALER SPONSORED BY THE CHURCH

mtiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiminniiiiniiiiiimiiiinuiitimniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiuii STEPHEN JEFFREYS, having recently . concluded his "healing oampaign" under the auspices of the Assembly of God at the Pentecostal Church, Vivian Street, has now retired to New Plymouth. There, until the end of December, he will heal anyone obliging enough to let him, tuberculosis, , conoer and deformity being meat, drink and petty cash to the ardent evangelist. Having dealt with ''Jeffreys In Its previous artiole, "N.Z. Truth's" present purpose Is not to pillory him again. Its chief conoern now is rather with those who sponsored his claims as set out m the advertisement quoted. -> Jeffreys Is said to be an ordained minister of the Assembly of God, this dignity haying come his way m Wales at the hands of the Reverend Morgan Ammanford, Congregational minister." That a Congregationalist should have anything to do with the ordaining of a minister m a completely different sect may seem a trifle unusual. But the fact Is vouched for by Pastor Hewitt,

iiimmmiiMiiiiinmmimiiimiHmmiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiium ejt-leader of the Wellington Assembly of God and personal friend of the interesting Stephen. • A "Truth" representative, calling on Pastor Hewitt at a reasonable hour of the morning, found the good minister m a quite unclerical state of neglige — wearing no shoes, and coat removed to let the coolness of the morning air penetrate to a comfortably-upholstered frame. "I knew Jeffreys when I was In England, about seven years ago," declared Pastor Hewitt. "I was co-pastor at the church where some of hia miracles of healing were done. I know the man who ordained him. "At one meeting, a girl whose arm had been withered and short from birth heard Jeffreys speak, and her arm just straightened oivt. I was co-pastor of her church and saw her for two years later, and the cure remained permanent. "■ :■', A little vagueness, however, crept into the conversation when Hewitt was asked to name the lady so healed.':

iiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiii when he learned of Miss Webb's statement. "I didn't know she'd been near Stephen Jeffreys/ he said.. "8h& has shown improvement, but not since the date you mention, and she is certainly not cured of hep complaint, which is very severe general- neuritis. "She has complained of acute pains m both legs and arms recently, and I'm afraid nobody could conscientiously write her down as a well woman." At one of the healing sessions for which the Pentecostal and Assembly of God people lent their church and their countenance a. little boy, five or six years of age, sat waiting his turn for "treatment." He was a merry, bright-eyed little fellow, deeply Interested m the chorus of hysterical hallelujahs which arose from the throng around him. But when he left his chair, tragedy became obvious. He was lame, and the fingers of each tiny hand were joined together — apparently a malformation dating from birth. He was ft|[lllll!l!llllilll!l!l!lllll!lll!!lllllll^

iiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiitiiinitiiiiuuiiinitiiniiiiiiiiiiimiimiiiitiiiiiimiiiiiiiniiiuiimtHiin happy for a while that day, however. burning confidingly to "Truth,'s" representative, he announced: "My name's Don. God is up m the sky and that man," (pointing to Jeffreys), "will make him come down, to make my fingers better." Can Stephen Jeffreys, salvationshrleker, show to us the small hands of this child restored to .iise by his vaunted powers? He says that he heals by faith. What can be more complete and perfect than the faith of a little child, who believes that God obeys the behests of such as Jeffreys? And. can the Pentecostal brethren, who, with the Xssembly of God, lent their ohurch to- the blasphemous travesty of services put through by an illiterate man repay, the debts which they have contracted ., with children such as Don; :^tK; thbir v inothers, with, "all those afflicted and distressed?*' V If anything, theirj ': responsibility is greater than that of Jeffreys. HeHEs s," bird of passage. They are an es'tab* lished church of New Zealand. The use they have made of their temple Is a more than questionable one. HitnininimiuraumiHnnmnnniiiiiHQiimttnnuifmflHinnHinaiiHiiiimfliimninnsTnniiiiiuiffl