Early life and career

Lake was originally from Ontario, Canada. He was from a large family, which was continually affected with illness, and his memory of childhood was that there was always someone in the house either sick, dying or dead. At the age of twenty-one, he became a Methodist minister; however, he chose to enter the business world instead of accepting a church ministry. Lake was a very industrious businessman and started two newspapers before beginning a very successful career in real estate.

Early in his career, Lake’s wife, whom he deeply loved, fell ill with a life threatening illness. Having a lifetime of suffering and bereavement behind him, he refused to accept this. He took the radical step of taking ‘his brother who had been an invalid for 22 years to Chicago see John Alexander Dowie . In a matter of just moments after healing ministers laid their hands on him, he was healed — he got up and walked out! Next, the Lakes took their 34-year-old sister who was dying from breast cancer. She had been operated on five times and had to be carried on a stretcher. She too was healed! Dowie and Lake then prayed for another sister who was bleeding to death, and she too lived! That left only Jennie. Yes, healing was coming, but this time, Lake decided it would be different. This time, he was setting the time for it. The time — 9:30a.m., April 28, 1898. Lake called and telegraphed friends, instructing them to pray at the appointed time, because at precisely 9:30 a.m., he would lay his hands on his wife and she would be healed. It was that simple. She was healed at that time, crying with a voice as big as her husband’s boldness that startled her husband, — “Praise God! I am healed!” ‘ Dowie had a reputation as a famous healing evangelist/preacher; he was the founder of Zion, Illinois. These healings of the Lakes’ drew other people to them requesting prayers for healing, which altered the direction of Lake’s life and ministry.

Lake maintained relationships with many of the leading figures of his day including railroad tycoon James Jerome Hill, Cecil Rhodes, Mahatma Gandhi, Arthur Conan Doyle, and others. By the time he left for the mission field he walked away from a $50,000 year salary (around 1.25 million in 2007 dollars^[1]), as well as his seat on the Chicago Board of Trade.

[edit] Later life and religious work

With Thomas Hezmalhalch he founded the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa in 1908, which attracted many of the early Zionists led by Pieter L. le Roux of Wakkerstroom. Le Roux took over the leadership of the Apostolic Faith Mission when Lake returned to America, and Le Roux led it for 30 years.

Just six months after Lake’s arrival in South Africa, his first wife, Jennie, died on December 22, 1908. “Lake recorded that she died of a stroke.” Lake returned to America on February 1, 1913, and married Florence Switzer on November 27, 1913.^[2] Lake’s comment on this second marriage was, “Men in these days consider themselves to be happily married once. I have been especially blessed in that I have been happily married twice.” From this marriage five children were born.

Lake eventually became an elder in the church. It was here that he began to practice “divine healing”. From 1915 to 1920, Lake ran “Healing Rooms,” a healing center in Spokane, Washington. In 1920, he moved to Portland, Oregon, for a similar ministry that lasted for a few years. He later on returned to Spokane and practiced his healing ministry until his death. In 1935, Lake suffered a serious stroke and died a fortnight later, on September 16, 1935, at age 65.

[edit] Legacy

Several books have been written recording Lake’s experiences and miracles attributed in Lake.

Lake’s history has served as a guide to other ministries, such as Curry R. Blake’s “John G. Lake Ministries,” based in Edgewater CO, and Healing Rooms Ministries, led by Cal Pierce, headquartered in Spokane, Washington.

In 1987, Wilford Reidt (the son-in-law of Lake) and his wife, Gertrude (Lake’s daughter) passed the leadership of their ministry to Curry R. Blake. Blake was named the General Overseer of the International Apostolic Council, an organization founded by John G. Lake in 1914. Today, the ministry establishes “John G. Lake Healing Rooms” and trains Christians in divine healing.

In 1999, the Healing Rooms in Spokane, Washington were opened, which are not affiliated with John G. Lake Ministries. The Healing Rooms place an emphasis on not only serving the city of Spokane, but in duplicating the ministry of healing globally, with currently 1,026 Healing Rooms in 45 nations.

(Source: Wikipedia.com)

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