The Latter Rain Movement had its beginnings in the years following World War II and was contemporary with the evangelical awakening led by Billy Graham, as well as with the Healing Revival of Oral Roberts, Jack Coe, and William Branham.
[2] In the fall of 1947, several leaders of the small Pentecostal Sharon Orphanage and Schools in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, were inspired to begin a period of intense fasting and prayer for "outpourings of the Holy Spirit" after visiting one of Branham's healing campaigns in Vancouver, Canada.
[3] Later that year, groups organized large revival events, and news quickly swept across Canada and the United States, influencing many Pentecostal believers.
William Branham, Ern Baxter, Sam Fife, John Robert Stevens, Paul Cain, Emanuele Cannistraci, Dick Iverson, Kevin Conner, Dick Benjamin, Leonard Fox, Violet Kitely, Reg Lazelle, David Schoch, George Evans, Charlotte Baker, Fuchsia Pickett, Jim Watt and others, were prominent ministries that influenced and were influenced by the Latter Rain.
Latter Rain emphases are some of the most noticeable differences between Pentecostals and Charismatics, as delineated, for example, by the Assemblies of God USA in their 2000 position paper on end time revival.
[8] In response, about 70 students gathered in October 1947 in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, to begin the first term of the newly formed Sharon Bible College.
[13] Haltingly, the members of the school began to pray and lay hands on people, and there were reports of multiple healings as result of the prayers.
[13] Thomas Holdcroft wrote about the events: In extended chapel services for four days... the procedure emerged of calling out members of the audience and imparting a spiritual gift to them by the laying on of hands accompanied by a suitable prophecy.
Its pastor, Joseph Mattsson-Boze was a leading figure in the Independent Assemblies of God, whose denomination embraced the movement early on.
In 1900, when the Zionist movement was seeking a homeland for the Jewish people in Palestine, it coincided with "a restoration of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit" at the Azusa Street Revival in 1906.
[16] In 1948 when the modern nation of Israel was established, they claim God restored the doctrine of the laying on of hands and praise through the Latter Rain Revival and raised up healing evangelists such as Branham and Oral Roberts.
This teaching was widely promoted by Branham, Hawtin, Mattson-Boze, Ern Baxter, and many other prominent figures connected to the movement.
[16] George Warnock, a former personal secretary to Ern Baxter (an associate with William Branham's healing ministry), resided at Sharon Schools in the fall of 1949 and performed various work supporting the movement.
"[12] Some Pentecostal denominational leadership began to openly oppose the revival in the spring of 1948, and questioned the teachings and practices being developed by the movement.
[17] According to one author, "leaders of the Assemblies of God watched in horror" as the Latter Rain movement began to grant ministering licenses to unqualified preachers and viewed some of their teachings as divisive and harmful.
[18] For instance, the 1949 General Council of the Assemblies of God USA declared in its Resolution #7: We disapprove of those extreme teachings and practices, which being unfounded scripturally, serve only to break fellowship of like precious faith and tend to confusion and division among members of the Body of Christ, and be it hereby known that this 23rd General Council disapproves of the so-called 'New Order of the Latter Rain'...[7]Bill Britton wrote that in the restoration of the last days, we find certain men whose names are linked with the principles that were being revealed in their day... when we come to the time of the so-called "Latter Rain" revival of 1948–49 and the early '50s, the doctrine of "laying on of hands" (with prophecy) springs up, and we see ministries emerging into the national limelight as George and Ernie Hawtin, Myrtle Beall, Winston Nunes, Omar Johnson and many others.
Latter Rain emphases are some of the most noticeable differences between Pentecostals and Charismatics, as delineated, for example, by the Assemblies of God in their 2000 position paper on End Time Revival.
Some branches of the movement developed as cult-like groups, such Sam Fife and The Move, William Branham and The Message, and John Robert Stevens and The Walk.
The Latter Rain brought a new focus on the spiritual elements of Christianity, including personal prophecy, typological interpretation of Scripture, the restoration of the five-fold ministry, and a different eschatological emphasis.
[26] "Leaders of the movement taught that the Christian Church must restore and equip a “five-fold ministry” which included modern-day apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.
Then, while appointing key individuals to these roles, the movement presented the idea that mainstream Christianity had become apostate and needed purging.
"[18] The Latter Rain broke with the historic dispensationalism which had become entrenched in the ranks of Pentecostalism, which they believed tended to be pessimistic and apocalyptic in its outlook.
Rather than attempting to save a few souls before the rise of the anti-Christ, the Latter Rain emphasized the Church as overcoming and victorious, relating that it would come into "full stature" as taught by the Apostle Paul.
By coming into the full stature of Christ, they would use their newfound powers to usher in his millennial reign through the creation of a theocratic system of government.
[27][28] The manifested sons theology is also deeply connected with Fivefold ministry thinking, and played an important role in shaping the way these teachings were viewed by subsequent movements.
[29] Early leaders used Ephesians 4 to develop the idea that the manifestation of the sons of God could only be achieved through the leadership of specially endowed preachers operating as a "five-fold" ministry.
In practice, this led to the creation of a strongly authoritarian leadership structure where members were required to submit themselves to the direction of their leaders for life guidance, decision making, and discipline.
[28] The Latter Rain taught that there would be a restoration of the five ministerial roles mentioned in Ephesians 4:11: apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher.
By contrast, the Latter Rain movement taught that the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the gifts can be imparted from one believer to another through the laying on of hands.
Ministers Fellowship International (MFI) is the most prominent direct descendant of the Latter Rain movement and one that is considered mainstream in theology.