James Gordon Lindsay


James Gordon Lindsay was a revivalist preacher, author, and founder of Christ for the Nations Institute.
Born in Zion, Illinois, Lindsay's parents were disciples of John Alexander Dowie, the father of healing revivalism in America. After the family moved to Portland, Oregon, the young boy was influenced by John G. Lake and converted by Charles Fox Parham. At the age of eighteen he began his ministry as a traveling evangelist, conducting meetings in Assembly of God churches and other Pentecostal groups.

Biography

James Gordon Lindsay was born and raised in an atmosphere of healing and Pentecostal experience. He was born in Zion City, Illinois, on June 18, 1906. His parents were Thomas Lindsay and Effie Lindsay. They were followers of John Alexander Dowie, a famous healing evangelist. When the city went bankrupt, after the fall of Dowie, the Lindsay family moved to a Christian community in California, led by Pisgah Finis E. Yoakum, and then to Portland, Oregon. He converted during a meeting led by Charles Fox Parham, the initiator of the Pentecostal movement in Topeka, Kansas. He then developed a relationship with John G. Lake, who started the Divine Healing Mission in Spokane, Washington and Portland, Oregon. Lindsay traveled with Lake in the campaigns of California and the southern states. Then he became a pastor of a Foursquare Gospel church in California, but returned to Oregon, where he married Freda Schimpf.

Voice of Healing

When World War II broke out, Lindsay accepted a call to become pastor of a church in Ashland, Oregon in early 1940. He first heard William Branham in a meeting in Sacramento and, after meeting with him, they both agreed that Lindsay should act as Branham's campaign manager. In 1947 he resigned his pastoral position to become campaign manager for Branham. In order to promote the campaign, Lindsay started the "Voice of Healing" in April 1948, a magazine of wide circulation, particularly in the southern US. The first issue listed William Branham as Publisher, Gordon Lindsay as Editor, Jack Moore as Associate Editor, and Anna Jeanne Moore as Circulation Editor.
A few months later in July 1948, Branham announced he was stepping away from the revival circuit for a time. The news came as quite a blow to Lindsay who had just begun the revival publication to cover Branham's meetings. Coverage of other evangelists, such as Jack Coe, Oral Roberts, and A. A. Allen began to appear in the magazine as it circulated nationwide. The group sponsored the first convention of healing evangelists in Dallas, Texas during 1949 and began to function as a loose fellowship of ministers under the Voice of Healing banner. In 1950 a biography of Branham written by Lindsay was published.
By October 1950, Branham was no longer the publisher but was listed as an associate editor. The masthead listed the following editors:
As the popularity of some of its members rose, they left the fellowship to establish their own organizations and publish their own literature.
Lindsay's own work began to move in the direction of missions. He began sponsoring missions programs in several foreign countries and started a radio ministry. During 1956 he conducted a Winning the Nations Crusade, sending teams of ministers all around the world. The Voice of Healing magazine changed names briefly to World-Wide Revival in 1968 before the final change to Christ for the Nations. One of Lindsay's last visions before his death was a in Dallas, Texas. Christ For The Nations Institute began in 1970 and has trained thousands of students from around the world.
Lindsay was a prolific writer, publishing over 250 volumes of historical and doctrinal books on the healing revival movement. His ministry came to a halt with his sudden death on April 1, 1973. Lindsay's wife Freda and family continued the work he began. Christ for the Nations, Inc. has five main facets: a national church program; a national literature work; a Jewish mission in Israel; ; and a prayer and tape ministry.
Gordon Lindsay was also the first Evangelical preacher/writer to assume a link between the UFO phenomenon of his day and the fallen Angels in Genesis 6. He wrote several books about the subject, as well as articles in the Voice of Healing Magazine.
Lindsay, as well as Charles Cullis, felt there was need for a literature that covered the history, theology and healing experience. He wrote over 250 books and pamphlets, besides being a regular contributor to the Voice of Healing magazine. Feeling a call to develop missions and evangelistic work, he sponsored campaigns to international missions. He started a radio program and along with WA Raiford, founded the International Club of Churches and Ministers of the Full Gospel. During 1956, he held a Winning Cross of Nations, in order to send teams of ministers to the whole world. The Voice of Healing magazine changed its name to Christ For The Nations.
His daughter Shira is married to Pastor Ari Sorko-Ram, who founded the Maoz Israel ministry in Israel.

Christ For The Nations Institute

Lindsay taught people to be missionaries in the nations, the power of the name of Jesus, and the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Then in 1970 he founded Christ For The Nations Institute together with his wife. It now has over 1200 students with 250 international students from 50 different nations.
Lindsay died unexpectedly on April 1, 1973, in a time of worship in the Institute. He was 66.
Freda Lindsay, his wife, diligently continued his dream of founding apostolic churches, developing ministers and supporting many students. She remained active as the President of CFNI until she retired in her 90s. "Mom" Lindsay died in her home on March 26, 2010, at the age of 95 on "Gordon Lindsay Day," a day the institute had designated to remember and honor the legacy of the founder.
His son, Dennis Lindsay, is the current president of CFNI and continues the work that his parents started.
Dr. John Hollar is the current executive director of CFNI.