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W. E. Kidson is now, and has been for two decades,
recognized as one of the key men in this movement. His
remarkable executive ability was early recognized, and he
was elected to a high official position in a Oneness organization,
which through the merging of two main bodies of
this persuasion later became the United Pentecostal
Church. Brother Kidson filled the position of secretary of
the Pentecostal Church, Incorporated for a number of
office terms until a few years ago. He is now pastor of a
growing church in Houston, Texas, and owner of the
Herald Publishing House, from whence he publishes a
fine Pentecostal paper called The Herald of Truth! This
paper is enjoying a fine circulation. At a recent revival
campaign in Brother Kidson’s church, Pentecost was
repeated in a remarkable manner, so that through the laying
on of Evangelist William Branham’s hands, cancers
and other incurable diseases were healed, and some blind
people had their sight completely restored. When God
honors a man’s work, the conditions of his heart and life
must be eminently scriptural.
Raymond G. Hoekstra of Indianapolis, Indiana, is
one of the outstanding figures of this movement. In his
church with a seating capacity of approximately one
thousand people, there is a constant revival going on. In
these meetings the signs and miracles and gifts of the
Holy Ghost that characterized the ministry of the apostolic
church are not wanting. Recently, a Christian
school, recognized by the state, has been erected adjoining
the church in which the courses taught in the state
schools are taught by competent Christian teachers, and
Bible teaching is added to their curriculum. Pastor
Hoekstra has a radio broadcast that reaches out to a wide
constituency. To know this young man of God is to
admire him and love him, and his influence and power under God’s blessing is growing by leaps and bounds.
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A. D. Van Hoose is the pastor of a large church in
Evansville, Indiana, and has two broadcasts, one in
Harrisburg, Illinois, and the other in Del Rio, Texas. He
has been used to establish three churches and maintains
control of these, being responsible to supply pastors and
in other ways to supervise the work. We have watched
this young man in his home and in his church and radio
work and had the privilege of working with him, and he
is the nearest thing to perpetual motion we have ever
seen. He has a frail body, but God, the Holy Spirit,
vibrates every faculty with His energy. In addition to all
his many duties involving such great responsibility, he is
the manager and editor of a paper called The Apostolic
Call. This paper is enjoying a wide circulation and is
growing in popularity among Pentecostal saints. His
work bulks big among the Apostolic faith churches in the
middle states. Although still in the prime of life, Brother
Van Hoose has been instrumental in God’s hand of getting
many preachers converted and baptized in the Holy
Spirit. He has sponsored these when they received a call
to the work, and rendered them invaluable help in their ministry.
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