John G. Lake
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Graham Lake, (1870-1935), usually known as "John G. Lake", was a businessman influenced by the healing ministry of John Alexander Dowie, received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in 1907 in the wake of the Azusa Street Revival and became known for his ministry as a missionary and “faith healer.” His life and message are represented in a book compiled by Roberts Liardon, entitled, John G. Lake: The Complete Collection of His Life Teachings.
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. Lake was a very industrious businessman, and started two newspapers, before beginning a very successful career in real estate. By the time he left for the mission field he walked away from a $50,000 year salary (around 1 million in 2005 dollars), as well as his seat on the Chicago Board of Trade.
Early in his career, Lake's wife, whom he deeply loved, and even adored, fell ill with a life threatening illness. Having a lifetime of suffering and bereavement behind him, he refused to accept this, and took the radical step of taking her to see John Alexander Dowie. Dowie had a reputation as a wild faith healer and founder of Zion City, Illinois fifty miles north of Chicago around this belief. Through Dowie's prayer of faith Lake's wife allegedly was healed, and he was drawn into Dowie's movement, and he eventually became and elder in the church. It was here that he began to practice "divine healing". Although Dowie rejected the Pentecostal message, a number of early Pentecostal leaders, including F.F. Bosworth, were trained under Dowie.
Lake's greatest ministry was in South Africa, and his ministry there had dramatic and far reaching consequences. The incredible stories of his ministry are too numerous to recount [and impossible to verify]. 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 led it for 30 years.
Lake's ministry was unique and he had relationships with many of the leading figures of his day including railroad tycoon, James J. Hill, Cecil Rhodes, Mahatma Gandhi, Conan Doyle, and others. Rhodes allegedly reported that "Lake's message swept Africa. He has done more toward South Africa's future peace than any other man." Gandhi was reported to have said that "Dr. Lake's teachings will eventually be accepted by the entire world." After his ministry in South Africa, he returned to the US and settled in Spokane Washington, where he had healing rooms, and saw tens of thousands allegedly healed either under his hands or those he trained.
