Raymond 'Junior' Jackson

Early Life

Raymond M. 'Junior' Jackson was born to Raymond Sr. and Esther Jackson in the town of Borden Indiana in 1924. He attended the Borden public school leaving in the eighth grade to help his father, who suffered from tuberculosis of the spine, attend their farm. He was drafted into World War II at the age of 18 and served in the Pacific theatre during the war. While not directly in combat he was present in many of theater's Great Battles. After returning from the War he married his wife, Opal Funk. He later became involved in the Methodist Church eventually becoming traveling pastor of several Methodist Churches in the Elizabeth Indiana area, where he settled in 1951 on land which he would continue to farm for most of his life.

Contact with William Branham

In 1952 Jackson was introduced to William Branham by his wife's cousin, Glen Funk, while the two hunted on his farm in Elizabeth Indiana. Between 1952 and 1955 he became a close follower of William Branham's teachings and is often mentioned as 'Junior' Jackson throughout Branham's sermons as a good friend and fellow minister. Overall, William Branham would have the single greatest influence on the ministry and teachings of Jackson. Particularly his teachings against denominationalism.

Ministry

In April 1955, after leaving the Methodist Church over differences in doctrine spurred by his contact with Branham, Jackson first began his home church, Faith Assembly Church. After some years he slowly became ostracized from the Branham Movement, or 'The Message' churches, by refusing to enact Branham's 'Church Order' which Branham established to quell the riotous nature of some of the later Branham meetings. Church order was designed to limit the use of the Gifts of the Spirit from being used in an inappropriate manner that commonly disrupted Branham's services. Jackson believed it was only intended for use in Branham's own meetings and not in other churches associated with Branham's teachings since most of the associated churches, including his own, did not have those types of problems.

Following the death of Branham in 1965, Jackson's ministry and his followers began to diverge from the core of Branham's followers over various doctrinal differences, but mainly over the belief that Branham would raise from the dead and continue his ministry, and that some in 'The Message' began to believe that Branham was a manifestation of GOD, Christ, or greater than Christ. A belief that led to many of The Message followers being labeled Branhamites. These beliefs led many of the main stream denominations and peoples outside of The Message to label Branham's followers a cult and further led to all the sects of the Branham movement being viewed as monolithic, when in fact there are 5 major sects among the Branham followers and numerous more smaller ones. Jackson's sect being one of the larger, but least radical in their beliefs.

The main difference that led to Jackson and his followers in separating from the main stream of the Message were due to Jackson's teachings on unity. Jackson taught that everyone should have a unity of faith and doctrines. The rest of The Message movement believes that most doctrinal differences are of little concern and that it should not prevent fellowship amongst the various groups, so long as everyone attending believed in Branham as prophet. Jackson strongly resisted this claiming that there was only one true faith and one true set of doctrines and anything short of this was outside of the will of GOD.

Beginning in 1969, after his own assembly was well established, Jackson began to travel extensively to do missionary works around the world. Several concentrations of his followers began to Appear around the focal points of his missions in Canada, Mexico, Europe (mainly Norway and Germany), Africa (South Africa and Nigeria), The Philippines, India, Singapore, and throughout the United States, but his followers can be found in most countries. During his missionary work the gulf between Jackson and his followers and the Branham movement widened as he began to come into conflict with missions of the Branham movement. Many followers of the Branham movement began to separate themselves from 'Messages' churches and form assemblies of their own due to Jackson's teachings. A current estimate would say AbOUT 10-15% of the Branham followers are also followers of Jackson's teachings, some following his teachings more closely than others. There has always been a general back and forth with different areas and regions moving toward one sect of the Branham followers and away from another, because of that it is hard to put an accurate estimate together as to who is with what group and and what time.

Jackson's Doctrines

Jackson's doctrines differed in some areas from the other sects of the Branham movement, 'The Message', in that his philosophy was to 'build' upon the Branham's teachings rather than hold only to them for doctrine without adding anything more. His main additions to Branham's teachings were his teachings on

• 'Prehistoric Age and the Testing and Fall of Satan', a belief that before the 7 days spoken of in Genesis 1, the earth existed in a prehistoric state where creation was ruled by the angels. In that creation the angel's were tested leading to the fall of Satan and other angels into a state of wickedness. This was a topic only briefly mentioned by Branham.

• 'The Two Laws of Eden', a more in depth and comprehensive teaching of serpent seed doctrine and the two trees of Genesis 2 than that presented by Branham. While not differing on any point made by Branham but filling in the blanks left after his death. The main emphasis being that the two trees where laws or principles rather than physical trees; and that [...] was certainly how God intended for the reproduction of life (A doctrine in dispute among different sects of the Message), not [...] for pleasure.

• 'The Countdown is On', a chronological profile of events that will occur leading to end of the present world system and the establishment of the heavenly kingdom. While Branham dealt with many of the topics in this doctrine he never fully explained each of them and never placed them in a chronological order in which they would happen.

• 'Showdown and Sundown', a teaching concerning a miraculous war that will establish the Jewish nation and uncontested power of the Middle East which in turn will lead to the fall of Islam and initiate the events of the end time. This was a doctrine Seldom mentioned by Branham.

• 'The First Resurrection', the order in which Christians will be resurrected from the dead and reunited with their physical bodies. This doctrine also entails the teachings on the 'Rapture' or the 'Catching Away' and teachings on the second resurrection, which entails the resurrection and judgment of the wicked.

• 'The Godhead', A more well defined explanation of the existence and the being of God than that of Branham's. While not differing on any point made by Branham but filling in the blanks left after his death. The view was basically that the FATHER is GOD. Christ was a human being, only he was perfect and without sin; similar to Adam before he committed sin with Eve. The Holy Ghost is the part of GOD (The Father) that lives inside of a person who has received salvation, and that same Holy Ghost dwelt in Christ in it's full manifestation; but in other people only partially because of their imperfection. It is this Holy Ghost that makes Christians, and Christ himself, like God.

• The Clarification of 'Dual Statements, Branham made several contradictory statements prior to his death in various sermons. For example at one point he claimed there was 7 year left to the 70th week of Daniel and at another point only 3 and half years. Jackson came out clearly for 7 years and said the Branham misspoke when saying 3 and half years to catch the Branham movement off guard and to prove if they truly understood his teachings. These clarifications also cause conflict between Jackson and the Branham movement because the Branham movement GeneRally refuses to choose one statement as correct, but rather believes in both.

In addition to these major differences there are various other minor differences between Jackson's teachings and the Branham movements teachings in the areas of Marriage and Divorce, Holiness, Church Order, The Gifts of the Spirit, The Five Fold Ministry, and The Millennium among other topics. But overall Jackson's doctrines can be traced to Branham's teachings and do not differ significantly in most areas.

The Contender

Starting in 1969 Jackson began publishing his sermons in a magazine titled The Contender. The paper was named after Jude 1:3. All of his major doctorines are written there and many of them can be found online at The Home of the Contender. The magazine has a global circulation is well known among the Branham Movement. Some in the movement consider it a heresy and forbid it among their assemblies whereas it is embraced by others who consider it a more comprehensible and better edited version of the The Spoken Word.The Contender is still in print and can be ordered on the Faith Assembly Church website.

Death

Jackson was hospitalized with pnuemonia December 2 2004 and died shortly thereafter at age 80, on December 4 2004 after his health rapidly deteriorated. His funeral, held December 8 2004, was attended by the heads of all the major assemblies following his teachings, as well as nearly one thousand of his followers.

Jackson's Followers

Jackson's followers are located around the world but are concentrated in the areas where his missions went. His followers maintain a Loose Connection mainly around conventions held at the Assembly in Jeffersonville Indiana. There are multiple assemblies in Norway, South Africa, Mexico, Canada, and the Philippines. There are smaller groups of followers in most other countries with larger groups in Australia, India, Nigeria, The Netherlands, The United Kingdom, Germany, and Argentina. The largest concentration is in the United States where there are around 30 assemblies and many more numerous small groups which hold to his teaching and interpretations of Branham's ministry. The largest assembly being his own in Jeffersonville Indiana.

Following his death there have been three distinct offshoots of his teachings. The largest being the group still associating with Jackson's own church and holding closely to his original teachings. A second group which no longer believes in Jackson's doctrines on 'The Countdown Is On'. And a third and smallest group mainly in Africa which no longer believes all of Jackson's doctrines on the 'The Two Laws of Eden'. All three groups claim to be continuation of Jackson's and Branham's beliefs.

References

https://www.fachurch.org https://www.thecontender.org The Contender Publication http://www.branham.org/