The “Gift of Knowledge”

Let us consider the process of “calling out.” Here’s how it works. I visited several evangelists who perform this stunt as part of their acts. My team and I sat through endless mind-numbing hours of repetitious, trite sermonizing to determine all the details of the process. Most of that sermonizing was designed to apply “operant conditioning” to the audience. The audience participants were actually being given a crash course in how to react to the various bits of emotional stimuli that were being presented to them and that would be reintroduced again later. The preacher would ask inane questions like, “Anyone here understands that?” and “Anybody here can say, ‘Praise the Lord’?” By eliciting constant, easy, affirmative responses, the pattern was laid for continued positive responses. Later, when important questions like “Anyone here going to give the largest bill they have to Jesus?” were asked, the answer was likely to follow the pattern. I discovered that obtaining the information about the victims for the “calling out” process is the easiest part of it all, and is accomplished simply by asking them! Because people are admitted to the auditorium many hours before the performances, I had my team of observers with me at the moment the doors first opened at every one of the episodes we investigated. We spread out in groups of two or three and waited patiently until we were approached by someone from the evangelist’s camp. We saw those workers striking up casual conversations with early arrivals, determining the needed information, noting the seating location and a brief description of the person involved, and then hurrying backstage to record that data. Most of these preachers send their wives to wander around and gather information, and all of them send their “front men” for that same purpose.

A Smooth Act

W. V. Grant’s act is dependent upon this gimmick, so I will describe in detail how he works the stunt. At Grant’s meetings, his wife, Shirley, and other acolytes were seen wandering around in the audience before every performance hustling up information for the boss to use, and even Grant himself was out there gathering information in person. Recorded at one Brooklyn revival meeting, his questioning went like this:Hello! I’m Reverend Grant. Good to see you here today! Is Jesus going to heal you today, brother? Good! What—what’s—your—(long pause) problem? I see. Well, Jesus will heal you. I’m going to call you today. Uh—what’s—uh—what’s your doctor’s name? Uh-huh. I see. Well, God bless you, brother. God bless you.

And that’s it. Short, simple, and bold. He has the required data, and he’ll use it. In addition to this method, “healing cards” are often used. These cards are handed to all who enter, and recipients are told that specific information concerning “prayer needs” of the individual is to be written down, plus names and addresses. The cards are gathered up early and taken backstage, bearing the same sort of data that can be obtained by the straight questioning gimmick.