The Story Starts Falling Apart

During his investigation, White showed that places Grant named as those where he’d had major successes didn’t even exist. Grant claimed to have had a holy vision in a specific motel in California. White showed him that such a motel had never existed. His published personal history was false. Grant had also claimed he received an in-person visit from Reverend William Branham, one of the earliest of the evangelist healers, in 1962, while at school. Grant said that he had just responded to a football scholarship offer from UCLA. Branham, he said, had walked into his room, looked him in the eye strangely, and declared:W. V., even as Elijah’s mantle fell upon Elishah, soon my mantle will fall upon you.

Grant claims that he gave up a promising football career and dedicated himself to God and that “just a few days later, Brother William Branham was killed in a car accident.” Not so. The Reverend Branham was alive and well at that time. He met his demise a full three years after the date claimed by Grant. What’s more, UCLA denies that Grant was ever enrolled there, though Grant advertises that he attended the university. Finally, when Grant was asked about an incident in which he’d been captured on videotape by the WOKR cameras tip-toeing from a former showgirl’s motel room at 1:00 a.m. with his shoes in his hand, he told a justifiably skeptical Al White that he had been “ministering” to the young lady. He had made four visits in one night! As he ran off to his car and to the faithful worshipers awaiting his wisdom at the auditorium, Grant said to White, “Pray for me, brother!” White answered dryly, “I sure will.” A Syracuse University student, Beth Zanowick, was present at the WOKR filming. She wanted to know why some persons who had been “called out” by Grant were willing to ignore the truth and allow the facts to be misrepresented in Grant’s favor. She observed: I think because they just want to be healed so much, they have so much faith in this man, that they’re willing to say anything to have healing come to them.

Concerning a specific woman who was “called out” and whom she questioned afterward, Zanowick said:[Grant] said, “Did anyone else in this room talk with you?” And she said, “No!” And, in fact, she had talked with me, and / knew her name and what was wrong with her!

(Note that question: “Did anyone else in this room talk with you?” Grant is implying that the woman spoke to no one, but he is really asking if “anyone else but Grant” spoke with her!)

The Haitian Orphanages

Grant’s claims about his good works in Haiti interested investigator White. Grant had claimed, during the Rochester meeting, that he was feeding 4,000 to 5,000 orphans there every month. White was able to find a group of only 30 or 40 who had ever been fed by Grant. But he gave Grant an opportunity to prove the rest of them. He asked Grant if all those orphans were really benefiting from the Grant ministry. Replied Grant, obviously uncomfortable with the question:Yes. Oh, yes. In fact, I can show you—uh—cancelled—uh—checks where we send—uh—probably—I’m now—uh—I would say an average of between $3,500 and $4,500 hundred down there each month.

Though WOKR sent Grant mailgrams following up its requests to see those checks, it never received proof that Grant ever sent any money to Haiti for any purpose. What is even more interesting—and gratifying—about the WOKR episode is that Vince De Luca, general manager of the TV station, announced that for ethical reasons it was dropping the Grant broadcast immediately at the close of its series of reports. Unfortunately, WOKR replaced his show with that of David Epley, a Florida-based faith-healer using essentially the same methods!