John G. Lake’s Clandestine Affair
John G. Lake, considered to be a great divine healer in the early 20th century, is said to have healed over 100,000 people in his lifetime.
The city of Spokane, where he resided during part of his ministry is reported as being the healthiest city in the U.S. if not the entire world. Many popular Charismatic authors also make huge claims about Lake’s healing ministry. For example, in his book “The Rewards of Fasting,” Mike Bickle, the director of IHOP goes so far as to say:
“He went to South Africa for five years and birthed hundreds of churches, seeing an estimated 500,000 healings, which included people being raised from the dead. He led untold thousands of people to Christ in those days.”
Bill Johnson and Roberts Liardon make Lake out to be a man of great integrity, whose only desire was to see God’s power and healing in the life of every person:
“If there was ever a man who walked in the revelation of ‘God in man,’ it was John G. Lake. A man of purpose, vision, strength, and character, his one goal in life was to bring the fullness of God to every person.”
And Bill Johnson, pastor of Bethel Church in Redding California, says:
“God’s love poured through him. He saw people as lost sheep, and the passionate desire of his soul became the proclamation of the salvation message of Jesus, accompanied by powerful healing and blessing.”
As a matter of fact, in many of Johnson’s books Lake is either mentioned, quoted, or praised.
“Reading John G. Lake furthered my quest along the way. His insights into the Spirit-filled life are the greatest I have seen anywhere. His insights and stories ruined me.”
Bill Johnson loves John G. Lake so much that he put Lake’s photo (along with Kathryn Kuhlman) on the homepage of his website: Bill Johnson Ministries. Johnson has been building a collection of artifacts he calls the “House of Generals.”
But was John G. Lake the great man of God that Bill Johnson and these leaders make him out to be?
The answer to that question is, no, not at all.
And as you’re going to see, all it takes is a little digging to see that Lake was indeed a complete fraud.
Who was Carol Goodenough?
Carol Goodenough was the teenage daughter of the Goodenough's who provided a cottage for Lake and his family to live in after they arrived in South Africa as missionaries from 1908- 1913. In 1909 Lake returned to the States in order to raise funds for his mission work there. On the ship was 17 year old Carol Goodenough. She was returning to the States by the direction of her brother to go to school. Lake's late wife Jennie and Carol were friends. Jennie died only 6 months after arriving in South Africa. After Jennie's death in December of 1908, Lake became engaged to Ada White. Ada died from malaria that same year. Shortly after Ada's death, Lake became engaged to Carol Goodenough. He was 38, she was 17.
These early newspaper articles from 1909 tell the story of an affair that Lake's biographers didn't want anyone to know about.
The Clandestine Affair
I hope that the information provided in this video will be helpful to those who are duped by modern day Charismatic leaders into thinking that John G. Lake was a man greatly used by God. Actually as you will see Lake was a liar and a fraud.
More information about these false “God’s Generals” will be coming in the days ahead-stay tuned to the Messed Up Church!
If you would like access to these articles for your own research, blog articles, or videos, you can email me at dlongatwork@gmail.com.
Daniel Long is the host of the Long for Truth YouTube channel, and co-host of the Messed Up Church podcast.