THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT EVANGELIST A. A. ALLEN

THE ALLEN I KNEW

Paul J. Cunningham, D.D.

I have been asked by some, to "set the record straight" concerning A. A. Allen, by writing about the man I personally knew. Because of the confusion, and the continual attacks on this man who has been dead for 30 years, (as though he were such a "force" that certain parties must discredit him), I have agreed to do so.

I was in a city-wide revival meeting in the Veterans Memorial Auditorium, in Vallejo, California, February, 1965. Late one night, after having a tremendous outpouring of the Spirit of God in the service, then returning to my apartment, I went to bed at approx. 1:30 A.M. At about 2 A.M., the room filled with light, and, suspecting that someone had entered and turned on the light, I sat up in bed and looked around. The room was empty of any human being, but filled with a glorious, supernatural light, and in the midst of the light, stood an Angel of God.

The Angel spoke:

"Fear not, I am sent of God to instruct you and tell you of a New Move of God that is beginning in the earth". . .  "This move will be called Restoration Revival, and will bring restoration to the Church, the Body of Christ, and will be different from any other revival the world has ever known. . . as it will climax with the physical return of Jesus Christ".  

The Angel continued:

"You are to close your crusade here in Vallejo, and go to Miracle Valley, Arizona, to minister to A. A. Allen.   These are the words you are to tell him . . .'God has chosen you to spearhead and announce Restoration Revival to the world . . . you will be used of God to begin this New Move, which will continue until Christ returns. You will need New Faith, to take a New Step forward.  This will be granted unto you, and your ministry will grow by leaps and bounds, because the world must hear . . . and you have been chosen by God to announce it to them.' "

The Angel told me also:

"Go to Miracle Valley and you will be given further instruction . . . go at once."

I closed my crusade the following evening, and drove to Miracle Valley, and after waiting on the Lord for three days, the door opened for me to minister personally to A. A. Allen, during the evening meeting. (The story was carried in the April, 1965 edition of Miracle Magazine, which we have available on floppy disk).

For the next 6 years, (until his death in 1970) I was a prophet to the Allen Ministry, and a close personal friend of A. A. Allen. I ate at the same table with him, often slept in the same motels, was in many of the revival meetings he conducted across America, and was his "agent" in the UK. I was an "invited guest speaker" in all the subsequent Camp Meetings. (twice each year in Miracle Valley).

Given these circumstances, I feel I am qualified to speak about Bro. Allen and his life and ministry.

First, I want to go on record by saying . . .  "I have never seen anyone cast out more devils, than Bro. Allen did." According to Jesus Christ, . . ."Satan does not cast out Satan, else his kingdom would be divided and not stand..."

Secondly, A. A. Allen kept the tightest schedule of any man I have ever known, never was late to a meeting, never missed a service without making prior arrangements for someone to fill in. These are not the "marks of an alcoholic."

Next, I never saw one thing in the life of this man that was "un-Christ like". . . he had more compassion than any other person I have known . . . spent many hours in prayer. . . loved lost souls. . . All the marks of a Christ-centered life.

Having "walked with him" for 6 years, I can truthfully say, "HE WAS A MAN OF GOD, WHO WALKED WITH GOD, AND THE DEROGATORY STORIES ABOUT HIM, ARE LIES, GENERATED BY SATAN, USING JEALOUSY OF LESSER MEN, AND THE CARNAL DESIRE OF OTHERS TO ATTEMPT TO DISCREDIT HIS WORK AND THE PROPHECIES GIVEN BY HIM."

The "Knoxville Incident". . .

Both Bro. Allen and H. Kent Rogers, (his vice-president and crusade song leader) told me the same story, separate from each other.

The Allen party was in revival in the Auditorium at Knoxville, Tennessee. in the mid 1950's . . . There was no church large enough to accommodate the crowds, so the auditorium was chosen. The local pastors of the denomination he belonged to at that time, were clamoring for the "headquarters" to force Allen to "come back into the churches, where he belonged". . . (The real reason for the pressure to go back into the churches, was due to the fact that the local church would then receive the tithe from the offerings received; whereas, in the auditorium meetings, only the denominational headquarters got any tithe).

When Allen refused to "return to the churches", because the crowds attending the meetings were too big for any church to accommodate, the "preachers" decided to "rule or ruin" the Allen ministry!

Bro. Allen drove from the motel in Knoxville, to the auditorium each night, accompanied by Bro. Rogers, and one or two others of the team.  Since Allen did not eat before the service, he stopped at a local cafe on the way, to have a glass of milk.

This particular evening in question, he remarked to Rogers, "Rog, that milk tasted funny". . . Rogers responded, "perhaps it was blinky," meaning about to sour. . .

They then left the cafe for the meeting, and after driving a couple of blocks, Bro. Allen told Rogers, "I feel really dizzy, and think I'd better let someone else drive."  He pulled over, and when he stopped, the media were there, accompanied by several denominational pastors, and the police. (What a strange coincidence!)

Allen was then "ticketed" for DUI, and given a citation and allowed to proceed. He went to the auditorium , conducted the meetings, and in the following days newspaper, the headlines screamed, "Evangelist Allen arrested for drunk driving". . .

Allen and Rogers both told me this story. . . and that Allen simply "paid the ticket" and went on, rather than interrupt the schedule of meetings. They both felt that the goal of the "vendetta" was to "stop the Allen meetings."  When the denomination demanded that Allen "stop his ministry", he refused, and "went independent."  That meant an end to the large "tithe" they had been receiving, so they continued to attempt to "blackball" the Allen ministry.

In Allen's own words, "All the criticism directed against this ministry can be summed up in three words, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY!"

When God multiplied the Allen ministry, and his Miracle Magazine was being read by five million readers each month, the devil was "outraged" to say the least.

I spoke with Bro. Allen by telephone, from England, just a few days prior to his death. He told me he was "going to San Francisco, with Gerald King (his brother-in-law, and executive director) to meet with Burney Schwartz, to re-do the radio contracts." (The Allen Revival Hour was then carried on approximately 186 stations daily.)

I returned to the U.S. and a couple of days later, he died. I spoke with Gerald King, and others; read the Medical Examiners report, and was also an "honor guard" at his funeral.

Gerald King said, "We were in the Jack Tar Hotel in San Francisco in the late afternoon, and Bro. Allen said, 'Jerry, I feel tired, I believe I'll rest a bit, before we go to dinner.' " Jerry said, "I went to my room, and about 8:00 P.M. began to be concerned because I hadn't heard from Allen. I phoned his room, got no reply, so went up and knocked on the door, and still got no reply.  I then proceeded to get the manager who opened the door, and we found Bro. Allen slumped over in an easy chair, dead."

The medical Examiner issued a certificate of death, stating the cause of death as "an apparent heart attack."

Many stories have been told, some stating that "the room was full of empty liquor bottles," and others, that he "died an alcoholic". . . but they are all lies, based on "narrow minded, evil surmisings," by people who would rather discredit the ministry, than to "believe the truth."  Believing the truth, requires one to accept the prophecies, and act upon them.

Many prophecies are yet unfulfilled. . . "My Vision of the Destruction of America," which Allen saw atop the Empire State Building. .  . and others.

We have reprinted many of Allen's books, and plan to reprint all of them, including "My Vision". . .

If Allen was "of the devil," and "died an alcoholic," then, why is it he did more for God, cast out more devils, got more sick healed, than any other ministry, and those who continually criticize him, have, for the most part, made little or no progress in "doing the work of God" in their own ministries?

If he were not of God, then why do some "find it necessary" to assassinate his character, demean his ministry, and slander his name, 30 years after his death?

Published with permission by European-American Evangelistic Crusades, Inc.