An excerpt, published in the Pentecostal Evangel, January 5, 1924.

Blessing in New Zealand. Brother Smith Wigglesworth writes that he has received a great welcome on his return visit to New Zealand. Writing of his first visit eighteen months ago, Mr. E.E. Pennington, Chairman of the New Zealand Evangelical Mission of Wellington writes, “In June 1922, Brother Smith Wigglesworth came to Wellington little known to any of us. There was no flourishing of trumpets to herald his advent—a few small advertisements in the local press announced his meetings. About one thousand attended his first meeting on a Sunday evening, and the night following this number was increased by about five hundred to six hundred. From then on it was impossible to secure buildings large enough to accommodate the crowds, and the large Town Hall, seating three thousand, was packed every evening. On some occasions the crowd waited for hours about the doors before the commencement of the meetings rather than be denied the opportunity of hearing the man and his message. Never had the writer witnessed such scenes as followed the presentation of the Word of God by this Spirit-filled man, although being associated with such mighty evangelists as Drs. Torrey, Henry, Chapman and others in part of their New Zealand campaigns. On every occasion when an appeal was made for the unconverted to decide for Christ, the response was immediate and great, sometimes as many as four hundred to five hundred responding in a meeting—over two thousand made the great decision during the mission in Wellington—in some cases whole families entered the kingdom of God.”

Many healed. We have received a few testimonies of those healed in this meeting. Mrs. E. Curtis of Christchurch, New Zealand, was suffering with septic poisoning. She had become only a skeleton and the doctors could do nothing for her. She had agonizing pains all day and all night. She was healed immediately [after] prayer was made for her. She states that for the past sixteen years she has been a martyr to pain but is now wonderfully well. Another testified to healing of deafness, goiter, adenoids and bad eyesight. Another testified to healing of double curvature of the spine from infancy, hip disease, weak heart, leg lengthened three inches, which grew normal like the other leg. It was also three inches less in circumference. She wore a large boot but now walks on even feet, the large boot having been discarded. Another was healed from goiter through handkerchief.

Blessing in Melbourne, Australia. Mr. W. Buchanan, a leading Christian worker of Melbourne, writes of the Wigglesworth campaign in that city. “We had three glorious weeks of triumphant victory in the Melbourne meetings. Fully one thousand souls were converted to the Lord Jesus Christ, and many scores were healed: in fact, the testimonies of those healed are still continuing to come in.”

Labels: 1924, Pentecostal Evangel