Don Basham
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Don Wilson Basham (1926-1989) was a popular Bible teacher and author. Born and raised in Wichita Falls, Texas, Basham was raised in a Baptist home but later joined the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) whilst at college. He became involved in the Charismatic renewal in 1963 [1]. Basham studied at Midwestern State University, Phillips University (BA) and its graduate seminary in Enid, Oklahoma (BD).
Following the reported miraculous healing of a close friend, Basham and his wife Alice experienced a dramatic spiritual awakening that led him to leave a promising career in commercial art in 1951 to enter the Christian ministry [2]. He was ordained as a Disciples of Christ Minister in 1955.
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[edit] Family
Whilst at college, he met Alice Roling who was also born and raised in Wichita Falls. They married in 1949 and had five children; Cindi, Shari, Glenn, Lisa and Laura. Cindi, one of his daughters, was to marry Dick Leggatt who later became the President of Derek Prince Ministries [3].
[edit] Pastorates
After a five year pastorate in suburban Washington D.C., he became pastor of the Hillcrest Christian Church in Toronto, Canada and was later pastored a church in Sharon, Pennsylvania.
[edit] Itinerant Ministry
After the publication of his first book, Basham left the pastorate in 1967 to commence a freelance writing and traveling ministry.
He travelled extensively in the US and abroad (Jamaica, England, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Austria, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Israel and New Zealand) [4] teaching on subjects such as the Holy Spirit, deliverance, spiritual authority and faith.
Basham's deliverance ministry resulted in some notoriety. In the 1970s, Basham's and Prince's teaching on deliverance and practice of public exorcisms had a significant impact on the charismatic movement [5]. His stance that a Christian could be demonised also caused some controversy amongst Pentecostals.[citation needed]
[edit] Christian Growth Ministries
In 1970, Basham along with Bible teachers Derek Prince, Bob Mumford, Ern Baxter and Charles Simpson were asked to take on the leadership of Holy Spirit Teaching Mission (HSTM) an interdenominational charismatic teaching organisation based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In 1972 HSTM changed its name to Christian Growth Ministries (CGM).[citation needed]
The four Bible teachers taught a controversial doctrine of so-called 'spiritual covering' that required individual Christians to be submitted and accountable to a leader. They became the leaders of the Shepherding Movement. Basham submitted himself to Derek Prince as his personal shepherd [4].
Together with Prince and Mumford, Basham established Good News Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1974 [6]. Basham later relocated with the CGM to Mobile, Alabama in 1982 when it adopted the name Integrity Communications [7].
Basham was the editor of CGMs monthly magazine, New Wine from 1975 to 1981 and served as chief editorial consultant until it ceased publication in 1986. New Wine at one time was the most widely circulated Charismatic publication in the US [8].
After the breakup of Integrity Communications, Basham moved to Elyria, Ohio. He continued his travelling Bible teaching ministry but never fully recovered from the disappointment brought about from his involvement with Integrity Communications and the discipleship/Shepherding Movement.[citation needed]
[edit] Books
Basham wrote sixteen books and numerous articles for Christian magazines.
- A Handbook on Holy Spirit Baptism
- A handbook on tongues, interpretation and prophecy
- A manual for spiritual warfare
- Beyond Blessing to Obedience, CGM Publishing (1976)
- Can a Christian have a demon?
- Deliver us from Evil
- Deliver us from Temptation
- Face up with a miracle
- Lead Us Not into Temptation, Chosen Books (1986)
- How God guides us
- Spiritual Power: How to Get it, Hoe to Give it
- True and False Prophets, Manna Books (1973)
- Miracle of Tongues
- The Most Dangerous Game
- The way I see it
- Willing to Forgive
Co-author of:
- Family, Integrity Publications, (1982)
- The unseen war, New Wine Publications (undated)
- Seed Truth, Manna Christian Outreach (1975)
[edit] References
- ^ Basham, D.W., Deliver Us from Temptation. Chosen Books. 1986
- ^ Basham, D.W., Face Up with a Miracle. Whitaker House. 1967
- ^ Basham, D.W., Deliver Us From Evil. Chosen Books. 1972
- ^ a b Basham, D.W., Beyond Blessing to Obedience, CGM Publishing, 1976
- ^ Smail et al., Charismatic Renewal: The Search for a Theology, SPECK, London, 1993
- ^ Balmer, R., Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism, Baylor University Press, 2004
- ^ Burgess & McGee (ed)., Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements, Zondervan, 1988
- ^ Synan (ed), The Century of the Holy Spirit: 100 Years of Pentecostal and Charismatic Renewal, Nelson, 2001
