Paul Cain (minister)

This article is about the minister. For the author, see Paul Cain (pen name).

Paul Cain (June 16, 1929 – February 12, 2019) was a Christian minister^[1] involved with both neo-charismatic churches and the Charismatic Movement, and is named one of the Kansas City Prophets.^[2] Cain resided in California and ministered monthly at a local church in Santa Maria, California until his death.^[3][4]

Early life and education

Paul Cain was born on June 16, 1929, in Garland, Texas. His mother Anna had been seriously ill with cancer, tuberculosis, and other difficulties, and was not expected to live giving birth.^{[5][verification needed]}

According to one source,^{[clarification needed]} her case was so severe that she was the subject of special medical attention; as it describes, to the astonishment of doctors, both Cain and his mother survived the birth, and his mother was subsequently healed.^{[citation needed]} Cain attributed this to an angelic visitation his mother had at that time, and to the fervent prayers of his family, a visitation during which Cain states that he was given the name "Paul", and his mother became sure of his calling to preach.^{[citation needed]}

Career

Early ministry

According to author R. Scott Giberti, Cain drew crowds of 30,000 in Switzerland and Germany with his meetings.^{[6][page needed][verification needed]} Cain's ministry used a very large tent, like most other ministers of the time, including Billy Graham, Oral Roberts and Jack Coe.^{[citation needed]} Cain, however, reportedly became disgusted with what he saw as the corruption of a once-pure movement into a circus of hype and greed.^{[according to whom?][citation needed]} In the late 1950s, he claimed that he was "challenged by the Lord" concerning such excesses of various leaders in that movement,^{[This quote needs a citation]} and suddenly disappeared from public view.^{[citation needed]}

Later ministry

Cain is reported then to have begun to travel around the world,^{[according to whom?]} "proclaiming the gospel and calling the church back to purity and holiness".^{[This quote needs a citation]} He is reported to have served as a consultant to a Paranormal Division of the Central Intelligence Agency,^{[citation needed]} and a consultant to the FBI.^{[citation needed]}

He is reported to have ministered to many national and international leaders, ^{[citation needed]} as a consultant to,^{[clarification needed][citation needed]} or Special Envoy for, three presidents.^{[who?][citation needed]} During the Clinton Administration, Cain went to Iraq to meet with Saddam Hussein.^{[citation needed]} He also met with spiritual leaders, including key church and denominational leaders.^{[7][independent source needed][better source needed]}

Public apology

In April 2004, Rick Joyner, Jack Deere, and Mike Bickle, three ministers who had long-held, close ministerial relationships with Cain, met with Cain to confront him about a homosexual relationship and several incidents of public drunkenness.^{[citation needed]} He denied these accusations,^[when?] which led to Joyner, Deere, and Bickle to release a statement in October stating that he was unwilling to participate in the restoration process.^{[citation needed]} In February 2005, Cain stepped down from ministry and posted a letter of confession on his website.^[8] excerpts of which appeared in Charisma Magazine.^[9] "I have struggled in two particular areas, homosexuality and alcoholism," Cain admitted, "for an extended period of time."^{[8][9][verification needed]}

In response to this confession, David Andrade of "Reclaiming The Valley [RTV] International Ministries" formed a restoration team; some of those serving during the restoration and emergence process included Steve Dittmar, John Sanford, Cal Pierce, Rick Taylor, Kari Browning, Jerry Bowers, David and Donna Diaz, Randy Demain, David Andrade and Olivia Cook.^[10] Paul Cain returned to the public eye in April 2007, and resumed speaking at meetings throughout the U.S and abroad.^{[citation needed]} His rehabilitation was questioned by Rick Joyner, Jack Deere, and Mike Bickle, with Jack Deere stating that they lacked confidence in his rehabilitation, did not consider him restored, and therefore believed his return to ministry premature.^[11]

In January 2007, David Andrade declared Cain to have been restored, and to be ready to minister again freely.^[12]

Personal life

Later in life, Cain lived in California,^[where?] and ministered monthly at a local church in Santa Maria, California (until the time of his death on February 12, 2019).^[3][4]