Don Basham
Encyclopedia
Don Wilson Basham was a 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 .
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 spiritual awakening
that led him to leave a career in commercial art
in 1951 to enter the Christian ministry . He was ordained as a Disciples of Christ Minister in 1955.
.
He travelled extensively in the US and abroad (Jamaica
, England
, Ireland
, Germany
, Italy
, Austria
, Yugoslavia
, Hungary
, Israel
and New Zealand
) 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 . His stance that a Christian could be demonised also caused some controversy amongst Pentecostals.
, 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).
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 .
Together with Prince and Mumford, Basham established Good News Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1974 . Basham later relocated with the CGM to Mobile, Alabama
in 1982 when it adopted the name Integrity Communications .
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 .
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
.
Co-author of:
Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States, United States. Wichita Falls is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay and Wichita counties. According to the U.S. Census estimate of 2010,...
, Basham was raised in a Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
home but later joined the Christian Church
Christian Church
The Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...
(Disciples of Christ) whilst at college. He became involved in the Charismatic renewal
Charismatic movement
The term charismatic movement is used in varying senses to describe 20th century developments in various Christian denominations. It describes an ongoing international, cross-denominational/non-denominational Christian movement in which individual, historically mainstream congregations adopt...
in 1963 .
Basham studied at Midwestern State University
Midwestern State University
Midwestern State University is a public liberal arts college in Wichita Falls, Texas, and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges...
, Phillips University
Phillips University
Phillips University was a private, coeducational institution of higher education located in Enid, Oklahoma, United States, from 1906 to 1998. It was affiliated with the Christian Church . It included an undergraduate college and a graduate seminary...
(BA) and its graduate seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
in Enid, Oklahoma
Enid, Oklahoma
Enid is a city in Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States. In 2010, the population was 49,379, making it the ninth largest city in Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Garfield County. Enid was founded during the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in the Land Run of 1893, and is named after Enid, a...
(BD).
Following the reported miraculous healing of a close friend, Basham and his wife Alice experienced a spiritual awakening
Religious experience
Religious experience is a subjective experience in which an individual reports contact with a transcendent reality, an encounter or union with the divine....
that led him to leave a career in commercial art
Commercial art
Commercial art is historically a subsector of creative services, referring to art created for commercial purposes, primarily advertising. The term has become increasingly anachronistic in favor of more contemporary terms such as graphic design and advertising art.Commercial art traditionally...
in 1951 to enter the Christian ministry . He was ordained as a Disciples of Christ Minister in 1955.
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 .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, PennsylvaniaSharon, Pennsylvania
Sharon is a city in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, in the United States, northwest of Pittsburgh. It is part of the Youngstown–Warren–Boardman, OH-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
.
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
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
) teaching on subjects such as the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
, deliverance, spiritual authority and faith
Faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
.
Basham's deliverance ministry
Deliverance ministry
In charismatic Christianity, deliverance ministries are activities carried out by individuals or groups aimed at solving problems related to demons and spirits, especially possession. Leaders of and adherents to these ministries emphasize the activities of evil spirits in many physical,...
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 . His stance that a Christian could be demonised also caused some controversy amongst Pentecostals.
Christian Growth Ministries
In 1970, Basham along with Bible teachers Derek PrinceDerek Prince
Peter Derek Vaughan Prince was an international Bible teacher whose daily radio programme Derek Prince Legacy Radio broadcasts to half the population of the world in various languages...
, Bob Mumford, Ern Baxter
Ern Baxter
William John Ernest Baxter was a Canadian Pentecostal evangelist.-Early life:Born in Saskatchewan, Canada, he was baptised into a Presbyterian family. His mother was involved with a holiness church and following his father’s conversion they went into classical Pentecostalism...
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
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
. In 1972, HSTM changed its name to Christian Growth Ministries (CGM).
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
Shepherding Movement
The Shepherding Movement was an influential and controversial movement within some British and American charismatic churches, emerging in the 1970s and early 1980s...
. Basham submitted himself to Derek Prince
Derek Prince
Peter Derek Vaughan Prince was an international Bible teacher whose daily radio programme Derek Prince Legacy Radio broadcasts to half the population of the world in various languages...
as his personal shepherd .
Together with Prince and Mumford, Basham established Good News Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1974 . Basham later relocated with the CGM to Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
in 1982 when it adopted the name Integrity Communications .
Basham was the editor of CGMs monthly magazine, New Wine
New Wine
New Wine is the largest UK network of charismatic churches and Christians. It originated in 1989 as a Christian festival run by two Anglican clergy from St Andrew’s Church Chorleywood: Bishop David Pytches and the Rev. Barry Kissell...
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 .
After the breakup of Integrity Communications, Basham moved to Elyria, Ohio
Elyria, Ohio
-Community:Elyria has an extensive, although financially burdened, community food pantry and "Hot Meals" program administered through the Second Harvest Food Bank and several churches Elyria is served by Elyria Memorial Hospital.-Recreation and parks:...
. 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
Shepherding Movement
The Shepherding Movement was an influential and controversial movement within some British and American charismatic churches, emerging in the 1970s and early 1980s...
.
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, How 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)