Bessie and Carwell Perry

Bessie was converted in 1916. Later, she began receiving papers from the Apostolic Faith Church in Portland, Oregon.

She was a prayer warrior who believed and taught the Gospel. She also taught about divine healing. She wrote to Portland for an anointed handkerchief so she would have it handy when family members became ill. When the need would surface, she would place the anointed handkerchief on the sick and begin to pray—and the Lord would heal them.

On Saturday evenings she would walk to town, with her young son, Carwell, accompanying her, and preach the Gospel to all who would listen. Her favorite chapter in the Bible was Isaiah 55. Many of her sermons were based on that chapter.

Her son grew older and moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he searched for the same teachings that he remembered as a child.

How I thank the Lord for a mother who would gather us children around her knee at night and read the Word of God to us! Back in 1923, my parents got the address of the Apostolic Faith Church and subscribed to the papers published in Portland, Oregon. My mother would read the testimonies to us children, testimonies of people God had saved—people from all walks of life. When more light came through those papers, she was sanctified and baptized with the Holy Ghost.

My grandfather, who lived with us, became ill with a disease. Both his legs were full of sores from his knees to his ankles. We read in the church papers about the anointed handkerchiefs and how God had healed many people. Mother sent for one, and when it arrived, placed it on one of my grandfather’s legs. God healed him! All of the scales were gone. Thank God for something real!

At the age of seventeen, I left home and began to drift into sin. But my mother’s prayers truly followed me. I remembered those testimonies she had read to us, and wondered what would become of me. I thank God for the night that Holy Ghost conviction came upon me. It was June 6, 1954. I went to the Apostolic Faith Church in Atlanta, Georgia. As I looked at the star over the logo, “Jesus, the Light of the World,” I heard the audible Voice of God say, “This is it!” I knew this was where the doctrines I had learned as a child were being preached.  

I poured out my soul to God and He rolled the burden of sin away. He saved me, and later sanctified me and baptized me with the Holy Ghost and fire.

After the Lord saved me, everything bad dropped off my life: lying, gambling, and stealing. I had restitutions to make, though. One year right before Easter, I had bought a suit for a dollar down and a dollar a week. Then I said in my heart, “I will change that to a dollar down and a dollar when they catch me.” Well, God caught up with me. I went back to that store, told them what God had done for me, and paid the bill.

I used to be ashamed of my sin, because I was doing things that were wrong, but I am not ashamed of the Gospel. I thank God for salvation!

Carwell Perry pastored the Apostolic Faith Church in Atlanta, Georgia, for twenty-seven years.