From Norman James To Ohio
Norman Harvey James was born January 1, 1940 in Colorado Springs, Colorado to Grace Eileen James, who was a 17-year-old widow at the time, according to available census records. He was raised in the greater metropolitan area of Cleveland, Ohio by his mother and for a period of time, an abusive stepfather. Few details are known about his childhood, but it was Norman’s desire to one day become a Catholic priest and he claimed to have enrolled in training for the priesthood but did not continue. He was a high school graduate from Lakewood High school, but never attended college and never had any formal seminary training. He worked odd jobs over the years including working at a funeral home and as a hospital orderly. It was there he met his future wife, Rebecca. She was raised in a Methodist background, according to her own statements. Her family upbringing is beyond the scope of this history, but it is worth noting that her relationship with her mother was strained, at least during her adult life.
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In the early to mid-1960’s, after Norman and Becky were married, they began searching for a church and eventually began attending Bethesda Missionary Temple, a Latter Rain affiliated church in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan led by Myrtle “Ma” Beall.
Many people attended Bethesda during this time, as it was considered a hotbed of charismatic activity and anyone with ties to Bethesda would often be perceived as flowing in the vanguard of what God was doing and seemed to automatically have ministry credibility. Even infamous cult leader Jim Jones attended and spoke at Bethesda once, before being recognized as a charlatan.
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According to the founder’s daughter in law, 95-year-old Anne Beall, “People were always claiming to have been sent out from Bethesda. We had people who literally came to one meeting and then said they were sent from Bethesda. We didn’t send people out. Some received some training and asked to be ordained to preach, but we didn’t send out.”
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Norman too had aspirations for the ministry. While it is unclear precisely how much time Norman, Sr. spent at Bethesda, one thing is clear, while there he certainly made an impression and it wasn’t a good one.
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The following quotes are excerpts from a phone interview with Ann Beall, conducted on May 9th, 2019. Although she is 95 year’s old, she is quick witted and mentally sharp. She was married to Myrtle Beall’s son, Jim Beall, who was the succeeding pastor to Myrtle after she retired.
ANTMQuestions: We are former members of a church with Latter Rain roots and are writing a history of the movement with a particular focus. The church in question claims to be the last remaining Latter Rain church in existence that still holds to the original truths of the movement. The founding pastor of that church is Norman H. James. Do you recall him?
ANN BEALL: “Oh yes I remember him.”
ANTMQuestions: What are your recollections of him?
ANN BEALL: “He was very domineering; there was no give with him. He had to be the one in control. He thought he knew more than anyone.”
ANTMQuestions: In the church’s quarterly pamphlet, the Sword and Trowel, Norman’s wife Rebecca asserted that Norman was the apostolic inheritor of Myrtle Beall’s spiritual mantle, that he had received the Elisha mantle to her (Myrtle Beall’s) Elijah ministry.
ANN BEALL: “Oh, of course “(laughing out loud and with a heavy tone of sarcasm).
ANTMQuestions: Was he ever formally trained there?
ANN BEALL: “Oh we had a basic foundational class that people who wanted to go out and witness on the street would take. The only training Norman received from us that I recall was just that foundations class. Anybody could take that class.”
ANTMQuestions: So, was he ever formally sent out?
ANN BEALL: “No and he was really never a part of the church here. He never became a part of what we were doing. He never taught Sunday school or anything like that. He just wanted to be a preacher and once we didn’t agree with him on things, he left. He was convinced he was going to rule the world.”
ANTMQuestions: It’s interesting, one of his ‘prophecies’ that he purportedly received at Bethesda was about how although there was a calling there, the Lord wanted him to wait awhile before leaving.
ANN BEALL: “Well what did you expect him to do. He left.”
ANTMQuestions: The church that Norman went on to found and their satellite churches practice shunning of former members. Was this practice ever taught at Bethesda?
ANN BEALL: “Not at all. With him, that’s not surprising. He was involved, if memory serves me right, in one of his neighbors getting a divorce. Mrs. ***** left her husband and I think he had a part in it.”
ANTMQuestions: We have seen that practice continue too. Many people have divorced and many families have been separated because of his recommendations of shunning and separation from those who don’t follow him or stay with their churches.
ANN BEALL: “With those attitudes he had back then, I could see how what he would eventually start would turn into a cult.”
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ANTMQuestions: Wow, yes it does meet a lot of cult characteristic criteria. They have hurt a lot of people too, a lot of families. Over 250 families have lost loved ones to shunning as a direct result of Norman’s teachings and counsel. The church continues to lose members and many who remain live under oppressive fear.
ANN BEALL: That’s not God. And that should tell you. Just look at their fruit versus ours. We are a strong church with a school of over 500 students.
ANTMQuestions: That’s what Jesus said, “we would know them by their fruits”, and their fruit hasn’t been good. Well, Ms. Beall, thank you so much for letting us talk with you today.
ANN BEALL: “Keep my number and keep me posted on things.”
ANTMQuestions: Don’t worry, we will. God bless.
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This denial of a significant relationship from Bethesda’s end ran counter to our understanding of the narrative that we grew up with at Lakeview. So we looked over some of Norman’s publications over the years, specifically The Remnant Series and old issues of the Sword and Trowel where he plainly claimed to have received prophecy at Bethesda in April 1966. In that same issue he spoke of being ordained in 1967, but didn’t directly claim he was ordained at Bethesda, although, that’s what the careful wording in the Sword and Trowel would have you believe.
They even included a prayer from the ordination that makes it look like the training, sending and ordaining all occurred in sequence and all at Bethesda.
In an attempt to confirm Ann Beall’s statement that Norman was never actually “sent out from Bethesda”, we spoke to several former members who spent time with Norman Sr. over the years, and they recalled that in Norman’s office there was an ordination plaque that hung on his wall, and indeed it was not from Bethesda, but was instead one that was self-issued from South Hills Christian Center, the name of the Bridgeville church prior to being called Lakeview. It appeared to us that he issued the ordination to himself. Interviewing other former members from those early years, it was confirmed that Norman set up the charter of the Cadiz church so that the church itself had the authority to ordain people in ministry and once the church became a legal entity, Norman ordained himself. This is not uncommon in independent church circles, but is important to note that Norman was not ordained at Bethesda or sent out from Bethesda.
So we know that Norman had no formal seminary training. He only attended a foundations class at Bethesda. He was not ordained or sent out from Bethesda. He ordained himself. It is true, however, that at his ordination at least one person from Bethesda was present.
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Next: From Ohio To Pittsburgh