A. A. Allen (1911- 1970)

Asa Alonzo Allen was born in Sulphur Rock, Arkansas on 27th March 1911. His parents were alcoholics and he grew up in dire poverty. For extra money he would busk on the streets. Aged 14 he ran away. He tok rides, hopped freight trains and did odd jobs.

IN 1934, now in his early 20s , he heard joyous singing, as he drove by the Onward Methodist Church in Miller, Missouri. Curious he went in to hear a woman evangelist preaching. He went the next night and committed his life to Jesus. He began to turn his life around. He met and married Lexie Scriven in 1936. He came in contact with Pentecostalism and during a home meeting became filled with the Spirit.

He decided he wanted to become a minister and affiliated with the relatively new Assembly of God. He chopped wood to make enough money to travel to small towns and preach. This was the time of the Depression - money came in very slowly.

Holly, Colorado was his first pastorate. He was officially ordained a minister of the Assembly of God. He prayed and fasted and God met him. He was given 13 things he needed - many of them focused on total consecration on God.

He left Colorado and began to hold meetings as a singing,healing evangelist.

In 1947 he became pastor at Corpus Christi, Texas - he wanted to settle down with his wife and 4 children. The church blossomed. He wanted a radio ministry- it was turned down.

In 1949 he went to an Oral Robert’s tent healing revival .He knew that was what God had called him to do. 1950 left his pastorate and began having evangelistic meetings. People were being healed, as he preached, where they sat.

1951 he bought first tent. 1953 on the radio in USA and beyond. 1955 stopped for drunk driving - was he drunk? Local church wanted him to pull out for a while -he resigned.

A.A. Allen continued as an independent minister. He started his own * Miracle Magazine* by the end of 1956 there were 340,000 subscribers. Started the Miracle Revival Fellowship aimed at ordaining ministers and supporting missions. His style which had always been aggressive became increasingly .

Healing ministries began to pull back. He was donated land and dubbed it Miracle Valley and in 1960 built a 4,000 seat church on the land. He also built Miracle Valley Bible College and planted more than 400 churches,

He helped pioneer revival in the Philippines where he repeatedly preached to more than 50,000 people during each service.

In the year he died he wrote his autobiography titled Born to Lose, Bound to win with co-author Walter Wagner.

A.A. Allen was only 59 when he died. He was found dead,sitting in a chair in front of the TV, in San Francisco on 11th June 1970.

They called A.A. Allen the Miracle Man. His Holy Ghost rallies would see 12,000 people receive baptism of the Holy Spirit in a single service.

Sources
healing and Revival
The New York Times
wikipedia