Was this man genuinely exorcising wayward evil spirits from this young woman in the Philippines, or is this an elaborate missionary hoax? This photograph was taken from a souvenir pictorial to the film “Bitten by Devils” produced by the ordained Evangelist minister, Lester Sumrall.

Lester was born in New Orleans on February 5, 1913, and after winning a battle with tuberculosis, he was sure of his true calling. Sumrall was continuing in the traditions of his mentors Smith Wigglesworth, and Alfred Howard Carter– both prominent pioneering heroes of the Pentecostal faith who served as mentor to the young Southerner with loads of charisma.

The boy knew how to talk, and was well versed in the Gospels. He embodied a passion unseen by most people. But above all, Lester had a sense of style. His New Orleans upbringing would teach him to add a little flair, and embrace the power of tailoring, and the finest suits. Throw in some slick hair, and you’re bound to create a following. And indeed, he would.

Young Lester Sumrall (Circa. 1930s) {Art by The Eye of Faith}

In the 1950s, Sumrall had travelled to the Philippines to search for demons trapped in the body of a young woman. Lucky enough, they would find a “comely Visayan maiden whose experiences in prison triggered medico-religious investigations and front-page news.”

As you can see from the list of books above, Lester’s fascination with the dark side would be a priority for most of his life. Whether true or false, many of Sumrall’s stories are terrifying to this day.  “The Invisible Boy” tells of a young Filipino boy tormented by ‘alien entities’.

Cornelio and a friend were walking home one afternoon cutting across a large open space. Suddenly Cornelio stopped. His eyes were bulging out of their sockets. He was pointing ahead. He said: ‘See the girl in a long white dress? She is beautiful. She is calling me’. Cornelio left his friend and walked forward. Suddenly his friend saw Cornelio disappear from sight.

–The Invisible Boy, Lester Sumrall

Creepy stuff, alright.

It makes you wonder why someone (an ordained minister) would make something like this up. There is a long history of church inaccuracies when it comes to the documentation of fact from fiction, so naturally we resist. But in all actuality, perhaps the young boy from New Orleans really was on to something.

Lester Sumrall would take his mission one step further forming The Lester Sumrall Evangelical Association {LeSEA} in 1957.  By 1968 LeSEA would launch WHME-TV, followed by WHMB-TV serving the Southern United States as the first 24-hour Christian television station. With all his showbiz charm and charisma, it is not surprising.

However, the question remains… Do You believe in The Devil? or Demons? Spirits? Ghosts? Were the stories he wrote about and portrayed in films actually real? Can they attack and make us disappear into thin air? Lester Sumrall sure thought so, and made an entire life exploring the unknown.

Don’t be deceived! Perhaps this calls for some reading of our good friend Ralph Hart. Or should I say, Reverend. Seems like he has some advice on the subject. All you need to do is ask yourself one thing:

Library books are fun. Found this one tucked away in that dusty corner. Why would that be?

Hope you enjoyed!

{The Eye}

{Vintage Religious Book Covers: Old Time Religion}

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