Roy Elonzo Davis

==Pentecostal preacher==

In 1924, Davis moved to Tennessee to oversee a new chapter of the Knights of the Flaming Sword. At the same time Davis was working with Simmons to establish the Knights of the Flaming Sword, Davis also began efforts to formally establish the Pentecostal Baptist Church of God where he served as general overseer.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fraternity Attacked As Money Making Order|publisher=Lead Daily Call|date=January 23, 1925}}</ref> After a financial scandal over misuse of funds led to the collapse of the Knights of the Flaming Sword, Davis began to refocus on building up the new denomination.<ref name="fsta">{{cite news|title=Flaming Sword Turns Against Col. Simmons|publisher=Muncie Post Democrat|date=May 29, 1925}}</ref> He resumed traveling and holding revivals in Oklahoma and Tennessee in August 1925.<ref>{{cite news|title=Notice To The Patrons of 4-D School House|publisher=The Perry Journal|date=July 31, 1925}}</ref> Davis continued holding revival though 1926 and 1927.<ref>{{cite news|title=Nazarenes Will Open Old Time Revival|publisher=The Perry Journal|date=April 21, 1927}}</ref> Davis travelled to California to hold revivals in 1927. Davis had begun to adopt Pentecostal beliefs. A newspaper article detailing Davis's criminal history reported that he had been excommunicated as a Missionary Baptist and had his minister's license revoked following an incident with baptists in Florida before 1927.<ref>{{cite news|date=February 18, 1927|publisher=The Nugget|title=Bad Record For Preacher|page=1}}</ref>

Davis began working with [[Caleb Ridley]], Imperial Kludd (national chaplain) of the KKK, and Rev. Fred B Johnson, [[William Joseph Simmons]] chief of staff, to build a new denomination.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pentecostal Baptist Church Rally Planned|date= July 6, 1929|publisher=The Tennessean|author=<!--Not stated-->}}</ref> Davis planted a First Pentecostal Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee where he served as founding pastor in 1928.<ref>{{cite news|title=An Explanation|publisher=The Tennessean|author=Roy Davis|date=September 2, 1928}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Dr. R. E. Davis Arrested|date=August 29, 1924|publisher=Lead Daily Call}}</ref> He soon ran into issues when most of the other churches in the area refused to cooperate with his revival meetings.<ref>{{cite news|title=Davis Revival In North Nashville Not Union Affair|publisher=The Tennessean|date=September 9, 1928}}</ref> Davis challenged other church leaders to a debate and tensions boiled over after Davis made threats against the other ministers. One minister reported Davis's threatenings to police and filed charges against him. Davis was arrested and jailed, but was released on bond pending trial in April 1929.<ref>{{cite news|title=Arrested, Pastor Takes Out Warrant|publisher=The Tennessean|date=April 20, 1929}}</ref>

To escape his impending trial, Davis fled to [[Louisville, Kentucky]]. His brothers and some church followers also moved and planted a new church for the First Pentecostal Baptist Church of God on Jefferson Street. In Louisville, Davis gained publicity after he penned an article in ''[[The Courier Journal]]'' voicing opposition to [[prohibition]].<ref>{{cite news|title=A Preacher On Prohibition|author=Roy Davis|publisher=The Courier Journal|date=February 5, 1930}}</ref> Davis ran into legal troubles in Kentucky during March 1930 after he defrauded multiple people by soliciting donations to a fake charity.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mission Preacher Accused of Fraud|publisher=The Courier Journal|date=March 20, 1930}}</ref> After being jailed and released on bail, Davis moved again, this time to [[Jeffersonville, Indiana]], where he moved his First Pentecostal Baptist Church and the national headquarters of the denomination.<ref name = "mms"/><ref>{{cite news|title=Davis Is Released In Police Court|publisher=The Courier Journal|date=March 22, 1930}}</ref> He began in Jeffersonville by holding healing meetings at a tent revival and published advertisements in local newspapers. His revivals were supported by Ralph Rader's Pentecostal Church in Jeffersonville. Rader was brother of prominent evangelist [[Paul Rader (evangelist)|Paul Rader]]. The revival meetings were very successful and lasted for two weeks.<ref>{{cite news|title=Divine Healing Night|publisher=Jeffersonville Evening News|page=3|date=September 24, 1930}}</ref>

While the revivals were still being held in Jeffersonville during September 1930, when he was 40, Davis was reported to police for living with a 17-year-old girl, Allie Lee Garrison, whom he had brought over state lines from her home in [[Chattanooga, Tennessee]]. He was accused of living with her "for immoral purposes"<ref name = "pwlinc"/> Davis seemed to have abandoned his second family and took up a relationship with Garrison. Law enforcement arrived mid-service to arrest Davis in front of his congregation. Davis was transferred to federal custody in Louisville where he was charged in federal court and indicted by a [[grand jury]] for violating laws prohibiting the trafficking of minors under the [[Mann Act]]. Davis fought the charges and claimed he was the foster father of the teenaged girl. He claimed to have been living with her for six years. Over sixty of his followers, mostly women, accompanied him to court to plead on his behalf.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=The Courier Journal|title=Pastor Held In Mann Act Case|date=October 12, 1930}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Evangelistic Singer Jailed In Kentucky|publisher=The Greenville News|date=October 13, 1930}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Davis Indicted By Grand Jury|publisher=The Courier Journal|date=October 14, 1930}}</ref> Davis successfully convinced the court to drop charges against him, but he was jailed ten days and members of his church were fined for their antics during the trial.<ref name = "pwlinc">{{cite news|publisher=The Greenville News|date=November 1, 1930|title=Preacher Wins, Loses In Court}}</ref> Davis subsequently married Garrison on a trip to [[Mexico]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Minister, Wife, Seek Damages|publisher=The San Bernardino County Sun|date=February 18, 1945}}</ref>

After being released from jail, Davis resumed pastoring his church in Indiana and traveling and holding revivals in other states including Ohio, Texas, Arkansas, Michigan, and Tennessee.<ref>{{cite news|title=EMHOUSE|date=February 13, 1931|publisher=Corsicana Weekly}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=3 Davis Brothers Plan A Pentecostal Revival|publisher=Jeffersonville Evening News|date=April 17, 1931}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=All-Day Meeting Held|publisher=The Evening Republican|date=June 9, 1931}}</ref> Davis maintained a pastorship at multiple other churches he had planted and he visited regularly.<ref>{{cite news|title=Methodist Protestant|publisher=Corsicana Daily|date=June 20, 1931}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Real Estate Transfers|publisher=The Courier Journal|date=January 21, 1932}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Christian Endeavor Has a Guest Speaker|publisher=The Courier News|date=July 14, 1932}}</ref> In Jeffersonville, Davis continued to make news by publicly opposing prohibition. His support for alcohol proved popular in the community and attracted many people to his church.<ref>{{cite news|title=Jeff minister Plans Attack on Prohibition|publisher=Jeffersonville Evening News|date=December 17, 1930}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Large Crowd At Pentecostal Church Revival|publisher=Jeffersonville Evening News|date=December 26, 1930}}</ref> Davis was not happy with the press coverage that the local newspaper ''Jeffersonville Evening News'' gave his church. Davis was writing up articles after each service and taking it to the paper pressing them to publish his articles. After repeated refusals, Davis started a new publication called ''The Banner of Truth'' to publicize his services and aid recruitment.<ref>{{cite news|title=Church Publicity Policy Explained|publisher=Jeffersonville Evening News|date=April 18, 1931}}</ref>

In March 1930, Davis was charged with federal [[racketeering]] for the criminal activities at his Jeffersonville church, but was able to evade prosecution. Davis confessed to authorities that his Baptist minister's license had been revoked.<ref>{{cite news|date=March 20, 1930|publisher=Indianapolis Times March|title=Arrest Pastor As Rackateer|author=United Press}}</ref> Davis continued to run into legal problems related to his illegal activities. He was arrested again in 1931 after again soliciting donations and loans under false pretenses.<ref>{{cite news|title=Writ Issued For Evangelist|publisher=The Courier Journal|date=September 9, 1931}}</ref> Davis was extradited from Indiana to Kentucky a second time to face the charges.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pastor Gives Up In Fraud Case|publisher=The Courier Journal|date= September 15, 1931}}</ref> Davis privately paid his accusers who dropped the charges.<ref>{{cite news|title=Charge Dismissed|publisher=The Courier Journal|date=December 29, 1931}}</ref>

In 1932 Davis continued to travel regularly between the churches he had planted in Texas, Arkansas, and Tennessee holding revival meetings and conducting KKK recruitment.<ref>{{cite news|title=CE Has An Outdoor Meeting|publisher=The Courier News|date=July 15, 1932}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|publisher=Kingsport Times|date=October 30, 1932|title=Davis Delivers Sermon}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Eastern Star|publisher=Kingsport Times|date=November 6, 1932}}</ref> Davis appointed associates to serve as leaders in the churches while he was away. In the Jeffersonville First Pentecostal Baptist Church, Hope Brumback was made worship leader, and [[William Branham]] and George De'Ark were made ministering elders. He appointed his brothers Dan and W.J. as leaders of other groups.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sunday Service in Local Churches|publisher=Jeffersonville Evening News|date=February 4, 1933}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=First Pentecostal Baptist|publisher=Jeffersonville Evening News|date=February 18, 1933}}</ref> Davis began a radio broadcast in October 1933.<ref>{{cite news|title=First Pentecostal Baptist|publisher=Jeffersonville Evening News|date=October 20, 1933}}</ref>

===William Branham===
[[File:William Branham c. 1930.png|right|thumb|upright|William Branham c. 1930]]
[[William Branham]] joined Davis's church in 1929 where he was baptized and ordained by Davis as a minister and began to serve as an elder the same year.{{sfn|Weaver|2000|pp=26, 33}} In his sermons, Branham indicated that [[Christian Identity]] Theology was being taught by elders in Roy Davis's church.

{{blockquote
|text=The first time I ever met anyone in my life, after I had been converted…I was…met Brother George DeArk and them down there. And I was walked, and the Lord led me to a little place. And they was discussing where the colored man came from. And they were trying to say that the colored man…That Cain married an animal like an ape, and through there come forth the colored race. Now, that's wrong! Absolutely, that's wrong! And don't never stand for that. Cause there was no colored or white, or any other different, it's just one race of people unto the flood. Then after the flood and the tower of Babel, when they began to scatter out, that's when they taken their colors and so forth. They're all come from the same tree. That's exactly right. Adam and Eve was the father and mother, earthly, of every living creature of human beings that's ever been on the earth. That's right.

|author= William Branham, 7-1006 – Questions And Answers On Hebrews #3 – October 6, 1957
}}

Branham indicated in his sermons that he traveled with Davis and participated in his revival meetings. Branham was key member of Davis's inner circle and was involved in both his religious and criminal activities.<ref name = pwh>{{cite book|title=Preacher Behind the White Hoods|author=Collins, John|date=May 2020|publisher=Dark Mystery Publications|isbn=978-1735160900}}</ref> Branham participated in revival meetings in Nashville with Davis and [[Caleb Ridley]].  Branham reported that in one meeting held in [[Memphis, Tennessee]], that Davis drank sulfuric acid to make people "believe that God's real".<ref>{{cite book|title=Lord Show Us The Father And It Sufficeth Us|date=September 7, 1953|publisher=Voice of God Recordings|pages=79–82|author=Branham, William}}</ref>  Davis and the First Pentecostal Baptist Church financed Branham's first tent campaign meetings in June 1933 in Jeffersonville.<ref>{{cite news|title=Church Services|publisher=Jeffersonville Evening News|date=May 6, 1933}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Church Services|publisher=Jeffersonville Evening News|date=May 27, 1933}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Fourteen Converted|publisher=The Courier Journal|date=June 2, 1933}}</ref> Between March and April 1934, the First Pentecostal Baptist Church in Jeffersonville was destroyed by a fire. After being denied a permit to rebuild, Davis moved from Jeffersonville and Branham became pastor of Davis's congregation. Branham moved the group to a new building and renamed the church the Billie Branham Pentecostal Tabernacle, later changing the name to the Branham Tabernacle.

Commenting on the event, Branham stated

{{blockquote
|text=I remember when Brother Roy Davis, down there, and his church burnt down. That bunch of people was just like scattered sheep without a shepherd, had no place to go. And Mr. Hibstenberg was Chief of Police then, and he called me down there. He said to me, "We're here to help you." Said, "I'm Catholic, myself, but," said, "them people," said, "they don't probably have the clothes." It was during the time of the depression. Said, "They go to other churches and they feel out of place, and they're good people. I know many of them." He said, "Billy, if you want to start a church," he said, "I want you to know that we're behind you in anything we can do to help you." And I thanked him for it. We had a tag day. First, we prayed and asked the Lord. And people come to me and wanted to build a church, so could have a place to go. And we decided [on] this place.
|author= William Branham, Taking Sides With Jesus – June 1, 1962
}}

Branham would later become a world famous Pentecostal evangelist in the international [[healing revival]]s of the 1940s and 1950s.{{sfn|Weaver|2000|pp=26, 33}} Davis was proud of Branham and referred to Branham as [[Saint Timothy]] to his [[Saint Paul]].<ref name = "voh"/> Branham similarly spoke highly of Davis who would later participate in some Branham Campaign meetings.<ref name ="tjc"/> Branham and Davis maintained a lifelong relationship, and Branham continued to support Davis after he became national leader of the KKK.<ref name = pwh/>