Jack Coe was one of the first tent evangelists of the post World War II period in the United States. For twelve years Coe was a leading proponent of divine healing and organized many tent revivals to spread his message.

He soon had the largest tent of all the 1950’s healing evangelists seating over 22,000 people. But in 1956 tragedy struck. On February 6, while preaching in Miami, Florida, Coe was charged with practising medicine without a license, a felony in the state of Florida.

He was jailed and released on $5,000 bail. Coe appealed to evangelists all over the world to come to Miami to testify in his defence. Many came to take the witness stand, most notably Gordon Lindsay, Raymond T. Richey, Gayle Jackson and Richard Vinyard. After a two-day trial the judge ruled that he could not “condemn the defendant or anyone who in good faith advocates and practices Divine Healing” and dismissed the case.

The trial received national publicity bringing the healing revival to the attention of America. Coe maintained that the trial was the result of a conspiracy between atheists, newsmen and the Churches of Christ, whose ministers were among his main accusers. Their opposition represented the general feeling of many evangelical leaders across the nation. Some thought that the claim of divine healing was a threat to public health. Others had theological objections. A great read!