SAY GOOD-BYE TO THE HOUSE
In 1946, Coe merged his editorial efforts with Gordon Lindsay’s Voice of Healing and was named co-editor. In 1947, Coe and his wife Juanita made a dramatic decision that changed their lives. They had purchased a small home that Juanita furnished and kept beautifully, but after a church service, Juanita wept, sensing God calling them into full-time ministry. They sold their home, and the next morning, someone came to buy it. With the proceeds, Coe purchased an old tent, a truck, and a trailer, launching their ministry in Chickasha, Oklahoma.
On the second night, a storm ripped the canvas from their tent. Their pastor questioned if they were truly in God’s will, but Juanita declared, “If everything we have is gone, I still believe we are in the will of God.” Moved, the pastor gave them $100, and by the end of the meeting they had enough to repair their tent and buy a larger truck.
TENT TALES
In 1948, Coe went to Redding, California, though he had never heard of the city before. The fire marshal refused to allow his tent, saying it wasn’t fireproof. Coe tried dipping it in solution himself, but it failed inspection. When Coe wept in frustration, the marshal relented, allowing him to proceed.
At first, the crowds were small. Then a woman in a brace was healed, her testimony stirring the city. A Catholic woman, after being saved, closed down her drinking establishments and attended services joyfully. Though creditors threatened to take Coe’s truck, a lady gave him a check for $740, and later bought him an organ. The Redding revival lasted seven weeks and funded future crusades. In Fresno, Coe was arrested for disturbing the peace, but the case was dismissed.
THE MAN AND THE MINISTER
Coe was boisterous, bold, and controversial. Gordon Lindsay said of him: “In growing up it was root hog or die. For that reason, he tangled.”
His faith was “reckless and challenging,” and though he sometimes hit or slapped people in prayer, they testified of being healed. He welcomed large numbers of black believers into his meetings and preached bluntly, often stirring conflict. He also competed with other evangelists, ordering ever-larger tents. In 1951, he measured Oral Roberts’ tent and ordered one slightly larger, earning the title of having the largest gospel tent in the world.
THE “FRECKLED FACE” VISION
At a meeting in Lubbock, Texas, a little boy hugged Coe’s legs, begging to go home with him. The encounter stirred Coe’s vision to someday start a children’s home, a calling Juanita confirmed: “I always thought I should work in a children’s home, so maybe this is it. You go ahead and obey God!”
To be continued…
Tale Tuesday 144
Date: 26th August, 2025
Title: : Jack Coe The Man of Reckless Faith part 6
Source: God’s Generals-Jack Coe
Author: Robert Liardon
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