A Childhood of Hardship
Jack Coe's life began in hardship in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on March 11, 1918. His father, a gambler and alcoholic, lost everything, leading to Jack's placement in an orphanage. At seventeen, Jack followed his father's destructive path into alcoholism. Despite attempts to change, he struggled until one night, after heavy drinking, he felt his heart failing. In that moment, he heard God say, "This is your last chance." Desperate, Jack cried out to God, promising to change if he was healed.
A Miraculous Transformation
Miraculously, Jack was transformed. He found solace in a Nazarene church, where he accepted Christ and devoted himself to prayer and Bible study. As his relationship with God deepened, he attended a Pentecostal meeting, where he experienced a vision of Jesus. This marked the start of his ministry journey.
The Largest Gospel Tent
In 1944, Jack was ordained as a minister and began a healing ministry, where Jesus demonstrated His power through miraculous healings. In 1945, during a healing meeting, a blind woman regained her sight. Jack's ministry grew, and he held tent revivals across the United States, drawing thousands. By 1951, he claimed to have the largest gospel tent in the world.
God Is the Healer
Jack's ministry faced challenges, including his expulsion from the Assemblies of God and an arrest for practicing medicine without a license, which was later dismissed. Despite controversies, Jack remained steadfast, often declaring, "God is the healer, not me!"
Jack Coe's life was cut short by bulbar polio, leading to his death on December 16, 1956, in Dallas, Texas. Yet, his legacy in the Pentecostal movement endures, a testament to the transformative power of faith in Jesus.
