An Empty Vessel
Kathryn Kuhlman, born on May 9, 1907, in Concordia, Missouri, was a woman whose life became a testimony of faith and healing. Converted at 14 during an evangelistic meeting, she experienced a profound encounter with Jesus that transformed her from a self-reliant individual into a servant with a compelling burden for souls. 'When I made a full and complete surrender of everything to Jesus, the Holy Spirit took the empty vessel, and that's all that He asks,' she once expressed, illustrating her submission to God's will.
Beginning in a Pool Hall
In 1928, Kathryn began her independent ministry, preaching her first sermon in a converted pool hall in Boise, Idaho. Her commitment to spreading the message of salvation was unwavering, even as she faced personal challenges. Her marriage to Burroughs Allen Waltrip in 1938 led to a period of ministry decline, a time she later described as a 'wilderness.' Yet, this period of struggle brought her back to a deeper reliance on God.
When Miracles Began
Her ministry took a transformative turn in 1947 in Franklin, Pennsylvania, when a woman was healed of a tumor during one of her sermons. This marked the beginning of her healing ministry, which emphasized the role of the Holy Spirit. Kathryn believed, 'God does not patch up the old life, or make certain repairs on the old life; He gives a new life, through the new birth.' As she preached at venues like Carnegie Hall in Pittsburgh, testimonies of miraculous healings, such as a war veteran regaining his eyesight, began to surface.
Little Faith in a Great God
Throughout her life, Kathryn remained humble, attributing every healing to Jesus. 'I am not a woman with great faith – I am a woman with a little faith in the great God!' she humbly confessed. Her legacy is one of unwavering faith, complete surrender, and the undeniable impact of divine intervention. Her life story reminds us that it is Jesus who heals, saves, and transforms.
