At this point in life we ought not to be surprised at being surprised, yet that is exactly what has happened. It has fallen to our “lot” to write the biography of a man whose life and message has, and still does, impact the lives of scores of people across this land and beyond. (Update: the biography is now complete – www.beasleybiography.com).As I said in an earlier biography, They Could Not Stop The Music, about the life of a Russian violinist, writing a biography is like the assignment given to Spring; to bring to life again. It is the attempt to recover the heartbeat of someone whose life has already been lived. When it comes to a man like Manley Beasley, one is faced with an individual whose life was his message and whose message was his life. The message of prayer, faith and revival that Manley lived and preached was forged in the foundry of experience which included the terminal diseases he carried in his body for years, the hospitalizations, the months spent in intensive care, all of which drove him to an ever increasing dependence upon and understanding of the ways and workings of God. This would, for the rest of his life, shape the message he preached, the things he wrote and the myriad of ways he was used of God to minister.At his memorial service, evangelist and brother-in-law, Mike Gilchrest, said: “Manley’s whole heart was set on glorifying God in his mortal flesh and his union with his Master. It was like a marriage intimacy and relationship that was so unique it was mystical. And this relationship was for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, until death took him into the presence of God.”If anyone reading this post has a special remembrance or testimony to what Manley meant in your life that you would like to share, I would appreciate hearing from you. I have already received many inspiring and touching testimonials from many whose lives he impacted over the years. The best way to send any comments would be by email at ronowens3@gmail.com
"Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples." (Psalm 96:3)
Dr. Owens, I found your website while looking for information about Bro. Manley and am so excited about your writing on his life. I never knew him personally, I am a younger pastor that hungers for “the old paths” and weary of the man centered church today. Thank you for the brief insight into his life and your website. May the Lord grant us real repentence that brings biblical revival.
My late Dad and Mom took me to hear Manley Beasley preach in Houston, Texas during the 70’s. As a young person, he made an impact into my early Christian development. A great truth that I learned early on, that we will suffer as a Christian and God will use it for His glory.
Back in May of 1985, as my Mom was dying of liver cancer and was in the hospital for the final time, someone gave us a book by him on terminal illness. I read it with great enthusiasm and it brought to my heart and mind tremendous peace and comfort.
When my Mom’s cousin was ill, I mailed it to her. After she passed, I asked her daughter if she would return it to me. Apparently, it was misplaced and thus we do not have it in our possession.
Ever since I have tried to locate another copy of the book without any success. Our family is involved in Christian Apologetics and encouraging the body of Christ. We would thoroughly enjoy learning how to get a copy of it for our ministry.
For you see those early days of listening and being taught by Manley prepared my heart to accept the premature birth of our daughter. I can say with great certainity today that his life and all what he endured served as a reminder of God’s faithfulness and provision. It continues to pay great spiritual dividends into my life as well as into my husband and daughter even in 2008.
I am delighted to see that you working on the Manley Beasley Project. Today with all the pop Christianity and “me-centeredness,” it is refreshing to have reminder of a great man of God and the life he lead for the sake of the Gospel.
In conclusion, I would be interested in learning how to abtain the book, “Alive by His Life” without having to pay a lot of money for it. I saw 2 copies of it at Alibris for $75.00 and up. Although this book is worth many times more than those prices, it is not in our family budget.
To God be the Glory!
Kathy Lundberg
Fredericksburg, VA
I believe the name of the book is Alive By His Life. I hope that it can be reprinted. Sadly, too few of the ministers and congregations today even know who Brother Manley was. I am so glad to see his name appearing on the Internet!! I am praying that the biography will truly be a work that shows his heart. He was one of a kind.
I worked in a revival meeting with Manley Beasley In NC in 1971. I led the music and he preached. When I was talking with him I really felt like I was talking to an Old Testament prophet. He was through-and-through the genuine article. I look forward to renewing his acquaintance in Heaven.
I found this web site by looking for more info on this man of God. I started my interest when I heard Jeff LaBorg preaching and he mentioned this man as well as Percy Ray. I have since listened to this man and have found him to be a wonderful blessing to my ministry and spiritual growth. His sermon on prayer is perhaps the best one I have ever heared.
What can you say about Bro. Manley. I have never heard any pastor teach more boldly on faith, though he always said he was not a teacher, but a pastor. Fact is I learned so much in what he said…. or was it how he said it, or that he was even able to say it at all. If you ever wanted to see or hear faith just listen to him. He would start off a sermon barely able to talk, and finish stronger than ever. They ask him how he did it…. “I was faithing it” was his answer.
I first met Manley as a very young child.
Even at this young age I recognized the
Glory of the God in his life. He wound literaly change the atmosphere of a room when he walked in.Later in life while in my early 30’s I went through a very difficult time. Through praying and searching I ran across some cassette tapes and albums of Brother Manley from the 70’s my father had.As I listened over and over to these my life was changed .I saw for the first time in my life that nothing touched the child of Gods life outside of the hand of GOD.Whether he performs it or permits it ,it has to come through him first.My life will never be the same.
I met Manley as a very young child.Even at this young age I recognized the Glory of God in his life. He literally changed the atmosphere of a room when he walked in.Later in life while in my mid 30’s I Went through a very difficult time.As I prayed and searched I ran across some cassettes and albums of Bro. Manley from the 70’s .As I listened over and over I began to see for the first time in my life that nothing touches the life of a child of God outside of the hand of God. He either performs it or permits it.My life will never be the same.
I had the privilege of being led to the Lord by Bro. Manley. It was in the seventies. My then husband was a music evangelist who was working with Manley in a revival service in Oklahoma. Back when there were seven day revivals and morning services and the revival team was feed at the church at lunch time.
For about two years as I sat in revival service after revival service at the invitation I would feel my heart almost beat out of my chest saying you need to be saved. I had prayed and joined a church as a young teenager who had never heard you had to ask Jesus into your heart. I kept thinking I did that it must be the devil trying to make me doubt. As I remember the day I prayed with my Sunday School teacher I was more concerned with the fact that I had joined a Baptist church and my mother was not going to be happy about that. I made my teacher go home with me to tell my mother, who was a Methodist did not think to highly of the Baptist. But that is another story.
We had just finished the morning service there in Oklahoma and were in the fellowship hall ready to eat. I was about to sit down when out of my mouth came these words,”Bro. Manley if you are saved are you going to know you are saved?” His answer was a simple one, even though I knew the answer, yes. At that time I sat my food down on the table and said then I am not saved. To the shock of all those there. Bro. Manley led me in a simple prayer of repeatance and faith that day. From that point on I have never doubted my salvation.
I met Manley in the late 70’s or early 80’s when he was in revival at First Baptist Church of Sapulpa, OK. I made a decision in that revival but it was his tape ministry that meant so much to me. I worked for a few years as a bus driver, traveling across the country, and the CB Radio conversations were so wicked that I listened to any Manley Beasley tape I could get my hands on. After Manley’s death I had occasion to be in Euless, TX and stopped at a service at First Baptist Church and ran into Marthe. She bought my dinner and let me talk of the way Manley had blessed me through the years. She shared some insights that only a wife could, and gave me several more tapes and some literature. I still have many of the materials in my library, “Now Faith Is”, “Dealing with Adversity”, and “He that is Spiritual”. What a blessing to see his life shared in a new work. I hope that the younger generation can be inspired as I was.
I am one of Jimmy Robertson’s nephews who grew up at Milldale Baptist Church. I grew up listening to Manley while he lived at Milldale and through the years when he would return. My life and ministry has been greatly influenced by him.
Often my dad would ask me when I would be in a crisis of faith, “What would Manley do?” I knew that Manley trusted God and never looked for the route of ease.
Such faith led me to leave Milldale in 2001 and plant a church in Southern California. Many times I have been asked, “Why would you leave the legacy of Millale and move to California where no one knows you, where most churches go bankrupt?”
And I answer, “Leaving Milldale? I am not leaving anything… I am continuing a legacy of trusting God… trusting God for something that if He doesn’t keep His word then I am doomed.”
I am a United Methodist Minister on disability leave of absence. I have served both Baptist and United Methodist Churches as well as a staff Chaplain in a Baptist Hospital. I also received Clinical Pastoral Education training at Rusk State Hospital.
I grew up under the ministry of Manley in the 1950’s at Hillcrest Baptist Church. My family and two other families started Calvary Baptist Church in Nederland. My brother is also a Methodist Local Pastor. Manley has left a
tremendous gift to so many of us. John
Brother Manley Beasley often preached at my home church, Olivet Baptist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, when I was a teenager and young adult. I even purchased a series of cassette tapes that he had published. Brother Manley was the closest thing to a prophet and a “true man of God”, that I ever had the privilege to meet. I had the privilege of talkiing to him as a young “preacher boy” many times, and he made impacts on my life,that I will never forget. Thank God for Brother Manley, and may we who knew him, re-kindle the fire for revival that Brother Manley preached, and that America so badly needs.
I knew Bro. Beasley through the relationship he had with our pastor, Ron Dunn of MacArthur Boulevard Baptist Church, in the 70’s. Many times Pastor Ron would invite Bro. Beasley to speak at MBBC. It’s such a joy reading through these entries. I’ve read them to my husband, Bill, and it’s such an eye-opener experience especially for me. No WONDER I think the way I do – believe the way I do. With Spiritual Fathers, like Ron Dunn, Peter Lord, Manley Beasley, what ELSE will you be but FULL of Faith, no matter the cost. One statement (this isn’t an exact quote) that I remember Bro Manley making is: “It’s not possible to enter into the TRUE Presence of the HOLY SPIRIT, and leave unchanged.” This ONE statement seems to be what fuels my thinking when we (My Husband and I pastor Life
Bridge Church in Fort Wayne, IN) have a service. I cannot stand the thought of business as usual, nor of chasing the miraculous. We simply go for JESUS and HIS Glory always being central, then try to get out of the way and allow the Holy Spirit Freedom. No wonder so many inspired youth from that era (that sat under Manley, Bro Ron Dunn, and Peter Lord, are now in their 50’s early 60’s, and are directly involved in church leadership.
I was given the book ” Adventures in Faith ” the late brother wrote. It has honestly changed who I am, While in my first 3 attempts to read it I threw it across the room each time at different points, The Lord compailed me each time to read it again. Upon completing it I am a man driven with purpose for the Lord and the Faith to go forth into the calling God has given to me. I can’t wait to look at Brother Beasley face to face when my day is called and thank him in person for obeying the Lord in his ministry.
God Bless
I met Brother Manley in the late 1980’s.
He was preaching on a program with Ron Dunn, Bill Stafford and others. At that time I found his messages different and life changing. I told him so and followed as much as possible his places where he would be. It is only about him that I can say that in his presence I wanted to listen and say nothing. I have a VHS tape that was recorded at Roswell Street church in Marietta, Ga 1988. When I get it set to view, I get in the floor because thats where I will be when it ends. This week I had Bill Sturm in a meeting and Brother Manley was remembered everyday in our conversations.
Brother Owens: Thank you for writing the biography of Manley Beasley: I just finished reading it and appreciate what you have done to share with the world what a God lead man he was.
Thank you, Jerald, for your encouraging word on Bro. Manley’s bio. He being dead, still speaks. Praise God!
Manley was my spiritual papa. I was
sharing with someone that the Lord
spoke to me so much through him that
I did not know he was just a man until
talking to him one day. He was so much
a part of my spiritual growth that I
sound like him when I talk about the
Lord. His blood truly speaks from the
grave.
I have had a burden to see his tapes
and videos offered over the internet.
I talked to the folks at Love Worth
Finding to see if they could offer his
teachings but they said it would have
to done by the Beasley family. I remember
him doing a video once and addressing the audience as if he knew that people
down through the ages would watch it
one day.
Can I get a witness?
Randy
Randy, I agree that Bro. Manley’s messages need to be made available on a broader scale. Pray with us about this. I have talked with the Beasley family but they are presently all busy with their own ministries. I would personally get involved if it were not for the writing deadlines I face.
Iris: Trophy of Grace is doing well and I have just submitted The Milldale Story to the publisher. I’m now working on Call Me Blue, the story of Iris’ husband. As you know, Manley was, and in many ways still is, their mentor.
I am originally from the Washington DC area and now teach in Boston. But in 1978 as I attended Texas Tech University, I heard Manley Beasley speak several nights at a revival at Calvary Baptist Church. I joined his tape club for a couple of years. The Holy Spirit spoke through this man like no other. And his oft repeated phrase of wanting everything I do count for eternity, still rings in my life through the years, strengthened by the Holy Spirit. He called us to not ignore the Holy Spirit. He said the reason he believed every wordof the Bible to be God’s Word and the Truth was that there were times in his life when he was in trouble and he prayed to God and somehow the Holy Spirit spoke the truth about his situation. Then he believed it, confessed it, fought the fight of faith and saw it become reality in his life.
And the classic: “The thing that keeps my Christian Life in Perspective is: “What am I trusting Jesus for now??” If we trust Him, then is He doing it ….right now??
And “We should be so yielded to God, that the very desires of our heart should be the will of God.” This potential truth runs through the bible in so many ways. NKJ Psalm 37:4, Mark 11:24, Proverbs 10:24, Psalm 145:19 and Philippians 2:13 and on and on. It’s a good thing eternity with Jesus will be forever…because I know there will be a long line of us who will be wanting to speak with Brother Manley Beasley. I praise God for his life and that God so ministered to so many of us through our brother.
I apologize, Don, for not responding sooner to your post. Somehow we missed catching it back April. In any case, thank you for sharing how brother Manley impacted your life. His life and legacy continue on through so many with whom he crossed paths. I take it that you have read the biography, “Manley Beasley: Man of Faith, Instrument of Revival.”
May God continue to bless and use you for His glory.
He preached at my church in bayou la batre al back in the early 80’s. God used him to help me and I am so grateful.
Read the book. It is great!
Wondering how I can get some of his salvation booklets!