Audio: HC The Move of the Spirit

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The Britton Collection of

Howard Carter Recordings

Rev. Howard and Mrs. Ruth Carter

"The Move of the Spirit"

Rev. Howard Carter

Copyrighted Recording

Length:

Live Stream

Recording Description:

Recorded at the Bill Britton's church, The House of Prayer, in Springfield, MO in 1971.

Howard Carter originated the idea of dividing the nine gifts of the Spirit into the three categories of Revelation, Utterance, and Power. He travelled the world in the 1930s and 1940s teaching on spiritual gifts, accompanied by a young Lester Sumrall. Carter taught on spiritual gifts and the baptism in the Holy Spirit, while Sumrall held evangelistic meetings. We are able to hear from this recording, in the last year of his life, Carter teaching on spiritual gifts.

Brother Carter begins by saying, "As Pentecostal people, we ought to know more about the moving of the Spirit. I want to know a lot more about it." Beginning by reading from I Corinthians Chapter 12, Carter lists the nine gifts of the Spirit. Then he focuses on the Word of Knowledge. In his teaching on the Word of Knowledge, he defines this gift as "an amazing revelation of God's knowledge." He tells the story of how pride lead a spiritual man to stop operating in the Word of Knowledge, instead substituting natural knowledge for supernatural knowledge. Carter calls this, "Magnificant folly. Glorious absurdity. A bit disgusting." He rightly states that sin can be revealed by the Word of Knowledge, stating, "The Word of Knowledge makes the sinners in Zion [Christians living in sin] afraid."

Acknowledgement:

"The Move of the Spirit," was not a part of the original Goodwin Collection. It was recorded at The House of Prayer, pastored by Bill Britton originally on reel to reel, then given to us by Britton's daughter Becky Britton-Volz.

I did not know Pastor Bill Britton, and had not heard of him until Glen Gohr of the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center put me in contact with Pastor Britton's daughter Becky. Stanley Frodsham and Howard Carter spent their final years attending Pastor Britton's church. For two giants like Frodsham and Carter to seek out and submit to the pastoral oversight of Bill Britton is enough to convince me he must have been a substantial man of God. Some of Pastor Bill Britton's recordings and materials are still available.

I wish to express my deep gratitude to Glen Gohr and the IFPHC, to Sister Becky for donating to me these treasured recordings, and to my friend Doug Bonner for the work he did in transferring these from reel to reel to mp3.

Howard Carter's Story:

     Born in England in 1891, Brother Carter was born again in 1909, and filled with the Spirit in 1915. He grew in the things of the Spirit and began ministering to others. When World War I broke out against England, as a minister of the Gospel, he did not feel that he could take up arms against others. Since England did not recognize the Pentecostal faith as a legitimate denomination or Christian organization, Carter could not be recognized as a minister for "concientious objector" status. So Howard Carter was thrown into prison. His head was shaved, he was dressed in rough prison garb, and fed bread and water. And so he remained throughout the war years.

     Prison was a difficult test and trial, but rather than causing him to lose faith in God, it drove him closer to God. And God honored Carter's convictions, by visiting him in prison. God began revealing to Carter deep truths concerning the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

     Up to this time, many believed for instance, that the Word of Knowledge, was exemplified by the knowledge possessed by college professors. They believed that the Gifts of Healings were fulfilled by medical doctors. But God showed Brother Carter that the gifts were all supernatural, not natural, gifts. And He revealed to Carter the teaching outline of dividing the nine gifts into the three categories of Revelation, Utterance, and Power.

     Carter came forth from prison, with his faith tried and refined like pure gold. He began teaching the truths God showed him, and his teachings have found universal acceptance throughout Charismatic and Pentecostal churches. He helped to found the Assemblies of God in Great Brittain. He chaired national conventions at which his friend, Smith Wigglesworth, preached. He took a young Lester Sumrall under his wing, and travelled the world with Sumrall. Carter taught on the baptism in the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts, while Sumrall preached evangelistic sermons.

     I contacted the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center, which contains the Assemblies of God archives, and asked their curator how many recordings of Howard Carter were known to be in existence. He told me that only two recordings were known to exist, and their center sold copies of them through their book store. To thes two known recordings, the Goodwin Collection adds six more, two of which are on this website now.