In 1952, on September 6th, Sidney Jackson and his wife Johanna met William Branham and his wife Meda, during their first visit to Jeffersonville in the USA. William Branham asked Sidney Jackson, when he was leaving, to become the pastor of the Branham Tabernacle. As Sidney Jackson replied that he could not do that, that he was not capable and that he was a farmer, Brother Branham said “OK, Brother Jackson” and let it go. (This was before that Orman Neville was the pastor of the Branham Tabernacle).

From left to right William Branham with Sidney Jackson and his wife Johanna, South Africa, 1965 (picture taken from a 8 mm film).

In that same year the Lord had told Sidney Jackson that he would visit Germany and Holland (the Netherlands). The Lord spoke the word “Holland” three times. During the same visit to Jeffersonville Sidney Jackson told William Branham about what the Lord had said to him concerning Germany and Holland. Brother Branham confirmed what Sidney Jackson said and he gave him a personal letter of recommendation, addressed to the believers of all nations. This letter states that Sidney Jackson and his wife should be received as God’s servants, which the church of Rotterdam has done and by which we were greatly blessed. Sidney Jackson told us that he believes that William Branham must have seen us standing in Rotterdam, when he told William Branham about what the Lord had spoken to him concerning going to Holland.

We have many testimonies of how that, when Sidney Jackson was in South Africa or America (where he also resided), the Lord spoke to him when someone in Holland was sick or in need. Sidney Jackson once asked William Branham to pray for him as he did not want the Lord to speak to him anymore about so many people, as it troubled him so much. William Branham replied that he should never ask that again as that was an attribute of God working in him. Many members of our church and other churches, but also many foreign ministers can confirm that the Lord also spoke to Harry van der Stel about them and that through him the Lord blessed them. So we believe there is definitely an attribute of God and a ministry of God present in our pastor Harry van der Stel, which we should respect.

We know that the ministry of Brother Sidney was a part of the fivefold ministry as is the ministry of Brother Harry and Brother Harry has always said that we have no “great men” among us. It is however a great blessing to see how the Lord shows Himself alive through His children. William Branham saw this in Sidney Jackson and his wife and he called them “predestinated to the cause”.