In early 1971, the Hunters flew to Pittsburgh to preach for several days. On a rare night when their schedule was empty, they attended a meeting of the Charismatic Conference at the First Presbyterian Church in downtown Pittsburgh, where Kathryn Kuhlman ministered on occasion. They were curious about the charismatic service going on that evening, but they sat in the back of the church “just in case” they needed to make a quick escape.
From the beginning, Frances noted how the singing was different from anything she had ever heard. As the congregation sang “Amazing Grace,” Frances thought, They do not sound like we sound in our church. All of a sudden, the congregation began to sing a beautiful harmony of sounds in tongues. Startled, Frances turned to Charles and asked, “What is that? Whatever it is, it sure is pretty, isn’t it?”332 As the Presbyterian pastor spoke, Frances was certain that she had never heard so much power in a message. But
when there was an altar call for those who wanted to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Charles and Frances hightailed it out of there and ran a block down the street before they stopped to talk about what they had just witnessed.333
The Anointing of Kathryn Kuhlman
The morning after their visit to the charismatic meeting, the Hunters went back to the First Presbyterian Church, this time to attend a Kathryn Kuhlman healing service. Their curiosity concerning the power of God’s Holy Spirit was growing. As they approached the church, they came upon crowds of people lined up outside, waiting for a seat—and every seat inside was already filled. Right beside them stood a man cradling his daughter in his arms. Her entire body was covered with lumps.
Shortly after their arrival, an usher began calling the Hunters’ names. Miss Kuhlman had learned that they were outside and knew that Frances was a well- known author, and she had sent someone to escort them to reserved seats near the front. Charles and Frances were eager to see God move in that church and grateful that the Lord had provided seats with a good view of everything that was happening.
The praise and worship at the opening of the service was glorious. Miss Kuhlman walked out onto the platform to sing “How Great Thou Art” with the choir and the congregation. The presence of the Holy Spirit was strong in the sanctuary. And then, the healing reports began. Miss Kuhlman did not lay hands on the sick during these meetings. She just waited as the Spirit of God moved through the auditorium and healed a number of people. She would invite them to come forward to the platform to testify of how and when God had healed them.
Kathryn Kuhlman flowed with the gift of the Holy Spirit called a “word of knowledge,” and she would often point to an area of the auditorium where she believed a healing was taking place. It might be a woman whose hearing was restored or a man who could now walk without his brace. That morning, Miss Kuhlman announced that there was a little girl with cancer and lumps all over her body who was being healed by the power of God at that moment. Much to the Hunters’ amazement and joy, the little girl they had seen outside the church came running down the aisle, looking perfectly healthy without a single lump on her body! The assembly, including the Hunters, erupted with a spontaneous offering of praise to God.
This was also the first time that Charles and Frances saw someone “go down under the power,” an experience that is also called being “slain in the Spirit.” Often, when a person was touched by God’s Holy Spirit, he would fall back at the power of His presence. Many believers compared it to the incident with Jesus and the guards who came to arrest Him at the garden of Gethsemane. When the guards asked for Jesus by name and He responded, “I am He,” the guards fell backward on the ground in His presence. (See John 18:4–6.)
The spiritual atmosphere in Kathryn Kuhlman’s meetings was always quiet and reverent. She maintained that this was out of respect for the Holy Spirit. She would walk around the room, and the people would stand to their feet as she passed. To some, she would reach out her hand and simply say, “Bless her, Jesus,” or “Bless him, Lord,” and those individuals would fall gently to the floor under the power of God’s Holy Spirit. While they lay there in His presence, many would be healed of physical, emotional, and mental diseases. Many people were slain in the Spirit as they approached the platform or even right where they stood.
This was still such a new thing to the Hunters at the time, and Frances remained skeptical. Well, she’s such a tiny woman; she’s not going to knock me down! she thought. But when Miss Kuhlman approached and asked Frances to step into the aisle, she simply spoke the words, “Jesus, bless my sister,” and Frances floated to the ground, surrounded by the presence of the Holy Spirit. Frances shared years later, “I don’t know if she even touched me. I was down on the floor and felt the power of the Holy Spirit flooding over me. I never questioned the power of the Holy Spirit again. That really changed my life forever; it does something to you.”
Frances and Charles became friends of Kathryn Kuhlman and were involved with her ministry for the next five years, until Kathryn passed away in 1976. Frances insisted, “We saw more power in her services than we have ever seen since then. That was God’s choice. It was His power, and He gave it as He willed.”
– God’s Generals ( Healing Evangelists )