How a dead U.S. evangelist inspires London's reviled street preachers - London - CBC News

Two men notorious for preaching and haranguing women on London streets are followers of a dead U.S. evangelist whose sermons continue to inspire a disparate group of followers, including one group a former member describes as a "destructive cult."

​Last week CBC London reported that local women, church leaders and the mayor are growing tired of the actions Matthew Carapella and Steven Ravbar. The duo frequently preach on London's streets using a loudspeaker. They've also been barred from at least two London churches for confronting congregates and church leaders during services.

CBC's stories about the men came to the attention of John Collins, who lives in Jeffersonville, Indiana. He immediately recognized the men's preaching as almost identical to the sermons of evangelist William Branham, a U.S. preacher who died in 1965.

Collins was born into a Branham-inspired group called "The Message" which he describes as a "destructive cult."
"He is basically regurgitating what William Branham said," Collins said after watching videos on CBC.ca of Carapella preaching at the corner of Dundas and Richmond streets.

Collins has written extensively about Branham on his website and in books he's published.

John Collins was born into a William Branham-inspired group that he says was a cult. (Seek Ye The Truth.com)

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How a dead U.S. evangelist inspires London's reviled street preachers - London - CBC News