For those who don't know much about Dowie, I will summarize his history.
He was born in Scotland in the middle of the 19th century. His family moved to Australia when he was in his preteens. In his late teens, he did return to Scotland for Bible studies. Back in Australia, he became a Congregational minister, and pastored a few churches. He split with that organization, and became totally antidenominational. He also began preaching a "Gospel of Divine Healing."
As a faith healer, he gained more fame and influence. But pressure from the press and local government officials led him to come to America.
First, he settled in Los Angeles. The newspapers supported him, until they received reports about his behavior in Australia. He soon moved up to San Francisco, where the same process repeated itself.
He arrived in Chicago just as the city was beginning to prepare for a World's Fair. He set up a tent right beside the entrance to the fair as an easy way to pull in new followers, and money.
Conflicts with the press and city leaders caused him to move again, but this time he didn't go far. He established the Chicago suburb of Zion, sandwiched between Waukegan and Wisconsin. He was ousted from ministry, but stayed in Zion until his death in 1906.
Several well known leaders in early Pentecostal circles came from Dowie's commune: Charles Fox Parham, F. F. Bosworth, John G. Lake, and Gordon Lindsay. Bosworth and Lindsay were close associates of William Branham.
My analysis of Dowie is that he was a narcissist. Narcissists always want to be the center of attention, they are always right, they are never to be blamed even when they are caught doing wrong.
I don't think he was born a narcissist, but I can see how he might have become one.
His exposure to ministry began in Scotland during his childhood. Dowie wrote tracts and gave speeches for the Temperance Movement. I'm sure the attention he received then boosted his confidence, and his ego.
He probably worked with the Salvation Army then because they were a major part of that movement. Later, in Australia, he led several Salvation Army style marches. When Dowie was criticized for the noisy spectacles, he publicly condemned the bar owners, the press, and even other ministers who didn't like his tactics.
Dowie seemed to have an appetite for controversy as a way to draw attention to himself. He would often attack Spiritualists, Catholics, denominations and their ministers before they would say anything about him. He even criticized a popular Civil War hero upon the man's death. After he started his healing ministry, he added doctors, nurses, and government health officials to his list of targets.
Sadly, Dowie criticized his victims. Many people with serious medical conditions came to him for healing, but no one could confirm any healings happening under his ministry. He opened up healing homes, where people would pay good money to stay in order to receive healing. But many were carried out the back under cover of darkness to be taken to funeral homes. People who came to his services and didn't get healed, he would accuse them of not having enough faith. Towards the end, he claimed that some were not worthy of healing!
One other thing I need to cover about Dowie - his financial abuse. He would take up multiple collections during a service. He would neglect or refuse to pay suppliers or contractors. He built his commune by buying up land, then lease lots to his followers, or if they wanted to buy the lot, they could borrow money from the bank he owned. He left behind a huge fortune. I believe the gathering of wealth also fed his ego. He sometimes bragged about his business skills.
Well, I hope you can see how many cult leaders, false teachers, false prophets, false apostles, and false messiahs, etc. operate and fit this pattern. Chances are, Dowie wasn't the first preacher to work this way, and he definitely wasn't the last, either! But, I believe that preachers who followed Dowie copied his pattern, and it spread through various movements and revivals.
If you want to read John Collins' book, or just to find out more about Dowie, check John's website: William Branham Historical Research
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