Finis Jennings Dake - Christian Conversion and Controversy

Christian Conversion and Controversy

Dake became a Christian at age 17. Dake claimed that upon his conversion he received a 'special anointing' which allowed him to quote major portions of Scripture from memory. He preached his first sermon in 1925 and was ordained by the Assemblies of God denomination two years later. After working as a pastor and evangelist in Texas and Oklahoma, he moved to Zion, Illinois, in order to become the pastor of the Christian Assembly Church. In Zion, he also founded Shiloh Bible Institute, which ultimately merged with Central Bible Institute and which was located in the home formerly owned by controversial faith healer John Alexander Dowie.

During Dake’s ministry in Zion, he was the center of a controversy. In 1937, he was convicted of violating the Mann Act by willfully transporting 16-year-old Emma Barelli across the Wisconsin state line “for the purpose of debauchery and other immoral practices.” The May 27, 1936, issue of the Chicago Daily Tribune reported that Dake registered at hotels in Waukegan, Bloomington, and East St. Louis with the girl under the name "Christian Anderson and wife". In order to avoid a jury trial and the possibility of being sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of $10,000, Dake pled guilty. Subsequently, he served six months in the House of Corrections in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Though he maintained his innocence of intent, his ordination with the Assemblies of God was revoked and he later joined the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee). While it is not known why he later ended his relationship with the Church of God, it is known that he eventually became independent of any denomination.