Doug Baker - Mistakes were made
“We are not preaching perfect flesh. Brother Branham told a lie. He did several things that he admitted to us. One of them was the lawyer called up. He didn't want to talk to him. He was trying to avoid it. There was so much pressure on him in his spirit realm and in his flesh realm. But his wife says, it's so-and-so on the phone, and he wants to talk to you. And he says, tell him I'm not here. Well, he was there. That was just an out-and-out lie.”
— Doug Baker, "A Clear Conscience" — Love Divine Fellowship, September 8, 2019 [1:07:18] [Source]
Context
A sitting Message pastor directly stating "Brother Branham told a lie" from the pulpit — then providing the specific example. A remarkable admission for a movement that treats his words as divinely inspired.
“How he didn't completely lose his mind is supernatural. Living between dimensions as he did on a daily basis. He's not infallible. But God doesn't need infallible prophets and he doesn't need infallible people. He's got an infallible word.”
— Doug Baker, "Caught Up By A Whirlwind, Pt. 2" — Love Divine Fellowship, July 5, 2017 [33:33]
Context
Explicitly conceding Branham's fallibility — but if Branham is fallible, how does one determine which of his teachings are from God and which are human error?
“Brother Branham had to battle with being too critical. Brother Branham told us that it hunted him at times. Right? That critical spirit. Right? There is a spirit that can come of that. Right? And he would admit it. I hope we can admit it, too. Right? I've had to battle with it. It's something that I've had to be aware of. It's not — and I didn't say, you know, the battle's over. I'm still human. We can still be tempted, and tested, and tried. Right? And I'm sure many of you have had to deal with it in your own lives from time to time. And we find that sometimes there's a tension there, because sometimes there's a fine line between not compromising and being critical. Right? And our criticism is not to be used to destroy people.”
— Doug Baker, Love Divine Fellowship, "Being Critical, Pt. 1", September 17, 2025 [1:00:13] [Source]
Context
Baker reveals Branham confessed to having a "critical spirit" that "hunted him" — and acknowledges Message people use "not compromising" as an excuse to "destroy people." A rare character admission about Branham.
“You look up the word cult... One of the things that defines a cult is believing in one God. So, I guess we are a cult, you know. In the way that they call heresy, so I worship the God of my fathers.”
— Doug Baker, Love Divine Fellowship, "Church Age Book Study, Pt. 2", February 3, 2023 [26:32] [Source]
Context
Baker acknowledges the cult label but deflects by redefining "cult" as merely believing in one God — avoiding the actual cult indicators (isolation, information control, leader worship) that apply to the Message movement.
“People that struggle. I need proof. I need evidence. I need a newspaper clipping. I need a witness. I need a photograph... I need faith.”
— Doug Baker, Love Divine Fellowship, "The Seventh Message, Pt. 2", December 14, 2025 [56:54] [Source]
Context
Baker mocks those who want evidence — specifically listing "newspaper clipping" and "photograph," the exact types of evidence researchers have used to debunk Branham's claims. Frames evidence-seeking as a spiritual deficiency.
“It's not our job to run to the newspapers, run to the TV stations, and tell them everything that we think is wrong with churches. In fact, that's wrong for you to do. Leave that in the hands of God. We've said it over and over and over and over. You won't catch me running to the newspapers, telling everything that was wrong with every church that I've ever attended. God have mercy on me, I, I haven't been perfect — which one of us is perfect? Leave that in the hands of God. When you, when you do those things — and nobody's asked me about it — when you do those things, what you don't realize is that you're going to bring criticism on yourself. You're going to bring attention on the entire move of God, thinking that you're just exposing something that's wrong. But what does the scripture say? It says, dare we take anyone to the law? Not talking about people that are unbelievers — well, they aren't believers — well, let God determine that. Right? We're not to take... you bring politics in, blood will run. Is that what we want? Do we want unconverted people judging the church? Where does judgment begin? In the house of the Lord. It should be handled in the backyard. Are you listening? This is important. The last thing we want to do is give this secular world, or the religious world for that reason, ammunition to come against the move of God.”
— Doug Baker, Love Divine Fellowship, "Let There Be Light, Pt. 2", November 20, 2024 [Source]
Context
Baker argues church abuse should be handled internally, not exposed publicly. This is the classic institutional response to abuse: protect the organization's reputation rather than the victims. He frames accountability journalism as giving "ammunition" to the enemy.
“Tape churches don’t have these problems. Why? Because that’s Satan’s church.”
— Doug Baker, Love Divine Fellowship, "Overcoming Things In The World, Pt. 2", June 24, 2018 [26:52] [Source]
Context
Baker calls tape churches "Satan’s church" — one of the strongest denunciations from within the movement.
“the anointing lifts. And he’s physically and emotionally worn out. He’s been under such a tremendous strain and such a tremendous anointing that he doesn’t even understand what’s going on when he comes out of it... He even gets to the point of having a total breakdown, apparently.”
— Doug Baker, Love Divine Fellowship, "Caught Up By A Whirlwind, Pt. 2", July 5, 2017 [14:56] [Source]
Context
Baker explicitly describes the anointing causing "a total breakdown" — presented as normal and expected for a prophet.
“How he didn’t completely lose his mind is supernatural. Living between dimensions as he did on a daily basis. He’s not infallible. But God doesn’t need infallible prophets and he doesn’t need infallible people. He’s got an infallible word.”
— Doug Baker, Love Divine Fellowship, "Caught Up By A Whirlwind, Pt. 2", July 5, 2017 [33:33] [Source]
Context
Baker says it’s "supernatural" that Branham didn’t "completely lose his mind" from "living between dimensions on a daily basis." This frames all errors as inevitable consequences of interdimensional travel.
“All of these injured people that grow up in church and never meet him. Maybe they're abused by parents or they're abused by the church or whatever. And so, it's all about what they're unhappy about and what they want the church to do for them, to make them happy.”
— Doug Baker, Love Divine Fellowship, "Come Out And Serve The Living God, Pt. 44", October 6, 2024 [1:03:10] [Source]
Context
Baker acknowledges church abuse exists but immediately dismisses victims' concerns as self-centeredness — "it's all about what they're unhappy about." This response-pattern silences victims by framing their pain as selfishness.
Footnotes