Cult Secrets: Ted Kipperman and James Ayers

Theodore “Ted” Kipperman and James Ayers were the two Douglas Studios photographers that captured William Branham’s “halo” photograph in the Sam Houston Coliseum during a 1950 debate. Ayers was a counterfeiter who, with his brother-in-law, Ted, was caught in the act of forgery. James was convicted and tried unsuccessfully to appeal in March 1952.

After their son/nephew, Leslie Douglas Ashely was convicted of murder during transsexual prostitution in Houston, the Pentecostal crowd came to his rescue. During the timeline of Branham’s “mystery cloud” event, William Branham and John Osteen, Joel Osteen’s father, held rallies to free the transsexual. Interestingly, they had no interest in freeing his accomplice, Caroline Lima, who was involved in prostitution and murder. Ayers set up the “Ashley-Ayers Evangelistic Association” after the conviction, helping the transsexual pose as “Elijah the prophet” for an insanity plea. Branham, who also claimed to be “Elijah”, claimed that he helped Ashley escape the electric chair, and Ashley was, indeed, granted a stay of execution due to insanity.

Branham claimed that their photograph was supernatural, and one would expect the men who captured this supernatural event to convert to his “Message” sect if this were true. They did not, however. James Ayers faded away from public view after the insanity plea, and Ted Kipperman opened a “Pawn and Wedding” shop. He became licensed as a minister and gave customers a unique experience: If they bought a wedding ring at his pawn shop, they got a free wedding to go with it.

You can learn this and more on william-branham.org

Theodore Kipperman:
https://william-branham.org/site/research/people/theodore_kipperman

James Ayers:
https://william-branham.org/site/research/people/james_ayers

Leslie Douglas Ashley:
https://william-branham.org/site/research/people/leslie_douglas_ashley

Houston Photograph:
https://william-branham.org/site/research/topics/houston_photograph