"The Man Who Believed God."

Charles Cullis, M.D. (1833-1892). Charles Cullis was born on March 7, 1833 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The son of English immigrants, he was raised in an Episcopalian church, but he rebelled against the memorization, without meaning, that he found in the Sunday school and stopped as soon as he was allowed. He was in poor health for most of his early life. He described his "years from infancy up to manhood, and of crosses and disappointments, bereavement and loneliness, and heart-heaviness". His memories of childhood included constant sickness. He had to be carried up and down stairs. His family attempted to put him in school but his health was so bad they eventually gave up. At the age of 16 he started working in a dry goods business. He later declared it was a critical period in learning about business and men's characters. When he was 19 his health collapsed once more and he had to stop working. He lost his voice and could only speak in whispers. Cullis assumed that with rest that his health would improve and he could return to work, but that door was closed forever.

Dr Orin S. Sanders, a physician friend, opened his library to Cullis and began to take him on rounds with him. Dr Landers suggested that Cullis study medicine. Initially Cullis said no because he wasn't particularly interested. Still after some thought and study he chose to do so, mostly because he felt there were no other options open to him. Although he did not have the money to complete the required coursework God opened the doors for him every step of the way. Later he was to see God's hand clearly in the process, but it was hidden from him at the time. Cullis came under conviction to know God better. He tried to do his duty in the Episcopal church as an answer these heart cries, but he described it as religion and not a personal relationship with the living Savior.

Cullis fell in love with and married Chastina, the doctor's sister-in-law, and moved into Landers' home. He cared for many who were sick with pulmonary tuberculosis (then known as consumption). He saw people exhaust all hope and resources and end up as beggars, especially women. Then his wife became ill with consumption and she died within four years of their marriage.

After his wife's death Cullis left Landers' house and started his own practice. He became successful very quickly, yet he was heartbroken and under a cloud of depression. He handed out thousands of tracts and gave money to many Christian organizations. Still for him it was a religious exercise.

In 1862 Cullis visited one of the Tuesday Meetings for the promotion of Holiness started by Phoebe Palmer. Cullis began to search the scriptures and they came alive for him in a new way. Struggling with understanding he decided "I will and do forever, by God's grace, believe every word between these two lids, whether I understand it or not." He also declared "I will take every precept and promise of the Bible just as if my own name, Charles Cullis, was written on every one of them."

One day Cullis was reading the Bible when the words "every man his work" from Mark 13:34 jumped off the page at him. Cullis began to feel that God was calling him to open a home for incurable consumptives as the "work" God had for him. This was a major step, but he felt he must act on what he was called to. Like George Mueller, he set his heart to be utterly dependent on God for the provision for the ministry. The house opened in 1864 to care for the hopeless, homeless, destitute and dying. He soon added a second house and then two more. The sign over the door simply said "Have Faith in God."

Around 1866 Cullis married a widow named Lucretia Ann Bramhall Reed, with a daughter of her own named Marie. Lucretia was a tremendous support to him in his ministry. The couple had three more children Charles, Elizabeth, and Edith.

Over the next several years Cullis added a worker's home, a cancer home, a spinal home, an orphanage, a mission, a chapel, a Faith Training College, and supported the Beacon Hill Church on Bowdoin Street in Boston.

In 1870 Charles Cullis acted in two areas, moving from the middle of Boston to an outlying rural area and praying for physical healing. Cullis published a book of hymns title "Faith Hymns" in 1870. In 1871 Cullis added a monthly children's publication called "Loving Words." In the summer of 1873 Cullis and his wife traveled to Europe to visit faith homes they had heard of.

He felt challenged to begin to pray for the sick. He showed such a gifting in this area, that his ministry swelled with people wanting to know more. Cullis, unlike some in the healing ministry, did not oppose medical help and still continued his practice during those years. In fact, the money he made from his medical practice was often expended on the poor in the homes, leaving his own family with the barest necessities.

Cullis became a controversial figure in Boston over "Faith Cure", and many denominations became antagonistic, due to cessationist theology. However, he began to receive attention from all over the world, as he taught and showed that God still healed and did miracles. In 1881 Cullis began to hold "faith-cure" meetings on a regular basis and in 1882 a "faith-cure" home was built. His Willard Tract Repository produced his own works on faith healing, and many from other healers. In 1881 he published a follow up to his earlier "Answers" titled "More Faith Cures: or Answers to Prayer in the Healing of the Sick." Then in 1885 he published "Other Faith Cures; or Answers to Prayer in the Healing of the Sick." He also published the book "Dorothea Trudel, or, The Prayer of Faith." which had his name on it as an author, but was a translation from a German work by an unidentified author.

In the mid-1880’s Cullis began holding "Faith Conventions" in Massachusetts, Maine, and New Hampshire. In fact A. B. Simpson attended one of these meetings in Old Orchard Beach, Maine and had a major healing experience.

In 1879 Cullis published "Faith Cures, or Answers to Prayer in the Healing of the Sick."

Cullis' lasting impact was his teaching on having faith in God, and the revelation that we could believe God for our salvation, provision, and healing.