Alma White and the Holy Jumpers

Alma Bridwell White was the founder of the Pillar of Fire church, otherwise known as the "Holy Jumpers", for their ritual of jumping up and down while claiming to be "moved by the Spirit". The sect was organized in Denver, Colorado, but appears to have been greatly influenced by or cloned from John Alexander Dowie's Christian Catholic church in Zion. In fact, White was often accused of creating a sect that closely resembled Zion. Also like Dowie, White held a different set of standards than her members and did not obey the rules of her sect.

Alma White was a strong supporter of the Ku Klux Klan, and the Pillar of Fire church was one of the few churches that publicly supported the white supremacy organization. White often held lectures on the White Knights and their principles. White also published books advertising the Klan, such as Klan in Prophecy, Klansmen: Guardians of Liberty, and Heroes of the Fiery Cross. White was very outspoken against people with black skin and preached sermons such as "America — the White Man's Heritage" that discriminated against blacks.

Interestingly, William Seymour visited White's sect shortly before the Azusa Street Revival. Seymour visited several unusual sects on his journey to Los Angeles, and the "Holy Jumpers" was no exception. Seymour was not well received, however, due to his black skin. White later described Seymour as a "very untidy person," who was seeking to create his own following. In her book, Demons and Tongues, she claimed she had "met all kinds of religious fakers and tramps, but felt he excelled them all." There is no doubt, however, that the color of Seymour's skin played a factor in her disgust with him.

Seymour, however, appears to have been influenced by Alma White's "jumping" and the religious ecstasy of the "holy jumpers" made its way into the Azusa Street Revival. When Azusa Street broke out in jumping, they began disrupting the peace. Police tried to stop the noise and found that the "jumpers" were being led by "the one-eyed negro" (Seymour).

In 1926, the "Holy Jumpers" was labeled "a cult" by newspapers when 22-year-old Ruth Marshall was recruited into the sect and refused to return to her family. Journalists noted that her "eyes burn[ed] with a religious zeal".

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

Alma White:
https://william-branham.org/site/research/people/alma_white