Timeline
1913
Lester Sumrall is born in New Orleans, LA on February 15th.
1930
Lester Sumrall contracts tuberculosis and almost dies. While lying in bed near death, he has a vision from God. He is confronted with a Bible and a casket, and feels God tells him to choose one or the other. He chooses to dedicate his life to Christ and becomes a preacher.
1932
Lester Sumrall becomes officially ordained as a minister.
1934
Lester Sumrall meets Howard Carter on October 16th and both feel God calling them to do missions work together.
1935
On January 1st, Lester Sumrall and Howard Carter begin traveling on what would become a year and a half long missions journey starting in Australia and New Zealand and heading through the Orient, the Tibetan Himalayas, Siberia and Nazi-controlled Europe before returning to England.
1936
Lester Sumrall finally comes home to America and returns to his home in Mobile, AL. He then begins traveling through the Midwest for the first time.
1937
Lester Sumrall attends a Bible conference in Brazil and then travels through Mexico, Cuba, and Central/South America on missions work.
1938
Lester Sumrall publishes his first book Adventuring with Christ with Marshall, Morgan and Scott, a publishing company in England.
1939
Lester Sumrall establishes three churches in England and pays a final visit to Smith Wigglesworth, who prays, “God, let the faith that is in my heart be poured into the heart of this young man.”
1940-1941
He goes to Alaska and hears of an evangelist by the name of Louise Layman for the first time
1941
Lester Sumrall travels throughout Latin America, preaching God’s Word.
1944
Lester and Louise marry on September 30th and start a year-long mission trip through the West Indies, Central, and South America.
1946
Lester and Louise buy their first home in Springfield, Missouri.
1946
Frank Sumrall, Lester and Louise’s first of three sons, is born on December 31st.
1947
Lester takes his first pastorate in South Bend, Indiana.
1950
Feeling called by God to the area, Lester and Louise purchase a house in South Bend, Indiana. Their family would call this place home for more than 15 years.
1950
Lester and Louise’s second son, Stephen Sumrall, is born on June 27th.
1952
Lester and Louise Sumrall move their family to the Philippines to start a church, Bethel Temple. It quickly becomes the largest Protestant church in the country, and still exists to this day, pastored by Lester’s great nephew, David Ernest Sumrall. The church is now called Cathedral of Praise, Manila.
1953
Peter Sumrall, their last son, is born in the Philippines on October 17th.
1954
The Sumrall family moves back home to South Bend, Indiana for a short time.
1956
Lester Sumrall feels God is calling him to move to Jerusalem for a short time. During their stay in Israel, the Sinai War takes place. The family returns home in 1957.
1957
Lester Sumrall founds the Lester Sumrall Evangelistic Association, LeSEA, as well as his own publishing company, Sumrall Publishing, that will eventually publish his more than 130 books and syllabi.
1959
Lester again feels God calling them to another country to plant a church. The family moves to Hong Kong and builds New Life Temple Church which is still in existence today.
1965
Lester Sumrall produces and releases his first movie, Bitten by Devils, the story of Clarita, a young prisoner in the Philippines who was bitten by devils in her jail cell. She was delivered by Lester Sumrall’s prayers.
1966
He feels God directing him to begin a broadcast ministry and decides to start the LeSEA Broadcasting Corporation.
1967
Lester Sumrall produces and releases his third film, Luzon Headhunters.
1968
WHME-FM, Harvest Radio, begins broadcasting in South Bend, Indiana. In that same year, the new Bethel Temple Church building is dedicated in South Bend, Indiana.
1970
LeSEA Prayerline is established to provide 24-hour help for those in need of direction and encouragement through prayer.
1972
Lester Sumrall purchases WHMB- TV in Indianapolis, Indiana and begins broadcasting “Today with Lester Sumrall.”
1974
Lester Sumrall establishes the World Harvest Minister’s Network in order to equip the next generation of pastors and provide them with resources.
1975
Lester Sumrall founds the World Harvest Bible College on the church campus in South Bend, Indiana. The college has dorm rooms and facilities for students to engage in learning the Word of God in a college format setting.
1976
WHFT-TV is launched in Miami, Florida.
1977
WHME-TV started airing in South Bend, Indiana, and the LeSEA Broadcasting headquarters are moved from Indianapolis to South Bend.
1982
Christian Center School is established as a Christian-based elementary school. Gradually, it is expanded to include preschool through 12th grade.
1983
Studio and transmitter for WHME-FM are moved into a new building, allowing LeSEA to have 24-hour satellite broadcasting capability.
1983
Construction begins on a new building for Christian Center Church. Two years later in 1985, it is completed and the current Christian Center Church is opened and dedicated.
1985
World Harvest Radio, a shortwave radio network, is launched with the purchase of WHRI, which covers all of Central and South America and the Caribbean with the Gospel.
1987
Feed the Hungry is founded after a trip to Israel in which Lester Sumrall feels God speak to him about feeding those who ask for their daily bread but receive none. Lester purchases a C130; Mercy Plane Zoe, and a cargo ship dedicated as The Evangeline, (later replaced by The Louisa) to deliver food and hope around the world.
1988
A fire completely destroys WHME-TV 46’s building in South Bend, Indiana. The station is able to recoup and get back on the air within seven hours of the fire.
1990
Reconstruction of WHME TV-46 is completed and the new facility is dedicated.
1993
After leading tour groups to Israel for more than twenty years, LeSEA officially establishes a full-service tour agency called LeSEA Tours for the purpose of organizing Christian tour groups to the Holy Land.
1993
KWHR is added to World Harvest Radio covering China and Eastern Asia.
1994
LeSEA Broadcasting purchases WHNO-TV 20 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
1994
Louise Layman, Lester’s beloved partner, passes away at the age of 81.
1996
On April 28th, Lester Sumrall passes away at the age of 83 leaving his ministry to his sons and grandchildren. “I am assured that this ministry will continue in the second generation, and I pray in the third as well, if Jesus tarries. We will experience success in our efforts to reach those million souls for Christ, if we continue to carry the same vision and consecration.”- Lester Sumrall