Ralph G. "Brother" Stair is a radio preacher. Stair was born of German ancestry on May 3, 1933 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Stair cites the fact that his birthplace shares the same name of the birthplace of Jesus as proof of his credibility. Married at age 18 to a woman four years his senior, Stair began preaching as a teenager and spent many years as a traveling evangelist with his first wife before settling in the Savannah, Georgia area in the 1960s. The marriage ended in divorce in 1978. Preacher is a colloquial term for a clergyman, in particular a local priest, pastor or Minister; one who preaches. ... 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Map Political Statistics Founded 1741 County Lehigh and Northampton Counties Mayor John B. Callahan Geographic Statistics Area  - Total  - Land  - Water 50. ... Jesus (8-2 BC/BCE — 29-36 AD/CE),[1] also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity. ... Evangelism is the proclaiming of the Christian Gospel. ... Nickname The Creative Coast or The Hostess City Location Government County Chatham Mayor Otis S. Johnson Geographical characteristics Area  - Total  - Land  - Water 202. ... The outrageously crowded Woodstock festival epitomized the popular antiwar movement of the 60s. ... A marriage is a relationship between or among individuals, usually recognized by civil authority and/or bound by the religious beliefs of the participants. ... Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the ending of a marriage before the death of either spouse, which can be contrasted with an annulment, which is a declaration that a marriage is void, though the effects of marriage may be recognized in such unions, such as spousal support, child custody... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ...

His preaching emphasized an impending Second Coming of Christ following a nuclear war. His signature sign-off was, and still is: This article refers to the religious usage of the term. ... Nuclear War is a card game designed by Douglas Malewicki, and originally published in 1966. ...

"This is the Voice of the Last Day Prophet of God. The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand! Jesus Christ is coming in your lifetime! This is the last generation! Prepare to meet your God! Maranatha!" The Kingdom of Heaven (or the Kingdom of God, Hebrew מלכות השמים, malkhut hashamayim, Greek basileia tou theou) is a key concept detailed in all the three major monotheistic religions of the world — Islam, Judaism and Christianity. ... Maran atha is an Aramaic (Syriac) phrase occurring once only in the New Testament. ...

Stair warned of vast conspiracies involving world political and religious leaders and instructed his followers to sell all their possessions, donate the proceeds to him for the purchase of more land and airtime, and flee to rural areas. A conspiracy theory attempts to explain the ultimate cause of an event (usually a political, social, or historical event) as a secret, and often deceptive, plot by a covert alliance of powerful people or organizations rather than as an overt activity or as natural occurrence. ...

Life with Brother Stair

Stair almost never uses his first name or initials. He, his radio audience, and his critics alike almost always refer to him as "Brother" Stair. He also refers to himself as "The Last Day Prophet of God". He did use his initials for a time in the 70's calling himself R.G. Stair, He did not want to be confused with his son, because both of them were called Brother Stair at the time. His son currently has no contact with him, and denounces his father's behavior. A prophet is a person who has directly encountered God, of whose intentions he can then speak. ...

Stair was only in the Philadelphia area for one year, in 1957. He later traveled across the US and settled in Savannah, Georgia, in the 1960s. He moved to South Carolina after his divorce from his first wife. Nickname The Creative Coast or The Hostess City Location Government County Chatham Mayor Otis S. Johnson Geographical characteristics Area  - Total  - Land  - Water 202. ... The outrageously crowded Woodstock festival epitomized the popular antiwar movement of the 60s. ... Official language(s) English Capital Charleston(1760-1789) Columbia(1790-present) Largest city Columbia Largest metro area Greenville Area  Ranked 40th  - Total 34,726 sq mi (82,965 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 260 miles (420 km)  - % water 6  - Latitude 32°430N to 35°12N...

Stair's closest followers moved with him in the late 1980s to a commune set up in a former motel near Walterboro, South Carolina. As more people joined Stair's group, now calling itself "The Overcomer Ministry", trailers were added to the property and additional lands nearby and in other states were purchased. The main location was, and still is, a farm located almost exactly on the 33rd parallel, a latitude which historically has been associated with the occult. The 1980s decade refers to the years from 1980 to 1989, inclusive, informally sometimes including the years 1979, 1990 and 1991. ... Walterboro is a city located in Colleton County, South Carolina. ... Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter φ, gives the location of a place on Earth north or south of the Equator. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Stair's theological teachings were, and still are, unfocused: Oneness Pentecostalism spiked with a collection of beliefs cribbed from various denominations. Stair was heavily influenced by circuit preachers A. A. Allen and William Branham and he occasionally played tapes of these men on his radio show. Stair also was influenced by Baptist radio preacher Lester Roloff, who advocated strict physical punishment as discipline for adolescents, and a rejection of processed foods, especially sugar. The Pentecostal movement within Protestant Christianity places special emphasis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as shown in the Biblical account of the Day of Pentecost. ... A religious denomination, (also simply denomination) is a large, long-established subgroup within a religion that has existed for many years. ... A. A. Allen (March 27, 1911 - June 11, 1970) was born Asa A. Allen at Sulphur Rock, Arkansas. ... William Marrion Branham (April 6, 1909, Indiana - 1965) was an influential Bible minister generally credited with founding the Latter Rain Movement within American Pentecostal churches, elements of which are present in most modern Pentecostal and Charismatic churches. ... A Baptist is a member of a Baptist church. ... Lester Leo Roloff (born June 28, 1914 - Dawson, Texas of German descent, died November 2, 1982) was a fundamentalist Baptist preacher, storyteller, and author. ... Punishment is the practice of imposing something unpleasant on a subject as a response to some unwanted behavior or disobedience that the subject has displayed. ... Discipline is any training intended to produce a specific character or pattern of behaviour, especially training that produces moral or mental development in a particular direction. ... The Adolescents were a punk band in the 1980s. ... Magnified crystals of refined sugar Magnification of typical sugar In general use, non-scientists take sugar to mean sucrose, also called table sugar or saccharose, a white crystalline solid disaccharide. ...

Among Stair's other tenets:

• Like many Independent Baptists, Stair prefers the King James Version of the Bible as the most accurate translation of the Bible into the English language.

• From the Seventh-day Adventists came the Saturday Sabbath and the fundamental teaching of resting on the Seventh Day.

• From the Holiness Movement came the strict dress code and return to traditional gender roles.

• From the Restoration Movement came a rejection of all religious denominations and titles.

• From traditional Pentecostalism came speaking in tongues.

• From the Amish came a rejection of modern technology and the return to an agrarian lifestyle.

• Stair offered some praise for the moral stances - if not the racial beliefs - of Christian Identity preachers like Peter J. Peters who bought airtime on some of the same stations that Stair did. From the start, Stair denounced the entire Identity movement, noting that many members of his group are African-Americans. From the beginning of his ministry Stair has ministered to all races, cited by his many encounters with the Ku Klux Klan, who threatened his life many times.

Stair also teaches that television is evil. It therefore came as a surprise to some when he started his own website outreach in 1998. Stair also rejects modern medicine as sinful. Stair's followers also follow strictly defined rules based on gender: Women wear no makeup or cosmetics and are forbidden from wearing pants or slacks. Males are forbidden from having long hair or tattoos. Alcohol and tobacco are forbidden. Not a denomination per se, Independent Baptist churches are Christian churches holding to generally Baptist beliefs, but characterized by being independent from the authority of denominations and ecumenical conventions. ... This articles subsection called Criticism is missing references or citation of sources. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Christian denomination which, as its name suggests, is most well known for its teaching that Saturday, the seventh day of the week, is the Sabbath. ... A bagpiper in military uniform. ... For information related to Dispensational Christian views regarding Jewish people in the End times see Restorationism The Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement (or simply, Restoration Movement) is a religious reform movement born in the early 1800s in the United States. ... The Pentecostal movement within Protestant Christianity places special emphasis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as shown in the Biblical account of the Day of Pentecost. ... Glossolalia (from the Greek, γλώσσα (glossa), tongue and λαλώ (lalô), to speak) comprises the utterance of what appears, depending on the listner and the context, either as an unknown foreign language (xenoglossia), as meaningless syllables, or as an unknown mystical language; the utterances sometimes occur as part of religious worship (religious glossolalia). ... Amish couple in a buggy in rural Holmes County, Ohio, which has the worlds largest Amish population The Amish are WEIRD an Anabaptist Christian denomination and Swiss-German ethnic group found primarily in the United States and Ontario, Canada known for restrictions on the use of modern devices such... Christian Identity is a label applied to a wide variety of loosely-affiliated groups and churches with a racialized theology. ... Peter John Peters is pastor of the LaPorte Church of Christ in Laporte, Colorado. ... For general discussion of dark-skinned people, see Black people. ... Members of the second Ku Klux Klan at a rally during the 1920s. ... Website - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... NLM (National Library of Medicine, contains resources for patients and healthcare professionals) Virtual Hospital (digital health sciences library by the University of Iowa) Online Medical Dictionary Collection of links to free medical resources Wikicities has a wiki about medicine: Medicine Categories: Medicine | Health ... Cosmetics or makeup are substances to enhance the beauty of the human body, apart from simple cleaning. ... Closeup of a womans eye while wearing makeup Cosmetics or makeup are substances to enhance the beauty of the human body, apart from simple cleaning. ... Look up Pants in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Leopard on shoulder A tattoo is a mark made by inserting pigment into the skin: in technical terms, tattooing is micro-pigment implantation. ... In chemistry, an alcohol is any organic compound in which a hydroxyl group (-OH) is bound to a carbon atom of an alkyl or substituted alkyl group. ... Species Nicotiana acuminata Nicotiana alata Nicotiana attenuata Nicotiana benthamiana Nicotiana clevelandii Nicotiana excelsior Nicotiana forgetiana Nicotiana glauca Nicotiana glutinosa Nicotiana langsdorffii Nicotiana longiflora Nicotiana obtusifolia Nicotiana paniculata Nicotiana plumbagifolia Nicotiana quadrivalvis Nicotiana repanda Nicotiana rustica Nicotianasuaveolens Nicotiana sylvestris Nicotiana tabacum Nicotiana tomentosa Ref: ITIS 30562 as of August 26, 2005...

The Voice of the Overcomer

During the early years of his radio ministry, Stair would deliver his broadcasts on a strictly local basis from Philadelphia and Boston, purchasing airtime on local stations, but it was only after the move to South Carolina that Stair began building his broadcasting empire. Flush with cash from the sale of his followers' property, and large anonymous donations, Stair began purchasing airtime on high powered clear channel AM and shortwave radio stations. His gravelly, emotional tenor voice was soon being heard by a worldwide audience. Philadelphia is a village located in Jefferson County, New York. ... Boston is a town and small port c. ... Official language(s) English Capital Charleston(1760-1789) Columbia(1790-present) Largest city Columbia Largest metro area Greenville Area  Ranked 40th  - Total 34,726 sq mi (82,965 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 260 miles (420 km)  - % water 6  - Latitude 32°430N to 35°12N... Clear channel stations are AM radio stations that are designated as such so that only one or two 50,000 watt powerhouses operate at night on each designated frequency, covering a wide area via sky wave propagation. ... Amplitude modulation (AM) is a form of modulation in which the amplitude of a carrier wave is varied in direct proportion to that of a modulating signal. ... A Grundig shortwave receiver Shortwave radio operates between the frequencies of 2,310 kHz and 25. ...

Most of Stair's broadcasts were of his preaching, often pre-recorded. At other times he would take live phone calls on the air or play tapes of his worship services. Also frequently aired were tapes of Alexander Scourby's recitation of the King James Version of the Bible. Tapes would often switch abruptly and many of the recordings were of poor audio quality. Alexander Scourby (November 13, 1913 – February 22, 1985) was an American actor and voice actor noted for his deep and resonant voice. ... This page is about the version of the Bible; for the Harvey Danger album, see King James Version (album). ... The Gutenberg Bible owned by the United States Library of Congress The Bible (Hebrew: תנ״ך tanakh, Greek: η Βίβλος hē biblos, the book) (sometimes The Holy Bible, The Book, Work of God, The Word of God, The Word, The Good Book, Scripture, or The Scriptures), is the name used by Jews and Christians...

His explosive temper and lack of broadcasting polish and technique earned him many sarcastic fans who disagreed with his teachings but found him fascinating and occasionally tried to call up and provoke him. His "fans" dubbed him "Brother Scare" for his doom-centered preaching.

As his purchases of radio airtime increased, Stair brokered a deal with pirate radio activist Allan Weiner to broadcast from a ship Weiner owned, the MV Fury. Again, Stair interpreted the ship's name as a prophetic allusion to the wrath of God. With Stair fronting the cash and Weiner providing the technical expertise, the ship was to be docked in international waters off the coast of Belize. Before the ship could leave Charleston Harbor, the FCC raided it and confiscated the broadcasting equipment. The FCC claimed that they had monitored test transmissions coming from some of Weiner's friends aboard the ship, which Weiner and Stair both denied. Eyewitnesses reported that the transmissions actually came from an amateur radio in the ship's communications room, operated by a drunken sailor not affiliated with the ministry. Weiner would later own licensed shortwave station WBCQ in Monticello, Maine and would sell airtime to Stair on the station. The term pirate radio lacks a specific universal interpretation. ... Allan H. Weiner (born c. ... God denotes the deity believed by monotheists to be the sole creator and ruler of the universe. ... The terms international waters or transboundary waters apply where any of the following types of bodies of water (or their drainage basins) transcend international boundaries: oceans, large marine ecosystems, enclosed or semi-enclosed regional seas and estuaries, rivers, lakes, groundwater systems (aquifers), and wetlands [1]. Oceans and seas, waters outside... The FCCs official seal. ... Amateur radio, often called ham radio, is a hobby enjoyed by about 3 million people[1] throughout the world. ... WBCQ is a shortwave radio station operating at Monticello, Maine, USA. The station is co-owned with AM broadcast station WREM at 710 kHz. ... Monticello is a town located in Aroostook County, Maine. ...

Undaunted, Stair continued purchasing larger blocks of shortwave airtime to air his preaching including the entire schedule of some transmitters. In contrast to his increasing, if not ubiquitous, presence on the late-night and shortwave radio dials, Stair and his organization became more and more secretive in dealing with the outside world.

Shortly after the turn of the century, Stair purchased a local AM radio station, WQIZ AM 810kHz, for $150,000. In 2003, he sold it for $200,000 to a network affiliated with the Catholic Church (FCC records and broadcast industry periodicals). The name Catholic Church can mean a visible organization that refers to itself as Catholic, or the invisible Christian Church, viz. ...

Among the revelations about life with Stair that would later emerge; Stair never applied for building permits for many of the additions constructed on the Walterboro commune. When several members of his commune died, Stair would block or delay notification of the local authorities. The deceased were simply buried on commune property. Despite the secrecy and seclusion, many outside the commune were becoming very suspicious as reports of sordid behavior by Stair were escaping his tightly controlled universe.

Notable incidents included the secret burial of an infant in an unmarked grave at Stair's behest, and the demise of evangelist Wayne Douglas (renamed "Simon" by Stair) who died a slow, lingering death after his return in good health from a missionary trip to Africa. Stair had prophesied that Douglas would die in Africa, and when that prophecy failed he retroactively amended it by claiming that Douglas contracted a fatal disease there. Suspicions remain about what exactly was in the "herb" capsules Stair provided for Douglas during his decline.

Stair Arrested

On May 16, 2002, Stair was placed under arrest and charged with sexual misconduct towards several underage members of his commune. Among the allegations that emerged from Stair's arrest and criminal trial: May 16 is the 136th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (137th in leap years). ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Sexual misconduct is misconduct of a sexual nature. ...

• Stair brutally raped and sodomized two teenage girls over 56 times each (one girl kept a journal of his attacks.)

• Stair provided herbs that caused miscarriages and stillbirths to several women he had impregnated, including some that were underage.

• Stair had obtained a large collection of pornography over an Internet connection that only he was allowed to use.

• Married couples were forbidden from having sex unless approved by Stair

Stair spent over two months in prison as part of a plea bargain to settle the charges. His following and ability to purchase airtime have decreased following the embarrassing allegations, and his troubles with the law have continued. Miscarriage or spontaneous abortion is the natural or accidental termination of a pregnancy at a stage where the embryo or the fetus is incapable of surviving, generally defined at a gestation of prior to 20 weeks. ... A stillbirth occurs when a fetus, of mid-second trimester to full term gestational age, which has died in the womb or during labour or delivery, exits the maternal body. ... A pregnant woman Pregnancy is the process by which a mammalian female carries a live offspring from conception until it develops to the point where the offspring is capable of living outside the womb. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Pornography (from Greek πόρνη prostitute and γραφία writing) (more informally referred to as porn or porno) is the representation of the human body or sexual activity with the goal of sexual arousal. ... Coition of a Hemisected Man and Woman (c. ... A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case in which a prosecutor and a defendant arrange to settle the case against the defendant. ...

• In 2004, Stair pled guilty to charges of assault and battery after fondling two female members of his organization.

• The following year, police responded to a 9-1-1 call placed by Stair's wife Theresa who stated that her husband was locking her in a room and preventing her from using the toilet. Brother Stair could be heard screaming in the background before forcibly hanging up the phone. No charges were filed as a result of this incident.

• As of 2005, Stair faced a civil suit filed by several ex-followers seeking over $177,000 in damages.

Acknowledging some of his failings, while denying some of the charges pressed against him, Stair has pleaded for forgiveness on his show, but most of his religious teachings and beliefs remain unchanged. 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Assault and battery is the combination of two violent crimes: assault (the threat of violence) and battery (actual physical violence). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 9-1-1 (nine-one-one) is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). ... Boeing 747 toilet A toilet is a plumbing fixture and a disposal system primarily intended for the disposal of the bodily wastes; urine, fecal matter, vomit and menses. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A lawsuit is a civil action brought before a court in order to recover a right, obtain damages for an injury, obtain an injunction to prevent an injury, or obtain a declaratory judgment to prevent future legal disputes. ...

Miscellaneous

The rock group Live (whose members, like Stair, are originally from Eastern Pennsylvania) included two brief soundbites of Stair in their 1994 song "White, Discussion". LIVE (IPA pronunciation: , rhymes with “five”)[1] is an American alternative rock band from York, Pennsylvania, USA. // History The band is comprised of Ed Kowalczyk (lead vocals & guitar), Chad Taylor (lead guitar), Patrick Dahlheimer (bass) and Chad Gracey (drums). ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal. // Events January Bill Clinton January 1 : North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) goes into effect. ...

External links

• Stair's website
• Testimonies of former followers, now critical of Stair
• A collection of news articles about Stair's criminal trial