Finis Jennings Dake was an American Pentecostal minister and evangelist born in Miller County, Missouri, known primarily for his writings on the subjects of Pentecostal Evangelical Christian spirituality and Premillennial Dispensationalism. His most well known work was the Dake Annotated Reference Bible.
Christian conversion
Dake became a Christian at age 17. Dake claimed that upon his conversion he received a 'special anointing' which allowed him to quote major portions of Scripture from memory. He preached his first sermon in 1925 and was ordained by the Assemblies of God denomination two years later. After working as a pastor and evangelist in Texas and Oklahoma, he moved to Zion, Illinois, in order to become the pastor of the Christian Assembly Church. In Zion, he also founded Shiloh Bible Institute, which ultimately merged with Central Bible Institute and which was located in the home formerly owned by controversial faith healerJohn Alexander Dowie.
Conviction for "debauchery and other immoral practices"
In 1937, during Dake's ministry in Zion, he was convicted of violating the Mann Act by wilfully transporting 16-year-old Emma Barelli across the Wisconsin state line "for the purpose of debauchery and other immoral practices." The May 27, 1936, issue of the Chicago Daily Tribune reported that Dake registered at hotels in Waukegan, Bloomington, and East St. Louis with the girl under the name "Christian Anderson and wife". With the possibility of a jury trial and subject to penalties of up to 10-year's imprisonment and a fine of US$10,000, Dake pleaded guilty, and served six months in the House of Corrections in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Though he maintained his innocence of intent, his ordination with the Assemblies of God was revoked and he later joined the Church of God in Cleveland, Tennessee. He eventually became independent of any denomination; it is not known why he later ended his relationship with the Church of God.
Writings
The Dake Annotated Reference Bible was the first widely published study Bible produced by someone from within Pentecostalism. His annotated Authorized King James Version of the Bible took seven years to complete. The 35,000 notes in the Dake Bible are considered by Christian theologians to be personal, rather than Biblically-based, commentary. Along with Dake's annotated Bible, his other writings have caused controversy amongst theologians. His works include God's Plan for Man, Revelation Expounded, and Bible Truths Unmasked.
