In 1961, the Lord spoke to me through prophecy that a ministerial fellowship would be established and ministers would be ordained to go forth into all the world. My first reaction was to put this on a shelf and wait and see what the Lord would do concerning it.

     About a year later, at a morning prayer meeting, I was saying  in my heart, "Lord, there are so many things on my heart to do for You, surely they all couldn't be of You." As I prayed, someone laid hands on me and began to prophesy, "My son, I shall cause you to walk down many avenues." Then the Lord said, "I'm going to send you on an expedition as an explorer." I pondered the meaning of this, and the Holy Spirit said in explanation, "As an explorer you shall declare a new thing. As to expedition, there will be more people than yourself who will be involved in declaring this new thing, and it will reach into many parts of the world."

     About two months later, I was ministering at a meeting in Tyler, Texas. At the close of the service, a man from Mexico came up to me and said he had been blessed and would like to pray for me. He then laid his hands on me, but instead of praying, he began to prophesy. The prophecy was identical to the one given in Shreveport, Louisiana two months prior with the exception of the terminology used. He said "you shall declare a new thing" instead of "explorer," and "many others shall be involved with you," instead of "expedition." He also stated we would reach into many parts of the world.

     The Baptism of the Holy Spirit was beginning to be poured out upon ministers in many different denominations at that time, and the Lord began to reveal to me the great need for establishing a ministerial association. This association would offer fellowship to the numerous denominational ministers receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. He then showed me some would be able to remain with their respective organizations for a while, but some would be put out immediately. In either case, these ministers would need to have fellowship and receive the Word of God with others of like experiences. It was a new thing for ministers of differing denominations to come together in fellowship, to worship and preach together. In fact, many came to me at that time and said to me, "Brother Bill, it is a good idea and certainly a good thought, but it will never work."

     As I began to realize what the Lord was asking me to do, much doubt came against me. A group of Spirit-filled denominational ministers gathered at the church one morning. As I prayed quietly in my heart, telling God I didn't have the ability to do that which He was asking me to do, a Methodist minister came and laid his hands on me and began to prophesy, "My son, I will give you of My own ability." The Lord then gave me the name World Ministry Fellowship.