A Healer's Divine Story

Born on May 15, 1855, in Laurens County, South Carolina, Madame Phoebia Cheek Sullivan’s life was a testament to divine calling and resilience. At the age of nine, God touched her and gifted her with the powers of healing and prophecy. Her abilities were first revealed when she healed her mother's breast, which astonished the family doctor, Dr. Wolfe. Recognizing her gift, Dr. Wolfe invited young and gifted Phoebia on the road to travel with him across the Carolinas, where she healed countless individuals over the next decade.

At 19, she married Henry Sullivan, but her life took a challenging turn when she was afflicted by a mysterious ailment that caused uncontrollable bouts of running. Doctors found no cure, and her family grew weary. Facing the threat of being sent to the "poor house," Phoebia intervened, guided by a divine vision. She went to the woods and gathered twelve essential herbs as instructed in a dream, brewed them into a tea, and miraculously healed herself. Dr. Foster, the local doctor, witnessed her recovery and became a believer when her tea healed his knee pain as well. Healing a traditional doctor marked the beginning of her journey as a renowned healer, using her herbal remedies, healing hands, and spiritual words inspired by the Psalms.

Madame Sullivan's healing work gained widespread acclaim, and thousands traveled to receive her care. Over the years, she raised seven biological children and adopted several others, many of whom inherited and practiced spiritual gifts. In the early 1900s, she and her family migrated to Saluda, North Carolina, during a time when South Carolina was pushing out Black families.

In 1948, Sullivan’s Temple Missionary Baptist Church was established in her honor by her son, Reverend James Sullivan. While not a minister herself, Madame Sullivan was a women of God who played a pivotal role in the church's affairs, making it both a spiritual and community hub. The Temple hosted legendary gospel singers such as Mahalia Jackson, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and possibly Sam Cooke’s Soul Stirrers graced its stage during her grand birthday celebrations.

A prolific writer, Madame Sullivan chronicled her life and divine calling in From the Cradle to the Crutch and detailed her spiritual works in Book of Dreams and Visions. Her legacy endures through her writings, her remarkable healing practices, and the enduring influence of Sullivan’s Temple.

Her story remains a beacon of resilience, faith, and the transformative power of divine purpose.