A Healer's Divine Story
Madame Phoebia Cheek Sullivan was born in Laurens County, South Carolina on May 15, 1855. She was a divine healer, herb doctor, and seer. At the young age of nine she was touched by the hand of God Almighty and given the gifts of healing and seeing. After a year of sitting with God and her healing powers, she was led to heal her mother's breast, after the doctor left and said he'd come back the next day to lax it. Once Phoebia laid her hands on her mother's breast she moved the milk. The next day Dr. Wolfe returned and saw what was done and suggested that Phoebia may be gifted and touched with healing powers. For the next ten years, she traveled with Dr. Wolfe and healed people across the state of South Carolina.
At the age of 19, she married Henry Sullivan and shortly thereafter was stricken by some sort of running spell, that when it came upon her, she would run for hours with the force of a horse. The doctors could find nothing to heal her and her family began to grow weary from the responsibilities of taking care of her. Her step mother and step sister spoke with a local doctor, Dr. Foster and tried to convince him to send her to the "poor house." Dr. Foster went to have a conversation with Henry Sullivan, Phoebia's husband and she overheard the conversation and entered the room and pleaded with Dr. Foster to not have her sent to the "poor house." She convinced Dr. Foster and her husband to take her to their wood to gather twelve herbs that she was told of in a dream and instructed by God to gather them, make a tea, and drink it to heal herself. She did just this and was healed. Dr. Foster, checked on her daily to make sure she was ok and found her well.
She convinced him to drink the tea for his knee pain. He drank it and was healed as well. It wasn't long before Madame Sullivan was healing others with her herbal elixir, healing hands, and spiritual words inspired by God and mostly the Book of Psalms.
Madame Sullivan performed healing work across South Carolina for many years as their family grew. She had seven biological children and adopted several children throughout her lifetime. Most of her children had and practiced their spiritual gifts.
She migrated to Saluda, North Carolina from South Carolina in the early 1900s with her family during times when South Carolina was pushing black folks out. She was born and raised many of her years in Dials Township, Laurens County, South Carolina. Madame Sullivan had six living biological children living at the time of her death: Lula Sullivan, James Sullivan, Ruth Sullivan, Albert Sullivan, Beatrice Sullivan and Bertie Lee Sullivan.
During her lifetime, Madame Sullivan wrote two books. From the Cradle to the Crutch, a memoir of her life where she chronicled the events that led up to her recognizing her divine calling from God. Her second book, titled, Book of Dreams and Visions, is a brief sketch of her life and works as well. Over the years, thousands of people traveled to Saluda to be healed by Madame Sullivan. It was her healing herbal elixir that transformed and healed folks from many aliments.
In 1948 Sullivan's Temple Missionary Baptist Church was built in her honor by her son, Reverend James Sullivan who served as a pastor. Madame Sullivan was the founder and instrumental in the Temple's affairs, however, she was not a minister there. The Temple was also a community gathering space. Each year for her birthday Madame Sullivan would host grand celebrations. Some legendary gospel singers that performed at the Temple include, Mahalia Jackson, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and possibly even Sam Cooke’s Soul Stirrers.
