Bob Shattles Dies

The Baptist evangelist was associated with the unusual ‘gold dust’ phenomenon

A Georgia-based evangelist whose meetings were reportedly marked by the mysterious appearance of heavenly gold dust died of cancer July 17. Bob Shattles, 66, was diagnosed in December after suddenly becoming ill.

The former Atlanta police officer received chemotherapy for the cancer that doctors discovered in his liver, but the disease spread to his colon. Shattles’ daughter, Robyn Wray, said surgery successfully removed the cancer from his colon this spring, but it then spread to his stomach, back, brain and lungs. He then contracted pneumonia.

“He couldn’t talk, so he would just look at me and smile,” said Wray, 43. “And he would look at the ceiling and smile. He did three times, as if he was trying to tell me something. I said, ‘Daddy, if it’s time, it’s OK.’ I believe he knew that God was fixing to call him home.”

The pastor emeritus of Souls Harvest Worship Center in Douglasville, Ga., had experienced the gold flakes phenomenon for two years after attending a meeting led by revivalist Ruth Heflin. Heflin died of cancer in September at age 60. Wray said Shattles’ meetings, which were booked through the middle of next year, will be filled by her brother and husband.

“We’re not going to close down his Revival Fires Ministry,” she said. “We’re going to seek God and see how he wants us to handle this. God gave him a
special anointing.”
–Eric Tiansay