At 19, Branham left home seeking a better life. He traveled to Phoenix, Arizona, where he worked for two years on a ranch and began a successful career in boxing.[4] He returned to Jeffersonville when his brother died in 1929.[4][11] Branham had no experience with religion as a child; he said the first time he heard a prayer was at his brother's funeral.[12] Soon after, while working for the Public Service Company of Indiana, Branham was almost killed when he was overcome by gas.[12] While recovering from the accident, he said he again heard a voice leading him to begin seeking God.[12] He began attending a local Independent Baptist church, the First Pentecostal Baptist Church of Jeffersonville, where he converted to Christianity.[13][4] Six months later, he was ordained as an Independent Baptist minister.[4] His early ministry was an "impressive success"; he quickly attracted a small group of followers, who helped obtain a tent in which he could hold a revival.[4]