F.F. Bosworth
Critical Research and Commentary
on His Life and Ministry
The Blog: Bosworth Matters
Thoughts, musings, research on author of Christ the Healer.
More PostsFred Francis Bosworth (1877-1958), the author of Christ the Healer, was an important leader in the Pentecostal movement in the United States. He played a significant role in the movement during the early 1900s. He also was a key figure in the Divine Healing movement during the 1940s and 1950s. In addition to becoming a famous healing evangelist, he was a prolific author and radio pioneer. He planted churches and held city-wide evangelistic crusades throughout the United States and other countries. His influence on many church groups, especially those in the Pentecostal and Charismatic tradition, remains strong.
Over the years a number of popular writings have been published about Bosworth and his healing ministry. However, only a few sources have provided critical research on his life and his teachings.
Now for the first time, detailed critical research on Bosworth’s entire life history is available. It is presented here through articles, books, unpublished papers, and other resources.
F.F. Bosworth (1877-1958)
Author, Christ the Healer
F.F. Bosworth: An Overview of His Life and Ministry (Preprint)
By Roscoe Barnes III, PhDCopyright (c) 2020#FFBosworth#BosworthMatters#BosworthMentionNote: This article, a preprint, has been submitted and accepted for publication in Brill's Encyclopedia of Global Pentecostalism.
-----------------------
Fred Francis (“F.F.”) Bosworth (1877-1958) was a Pentecostal pioneer, musician, and famous healing evangelist whose ministry spanned several decades, beginning in the early years of the 20th century. He played a prominent role in the Pentecostal movement in the United States in the early 1900s; he also worked with the healing evangelists of the Voice of Healing during the post-World War II revival.Bosworth was a founding minister and one of the first executive presbyters of the General Council of the Assemblies of God. In the 1920s and 1930s, he held citywide revival meetings that drew thousands of people in single services throughout the United States and Canada. It is believed that more than a million people came to Christ through his ministry. In addition to being a pioneer in radio broadcasting, he was the author of the widely-read book, Christ the Healer (1924). He was considered by some historians to be one of the most successful healing revivalists of his generation.Bosworth was born on January 17, 1877, to Burton and Amelia Bosworth on a farm near Utica, Neb. As a child, Bosworth discovered his talent for music, and he learned to sell. He was a teenager when he became a Christian. While still a youth, Bosworth contracted Tuberculosis. Believing he would soon die, he travelled to Fitzgerald, Ga., to say farewell to his family. While there, he attended a service in a Methodist church that was held by Evangelist Mattie Perry. She prayed for him and he was healed of his TB.Later, after learning about the healing ministry of John Alexander Dowie, Bosworth and his wife, Estella Hyde, moved north to live in Zion City, which was founded by Dowie as a Christian community. Dowie hired Bosworth to be his band director.
In 1906, Pentecostal pioneer Charles Parham visited Zion and shared the Pentecostal message. On October 18 of that year, Bosworth received the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. It was during that time that he received his call to preach. He and his family later moved to Dallas, Texas, where they established a church that would become known as the First Assembly of God Church.Bosworth suffered hardships in Dallas. On one occasion a white mob held him at gun-point and brutally beat him because of his ministry at a black camp meeting.In 1912, Evangelist Maria Woodworth-Etter came to his church for a six month revival meeting. During that time, Bosworth unleashed a flurry of press reports about conversions, miracles of healing and unusual events that occurred during her ministry. The news of the meetings attracted some of the biggest names in the Pentecostal movement. For several years, the meetings continued to grow. However, a conflict arose over the issue of speaking in tongues. While many in his assembly believed speaking in tongues was the initial sign of Spirit baptism, Bosworth believed speaking in tongues was only one of the signs of Spirit baptism. He also opposed the view that the tongues spoken in Acts were separate and distinct from the gift of tongues in First Corinthians. Because of his disagreement, Bosworth resigned from the Assemblies of God denomination and became an active minster in the Christian & Missionary Alliance.A few months following his resignation, Bosworth said farewell to his wife, Estella, who succumb to TB. In spite of his grief, he continued to pray for the sick and preach divine healing. In 1920, he held successful healing campaigns in Lima, Ohio, and Pittsburg, Pa.In the 1920s, Bosworth’s ministry saw unprecedented growth. His biography, Joybringer Bosworth, appeared in 1921, and his book, Christ the Healer, in 1924. His 1924 campaign in Ottawa, Canada reportedly drew a massive crowd in which 12,000 sought salvation. This was also the decade in which he married Florence Naomi Valentine and launched his magazine, Exploits of Faith.In the 1930s, Bosworth embraced the teachings of British Israelism and fell out of fellowship with his denomination, the Christian & Missionary Alliance. However, in the 1940s, he recanted his views and was welcomed back into fellowship.Bosworth had all but retired when he learned of the healing ministry of William Branham, which was managed by Gordon Lindsay. After attending one of their meetings, Bosworth joined their staff. Although 71 years of age, he taught and served as an advisor to Branham and other healing revivalists who were members of The Voice of Healing organization.Bosworth spent his final years of ministry as a missionary evangelist. He ministered in South Africa, Germany, and Japan, among other places. On January 23, 1958, he died of a heart attack in his home in Miami, Fla. He was 81. His brother, B.B. Bosworth, died on Feb. 17, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Further reading:Barnes III, Roscoe. 2009. F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind ‘Christ the Healer.’ Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.Bosworth, F.F. 2008. Christ the Healer. Grand Rapids, MI: Revell.Harrell, David Edwin Jr. 1979. All Things Are Possible: The Healing and Charismatic Revivals in Modern America. Bloomington and London: Indiana University Press.King, Paul L. 2006. Genuine Gold: The Cautiously Charismatic Story of the Early Christian and Missionary Alliance. Tulsa, OK: Word & Spirit Press.Perkins, Eunice M. 1921. Joybringer Bosworth: His Life Story. Detroit, MI: John J. Scruby.
---------------------------
Reminder: "F.F. Bosworth History" is now on Twitter. Follow @bosworth_fred
Note: My book, F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind "Christ the Healer," can be purchased here with a 25% discount. Use the discount code: BOSWORTH25 (all caps).Papers
“F.F. Bosworth: An Analysis of His Ministry Development Using Social Cognitive Career Theory,” Verbum et Ecclesia; Vol 32, No 1 (April 2011). See article here.
”F.F. Bosworth in South Africa: A Historical Analysis of His Later Ministry and Healing Methodology,” Africa Journal of Pentecostal Studies (December 2007), 76-91. See article here.
“F.F. Bosworth and the Role of Women in His Life and Ministry,” The Journal of the European Pentecostal Theological Association (Vol. XXVII, No. 1, 2007), 25-38. See article here.
“Persecuted for Christ: A Defining Moment in the Life of F.F. Bosworth,” Refleks: Med Karismatisk Kristendom I Fokus (5-1-2006), 89-97. See article here.
“F.F. Bosworth: A Profile in Divine Healing Ministry,” Refleks: Med Karismatisk Kristendom I Fokus (4-2-2006), 71-82. See article here.
Book
F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind "Christ the Healer." Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2009.
"This book is about the life and ministry of Bosworth (1877-1958), a Pentecostal pioneer, musician, famous healing evangelist, and the author of Christ the Healer. He reportedly led over a million people to Christ and was considered by scholars and ministers alike to be one of the most successful healing evangelists of his era.
"His writings on divine healing influenced many church leaders of his day, as well many who claim healing ministries today. While many people are familiar with his book, Christ the Healer, few know much about the man behind the book.
"F.F. Bosworth is the first book to offer a critical analysis of Bosworth's life and ministry from the beginning to the end. The purpose of this work is to explore his life and ministry in order to identify and analyze some of the factors that contributed to his success as a famous healing evangelist."Note: This book, F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind Christ the Healer, can be purchased here with a 25% discount. Use the discount code (ALL CAPS): BOSWORTH25.
Notes on F.F. Bosworth
"Plagiarism or Just Eerily Similar: A Brief Look at the Writings of F.F. Bosworth and Kenneth E. Hagin." Available here.
"The Ministry of F.F. Bosworth: How He Compares to Other Famous Healing Evangelists of His Time." Available here.
"Why F. F. Bosworth and His Family Moved to Fitzgerald, Ga." Available here.
"Chronology Timeline: Fred Francis Bosworth." Available here.
Other Writings on F.F. Bosworth: A Partial Bibliography. Available here.
Note from Bob Bosworth
"Massive Stroke"
During the early stages of my research on F. F. Bosworth, I reached out to his son, Robert V. Bosworth, for assistance. At the time, his son was living in South Africa, where he and his wife, Stella, ministered through World Outreach Inc. When I contacted Robert Bosworth via email, he replied by saying he would not be able to help me because of a serious illness. His email can be read here. (Photo: Robert and Stella Bosworth, along with their daughters, Linda and Debbie)
Conference Presentation
“Experience as a Catalyst for Healing Ministry: Historical Evidence and Implications From the Life of F.F. Bosworth.” Presented at the 36th Annual Meeting of the Society for Pentecostal Studies in Cleveland, Tenn. Published in SPS Conference Proceedings. March 2007. Available here.
"A Response" by Kimberly Ervin Alexander, Ph.D., presented at the 36th Annual Meeting of the Society for Pentecostal Studies in Cleveland, Tenn. Available here and here. Dr. Alexander is Associate Professor of the History of Christianity at Regent University. She is the author of Pentecostal Healing: Models of Theology and Practice (Blandford Forum, Dorset: Deo, 2006). Visit her faculty page here.
Thesis/Dissertation
F.F. Bosworth: A Historical Analysis of the Influential Factors in His Life and Ministry
University of Pretoria, South Africa, 2010
First published in 1924, Christ the Healer is considered a classic on the subject of divine healing. It remains a popular handbook in churches and Bible schools. The book is a collection of sermons by F.F. Bosworth. In addition to divine healing, it presents a series of messages on miracles, faith and prayer. It also offers a defense for the ministry of divine healing today.
F.F. Bosworth began publishing Exploits of Faith in 1927 as the official magazine of his ministry. The publication featured his sermons, news, and reports about his evangelistic meetings. It promoted his books and carried letters from his readers. Information on his radio programs also was included.
F.F. Bosworth History on Academic Websites
Quick and Easy Ways to Download, Print, and Follow Current Research on the Author of 'Christ the Healer'
By Roscoe Barnes III, PhD
Author, F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind "Christ the Healer"
Copyright (c) 2018
I want to bring to your attention a number of academic websites where my work on F.F. Bosworth is being shared.
These websites are really convenient, especially if you're busy, like most people, and reading on the run. Instead of having to cut and paste a blog post, you can simply download or print the content straight from the page. A simple click will do the trick. The academic websites also include a "Follow" feature that allows you to follow the author, network, and keep up with the the latest postings.
In addition to my blogs, Bosworth Matters, and Roscoe Reporting, my research on Bosworth appears on the following academic websites:
Figshare.com
Visit my profile page here.
Figshare has become one of my favorite platforms for sharing, promoting, and preserving my work. The website is described as "a repository where users can make all of their research outputs available in a citable, shareable and discoverable manner."
Perhaps I should note the content on my Figshare page is not currently organized into separate categories by topic. That, I assure you, will come later.
Academia.edu
See profile page here.
This is a popular platform that is used by many historians, students, pastors, and scholars of Pentecostalism.
ResearchGate.net
Review profile page here.
Like Academia.edu, this platform is widely used by historians and other scholars engaged in serious research.
SSRN.com
Visit my Author's Page here.
This page, for various reasons, has only a few of my articles on F.F. Bosworth. Even so, it is still worth a quick visit.
All four of the above platforms are clean and user friendly. Their pages are uncluttered and easy to follow. You can read the posted content online, or you can simply download the material. Registration is not required for reading or for downloads.
I should also mention that links to some of my research and commentary on Bosworth are shared on Google Scholar, and ORCID.Biography
Roscoe Barnes III, Ph.D., is an authority on the life of F. F. Bosworth, a once famous healing evangelist and author of Christ the Healer. His research on Bosworth was documented in his doctoral thesis, F.F. Bosworth: A Historical Analysis of the Influential Factors in His Life and Ministry (University of Pretoria).
Barnes is an independent scholar of Church History, specializing in Pentecostalism, Biography, Evangelism, and Divine Healing (see https://independent.academia.edu/RoscoeBarnesIII). He is the author of 12 books, including, F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind "Christ the Healer" (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2009). He also is an award-winning journalist and is widely published in newspapers and magazines.
Barnes' work is cited in a number of books and papers, including An Essential Guide to Baptism in the Holy Spirit by R. Phillips (Charisma House, 2011); Divine Healing: The Formative Years: 1830-1880: Theological Roots in the Transatlantic World by James Robinson (Pickwick Publications, 2011); and God's Generals: The Healing Evangelists by Roberts Liardon (Whitaker House, 2011), among others.
Barnes earned his Ph.D. in Church History and Polity at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. He holds a Master of Arts in Religion from the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg, Pa.; and a Bachelor of Science in Biblical Studies from East Coast Bible College in Charlotte, N.C.
CONTACT ME!
Copyright 2015