More on Oswald J. Smith and What He Learned from the Bo...

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 More on Oswald J. Smith and What He Learned from the Bosworth Brothers 

What they taught him about citywide campaigns

By Roscoe Barnes III, PhD
Author, F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind “Christ the Healer”
Copyright © 2019

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#OswaldJSmith

Reminder: "F.F. Bosworth History" is now on Twitter. Follow @bosworth_fred 

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F.F. Bosworth may not have been a great orator or a preacher with a silver tongue, but he was still able to teach Oswald J. Smith a few things about divine healing and large citywide crusades.

In Douglas Hall’s book, Not Made for Defeat: The Authorized Biography of Oswald J. Smith(Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), he writes about the ministry of the F.F. and his younger brother, B.B. Bosworth, and their impact on Smith. The brothers, who were known for their salvation healing meetings, had become known as “two of America’s leading evangelists” in the 1920s, notes Hall. “They had a unique ability for drawing crowds over a sustained period of time,” he writes.

In addition to notable miracles of healing, the thing that caught Smith’s attention was the success and sustained growth of the evangelistic meetings in Toronto, Canada. Hall writes about Smith’s experience as follows:

“It was really my first experience with large campaigns,” Smith recalls. “F.F. Bosworth was not what you would call a great preacher but he had something. Night after night he would address the people in his quiet manner. His message was Salvation and the Deeper Life. The results were above average as the people responded to the invitation. I was more interested in the mechanics of the crusade than in the actual preaching. I watched and listened carefully. I can honestly thank them for teaching me how to hold extended evangelistic campaigns. I’ve used some their techniques down through the years.”

Watching the success of the Bosworths, Smith apparently felt inspired to step out in faith and hold his own large evangelistic campaigns. What he saw in the ministry of the Bosworth brothers “whetted” his appetite and broadened his vision for greater ministry opportunities, according to Hall. Details of the lessons/techniques are not presented in the book.

“He had tasted the thrill of being on a platform and in charge of services which attracted capacity audiences,” Hall writes. “When he saw the crowds being turned away at the doors he knew that his was the ministry he wanted and had no intention of ever being satisfied with anything less.”

The lessons that Smith learned became an integral part of his ministry for many years. He learned to “capitalized on the revival which had begun under the ministry of the Bosworth Brothers,” but he didn’t stop there, according to Hall. Building on his experience in the Toronto meetings, Smith experimented, devised new methods and adapted to changing times and situations.

Related articles:

“What Oswald J. Smith Discovered in the Revival Meetings of the Bosworth Brothers.” See here.

“'These Things No One Can Deny': What Oswald J. Smith said About the Healing Ministry of the Bosworth Brothers.” See here.

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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.

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For more information:
Visit the F.F. Bosworth page here. Questions about the research and commentary on F.F. Bosworth may be directed to Roscoe Barnes III, Ph.D., via email at doctorbarnes3@gmail.com or roscoebarnes3@yahoo.com. For updates on F.F. Bosworth history, simply follow this blog or @bosworth_fred and @Roscoebarnes3 on Twitter. #ChristTheHealer #BosworthMention #BosworthMatters