What it Suggests About His Business Acumen
By Roscoe Barnes III
Author, F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind Christ the Healer
Copyright (c) 2018
#FFBosworth
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| F.F. Bosworth
(Photo courtesy of https://ifphc.org)
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Note: This is a snippet of research drawn from my
doctoral thesis on the life history of F.F. Bosworth, Pentecostal pioneer and
author of Christ the Healer. The research examined his life using Social
Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT). It focused on his development as a famous
healing evangelist. (See F. F.
Bosworth: A Historical Analysis of the Influential Factors in His Life and
Ministry (University of Pretoria, Date: 2010-07-30; website:
https://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/26869).
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In my doctoral thesis on F.F. Bosworth, I argued that his
secular experiences in business were linked to his work as a preacher. I showed
how his work as a traveling salesman in his youth was similar to his work as a
traveling evangelist. Before he entered the ministry, he held a number of
secular jobs that seemed to parallel his later work as an evangelist.
When he lived in Fitzgerald, Ga., he worked as a barber,
city clerk and postmaster. He campaigned for an elected position and
he traveled whenever necessary as a musician. I contend that the secular
experiences of his youth were foundational to his development as a famous
healing evangelist. Those early experiences, particularly in the area of
business and marketing, were influential factors in his growth as a traveling
minister.
While there is a plethora of material that shows his
penchant for various jobs, including his knack for selling, there are certain
documents, like the letter below, that provide clear insight into his thinking
as a businessman and spiritual leader. Bosworth wrote the letter in 1922. It was
addressed to Alpha E. Humbard, father of Evangelist Rex Humbard (1919-2007). The
letter is short and simple. Yet, it shows, among other things, Bosworth’s
marketing prowess as a healing evangelist. It was published in Word and
Witness:
Dear Brother Humbard:
Your good letter received. I
don’t have a minute to write for any paper. I enclose herewith a dodger announcing
our meetings.
We could not seat our first
audience in the Midway Tabernacle seating 2,000. Sunday night we had the
service in the Minneapolis Auditorium, and when we sang our first song at 7:30
there were one thousand people standing on the street, trying to get in, but
had to be refused on account of the fire ordinance. Next Sunday afternoon and
night we hold the meetings in the St. Paul Auditorium, seating about eight or
nine thousand. May possible spend the entire last week here.
Your Brother in Christ,
F.F. Bosworth (Bosworth 1922:3)
The letter, though brief, indicates a number of important
points about Bosworth’s development. First, it shows how he kept his name and
ministry in the news. Prior to this, he had published scores of letters and
articles in various newspapers and magazines. In this same issue of Word and
Witness, his article, “Do All Speak in Tongues?,” is featured on the front
page, along with another article about his meetings in Lima, Ohio.
Second, the letter indicates his recognition in the
ministry and writing opportunities. The editor had apparently invited him to
write articles for the paper. Third, the letter shows his penchant for
self-promotion, a skill from his background as a businessman. Instead of
accepting the invitation to write for the paper, he used the invitation as an
opportunity to promote his meetings in Minneapolis, Minn.
Fourth, as was typical in his experiences, the letter
shows how his meetings continued to grow in attendance. Fifth, the letter gives
insight into his networking abilities. Since his time in Zion City, Ill. and in
Dallas, Texas, he consistently worked with editors, reporters, publishers and
other people who could help his ministry in some way. Alpha Humbard was the
editor of Word and Witness. He established an organization that issued
credentials to more than 250 preachers (Rodgers 2008:57-61). He was one of a
long list of reputable church leaders with whom Bosworth associated. Their relationship,
undoubtedly, was beneficial to both of them.
Bosworth, who died in 1958, had a long and fruitful
ministry. Throughout his career, he used tracts, newspapers, magazines, books, tabernacles,
open fields, and radio to reach people with the gospel. While he was first and
foremost an evangelist, he thought and acted as a professional businessman in
the strategic operations of his ministry. Such was true in both his early years
and his later years when he served as a mentor to the young evangelists of the
1940s and 1950s. A broader study of his promotional materials would provide
more insight into his ministry development and some of the technical aspects --
and strategies -- behind his successful citywide campaigns. Such a study might show
how the merging of the secular and the spiritual – business and ministry -- can
be adapted in a contemporary ministry context.
For additional information on Alpha E. Humbard, see Darrin J. Rodgers’ review
of The Soul-Winning Century by Rex Humbard.
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Would you like to
know more
about F.F.
Bosworth?
Visit the F.F.
Bosworth page here!
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For more information: Visit ffbosworth.strikingly.com. Questions
about the research and commentary on F.F. Bosworth may be directed to Roscoe Barnes III via
email at doctorbarnes3@gmail.com or roscoebarnes3@yahoo.com. For
updates on F.F. Bosworth history, simply follow this blog or @Roscoebarnes3 on
Twitter. #ChristTheHealer
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