Fred Francis Bosworth – Man of Music and Worship

How a Childhood Discovery Contributed to His Success as a Musician and Famous Healing Evangelist

By Roscoe Barnes III

Author, F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind Christ the Healer

Copyright © 2018

#FFBosworth

#BosworthMatters

Fred Francis Bosworth (1877-1958)
Photo courtesy of iFPHC.org.

Note: This is a snippet of research on Fred Francis ("F.F.") Bosworth taken directly from my doctoral thesis, F.F. Bosworth: A Historical Analysis of the Influential Factors in His Life and Ministry (University of Pretoria, 2010). The thesis can be read here or at: http://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/26869. A concise overview of my research on Bosworth’s life history is presented in the article, “F.F. Bosworth: A Historical Analysis of His Ministry Development Using Social Cognitive Career Theory” (Verbatim etc Ecclesia, April 21, 2011), which can be viewed here.

A printable PDF version of this article is available here.

Bosworth’s dedication to music is one of several factors that contributed to his development and success as a famous healing evangelist. Music was something in which he engaged for most of his life, and a factor that contributed to his fame. Long before he was criss-crossing the country as an evangelist, and preaching to large crowds, he toured as a musician and played before large audiences (Perkins 1921 & 1927; Bosworth no date a). Bosworth was essentially self-taught and did not have formal training in music (Perkins 1927:64). In addition to the cornet, he exhibited skills for playing the trombone and trumpet (Perkins 1921 & 1927). He often performed with his brother, B.B. Bosworth (Perkins 1921 & 1927). During the 1920s, they published a songbook that was used in their evangelistic healing campaigns (Revival Flame 192?; Simmons 1997:311; Milburn 1977). This article will show how Bosworth discovered music and how it played a prominent role in his life and ministry. It will cover his use of music before and after he began preaching.

Discovery and Development

F.F. Bosworth discovered a love for music as a child in Nebraska. It was an experience that occurred, in part, through his relationship with his father, Burton F. Bosworth, who was a Civil War veteran. Each year his father would travel to Civil War reunions and other related events held by his veteran comrades. When he decided to attend a reunion in Kearney, Neb., young Bosworth asked to accompany him. At first he apparently showed reluctance, but young Bosworth persisted: “I teased my father until he let me go with him to the soldier’s re-union” (Bosworth no date a:1). When they arrived at the event, young Bosworth became intrigued by the 40 brass bands that performed. Bosworth listened intently as the bands played a number of patriotic songs such as “The Union Forever,” “Red, White and Blue,” and “Marching through Georgia,” among others (Perkins 1927:19). During the week that he spent watching and listening to them, he “took a special interest in a cornet” (Bosworth no date a:2). At the time, he was not sure about the exact name of the instrument, so he called it a “horn” (Bosworth no date a:2). He later found a way to acquire the instrument.

Music in Nebraska

Bosworth wasted no time learning how to play the instrument. Using a basic instruction book used for an old organ, he taught himself about musical notes. Before long, he found himself “playing in the juvenile band of the village and later in the senior band” (Bosworth no date a:2). Bosworth also studied a book for cornet players called, “Arban’s Method.” “To the study of this carefully worked-out method, he applied himself with a devotion seldom excelled by any youth in any pursuit” (Perkins 1927:21).

For Bosworth, playing his new instrument was not merely an exercise in vanity or something that he could do to just pass away time. In truth, it was something for which he deeply cared. “He loved his music and the opportunity to play his cornet in local bands. He loved school somewhat less” (Blomgren 1963:16). He cared so deeply about music that he practiced at every opportunity. For instance, when his family moved close to Lincoln in a suburb called University Place, he worked in a feed store run by his father. When business was slow, Bosworth picked up his cornet and played.

His diligent practice led to noticeable success: “In a very short time I was playing a leading part in the Nebraska State Band. I led a series of twenty concerts in Madison Square, New York” (Bosworth no date a:1-2). He also played “a leading part in the Nebraska State Band, and the several literary societies of the town frequently sought him to vary the programs of their meetings with some of his remarkable solos” (Perkins 1927:21). From most indications, it appears that Bosworth had the skills and talent needed to become an excellent musical entertainer.

Music in Fitzgerald

During his time in Fitzgerald, Ga., Bosworth found time for his music. “He became the director of the local Empire State Band and toured the state with it. The band rapidly developed into the best amateur organization in Georgia” (Blomgren 1964:16). When he and his band were ready to tour, they established a code of conduct that was based on Christian principles:

Knowing their chief’s Christian principles, the boys drew up a set of resolutions, which provided that any member who failed in any way to behave in a gentlemanly manner, when on a trip, should give up his uniform and pay his own transportation expenses (Perkins 1927:31).

The local newspaper, The Fitzgerald Enterprise, featured a number of reports about Bosworth and his music. For instance, when he left town to play for a special event in New York, the newspaper reported: “Fred Bosworth, Henry Dyer and Pearl Newcomer, went to New York as a part of the Albany band to welcome [Admiral] Dewey” (The Fitzgerald Enterprise 1899b:5). This mention was followed by: “O.H. Johnson acts as city clerk until Fred Bosworth returns from New York and it is plain to be seen that he knows how” (The Fitzgerald Enterprise 1899b:6).

In another report, Bosworth is mentioned in an announcement for a concert at New Central Methodist Church that was scheduled for March 28, 1900 (The Fitzgerald Enterprise 1900a:8). The announcement lists Bosworth as a cornet player. It also notes his assistance with a choir. Music was of such importance that he dreamed of doing it professionally in some capacity (Perkins 1927:36). Despite this dream, however, he all but “dropped his music because of the incompatibility of its associations from the Christian standpoint” (Perkins 1927:35-36). He apparently wanted the opportunity use music as a ministry, to serve God, while blessing others. In time, he would come to realize his dream and discover the benefits of music that go beyond secular entertainment.

Music as full-time ministry

Since the time of his early childhood, Bosworth had toured and played music before crowds of various sizes. He impressed people of different backgrounds. In Zion City, Ill., he impressed one of the most prominent faith healers in the United States, John Alexander Dowie (Blomgren 1964:16). Dowie, a charismatic and controversial leader, had founded Zion City as a Christian utopia. When he watched a performance by Bosworth, he immediately hired him to be a band leader (Perkins 1927:36).

According to Sumrall (1995:38), the new job was part of God’s “getting him to the right place.” It was a place in which Bosworth took a meager group of musicians and transformed it into an award-winning band that garnered nation-wide attention. Blomgren writes:

The Zion City Band rapidly changed from a discordant amateur musical group to one of the largest and finest musical organization in the entire United States. Fred Bosworth’s reputation spread far and wide. The band toured the nation and triumph after triumph brought fame and recognition to Zion City and its founder” (Blomgren 1964:16).

In addition to impressing Dowie, Bosworth also impressed the critics. After witnessing his concert at Madison Square Garden, a music critic wrote: “The Concert…was awaited with no little apprehension, but before the players on the stage had swept the first four bars of the first overture, all present knew they were listening to real music produced by masters of the art” (Blomgren 1964:16). When Bosworth experienced the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, the experience shared a connection to his love of music. For when he was baptized in the Spirit, he also received a healing: “Previously I had a spot in my lung from too much cornet playing, and the Lord instantly healed me of that when he Baptized me with the Holy Ghost” (Bosworth no date a:7).

Music and Church Planting 

Having worked as a band leader in Zion City, Bosworth knew the joy and the power of music in ministry. He had played in churches and before large audiences where he witnessed the effects of his musical talents. Music, he found, brought him fame, prestige and employment. It was something he skillfully used for entertainment, inspiration and worship. However, in Dallas, he would also use it for evangelism and church-planting.

Bosworth moved to Dallas in 1909. When he conducted street meetings in Dallas, he brought along his Bible and trombone.

They first held meetings in their home, then out under the stars with seats made of logs. Bro Bosworth was a talented musician, attracting crowds with his trombone playing. He would give his personal testimony and tell of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. An old baseball player by the name of Jimmy Hutton gave his heart to the Lord, and he became the song leader for Bro. Bosworth. (Loftis 1992:7).

Music and Funerals

In 1919, near the end of the Dallas revival meetings, Bosworth lost the love of his life. His wife, Estelle, died after a bout with TB and other illnesses. Her death occurred shortly after the death of their son, Vernon. Though shaken by the loss, Bosworth drew comfort and strength from Scripture, the fellowship of his church, and from music. In a letter to his daughter and mother, Bosworth writes about the eight days he spent with his wife while she was in a sanatorium in El Paso, Texas. He reports the Lord had “removed all fear and she could talk bout the funeral and the songs and praise the Lord for his sweet presence” (Bosworth 1919a). He uses colorful details to describe her final moments. For example, about 15 minutes before her passing, they shared a song: “She sang with me “We have an anchor” (Bosworth 1919a). He admits that while he had shed many tears, it was not the same as with non-Christians: “[I] have felt wonderfully happy even while weeping” (Bosworth 1919a). Later, after the funeral services, he makes the following observation:

The service opened with “We have an anchor” after Rev. Gaston told that Moma sang it with me a few minutes before she died. Bert and Margaret sang a beautiful duet. Emma and Miss McMath sang another – “Blessed lights of home” I believe it is called—The Chorus “They are calling, gently calling thee to come.” Bert sang a solo, “The city four square”…While the people passed by for the last look at Moma’s body a quartette sang “The city that’s soon coming down,” followed by several others….(Bosworth 1919a).

When Bosworth’s mother died on Nov. 28, 1939, he and his brother, B.B., used music as a way to honor her and say farewell. Their mother, who was 86 at the time of her death, had been living with one of her daughters (The Alliance Weekly 1939:828). F.F. conducted the funeral services at his home in River Forest, Ill., and his brother, B.B., sang a solo of “Shadows.” The late Mrs. Bosworth was remembered as one having a “sweet Christian character,” and as a “Mother of Israel” (The Alliance Weekly 1939:828).

Music in City-wide Healing Campaigns 

After years of using music as a tool of evangelism and as an integral part of worship services, Bosworth undoubtedly came to see music as an essential part of his spiritual calling and his ministry repertoire. Although preaching and prayer held the highest priority, especially in terms of evangelism and revival meetings, music held a significant role in many, if not most, of his city-wide healing campaigns.

Music as a Family Affair

Since his brother, B.B., was also a skilled musician and fellow minister, the two of them worked together in music, preaching, and prayer for the sick. On occasion, their wives joined them for musical performances (Perkins 1921 & 1927). Both solo and duet performances were presented. F.F. Bosworth’s daughter, Vivien, a pianist, also performed in some of his meetings (The Alliance Weekly 1925:674). Typically, B.B. led the song services and sometimes he performed with F.F. At times, B.B. directed a choir. An example of the brothers’ work can be seen in numerous newspaper and magazine articles. In Bosworth’s biography (Perkins 1921), the author includes a newspaper report that mentions the role of music in the Lima, Ohio campaign:

“Brother B.B. Bosworth had charge of the music and is an accomplished soloist and song leader of a rare type. His slide-trombone solos were enjoyed by all. The two brothers gave excellent duets—Brother F.F. Bosworth with his cornet, and Brother B.B. Bosworth with his trombone” (Perkins 1921:115).

In an article on Bosworth’s revival meetings in Detroit, Perkins includes another report that mentions his use of music: “The music, which is in charge of B.B. Bosworth, the younger brother of the evangelist, is exceptionally handled, and souls are stirred by the sweet songs and inspiring music” (Perkins 1921:130). The brothers were described as “deeply spiritual Evangelists” and “most delightful cornet and trombone musicians” (The Alliance Weekly 1920:606).

Music on Radio

When Bosworth ventured into radio broadcasting, he used music, along with his teaching, to minister to his audience. His wife was a favorite with listeners. The July 1931 issue of Exploits of Faith published the following requests:

We enjoy your programs very much each morning and we are glad to be able to get you on the radio. We enjoyed your ministry while you were here in Joliet, and our whole family of five was saved. We would like to hear Mrs. Bosworth sing “Take Your Burden To the Lord and Leave It There”, and Mr. Bosworth play it. May God bless you.—The “Maass” Family, 245 N. Bluff Street, Joliet, Illinois. June 5, 1931 (Exploits of Faith 1931:12).

We also want to thank Station WHFC for giving the Bosworth Party one-half hour on the air, hoping they will give them one hour, as we surely enjoy their programs. We are asking Mr. Bosworth to play a trumpet solo.—Mrs. Raymond Dawson, 608 Niergau Street, Joliet, Illinois. June 3, 1931 (Exploits of Faith 1931:13).

These comments by the radio listeners may suggest that Bosworth’s music was as popular and important on radio, as it was in his meetings. For many years he continued to use music in his meetings and on the air waves.

Music and Race Relations

Besides its use as entertainment and ministry, it appears that music also served as a catalyst for race relations in Bosworth’s ministry. During the 1920s, possibly before 1925, Bosworth worked with a black hymnist by the name of Thoro Harris, through whom he published the songbook, Revival Flame: Bosworth Campaign Special. “Harris was a child prodigy whose compositions in the Methodist Holiness style found appreciation among Pentecostals” (Simmons 1997:57). The extent of Bosworth’s relationship with Harris is not known. However, given the quality of the book published, it appears that he fully endorsed the ministry of Harris. The book consists of 138 pages. While 12 of the songs included were written or arranged by B.B. Bosworth, most were written by Harris. The significance of the Bosworths’ relationship with Harris is underscored by the fact that just over a decade earlier, F.F. suffered a severe beating for preaching to blacks. Also, during the 1920s, segregation was actively practiced in the United States.

The Bosworths’ work with Harris would not be the only relationship they would share with blacks through the ministry of music. In 1928, F.F. Bosworth held “a series of evangelistic meetings (January 4-?) at [Paul Rader’s Gospel Tabernacle in Chicago] with the Tindley Jubilee Gospel Singers” (Jazz Age Evangelism – Timeline no date: http://www.wheaton.edu/bgc/archives/exhibits/cgt/rader18time.html). The Bosworths also ministered with the Cleveland Coloured Gospel Quentette, a group that represented the finest in black gospel music. Each of its five members had been become Christian through the C&MA. Bosworth invited the group to sing for his meetings in a number of places, including Pittsburgh, Toledo, Chicago, and Toronto, Canada (Niklaus, Sawin & Stoesz 1986:152, 168).

Bosworth’s work with black singers during this time may have been coincidental. It may have been divinely appointed or simply a small part of a major trend. It also may have been related to the singers’ conversion through C&MA. Either way, music appeared to be the catalyst through which his ministry crossed racial lines to reach people of different backgrounds.

Music and the Post-World War II Revival

During the late 1940s, the beginning of what is called the post-World War II healing revival, Bosworth began working with Evangelist William Branham and his manager, Gordon Lindsay, who later founded Christ For the Nations Institute. Bosworth served as a mentor, advisor, teacher and musician (Lindsay 1950). During his work with Branham, from 1948 to 1958, Bosworth traveled throughout the United States. Together they held evangelistic healing campaigns that filled churches. They also traveled to South Africa and other countries (Bosworth 2000). Throughout this time, even until his death near the end of the healing revival, Bosworth used his musical talent as a form of ministry. From time to time, Branham would call on him to play certain songs during the course of a meeting.

When Bosworth was not ministering, he found time to use his music for wholesome family entertainment. Branham’s daughter, Rebekah Branham Smith, recalls he used to visit her family between meetings and play the trumpet. He often played Gospel music (Smith 2004).

From the time of his childhood to his final years in ministry, Bosworth grew as a musician even as he traveled and applied his musical abilities to different causes. His fame and success suggest that he continued to make progress as a performer.

Summary

This article has presented music as one of the common themes found in Bosworth’s life history. It has shown that Bosworth discovered a love for music during his childhood while visiting a Civil War reunion. He later acquired a cornet and began practicing. He eventually developed his talent to the point where he could perform in public with bands and in churches. After a number of years of playing, he became a full-time band leader serving under John Alexander Dowie in Zion City.

After accepting his call to the ministry, Bosworth used his musical talents in evangelism and church-planting. When he lost his loved ones, namely his wife and mother, he drew on music as a source of strength and inspiration. He also used music during his well-publicized city-wide healing campaigns.

For much of his ministry, Bosworth worked with his brother, B.B. Bosworth, who was also a musician and singer. They often performed together during revival meetings. When F.F. began his radio ministry, he included music along with his teaching. Sometimes his wife sang as he played a musical instrument. During the 1920s, he published a songbook that was published by the black hymnist, Thoro Harris. F.F. and his brother worked with black singing groups during major campaigns.

Bosworth used music as a central part of his ministry throughout his career. Even when he worked with Evangelist William Branham and other evangelists after World War II, he sang or ministered with his musical instrument.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Want to know more

about F.F. Bosworth?

Follow the Bosworth Matters blog!

Start here:

ffbosworth.strikingly.com

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 @Roscoebarnes3 on Twitter. #ChristTheHealer

12 Mistaken Claims about F.F. Bosworth

By Roscoe Barnes III

Author, F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind Christ the Healer

Copyright © 2018

#FFBosworth

#BosworthMatters

NOTE: New information has come to light on F.F. Bosworth’s cause of death. For more information, please see, “F.F. Bosworth’s Death Certificate” and "B.B. Bosworth’s Death Certificate.”

F.F. Bosworth standing in middle.

Five men associated with the Azusa Street revival standing in front of a building (possibly the Azusa Street Mission), ca. 1907. Standing in back (l-r): John A. D. Adams, F. F. Bosworth, and Tom Hezmalhalch. Sitting in front (l-r): William J. Seymour and John G. Lake. Photo courtesy of Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center.

Today there's a growing number of articles, blog posts, and other resources available on F.F. Bosworth. Unfortunately, some of the published items have flaws and cannot be trusted. Some present rumors as facts and exaggerations as truth. Little is corroborated or based on solid research. Devotional commentary on Bosworth is commonly shared, but critical analysis is often omitted.

This blog post is an attempt to provide insight into Bosworth's life history while also setting the record straight on some of the most common misconceptions held about him and his ministry. Specifically, it lists 12 mistaken claims that have been made about him. Each claim is addressed with pertinent material extracted from legitimate sources.

Claim #1: F.F. Bosworth grew up in Zion City, Ill.

Fact: F.F. Bosworth did not grow up in Zion City, the town founded as a Christian community by John Alexander Dowie. He grew up near Utica, Neb. Bosworth was married and in his early 20s when he and his family moved from Fitzgerald, Ga. to Zion.

Where the above claim originated is not clear. But I cannot help but wonder if it is simply a misreading of David E. Harrell Jr. In his book, All Things Are Possible (Indiana University Press, 1975), Harrell wrote: "One of the most successful [healing revivalists] was Fred F. Bosworth of Zion. His family had moved there while he was a youth and he served as band director at Dowie's church."

Perhaps someone saw Harrell's use of the term "youth" and assumed Bosworth was a child when he came to the town?

Claim #2: As a healing evangelist, Bosworth was unique in that he seldom had to lay hands on the sick to see them healed. He would simply preach the Word of God and people were healed as they listened in their seats.

Fact: There are certainly reports of people being healed in Bosworth's meetings without him ever laying hands on them in prayer. But he and his brother, B.B. Bosworth, routinely anointed the sick with oil and prayed the prayer of faith for their healing. They used prayer cards and prayer lines. Also worth noting is the fact that claims of people being "healed as they listened in their seats" can be found in the ministries of many healing evangelists.

In Eunice M. Perkins' Joybringer Bosworth: His Life Story (John J. Scruby, 1921), a report of an early revival meeting by Bosworth included this statement:

But every night, after the invitation to sinners at the close of the sermon, the sick are given opportunity to come up and be anointed and prayed for, according to the command of James 5:14, 15, which is the direct, Divine prescription for the sick Christian, whatever his ailment or malady.

Perkins' biography featured many cases of people being healed through the laying on of hands. Not surprisingly, Bosworth included similar testimonies in Christ the Healer and in his magazine, Exploits of Faith.

In 1949, Bosworth spoke with T.L. Osborn about the idea of praying for the sick en masse, something Bosworth would practice in meetings in South Africa in 1951. For more information on this topic, see my article, "F.F. Bosworth in South Africa: A Historical Analysis of His Later Ministry and Healing Methodology" (Africa Journal of Pentecostal Studies, December 2007).

Claim #3:  Eunice M. Perkins, F.F. Bosworth's biographer, was actually his daughter.

Fact: The person who made the above statement did not provide a source or citation for the claim. Without any data or literature to support the view, it is highly unlikely that it's true. In 2005, I  reached out to historian Wayne E. Warner about Perkins and her relationship with Bosworth. He sent me an email with this reply: "We know nothing of that relationship."

Claim #4: David J. du Plessis witnessed Bosworth praying for deaf students in Chicago in 1928 that resulted in the closing of their school for the deaf.

Fact: David J. du Plessis mentioned the healings of the deaf students in a tribute to Bosworth that appeared in the April 1958 Issue of World-Wide Revival. He did not say that he actually saw the healings. He simply mentioned the newspapers' account of the incident. He wrote:

Fred Bosworth received a lot of publicity in the Chicago Daily News and other metropolitan newspapers when a large number of students who were attending a school for the death were miraculously healed, their healings causing the school to close.

Claim #5: He only wrote and published two books throughout his lifetime: Christ the Healer and The Christian Confession.

Fact: Not true. The above-mentioned books are just two of his popular titles. He actually wrote and published quite a few books. Of course, Christ the Healer (1924), his most famous book, was also his largest in terms of length. His other titles, which were technically booklets, included:

How to Have a Revival

Bosworth's Life Story: The Life Story of Evangelist F.F. Bosworth, as Told by Himself in the Alliance Tabernacle, Toronto

Is Healing in the Atonement?

The Key to the Windows of Heaven; or, God's Financial Plan

The Faith that Takes Hold of Things not Seen

The Greatest Sin or The Sin of Omission

Directions to Those Needing Healing

Paul's Thorn

How to Appropriate the Redemptive and Covenant Blessing of Bodily Healing, with Supplement, Appropriating Faith

Claim #6: He did not preach about financial prosperity.

Fact: Bosworth did indeed preach and write about prosperity. In fact, he wrote The Key to The Windows of Heaven or God's Financial Plan, with supplement, Should Sinners Tithe?

The 24-page booklet made an argument for paying tithes. It discussed the material blessings for doing so, as well as the temporal blessings that come through giving.

Claim #7: He opposed medicine, physicians, and hospitals.

Fact: Actually, Bosworth acknowledged the contributions of medicine and physicians. He was known to praise people in the medical field, and he sought their input in his efforts to substantiate and support claims of healing.

In Eunice M. Perkins' Joybringer Bosworth, the healing evangelist gave the following statement about medical services:

I confess my ignorance of the human anatomy and of medical therapeutics, and I believe there is a place for these men, -- that many times we need a physician diagnostically and for mechanical things, such as setting broken bones, etc. I believe in them for hygienic reasons, to conserve the laws of health. I believe every citizen should stand by the Health Department and help keep disease out of the city, and I can listen to them in these matters, but when it comes to the Gospel, in that I can instruct them.

Not surprisingly, Bosworth also presented his view of the medical field in Christ the Healer. In an argument about God's view of sickness and health, he wrote:

I truly thank God for all the help that has ever come to sufferers through the physician, through the surgeon, the hospital and the trained nurse; but, if sickness is the will of God, then, to quote one writer, "Every physician is a lawbreaker; every trained nurse is defying the Almighty; every hospital is a house of rebellion, instead of a house of mercy."

Claim #8: He mentored Oral Roberts.

Fact: It's probably a stretch to say Bosworth "mentored" Oral Roberts. However, he did visit one of Robert's tent meetings where he spoke and offered support for Robert's ministry. His letter of support appeared in Robert's Healing Waters magazine. For a look at Bosworth's letter (and Roberts' response), see my blog post, "Did F.F. Bosworth Mentor Oral Roberts?"

Claim #9: He always accepted the revelations of William Branham as messages of God, believing he had 100% accuracy.

Fact: It appears that during the early days of their ministry together, Bosworth actually believed that Branham was accurate with his "gift." He suggested as much in his article, "Gifts of Healing Plus," that appeared in the March 1950 issue of The Voice of Healing: 

Not once during the more than three years since receiving the gift have these revelations failed to produce perfect miracles exactly as he had already seen them in visions. At these times he can say with absolute certainty, "Thus saith the Lord," and he is never wrong.

However, in 1951, Bosworth rebuked Branham in the presence of other Christian leaders in South Africa and told him that he was wrong about a decision based on one of his visions. For a closer look at that incident, see my article, “Brother Branham, you’re wrong.”

Claim #10: His ministry was scandal-free as he maintained a consistent Christian testimony to the end. 

Fact: One dark moment in Bosworth's ministry occurred in the 1930s. According to historian Dr. Paul L. King, Bosworth embraced "the British Israelism heresy" and lost favor with the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA). Bosworth recanted in 1944 and "was welcomed back into the C&MA," King wrote in Genuine Gold: The Cautiously Charismatic Story of the Early Christian and Missionary Alliance (Word & Spirit Press, 2006).

Claim #11: Some of the reported healing cases in Bosworth's ministry turned out to be untrue or misleading.

Fact: There are two things I have come to believe about Bosworth and other healing evangelists: 1. All were not healed in their meetings (or through their respective ministries), and 2. Some who claimed they were healed were not actually healed, and tragically, they suffered or died a short time after confessing they were healed.

Out of the thousands of people Bosworth ministered to -- and the thousands who reported being healed -- some, I'm sure, were not actually healed. Some who came to his meetings in wheelchairs unfortunately left his meetings in wheelchairs. It's also possible that some may have lost their healing due to lifestyle issues. A smoker, for example, may be healed of cancer, but what would happen if he or she continued smoking? Bosworth, of course, has outlined a number of reasons why people may lose their healing. He addressed the issue in the chapter, "How to Receive Healing from Christ" in Christ the Healer.

Claim #12: He was never known to be sick a day in his life, and he died without sickness or disease.

Fact: Bosworth was diabetic, according to Dr. Paul L. King, who noted this in his book, Genuine Gold: The Cautiously Charismatic Story of the Early Christian and Missionary Alliance (Word & Spirit Press, 2006). He wrote: "The Bosworth brothers both suffered from diabetes in their later years and died less than a month apart in 1958."

NOTE: New information has come to light on F.F. Bosworth’s cause of death. For more information, please see, “F.F. Bosworth’s Death Certificate” and "B.B. Bosworth’s Death Certificate.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Would you like to know more

about F.F. Bosworth?

Follow the Bosworth Matters blog!

You can start right here:

ffbosworth.strikingly.com

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 @Roscoebarnes3 on Twitter. #ChristTheHealer

Why Ern Baxter Left the Ministry of William Branham

A Look at Problematic Concerns About Faith and 'Borderline Psychic' Phenomena

By Roscoe Barnes III

Author, F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind Christ the Healer

Copyright © 2018

#FFBosworth

#BosworthMatters

This image is taken from the April 1949 issue of The Voice of Healing.

NOTE: The material shared in this article is based primarily on an undated interview Ern Baxter (1914-1993) had with Dewey Friedel (a source on YouTube suggests the interview occurred around 1991. See here). A transcript of the interview, which was culled from four videos entitled “Life on Wings – Interviews with Dr. Ern Baxter,” was published as a book. The book, in some places, has been described as Life on Wings Transcripts. It has also been titled, “Warfare follows Ern Baxter wherever he goes … he is constantly in the middle of warfare.” The book was released by Ritch Carlton, Baxter’s administrator. Carlton has given me permission to share this material.

---------------------------------------

Even in the early days of his work with Evangelist William Branham, Ern Baxter felt something was wrong. He initially felt uncomfortable with Branham’s understanding of faith, particularly as it related to divine healing. However, he later found Branham’s “gift of healing” to be quite disturbing. Baxter talked about both issues in an interview with Dewey Friedel, and he said those issues prompted him to leave the ministry of Branham. While he believed that Branham sincerely loved the Lord Jesus, he could not blindly accept Branham’s teachings or his supernatural gift that Branham claimed was directed by an angel.

Background

Baxter was a Canadian minister who supported Branham when Gordon Lindsay brought the evangelist to Vancouver, B.C. in November 1947. At the time, Branham’s ministry was just starting to gain traction and become well-known. Lindsay reported on the meetings in the April 1948 issue of The Voice of Healing Magazine. In an article titled, “Eighteen Days of Branham Meetings in the Northwest Yield Great Results,” Lindsay reported the following:

The great Northwest meetings will long be remembered by the many thousands of people that attended. The first of the services of three or four-day campaigns was held in Vancouver, B.C. Much of the success of this meeting came as the result of the fine work and preparation made by the local committee which included Rev. Walter McAlister, Rev. W. J. Ern Baxter, and Rev. Clarence Hall. The report of the meeting by Rev. Baxter has appeared in print elsewhere, but it so admirably describes the Vancouver campaign that we reproduce part of it here:

“Scenes of indescribable glory were witnessed during the all-too-brief, four-day, city-wide campaign with Rev. William Branham. As in other cities, so in Vancouver, the largest available auditoriums were inadequate to accommodate the teeming multitudes that waited on the ministry of our brother. Surrounding towns and villages seemed to literally empty into Vancouver, until the whole city was conscious of the spiritual impact of thousands of praying, believing people. Ministerial delegations from various cities attended with a view to securing the ministry of Brother Branham for similar meetings in their various fields of labor. Thousands were unable to gain access to the meetings, and this in spite of transportation strike involving all street cars and buses.

It appears that Baxter’s praise of Branham spread far and wide. Lindsay would later include his comments in the book, William Branham, A Man Sent From God (1950). In addition to commenting on the massive crowds that attended the meetings, Baxter also noted claims of miraculous healings, which were nothing short of astounding. He explained that the number of healings that occurred was so great, an exact count or figure could not be given. He wrote:

“Many testimonies of healing have continued to come to the attention of local pastors, and many marvelous works were wrought by the immediate action of the Holy Spirit at the time of prayer. To undertake any kind of a report on the healings experience would be an impossible task, for should one speak of crossed eyes straightened, or of bed-ridden invalids raised, or of the deaf hearing, or of the dumb speaking? Or should one seek to recount the thrilling testimonies of those relieved of cancers, tumors and goiters? The task is too great, and when seeming completed, it has only begun. Final records will only be read when we stand before the Giver of every good and perfect gift.”

Baxter’s work with Branham

Baxter later joined the Branham team. According to Branham biographer Owen Jorgensen, Baxter “was so impressed that he – like Jack Moore and Gordon Lindsay – canceled all his own commitments so he could follow the Branham campaigns from city to city.” Baxter would serve as manager, campaign organizer and teacher. It was Lindsay who recommended Baxter as campaign manager, according to Jorgensen. The recommendation came around the end of September 1948. In his book, Supernatural: The Life of William Branham – Book Four (Tucson Tabernacle, 2001), Jorgensen wrote:

Then Lindsay, who was now busy publishing The Voice of Healing magazine, suggested that Bill consider using Ern Baxter as his campaign manager. Not only did Ern Baxter have organization skills, he was also a dynamic preacher, and he had offered to help in any way he could. After praying about it, Bill agreed to the switch.

Reverend Baxter did prove to be a good campaign manager. He and Fred Bosworth planned to work Bill slowly back into his deliverance ministry. Protecting Bill’s heath from overwork was their main concern.

Baxter and F.F. Bosworth were two of the most prominent members of Branham’s team. They traveled with Branham throughout the United States and they worked with him in South Africa and other countries. The assistance of Baxter and Bosworth was important, according to C. Douglas Weaver. In his book, The Healer-Prophet: William Marrion Branham – A Study of the Prophetic in American Pentecostalism (Mercer University Press, 2000), he wrote: “Several factors contributed to taking Branham to the pinnacle of success. The dynamic revival trio of Branham, Bosworth, and Baxter was a highlight of the early years.” Weaver also underscored the contributions of Lindsay, Jack Moore, and his daughter Anna Jeanne who “skillfully publicized Branham as “a man sent from God.”

Weaver noted that Branham’s role in the revival meetings was basically limited to his ministry of healing. “Although the members of Branham’s team varied from time to time, F.F. Bosworth, W.J. Ern Baxter, and Gordon Lindsay were the most prominent co-workers,” he wrote. Typically, Baxter and Bosworth would teach or preach in the morning and afternoon services, and Branham would minister in the evening services. “Baxter usually fulfilled a preaching role, emphasizing Bible teaching and evangelism,” Weaver observed.

It is worth pointing out that Baxter once believed so strongly in Branham’s gift that he used Scripture to encourage him in the use of the gift. Branham was going through a period where he doubted his abilities, according to Jorgensen. He was starting to question whether he still had the gift of healing. That’s when Baxter stepped in with a word of encouragement. He said:

“Brother Branham, I can assure you that the ‘gift of healing’ hasn’t gone from you. Romans 11:29 says that ‘the gifts and calling of God are without repentance,’ meaning that they are not based upon our actions. God would be untrue to His promise if He took the gift from you. It can’t leave you. Samson slept all night with a harlot, but his strength didn’t leave him. The next morning he tore off the city gates and carried them to the top of a hill.”

Baxter feeling ‘disturbed’

In his discussion about Branham, Baxter used the term “disturbed” to describe his feelings and concerns about certain elements in Branham’s ministry. As noted above, Baxter was concerned about Branham’s teaching on faith and the source of his spiritual gift of healing. The issue of faith, according to Baxter, seemed problematic from the beginning.

Baxter felt something was wrong and with his growing concern about the supernatural elements, he felt the need to eventually vacate his position on Branham’s ministry team. In the following excerpt, Baxter speaks about Branham’s testimony and his rise to fame. He also comments on the state of Pentecostals and their waning power during that time. His comments provide context for Branham's role as the leader of the post-World War II healing revival.

Interview (Pages 40-41)

Dewey Friedel:

Dr. Baxter, you were discussing William Branham, your relationship with him and how you went to many nations and seeing the hand of God in the meetings and yet you were beginning to be disturbed, in your spirit and could you talk some about that?

Ern Baxter:

Well this isn’t coming out of a set of notes, it’s just coming out of my memory. I think one of the things that began to disturb me was the matter of faith. Basically my understanding of the matter of faith – when I began to travel with William Branham – was that he had received a special commission from an angel who had appeared to him, telling him that he was to take his gift of healing to the peoples of the world and that if he was faith, they could believe that nothing could stand before his prayers, including cancer and in the early days of my association with him there was a high excitement and anticipation because I think (as I have already mentioned) the supernatural element in Pentecostalism had sort of waned and my last contact with Pentecostalism was a conference where I attended and they had a committee to find out why people weren’t getting converted and a committee to find out why they weren’t being filled with the Spirit – it was almost like everyone was on a committee to find out what was wrong.

And when I read in Time magazine about William Branham – to read that same thing today would be received in an altogether way than it was then, because there no one doing that.

Baxter’s growing concern

While it is clear that Baxter believed in Branham’s ministry during their early years of ministry, it appears that whatever it was that made him uncomfortable began to grow. In discussing the issue of faith, he attributes the teaching to Branham. Surprisingly, he does not mention Bosworth, who had an impact on Branham’s understanding of faith and divine healing. In the excerpt that follows, Baxter elaborates on the issue of faith and how it bothered him.

Interview (Page P. 47)

Friedel:

Now Branham was not really in the Latter Rain – he was a simple man that was doing evangelistic work but increasingly you were troubled with something you discerned.

Baxter:

Branham was a missionary Baptist, which is a denomination I believe mainly in the South and he has this gift of healing as he later told me. This was in operation in him as a boy so it was something that he always had. When he became a Christian minister he incorporated it into the Christian thing.

One of the early things that started to bother me was the whole question of faith. And the whole idea was that you could get healed if you had faith. And faith became the focus point. And so it became a matter of having faith in your faith. And if your faith was in good shape then you had faith in your faith. But the Bible doesn’t talk about having faith in your faith; it talks about faith in God.

So while I was quite disturbed about it I thought I’d better arm myself biblically.

Baxter’s exit

Baxter said that in Branham’s case, faith was “becoming a metaphysical thing – it was becoming a form of Couism.” In other words, he seemed to teach, “If I keep repeating day by day that I’m getting better and better” – it was a kind of metaphysical positivism,” Baxter explained. He noted: “This bothered me and I saw it was an ‘out’ to accommodate people who weren’t getting healed. ‘There must have been something wrong with their faith.’ And so that disturbed me.”

For Baxter, Branham’s understanding of faith was not the only thing that bothered him. He said “there were aspects of the supernatural that began to disturb me.” He explained:

And I don’t know just how far to go with this but I began to be disturbed with some of the phenomenon that were occurring – some of them I felt were good, others I felt were borderline psychic. And I became quite disturbed about it. I continued with Branham until I felt that in my conscience I couldn’t go on.”

The exact time of Baxter’s departure is not known, but according to Owen Jorgensen, he stepped down from his position as manager in 1954. Jorgensen provided no reason or explanation. He simply wrote that Baxter “had resigned as his campaign manager.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Would you like to know more

about F.F. Bosworth?

Follow the Bosworth Matters blog!

You can start right here:

ffbosworth.strikingly.com

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

For more information:

Visit ffbosworth.strikingly.com. The Bosworth page is 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 @Roscoebarnes3 on Twitter. #ChristTheHealer

F.F. Bosworth Mentioned in T.L. Osborn Biography

Book Recounts Origin of 'Mass Miracle' Concept

By Roscoe Barnes III

Author, F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind Christ the Healer

Copyright (c) 2018

#FFBosworth

#BosworthMatters

#BosworthMention

F.F. Bosworth is featured prominently in the book, T.L. Osborn: Pioneer of Mass Miracle Evangelism (Harrison House, 2010), a title that is part of the publisher's Legacy of Faith Collection. The topic of Bosworth and his influence on T.L. Osborn is noted in Chapter 8, which is titled, "A Pivotal Point." The book suggests that a turning point in Osborn’s ministry began with an invitation by Bosworth, who wanted him to come to Flint, Mich. in 1949 “to continue Rev. William Branham’s crusade in the large city auditorium, because Branham became exhausted and was physically unable to minister to the thousands who attended the crusade.”

The chapter notes that the meeting in Flint was a crucial moment in Osborn’s ministry. Not only did it mark the start of his “ministry across the United States,” but “it was also vitally significant in the equipping and turning” Osborn and his wife “in the direction of mass miracle evangelism worldwide.” The book explains:

T.L. and Daisy’s vision for a worldwide ministry of mass miracle evangelism, was birthed in Flint, Michigan. F.F. Bosworth was the instrument God chose to seed a biblical basis for that ministry in their hearts. The Voice of Healing Revival was already underway, primarily across North America, and was noted for mass evangelism taking place under gigantic gospel tents. Up to this point the normal practice of praying for the handicapped, sick, and diseased was through long prayer lines and praying for people individually. This, in part, explained why Rev. Branham had become exhausted and physically unable to minister to the thousands attending and had to send for T.L. and Daisy to take his place. This “pattern” or “model” limited what God was able to accomplish through individuals, because of their natural limitations of time and energy.

Bosworth offered new ideas about praying for people en masse. The book notes that while he “had not crusaded beyond the United States and Canada, he was keenly interested in helping all to be blessed.” He believed that “suffering people who waited in long prayer lines for someone’s special prayer … could embrace God’s healing promises as soon as they heard them and be healed.”

According to the book, Bosworth “often discussed” that idea with the Osborns. He also used Scripture, such as Psalm 105:37 to support his position: “He brought them forth … and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.” Bosworth explained: “If Moses had tried to individually lay his hands on those sick people, most them would have died before their turn would have come. Moses could never have ministered to all of them individually. The majority of them would have expired before he reach them.”

The topic of mass miracles or healing en masse is significant in the life history of Osborn, especially as it relates to Bosworth who served as his mentor. Because of Bosworth’s influence, Osborn would go on to become a noted pioneer of mass healing crusades and the author of the book, Healing en Masse (T.L. Osborn, 1958).

NOTE: I wrote about this topic in the article, "F.F. Bosworth in South Africa: A Historical Analysis of His Later Ministry and Healing Methodology" (Africa Journal of Pentecostal Studies, 2007-12-01). Read it here. The article also appears as a chapter in my book, F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind Christ the Healer (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2009).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Would you like to know more
about F.F. Bosworth?

Follow the Bosworth Matters blog!

You can start right here. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

For more information: 
Visit ffbosworth.strikingly.com. The Bosworth page is 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 @Roscoebarnes3 on Twitter. #ChristTheHealer