F.F. Bosworth's Letter to Alpha E. Humbard

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

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

F.F. Bosworth and Billy Graham

How They Both Found Favor in the Pages of the Press

By Roscoe Barnes III
Author, F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind Christ the Healer
Copyright (c) 2018

#FFBosworth

Note: The material shared in this paper was taken from the author’s doctoral research on F.F. Bosworth’s ministry development as a 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). 

F.F. Bosworth

Billy Graham

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F.F. Bosworth and Billy Graham were both evangelists, but in many ways they were worlds apart. However, in some areas, especially when it came to promoting their ministries, they had a few things in common. Much has been written about the impact of the news media on the early years of Graham’s ministry, but there is little known about the press’ involvement in the ministry of Bosworth. This paper shows how both men, despite the differences in their ages, time period, and theological beliefs, embraced the news media and seized the promotional opportunity it provided to reach wider audiences with the Gospel.

When the two preachers began their ministries, they started with humble beginnings. But they soon found the support of the secular press. It was the type of support that propelled their names to vast audiences throughout the United States. In Graham’s case, his name became a household word.

Bosworth, author of Christ the Healer, comes from a Pentecostal background and was known for his simple preaching and teaching, and for playing musical instruments along with his brother, B.B. Bosworth. He was associated with the Assemblies of God in his early years as a pastor, but he resigned from the Pentecostal denomination over the issue of speaking in tongues. He later held credentials with the Christian and Missionary Alliance. Graham, however, is an evangelical who comes from a Southern Baptist background. He is the author of Peace with God. Like Bosworth, he conducted well-orchestrated city-wide, evangelistic campaigns throughout the country.

Although both men generated publicity for preaching the Gospel to thousands of people, Bosworth stood out, in part, because of his ministry of divine healing. Despite having different backgrounds -- and ministries that differed in many ways -- both men benefited from the coverage they received in the news media.

Throughout his career, Bosworth used religious periodicals to spread his message and to promote his ministry, but in 1919, he received an unexpected boost in publicity from the secular press. It was during his evangelistic meetings in Pittsburgh, Pa., where he received the full support of the local newspaper, The National Labor Tribune. Editor J. H. Vitchestain featured reports about Bosworth’s campaign and circulated the papers to thousands of people. The papers were also sent to places ahead of Bosworth’s meetings (Perkins 1921:123-124). It was reported:

Probably never before has there been a secular paper “featuring the gospel of Jesus Christ and its marvelous power on earth.” And this paper has been used of God in spreading His fame abroad. There can be no doubt that God specially raised up Mr. Vitchestain to help, even at a financial loss to himself – from the now current viewpoint, whatever the future may reveal—in this wonderful evangel for these closing days of the present age (Perkins 1921:124).

That experience might be compared to the famous press incident in Graham’s ministry. In 1949, during Graham’s meetings in Los Angeles, William Randolph Hearst ordered his papers to “Puff Graham” (Pollock 1966/1969:63-64). That simple directive in two words resulted in national coverage of Graham and served to make his name a household word. “Someone told Graham, ‘You’ve been kissed by William Randolph Hearst’” (Pollock 1966/1969:64). In the June 7, 1997 issue of The Los Angeles Times, Reporter John Dart wrote about the incident which is now legendary. In an article titled, “Billy Graham Recalls Help From Hearst,” he noted:

Evangelist Billy Graham recalls in his new book the pivotal point in his young ministry when, during a 1949 Los Angeles crusade, a two-word directive from publisher William Randolph Hearst to "puff Graham" made him an instant celebrity nationwide.

The sudden front-page coverage showered on Graham by Hearst newspapers in mid-October (after three weeks of little notice) was quickly matched by other newspapers and newsmagazines -- literally a media circus descending on his rallies under a big tent.

The coverage for Bosworth and Graham came at a pivotal time in their lives, and it clearly had a dramatic impact on their ministries. And while it may be argued that the press coverage was merely a coincidence or perhaps the fleeting fondness of a publisher, one could also argue for divine providence in which the Lord Himself orchestrated the press coverage. I’m more inclined to believe God was in it, just as He was in the affairs of Joseph who found favor with the influential people of his day.

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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

Farewell to Anne Moody: The Passing of a Civil Rights Icon

By Roscoe Barnes III, PhD

Chairman, Anne Moody History Project

Copyright © 2018

#AnneMoody

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It was a somber Saturday on Feb. 14, 2015, when about 50 people paid their respects to civil rights pioneer Anne Moody. They gathered at the Homochitto Association Development Center (HADC) in Gloster, Miss. Family and friends remembered her as a famous author, mother, sister, and soldier of the civil rights movement.

Anne died on Feb. 5, 2015, at her home in Gloster, at the age of 74. She had been under the care of her sister, Adline Moody, who reported she had dementia for several years. Adline said she stopped eating two days before she died in her sleep.

During the memorial service, people from Anne’s past and present, consisting of blacks and whites, acknowledged her contributions as a writer and fighter for freedom and justice. They also recognized her place as an important figure in the nation's history.

“Anne was a freedom fighter,” said Adline. “She was unmovable in her fight for freedom. She put her life on the line for all mankind, black or white.”

Related article:

"Anne Moody’s Final Resting Place: Family Buries Her Ashes Beside her Mother in Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery." See here.

National Recognition

Anne had spent her final years living in reclusion. Few people knew where she was or what she was doing. Her work as a civil rights worker seemed all forgotten in some places. But when she died, it seemed the nation stopped for a moment to take notice, as her name appeared in newspapers across the country.

The New York Times (Feb. 17, 2015) noted her “searing memoir” in a story about her passing:

“Anne Moody, whose searing memoir, ‘Coming of Age in Mississippi,’ told what it was like to grow up black in the era of Jim Crow, died on Feb. 5 at her home in Gloster, Miss. She was 74.

“Her death was announced on the website of Representative Bennie G. Thompson, Democrat of Mississippi. Ms. Moody had had dementia in recent years.”

The Washington Post (Feb. 9, 2015) commented on the enduring legacy of her book:

“Nearly half a century after its publication, Ms. Moody’s 1968 autobiography remains a noted volume in the library of first-person accounts describing the inequality suffered by African Americans of her era. The book recounted her upbringing in grinding poverty and the experience of discrimination and violence that propelled her to join the civil rights movement in the 1960s.”

The Associated Press (Feb. 10, 2015) described her story as a “wrenching account” of life in southwest Mississippi:

“Anne Moody, whose memoir ‘Coming of Age in Mississippi’ gave a wrenching account of growing up poor in the segregated South and facing violence as a civil rights activist, has died.”

Once again Anne’s name was in the news. While it was pleasing to see the recognition, it was somewhat of a bitter pill to swallow. After all, a legend was now gone. And all the praise in the world could not bring her back. People who knew Anne, including those who read her book, will probably agree that when she died, the nation lost an icon and Mississippi lost a daughter and heroine of the civil rights movement.

Daughter of Mississippi

Anne was born on Sept. 15, 1940, in the small rural town of Centreville, Miss. Her parents were Fred Moody Sr. and Elmira “Too Sweet” Williams Moody. Anne was the oldest of 10 children. In addition to Adline, her siblings include Fred Moody Jr., Kenneth Jefferson, Ralph Jefferson, James Jefferson, Vallery Jefferson, Frances Jefferson, Virginia Gibson, and Leroy Jefferson Jr. Anne’s son, Sasha Straus, and some of her siblings live in Mississippi.

At the age of 17, Anne moved to Woodville, Miss. to live with her father, and his wife, Emma. While in Woodville, she attended Johnson High School and graduated in 1959. She went on to Natchez College and later to Tougaloo College where she became involved in the civil rights movement in the early 1960s.

Anne was a student at Tougaloo College when she appeared in the iconic photo of a sit-in at a segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter on May 28, 1963, in Jackson, Miss. The Associated Press reported:

“A white mob attacked the integrated group of peaceful students, dousing them with ketchup, mustard and sugar and beating one of the men.

“A photograph from the sit-in shows Moody sitting stoically at the five-and-dime counter with food on her head. Moody's eyes are downcast as a man pours more food on one of her fellow students, Joan Trumpauer.”

Anne lived for a time in New York. In 1967, she married poet Austin Straus. Her book, Coming of Age in Mississippi, was published in 1968. It became a bestseller and was translated in many languages. Their son, Sasha, was born in 1971.

Anne spent 10 years living in Europe. She returned to Mississippi in her later years. She lectured at Tougaloo College and the University of Mississippi. She settled in Gloster, which is only a few miles from her hometown of Centreville.

Memorial Service

Anne’s remains were cremated on Friday, Feb. 6, 2015. Arrangements were entrusted to Richardson Funeral Home of Clinton, La. Her memorial service was held at 2753 Antioch Perkins Road in a rural section of Gloster in southwest Mississippi.

The program opened with a musical prelude, a hymn of praise, and reading of Psalm 91. The Scripture reading was followed by a congregational hymn, prayer, a prayer chant and musical selection.

Several speakers addressed the audience, including Mr. and Mrs. Robert Chinn, Rev. Ed King, Ben Talbot of the NAACP, Centreville Mayor Larry Lee, and Dr. Wesley Prater of the Tougaloo College Board of Trustees.

Lee presented a resolution on behalf of the town of Centreville, where Moody was born and raised. He said the town recognized Moody “for her outstanding service to humanity, by and through her outstanding career in helping others.” He said “she loved working with young children and teenagers pointing out to them the value of a good education.”

‘We Shall Overcome’

King, former chaplain at Tougaloo College and leader in the civil rights movement, remembered Moody as “one of the heroines of the movement.” He shared a brief message from Psalm 56, which talks about the difficulties in life and “enemies lying in wait for you.” King encouraged the audience, saying, “God is on our side and we shall overcome.”

The Rev. Eva Brown, a distant relative of Moody, delivered the eulogy. She described Moody as a warrior for civil rights, a servant, and a “soldier in the army of the Lord.” She noted that Moody put her life on the line “many times as a soldier” and “she had so much to say, she had to write it down.” Like the prophets in the Bible, she “had some good days and some bad days, but she kept on fighting,” Brown said.

Sister Edna Weatherspoon provided a solo and Sister Shirley Brown read the Acknowledgments and Obituary. The program ended with a closing prayer and benediction.

“Anne fought a long good fight,” said Adline. “Now she’s gone home to be with Jesus Christ, along with her mother and father.”

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Would you like to know more about Anne Moody?

Visit the Anne Moody page here!

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For more information:

See the Anne Moody page here.

Questions about the Anne Moody History Project may be directed to Roscoe Barnes III via email at doctorbarnes3@gmail.com or roscoebarnes3@yahoo.com. For updates on Anne Moody history and the on-going work of this community service project, simply follow this blog or follow AMHP on Twitter (@AnneMoodyHP). #ComingOfAgeinMississippi

This Day in Anne Moody History - February 5

On Feb. 5, 2015, Anne Moody, author of Coming of Age in Mississippi, died at her home in Gloster, Miss. She was 74. Moody grew up in Centreville, Miss. She worked as a civil rights activist while attending Tougaloo College in the early 1960s. Her book was published in 1968.

#AnneMoody #OnThisDay

To learn more about Anne Moody, visit here.

This Day in Anne Moody History - February 3

On Feb. 3, 1911, Violet Jefferson Graves (Miss Pearl), step-grandmother of Anne Moody, was born. Miss Pearl was the mother of Raymond in Moody's book, Coming of Age in Mississippi. Moody was a civil rights pioneer. Her book was published in 1968. She died in 2015.

#AnneMoody #OnThisDay

To learn more about Anne Moody, visit here.

Discovering Mississippi History

Newsletter Sheds Light on History Projects in Wilkinson County

By Roscoe Barnes III

Copyright (c) 2018

#HistoricWoodville

#MississippiHistory

Newsletter published by the Woodville Civic Club Inc.

If you’d like to know some little-known facts and fascinating history about Mississippi, then it behooves you to follow the work of The Woodville Civic Club Inc. (WCC) in Woodville. You can do this by visiting Woodville and by reading the Civic Club’s newsletter. Civic Club news is also shared in The Woodville Republican.

Civic Club board members have given me permission to share their newsletter on this blog. The two-page publication is edited by WCC Executive Director Ernesto Caldeira. First published in the 1970s, it presents news, research and history projects about Wilkinson County, which is located in southwest Mississippi, just above the Louisiana state line. 

The newsletter includes updates and images related to the Wilkinson County Museum and the African-American Museum, both of which are located on the town square behind the courthouse in Woodville. Images of both museums appear at the top of the newsletter. The newsletter also features news about the on-going projects of volunteers who are working to help preserve local history.

The current issue, published in December 2017, features a report about the African-American Museum getting a “needed new start” with help from Mildred McGehee, former Superintendent of Education in Wilkinson County. She will be working as a volunteer with the Civic Club to develop more exhibits to complement the current ones that highlight the contributions of Anne Moody, William Grant Still, Scott Dunbar, and Lester Young. Headlines in the December issue include:

“Restoration plans in the works for The Old Woodville Cemetery”

“Two active Civic Club volunteers put up over 90 informative signs in our 242 site Historic District”

“Withers portraits donated to Museum”

“Donors Kick-Off Campaign”

“www.historicwoodville.com is getting needed help!”

Books and other literature on local history are available for purchase at the Wilkinson County Museum or through the website: www.historicwoodville.com. Tours of the two museums can be arranged by contacting the Civic Club via email at: info@historicwoodville.com.

Discover More about Wilkinson County!

For more information on the Woodville Civic Club Inc. and history related to Wilkinson County in southwest Mississippi, visit http://www.historicwoodville.org

You may also write to the organization at: Woodville Civic Club In., P.O. Box 1055, Woodville, MS 39669.

For a recent story on the Anne Moody display in the African American Museum, visit here.

William Branham and the Pillar of Fire in Dallas, Texas

New light on famous photo

By Roscoe Barnes III

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

Copyright © 2018

#FFBosworth

#ChristTheHealer

 

Evangelist William Marrion Branham

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Here’s something I’ve been meaning to share for some time. It’s a piece about William Branham (1909-1965), who was a close friend of F.F. Bosworth (1877-1958), author of Christ the Healer.

Branham, who was always a controversial figure, was known for having reports of unusual miracles of healing in his ministry. On some occasions, people reported seeing a supernatural light, appearing sometimes as a halo, in his presence.

W.V. Grant Jr. reported in October 2015 that he was the photographer who shot a famous photograph of Branham that shows the “pillar of fire” – a “supernatural” light -- on his right shoulder. His report, however, seems to contradict the claim made by Branham’s organization, which states the photograph was shot by “a newspaper photographer.”

Readers of Pentecostal history will easily recognize the name, William Branham, who was famous as a prophet and healing evangelist in the 1940s and 1950s. Some believe he led the movement of divine healing during that time. He inspired many evangelists to launch divine healing ministries using tent meetings and city-wide revivals in churches and open fields.

Branham was a simple man who claimed a special gift of healing. Scores of people in the United States and abroad testified to being healed through his ministry. Gordon Lindsay, his manager, wrote about his ministry and publicized the reported miracles. Lindsay, who wrote, William Branham: A Man Sent From God, also wrote about the so-called supernatural light that was seen in various photographs of Branham. One such photograph was shot on March 8, 1964. Branham and his followers contend the light on his shoulder was a divine “pillar of fire.” According to WilliamBranhamHomepage.org (See here.): 

“Brother Branham had just finished ministering to the sick in a prayer line, at W.V. Grants Assembly, in Dallas, TX. March 8, 1964. Leaving the platform, he exited through a back door. A newspaper photographer asked permission to take a picture. Always the gentleman that he was, he graciously consented. The result was the picture shown to the left.

“The Pillar of Fire is seen resting on Brother Branham's 'right' shoulder. When Brother Branham was shown this picture a few weeks later, he said, "Put it on the shelf. They didn't believe the others and they won't believe this one either".

“This Pillar of Fire had been with Brother Branham since the time of his birth. During his ministry it was photographed several times. When praying for the sick he would watch the Pillar of fire move around the building from one person to another, revealing the "thoughts and intents" of the heart, the past, the present and the future.”

As we can see in the first paragraph, Branham’s organization claims the photograph was shot by “a newspaper photographer.” But when Grant shared the photograph on Facebook in 2015, he said that he was the one who shot it, and that he was only 17. At the time, he said, Branham was standing behind the building of his father’s (W.V. Grant Sr.) ministry. The TVD on the door stands for The Voice of Deliverance, the name of his father’s magazine.

A number of people have made an effort to debunk the claim of the light being a supernatural force or a pillar of fire. For instance, the writer for Believe the Sign suggests the light can be easily explained. The writer notes that one of the photographs of Branham is cropped, but another one, that shows the full picture, reveals the source of the light:

“Please note the door is slight ajar in the top left of the photograph letting in a small stream of light which hits William Branham on his shoulder with a very small amount spilling onto his tie. The conclusion: There is a light on William Branham's shoulder, but it is sunlight. There is nothing supernatural about this photograph.”

For a look at more commentary on Branham’s photographs, visit Believe the Sign at: http://en.believethesign.com/index.php/Supernatural_photographs

Since this report of supernatural light is so easily debunked, I wonder about the role of Lindsay in promoting some of these claims. Lindsay, by most accounts, was a man of integrity. He had a good reputation. But I would hate to think that he knowingly set out to mislead people and that he intentionally used the photographs to deceive multitudes.

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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