11/25/2014
Brother F.F. Bosworth

If you have heard many of Brother Branham’s sermons, then you probably have heard the name F.F. Bosworth.

Fred Francis Bosworth was born in 1878 on a farm in Utica, Nebraska to a devout Methodist family. At the age of 16, Brother Bosworth was visiting a friend in Omaha, Nebraska when he was invited to a Methodist revival meeting. It was at these meetings that he gave his life to the Lord Jesus and was saved. This would start a journey that would lead thousands to the Lord and a friendship with the prophet of this last age.

Early in life, Brother Bosworth developed lung problems that would be both a thorn and blessing early in his life. When he received the news that his lung problem had progressed into a life threatening stage in the form of tuberculosis, he decided to go visit his parents, which had moved away to Georgia. While on his trip home, he stopped at a revival meeting. There, a woman name Mattie Perry prayed for him and he was instantly healed of his infirmity. The family later moved to Zion, Illinois where Brother Bosworth became a bandleader for Alexander Dowie’s church, which they called the Zion City Band. It was during this time it is thought that Brother Bosworth had his early influence of divine healing. During this time, in 1906, the Pentecostal movement exploded on the scene in Zion, Illinois where Brother Bosworth was present and not only participated, but became a leader in the area around the movement. It was also during this time he would journey to Los Angeles, where he worked closely with William Joseph Seymour during the Azusa Street Revival.

Around 1909, Brother Bosworth moved to Texas and in 1910 he began pastoring the First Assembly of God Church in Dallas, Texas. It was here he made a stand against the doctrinal issue on the initial evidence of the Holy Spirit being speaking in tongues, and left the Assemblies of God. His brother B.B. was associated with the Christian Missionary Alliance at the time, and Brother Bosworth joined them as well. In 1911, He was preaching the Pentecostal message when he was invited to Hearne, Texas, 155 miles south of Dallas. Like any servant of the Lord, he was willing to spread the Light of our Lord Jesus Christ wherever he was given an opportunity. While there, he spoke to both white and "colored" congregations. While waiting at the local train station for his departure out of town, he was attacked and severely beaten, but praised God for suffering for Christ's name. He documented the details of the incident in a letter to his mother shortly after:

Throughout Brother Bosworth’s ministry, he stood for the promise of God to the people of Divine Healing. In the early 1920’s, Brother Bosworth held some of the most dramatic and successful meetings throughout the United States and Canada. Much of his travel during this time was done with his wife, his brother Bert (B.B.) and his brother’s wife. Brother Bosworth, B.B., and B.B.’s wife would often sing together and were known as the Bosworth Trio during much of these meetings. It was also during this time, 1924, that Brother Bosworth had one his greatest responses to the Gospel message, when in Ottawa Canada 12,000 people responded at one time to the altar call. This was also the year he published his flagship book “Christ the Healer.” During the 1930’s and 1940’s, he continued to have healing meetings as his finances and the economy allowed. In his book, Christ the Healer, Brother Bosworth noted that travel was difficult during the time of World War II, but he also found it difficult to not to preach the Gospel in North America. Shortly after World War II, Brother Bosworth retired to Florida.

But his ministry was not over yet, as he would have one last call in his life. And in 1947, Brother Bosworth crossed paths with God’s prophet. He would travel on the road with Brother Branham, most of the time speaking during the day sessions of conventions, so that Brother Branham would be rested enough to speak in the evenings. He saw thousands healed and saved in those campaigns. Brother Bosworth's son once said that his trip to Africa, at the age of seventy-five, was the most successful of his career. He traveled with Brother Branham until 1956.

Brother Bosworth went on to be with the Lord, two years later on January 23, 1958. At his passing Brother Branham tells of a happening that makes every Christian smile and not fear the day that lies before each person.

And Brother Bosworth who just went home to glory... How many knowed F. F. Bosworth? Greatest saint of the day as I know. He went home to meet Jesus the other day, way in his eighties. He's at home tonight. Before he died, about an hour, he went into a coma, and raised up, begin shaking hands with the people he preached to years ago that's been gone. Just rejoicing and praising God, saying, "I haven't seen you for years."

Lives of great men all remind us we can make our lives sublime, with partings leave behind us, footprints on the sands of time. That's right. Yes. Let my end be like that.

58-0207 Jesus Christ The Same Yesterday, Today, And Forever