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F. F. Bosworth Biography
 Fred Francis Bosworth, (1877 - 1958) was one of the foundation stones of the modern Pentecostal movement. Born again as a teenager, Bosworth was struck down with Tuberculosis and was given up to die. But he was healed in a Methodist church under the ministry of a female evangelist by the name of Mattie Perry.
He learned to play the coronet as a child. Years later, he and his family felt led of the Lord to move to Zion, Illinois to join John Alexander Dowie's church. Shortly after arriving there, Dowie hired Bosworth to be his band director.
In 1906, Charles Parham came to Zion and ministered in a number of meetings in Bosworth's home and in other places. Bosworth was filled with the Spirit, and burst out speaking in tongues. Bosworth soon began ministering as a traveling evangelist. In 1909 he and his wife moved to Dallas, Texas and founded the First Assembly of God church. Multitudes were saved, healed, and filled with the Spirit in this church over the next number of years.
In August of 1911, he accepted an invitation to come preach to both whites and blacks in segregated Hearne, Texas. The platform was constructed and situated in between the black and the white congregations, so that both could hear him.
After one of the meetings, a group of men surrounded Bosworth and viciously beat him with 2 x 4's for daring to preach to blacks and whites as though they were equal. Offering them no resistance, making no effort to run, although he was covered in blood, miraculously, only his left wrist was broken. He was forced to leave Hearne on foot, walking several miles along the rail road tracks to the next town. This experience would have broken the spirit of many men. With Bosworth however, it only made him stronger for the Lord. He testified later that as he walked along in the darkness, nursing his pains and bleeding wounds, he rejoiced and thanked God that like the Apostles of old, he had been counted worthy to suffer pain and shame for the sake of the name of Jesus. He forgave those who unmercifully beat him and made no attempt to bring charges against anyone.
Bosworth, a man of integrity and conviction, ended up turning in his ordination papers to the Assemblies of God denomination which he had helped to found. He left the Assemblies of God because he began to believe that speaking in tongues was not the only initial evidence of the baptism in the Spirit. As today, so was it then, a great stumbling block when Christians speak in tongues but continue to live a carnal life.
Throughout the 1920's and 1930's countless people were saved, filled with the Spirit, and healed in Bosworth's meetings as he traveled across the US and Canada. In 1924 he published his book, "Christ The Healer," which has become a classic. Many people were healed, particularly of deafness, in his meetings. David Du Plessis reported being in a Bosworth meeting in 1928, in which numerous students from a deaf school were brought to his meetings. Brother Du Plessis watched as Bosworth prayed for each deaf child, and rejoiced as all of them were healed and began hearing perfectly. After the meeting, since they now had no students, the school for the deaf was forced to close.
In 1947 he met William Branham, who was just coming on the scene, and Bosworth became an advisor and mentor to Branham, T.L. Osborn, to a young Oral Roberts, and to other ministers. Bosworth prayed for the sick in many of Branham's meetings. He ministered with Branham and others in Africa and Japan.
In 1958, the Lord told F. F. Bosworth that he had "finished his course," and he would go home to be with the Lord shortly. He announced this to his family. His granddaughter has told me that Bosworth was deeply disappointed to awaken the next morning and find that he was still "here." Although he had not been diagnosed with any disease or condition that would cause death, he was persistent in telling loved ones and friends that he would be going "Home" at any time. Word spread among ministers and friends, who began to come visit him to say goodbye. T.L. Osborn tells of arriving at Bosworth's house and hearing him shout, "Brother T.L.! This is the greatest day of my life! God has told me, I get to go Home to be with Him today! Whooooo! Hallelujah!"
As friends and family gathered around his bedside, his eyes were opened to Heaven. Those in the room listened as he began saying hello to departed family and friends he was seeing in Heaven, and as he described the glories of Heaven. Then he passed away a few hours later at 81 years of age, without sickness or disease. He simply went to sleep in the Lord.
Ah....the lessons to be learned from Bosworth's life! Honor. Integrity. Bosworth's adherence to his understanding of the scriptures. Faith in God for all of His promises including healing. Suffering persecution and forgiving his enemies. Maintaining a consistent Christian testimony to the end. Going to Glory full of good fruits. I am truly honored to have these recordings on this site.
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