The Voice of Healing - Volume 1 Number 2 - May 1948 P.1 (Author: Gordon Lindsay)
"Rev. and Mrs. F.F. Bosworth Work With Branham Party"
It is with great pleasure that we are able to report that Rev. and Mrs. F.F. Bosworth have been working with us in the services beginning with the Pensacola meeting. Years ago as a boy the editor remembers that news of the great Bosworth healing campaigns reached the daily newspapers even in the far west. In those days enormous crowds gathered to hear the Bosworth party. The largest crowd ever gathered under one roof in Ottawa, Canada, attended their meetings and some twelve thousand sought salvation.
The editor has before him a floder showing the great throngs that gathered in the many cities where the Bosworth brothers labored, such as the Arcadia Hall in Detroit, the Arena, Erie, Pa., the Convention Hall at Camden, N.J., and other communities. Besides the great number of healings (Brother Bosworth has received over 200,000 written testimonies of healing), many tens of thousands found the Lord as their Saviour in those campaigns.
Unfortunately during the Twenties many of the large auditoriums did not have public address systems, and the strain of the meetings began to tell on the evangelist, and he found it necessary to terminate that type of ministry. Then for a long time Brother Bosworth maintained a radio ministry in which many thousands of healing testimonials were received.
It was in Miami, Fl., that Brother Bosworth met Brother Branham. both men fell in love with each other and it seemed the hand of Providence drew them together. Brother Bosworth has reached the age where he, though in striking health for a man of his age, is nevertheless unable to carry on the responsibility of great campaigns himself. However, he still is able to minister the Word of God in incomparable fashion, and give the party the benefit of his many years of experience. The sweet humility of Brother Bosworth, not seeking for himself,but always seeking to defer to Brother Branham, and the latter manifesting the same spirit, makes a remarkable combination.
With Brother Bosworth taking the morning services with special instruction to the sick, and Brother Baxter the afternoon service with special emphasis on evangelism and Bible teaching, and finally Brother Branham in the great healing service at night, it is believed that these meetings will be the instrument of even greater visitations of salvation and blessing. Your editor, who is acting as a sort of co-ordinator behind the scenes of the many phases of these meetings, rejoices in the rich blessing of fellowship he enjoys with these humble yet great men of faith.
Brother Bosworth, remarking concerning the ministry of Brother Branham, declared: "In my own ministry I have witnessed all the miracles that I have seen in the Branham meetings, but never in this fasion. I have never claimed the Gift og Healing. Sometimes it took us months to get the crowds to come, and to build up faith so that the miracles would take place, but in Brother Branham's ministry it is different. Miracles take place the first night and the crowds gather from the first. This is the difference between the Gift of Healing and the Prayer of Faith."
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Commentary By Curry Blake;
Throughout these articles you will find that the theology of the various ministers will vary. We must always remember that God meets our faith, not always every detail of our doctrine.
During this time period, the idea of dominion was barely coming to light. Many of the ministers that walked in dominion had already passed from the scene. It is obvious that Branham operated in the Gift of The Word of Knowledge, and that by operatinbg in that gift he brought healing to thousands. The typical idea today is very similar in that the minister is to preach the Word to the crowd to build their faith so they can believe for God to heal them.
Another amazing fact is that Bosworth was 71 years old when he went back into active ministry with Branham and Lindsay. Bosworth continued to work with Branham until Bosworth's death in 1958.
It is also good to remember that F.F. Bosworth had studied divine healing under John Alexander Dowie with John G. Lake.
I have heard T.L. Osborn (who we will read about in later issues), has often said, "Daddy Bosworth, used to tell us youngsters a few secrets." when you look at the succession it is amazing.
Dowie taught healing as he knew it (if there was known sin in a person's life he would not pray for them until they repented),
Lake and Bosworth began practicing and teaching healing.
Lake and Bosworth began in stateside crusades then Lake went overseas where he learned to operate more in dominion. Bosworth stayed here in the states until he joined Branham. Bosworth dealt mostly with Christians and convicted sinners. Lake dealt mostly with complete heathen.
When Lake returned to the states, he began holding more typical "church meetings" while opening healing rooms.
T.L. Osborn learned (stateside) healing from Bosworth but then took it overseas to hold mass outdoor crusades. He adapted what he learned from Bosworth.
Lake taught healing to Divine Healing Technicians, but he taught them from a dominion viewpoint. He also ministered to people daily in the Healing Rooms teaching them the Bible truths about healing.
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