Did F.F. Bosworth Mentor Oral Roberts?

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Did F.F. Bosworth Mentor Oral Roberts?

A Short Review of Their Relationship During the Post-WWII Healing Revival

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

#FFBosworth
#BosworthMatters

In January 2008, a reader contacted me by email and asked about F.F. Bosworth's relationship with Oral Roberts. He had read that the elderly Bosworth served as a mentor to Roberts, who was a young man at the time. The reader's question and my answer are shared below.

READER: Two or three months ago, you mentioned a website that presented information on F.F. Bosworth.

When I checked the site to see if there was any status update, there was a comment saying that Oral Roberts was mentored by F.F. Bosworth. I haven't seen any mention about that anywhere else.

Have you heard of this before? I knew that T.L. Osborn acknowledged mentoring by F.F. Bosworth, but hadn't heard of a direct link to Oral Roberts.

MY RESPONSE: No, I wouldn't call it mentoring.

Here's something from my doctoral research on F.F. Bosworth:

In addition to Gordon Lindsay, William Branham and T.L. Osborn, Bosworth provided encouragement to Oral Roberts (Lindsay 1982:150-151; Lindsay & Branham 1950:109-110). After attending one of Roberts’ meetings in 1949, Bosworth wrote:

"I have been rejoicing much the past few days over the ministry of Evangelist Oral Roberts. Having attended the first ten services in his mammoth tent cathedral here in Miami, I have been delighted to see in operation his dare-devil faith and his clear grasp of Christ’s legal and total defeat, at Calvary, of Satan and all the powers of darkness.

"His divinely-given ability to cast out oppressing and possessing demons in Jesus’ Name, seems to be complete. It has been my joy to witness in his meetings here many miracles of healing and of deliverance from demon possession" (Healing Waters 1949:4).

Roberts was obviously delighted with Bosworth’s visit. He published Bosworth’s remarks in his magazine, Healing Waters(1949:4). In the same issue, he published a letter in which he made honorable remarks about Bosworth:

"It was our happy privilege to have F.F. Bosworth in our Miami campaign from the very beginning. Brother Bosworth spoke briefly to the audience several times and their reaction to his talks revealed the high esteem in which he is held by the people where he now lives.

"This man was reaching multiplied thousands before I was born and has conducted the largest healing campaigns of his day. Up to 25,000 have attended his meetings nightly. Tremendous miracles have been wrought through his prayer of faith and even though he has reached three score years and then, he is still exceedingly active in the ministry of healing. His faithful companion was at his side in our meeting and helped many souls to find deliverance.

"I fell in love with them. I have just arrived home and his talk to the great overflow crowd on the closing night still rings in my ears" (Healing Waters 1949:4).

Reference: 
Oral Roberts, “F.F. Bosworth Rejoices Over Roberts’ Meeting In Miami, Florida,” Healing Waters, February 1949, 4.

READER: Thanks. That fits with what I had heard, also adding another dimension in seeing the comments from Oral Robert's magazine.

I look forward to seeing your thesis when you have it finished. If you have this type of gems hidden in it, it will make a good read, and will also help round out the picture of F.F. Bosworth's later ministry.
 
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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