Here you will find short articles written in blog format about specific people, places, artifacts, or events. These will be informative and will reveal a more reflective side of our archives for your enjoyment of learning more about our history. We are so glad that you chose to visit our site today!
November 13th, 2017
By Intern, Aden Triona
Francis John “Frank” Ewart is renowned as one of the greatest pillars of the apostolic faith. Born and raised in Southern Australia, Ewart found joy in many activities including athletics. It was not until after receiving a vision of Calvary that Ewart decided to pursue the faith wholeheartedly. He gave up his pursuit of being a professional athlete, and he joined a group of people within the Baptist church known as “bush ministers” whose job it was to go into the remote villages of Australia and begin revival. Once revival was underway a pastor would be determined and the bush ministers would move to the next village. Ewart was dedicated to a life of God, and some might argue that he was more dedicated to the ministry than his peers. In his own words, “I would often go to sleep while at study, and wake up with the smell of my hair singed in the candle on the table.”(Frank Ewart, from the introduction of The Phenomenon of Pentecost: “A History of the Latter Rain”) What was it that created this man of God, and how did he become such a pillar in the Church? The life of Frank Ewart serves as an example of how one man can become something more in Christ.
It was a blood disease that forced Ewart to seek out a new climate in Canada. Ewart already had family in Saskatchewan, Canada, so this is where he settled. During this time in Canada, Ewart married Violet May, a young girl from one of the Baptist families. Upon finishing up formal education, the Baptist church in Saskatchewan appointed Ewart with a pastorate. After a few years of pastoring, Frank and Violet felt as if they were not doing enough in the church. Soon after, Violet’s brother, who lived in New Westminster, British Columbia, invited Frank and Violet to visit a new revival that was going on near his home. At this revival Ewart received the truth of Pentecost, and he also received a complete healing from his blood disease. This set Ewart on the road to being a great leader in the Pentecostal churches, even so much that he is one of the men noted with realizing Jesus name baptism and the Oneness movement. The Baptist church refused to allow Ewart to minister anymore and removed him from his church, but this did not stop him from preaching, evangelizing, and writing many publications. To this day, Frank Ewarts book The Phenomenon of Pentecost is a required reading for the UPCI.
Frank Ewart was much more than just a great man of God, for he was also a great man. In the words of his daughter Elvira, “I laughed to myself as I thought of the twinkle in his eye when he told a joke, and I decided it would be impossible to tell how he loved to foot race at Sunday School picnics, how he could swing a baseball bat with such relish, what a strong swimmer he was, how he wept when I caught my foot in the spokes of Lester’s bicycle, how one Sunday morning he happened to look down while he was preaching and noticed he had put on one black shoe and one brown and pronounced the benediction because the “spirit left him,” and how tickled I was one day to see him kissing mama when he didn’t know anyone was looking.” (Taken from a letter by Frank Ewarts daughter written to the rest of the Ewart children) Frank Ewart is a great example of the fact that mighty men of God are also men who have lives, and they have simply decided to make Jesus Christ the main focus of that life.
When thinking of Ewart, I am reminded of a scene in the TV documentary The Bible. I do not support every interpretation in the show, but one thing that moved me was the director’s portrayal of King David playing with his infant boy, Samuel. Both Ewart and David were common men with a call. If it was not for extreme circumstances neither man would be known to us today. It was only by God’s hand and the faith within Ewart and David that the world has been changed. It is extremely humbling to know that mighty men of God are not some bygone Biblical tool that are no longer utilized, but God still calls ordinary men and transforms them to his purpose. All you have to do is answer the call that God has given you, have faith through the trials and storms, and remember to never lose the fire for a deeper relationship with God.