Frank Ford: Founder of Arrowhead Mills

Frank Ford on Religion

In the beginning of 1973 I was gradually overcome by an extreme depression. I seemed to be drowning in despair and, for the first time in my life, it was something I couldn't control.

There runs no logical reason for me to feel this way. The business was going well, the children were all in good health, we had a fine home and I was active in our church.

Now I'd never been afraid in that way before. I'd been close to death at least three times and I'd had some very low spots while trying to start Arrowhead Mills . . . but I had always been an achiever, I'd always set goals and reached them by the action of my own will. So when this absolutely suicidal black mood came upon me, I tried to fight it with my intellect.

I began desperately searching through the philosophies and religions of many countries for an answer to my unreasonable depression. For almost three months I had less than two hours of sleep a night and I was terrified of being driven insane. It was like a specter that haunted me day and night.

Finally, one day in May, I just said a little prayer. "Lord, I've tried everything I can to beat this thing. I've used my will and my brain and they're no good to me. I can't think of a single thing to do about this depression. I can only give myself over to You and Your grace. I give up. Your will be done. "

Instantly this tremendous surge of relief came over me. An absolutely physical weight seemed to lift and, since then, I've felt filled with joy and energy. As long as I leave myself open as a vessel for God's will, and don't try to control things myself, the energy continues without ceasing.

I had never really heard of this experience before, but it turns out that it's happening to thousands of people . . . all around the world and of every denomination. It's been called charismatic Christianity, which refers to the direct "baptism of the Holy Spirit"

The empty forms and misuses of many of our traditional religions might be called "Churchianity" The leaders of the established sects want to retail salvation and they don't appreciate it when a person starts receiving it free, direct from the source, without the trappings that it has gotten dragged down with over the centuries. The sweep of the Spirit threatens the structures of modern religion.