EVANGELICAL WOMEN IN THE SECOND HALF OF 1800; TSAI SU JUAN (CHRISTIANA TSAI) P/96

 

In this story I will focus on a woman named Tsai Su Juan or Christiana Tsai. She lived from 1890 - 1984. Christiana was the daughter of a vice-governor in Jiangxu, China. She was a well cared for child, growing up in luxury and wealth. However, she was still an unhappy girl, and considered becoming a Buddhist nun, to practice a life of self-denial.

Christiana's fascination with the English language helped her become enrolled in a missionary school, but she was determined only to study and learn, and to close her heart and mind off to the gospel. When a visiting preacher came and spoke on "Christ, the Light of the world," she was deeply touched and came to faith in Christ.

Her family was enraged by her conversion, and greatly pressured her to turn from the faith of "the foreign devils," (a term used to designate white skin colour, associated with ghosts) but the inner peace of God flooded her life with inexpressible joy. Her family resorted to removing her from the school, and mocked her faith,  but she grew in reading God's Word, and prayer, knowing the love of Christ in a deep way. 

EVANGELICAL WOMEN IN THE SECOND HALF Of 1800; AIMEE SEMPLE MCPHERSPON P/95

 

   

In this post I will continue to share the story of a woman named Aimee Semple McPherson, She lived from 1890 - 1944.

Aimee also wrote and published her own works, including weekly and monthly periodicals.

As early as July 1922, she had begun calling her message The Foursquare Gospel, and in 1927 she incorporated her ministry, calling it The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel.

In 1925, in response to the overwhelming demand to travel to all parts of the world to minister, Aimee opened the Angelus Training Institute to train others. The institute, located next to the Temple soon became known as L.I.F.E. Bible college.It was a successful centre of home missions and world outreach, training both men and women.

Aimee continued to minister until her untimely death in 1944. 

EVANGELICAL WOMEN IN THE SECOND HALF OF 1800; AIMEE SEMPLE MCPHERSON P/94

 In this story I will continue to share the story of a woman named Aimee Semple McPherson. She lived from 1890 - 1944.

In 1922, Aimee established her permanent ministry centre, Angelus Temple, in Los Angelos. It grew quickly into a significant operation. On 1 January 1923, she dedicated the 5300-seat auditorium. She preached every night and 3 times on Sundays to capacity crowds.

In 1927 Aimee opened the Angelus Temple Commissary which was replenished each Sunday as the people brought food or clothing for distribution to the needy.

Aimee opened as well a prayer tower where volunteers spend 2 hours prayer shifts, 24 hours a day, and where telephone counsellors offered round-the-clock spiritual and practical help.

Aimee, furthermore, mobilised soul-winning endeavours, instituted a free employment bureau and parole committee, and conducted summer camps in Bible conferences.  

EVANGELICAL WOMEN IN THE SECOND HALF OF 1800; AIMEE SEMPLE MCPHERSON P/93

 

In this story I will focus on a woman named Aimee Semple PcPherson. She lived from 1890 - 1944. Her parents were James Morgan and Mildred One Kennedy and she was born in Salford, Ontario, Canada, 

Aimee had early exposure to religion through her mother who worked with the poor in Salvation Army soup kitchens. 

While attending a revival meeting in 1907, Aimee met Robert James Semple, a Pentecostal missionary from Ireland. She dedicated her life to Jesus and converted to Pentocostalism. They were married in 1908.

After embarking on an evangelistic tour to China, both contracted malaria. He soon died thereafter. She then returned to the United States where she began to hold revival meetings between 1918 - 1923. The 1921 -1922 meetings in Denver attracted more than 12,000 people every night and received the support of prominent leaders, including the Mayor and the Governor.

 

EVANGELICAL WOMEN IN THE SECOND HALF OF 1800; FLORENCE LUSCOMB P/92

 

In this post I will continue to focus on a woman named Florence Luscomb. She lived from 1887 - 1985.  She was among the first ten women to earn a degree in architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Women still experienced significant challenges during her tenure there. For example. Florence had to inquire at twelve firms before one of them would hire her for an internship after her second year.

She later continued her education in architecture at the newly opened Cambridge School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture in 1916.

Florence accepted a position as executive secretary for the Boston Equal Suffrage Association for Good Government. She went on to work for a number of organisations in the Boston area, including the Boston Chapters of the League of Women Voters, the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, and organisations dedicated to prison reform and factory safety. 

At a later stage, Florence advised some of the founders of the American feminist movement, encouraging them to include the poor and women of colour. 

In 1980, Florence moved into an elder-care facility in Watertown, Massachusetts, where she died in 1985, at age 98.  

 

EVANGELICAL WOMEN IN THE SECOND HALF OF 1800; FLORENCE LUSCOMB P/91

 

Today I will continue my series on Evangelical women who lived in the second half of 1800 and felt called to ministry despite the opposition of men, this time sharing the story of a woman named Florence Luscomb. She lived from 1887 - 1985. 

Florence was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, USA. She was the daughter of Otis Luscomb and Hanna Skinner. Her father was an unsuccessful artist. Her mother was a dedicated suffragist and women's rights activist.  

When Florence was one and a half years old, her parents separated and she moved with her mother to Boston where she was able to attend a private secondary school, Chauncy Hall. 

As a child, Florence went with her mother to suffrage events, at one point seeing Susan B. Anthony speak. She became an ardent suffragist, initially by selling a pro-suffrage newspaper on the street. 

EVANGELICAL WOMEN IN THE SECOND HALF OF 1800; HELEN KELLER P/90

In this story I will continue to focus on a woman named Helen Keller.She lived from 1880 - 1968. Even before Helen graduated, she published two books, The Story of My Life (1902) and Optimism (1903), which very much launched her career as a writer and a lecturer. She authored a dozen books and articles in major magazines, advocating for prevention of blindness in children and for other causes.

Helen began to support the suffrage movement and advocated for the blind. After Anne's death in 1936, Helen continued to lecture internationally with the support of other aides, and became one of the world's most admired women. During World War II, she toured military hospitals to bring comfort to soldiers.

In 1964, she was honoured with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She also received honorary doctorates from Glasgow, Harvard and the Temple Universities.

Helen died in 1968 at the age of 87.