EVANGELICAL WOMEN IN THE SECOND HALF OF 1800; LOUISA WOOSLEY P/78

 

In this story I will continue to focus on a woman named Louise Woosley. She lived from 1862 - 1952. In 1891, Louisa published her own book, "Shall women preach?" which explained and justified her position.

Louisa, with the aid of various Kentucky presbyteries sympathetic to her cause, outlasted the synodic objection to her ordination. In 1906, the partial reunion of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church with the Presbyterian Church USA removed some of the most vocal opposition to the ordination of women. Although the official position of the denomination remained unchanged, clergy women were able to participate in all levels of policy without a great deal of opposition.

In 1920, the Cumberland Presbyterian denomination ruled that the word "man" as used in its constitution was to be considered as a gender neutral reference to a human being. More recently gender inclusive language came into broader use in the denomination.

Louisa was eventually recognised as a legitimate member of the Cumberland Presbyterian clergy and served in a variety of church offices for over fifty years. 

EVANGELICAL WOMEN IN THE SECOND HALF OF 1800; LOUISA WOOSLEY P/77

 

In this story I will focus on a woman named Louise Woosley. She lived from 1862 - 1952. Louise was a Cumberland Presbyterian from Kentucky. 

Louise was ordained by Nolin Presbytery (Kentucky Synod) in that denomination on Tuesday, 5 November, 1889. Although the constitution of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church did not exclude women from ordination, neither did it include them. A great controversy developed in various church judicatories over the legality of her ordination.

Eventually, Kentucky Synod of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church instructed Nolin Presbytery to remove Louise Woosley from her roll. This the presbytery did by granting her the status of minister in transition ("lettering her out" in presbyteriam terms) to another presbytery. Clearly, although Nolin Presbytery complied with the instructions of the superior judicatory, they had denied their intent.

EVANGELICAL WOMEN IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1800; MARY SLESSOR P/76

 

In this post I will continue to share the story of an evangelical woman who lived in the first half of 1800 named Mary Slessor. She lived from 1848 - 1915. Mary eventually applied to the Foreign Mission Board of the United Presbyterian Church. In 1876, she travelled to West Africa. While there she was assigned to the Calabar region in the land of the Efik people. As a missionary, she went to other tribes as well, spreading the word of Jesus. Mary was the driving force behind the establishment of the Hope Waddell Training Institute in Calabar, which provided practical vocational training to Efiks.

It was the belief in the area that the birth of twins was considered a particularly evil curse.Consequently, the natives often abandoned these babies in clay pots to die. Mary adopted every child she found abandoned and had them live with her at the Mission House.

In 1892, Mary became vice-consul in Okoying, where she had been living since 1888, presiding over the native court. Unfortunately, she suffered intermittent fevers from the malaria she contracted during her early years in Calabar. These fevers eventually weakened her to the point that she could no longer walk long distances in the rain forest but had to be pushed along in a handcart. In early January 1915, she suffered a particularly sever fever. As a consequence, Mary died on 13 January 1915.

EVANGELICAL WOMEN IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1800; MARY SLESSOR P/75

 In this story I will focus on another evangelical woman who lived in the first half of 1800. Her name is Mary Slessor. She lived from 1848 - 1915. Mary was born in Gilcomston, Aberdeen, Scotland. Her parents were Robert and Mary Slessor. Her father was a shoemaker by trade. However, unable to keep up shoemaking, he took a job as a labourer in a mill. Her mother was a skilled weaver and went to work in the mills.

At the age of eleven, Mary began work as a "half-timer" in the Baxter Brothers' Mill, meaning she spent half of her day at a school provided by the mill owners and the other half working for the company.

Her mother was a devout Presbyterian. Mary herself developed an interest in religion, and when a mission was instituted in Quarry Pend, she wanted to teach. Mary started her mission at the age of 27, upon hearing that David Livingstone, the famous missionary and explorer had died. She decided then that she wanted to follow in his footsteps. 

EVANGELICAL WOMEN IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1800; LOTTIE MOON P/74

                                                                                                                                                                           

In this post I will continue to share the story of a woman named Lottie Moon. She lived from 1840 - 1912. In 1873, Lottie set sail for China, a country her sister would soon leave but where Lottie would spend nearly 40 years. 

In China, Lottie taught in girls' schools, evangelised in towns and villages and opened a mission station in the country's exterior - an unusual role for a single woman. Over time she adopted Chinese dress and grew to love the people of China.

Lottie wrote hundreds of letters to Southern Baptists, urging them to support international missions. She wrote, "Could a Christian woman possibly desire higher honour than to be permitted to go from house to house and tell of a Saviour to those who have never heard his name?" Later she urged, "Oh! That my words could be as a trumpet call, stirring the hearts of my brothers and sisters to pray, to labour, to give themselves to this people."

Lottie's efforts led to the formation of the Woman's Missionary Union and the establishment of what became known as the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. 

Lottie died in 1912, having given her all for Christ. She remains the most famous Southern Baptist missionary of all time. 

EVANGELICAL WOMEN IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1800; LOTTIE MOON P/73

 

In this story and in the next one I will go back to evangelical women who lived in the first half of 1800 because I believe these two women deserve to have their stories told. The first woman is named Lottie Moon. She lived from 1840 - 1912. Lottie was born in Virginia, where she grew up on Viewmont Plantation, not far from Monticello. 

From a wealthy family, Lottie enjoyed the advantages of an outstanding education and became one of the first women in the South to complete coursework for a master's degree. She knew seven different languages and sometimes read the New Testament in its original Greek.

The death of  Lottie's father and the Civil War hurt the fortunes of the Moon family and Lottie began working as a teacher. As a young woman, she also committed her life to Christ. When the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board appointed her younger sister Edmonia as a missionary to China, Lottie took note. Now that the board had begun sending you single women overseas, Lottie wanted to be part of this group. 

 

EVANGELICAL WOMEN IN THE SECOND HALF OF 1800; LILIAN TRASHER P/72

 

In this post I will continue sharing the story of a woman named Lillian Trasher. She lived from 1887 - 1961. Lilian went to Egypt where she worked with a missionary couple. While in that country she found herself responsible for an infant whose mother had died. With no one else to care for the child she determined to do it herself and believe God for provision. 

Lilian's ministry gained the respect of the Egyptian people and political leaders, so that she was able to survive political and social changes. Now known as the Lillian Trasher Orphanage, by the end of her life the ministry cared for and educated more than 1200 children.

By February 2019, the "Church of God Evangel" reported that Lillian's monthly expenses were $260 to care for 80 children. Readers of the "Evangel" regularly sent financial support and letters of encouragement, and her expressions of gratitude frequently appeared in the publication. With a growing orphanage, however, she had to seek support from many sources. 

With most of her support coming from outside of the Church of God, Lillian applied for an appointment as an Assemblies of God missionary in 1919. Her last correspondence printed in the "Church of God Evangel" appeared a year earlier. She graciously thanked general overseer Tomlinson for an offering with a commendation that he had "always been so faithful in sending to us." With the orphanage having grown to 90 children, she requested that the overseer reminds the Church of God people to pray for her ministry. Her letter concluded, "It is a comfort for us to know that those at home are praying for us."