EVANGELICAL WOMAN IN EARLY 1800: JENNIFER FOWLER WILLING P/24

                                                           Read Part One HERE

In this post I will continue to focus on a woman named Jennifer Fowler Willing. She lived from 1834 - 1916.

Like many of her nineteenth century Christian sisters Jennie chose to work in evangelising and missions and social work. The growing temperance movement provided a way for women to reach out to people with needs. Women wanted to apply Christian principles to every day life for the betterment of society, and takling the enormour problem of alcoholism was one way to do it.

Alcoholism caused much poverty especially for the women and children who were abandoned when the husband lost everything to drink. There were no laws protecting women. A woman had no right to her husband's paycheck.

Jennie preached against the sin of alcoholism. She was instrumental in founding the Woman's Christian Temperane Union. She served as the chairperson of the Illinois chapter and vice-president of the national Organisation. Eventually Jennie moved to New York where she organised the New York State chapter of the WCTU and was president of the New York City chapter of the WCTU when she died.

While serving with the WCTU Jennie was able to fulfill her desire to be an evangelist. Thousands of women took the opportunity to join the WCTU in order to witness for the Lord Jesus while doing temperance work. She also founded the New York Evangelistic Training School and Settlement House in 1895. 

Students at the Evangelistic Training School were expected to put hands and feet with the Gospel. They spent an hour every day in neighbourhood visitation, help with Bible Studies, chapel services, teaching and preaching.

P.S. I will continue Jennifer Fowler Willing's stoy in my next post.  

Read Part Twenty-Five HERE