EVANGELICAL WOMEN IN THE SECOND HALF OF 1800; IDA GAGE P/7

                                                       Read Part One HERE

In this story I will focus on a woman named Ida Gage. She lived from 1849 - 1921. Ida is one of the many forgotten Free Methodist women evangelists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. However, while Ida might have been overlooked in the larger denominational histories, her legacy lives on through her speech at the 1890 General Conference and the debate on ordaining women. 

In 1890, Ida was not a licensed evangelist, she was just a member of the denomination who had previous experience preaching in Michigan, and was responding to a call to serve within the Free Methodist denomination. By 1892, she was "on supply," meaning she was travelling and preaching for the Ohio Free Methodist Conference. By 1893, she was a licensed evangelist who travelled around the northern part of Ohio. She spent several years in Bowling Green, Ohio, preaching and also preached as far south as Mansfield, Ohio. 

While her denomination refused to give her the status of an ordained elder, Ida was not deterred. She didn't give up hope in her faith or her denomination and she continued to pursue her call to ministry. 

Read Part Eight HERE