EVANGELICAL WOMEN IN THE SECOND HALF OF 1800; ELLEN ARNOLD P/83

 

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 Ellen Arnold. She lived from 1858 - 1931. Ellen was born in Aston, Warwickshire, England. Her parents were Alfred Arnold and Ellen Jane Seager. The family migrated to Adelaide, Australia in 1879 where they became members of Flinders Street Baptist Church. She became a teacher after being in the first intake of the Adelaide Teacher's College.

Ellen was influenced by her pastor, Silas Mead, who had founded the Autralian Baptist Missionary Society in 1864. After some medical training, she and Marie Gilbert went to Furreedpore in October 1882, the first missionaries sent by the newly formed society, undertaking "zenana work."

Ellen returned to Australia in 1884 suffering illness and undertook a tour of the colonies and New Zealand which became known as "the crusade of Ellen Arnold." This led to the establishment of  the Queensland and New Zealand Baptist Missionary Societies. Four other young women decided to join her (becoming known as the "Five Barley Loaves") in East Bengal, which then became the primary mission field for Australian Baptists.