EVANGELICAL WOMEN IN THE SECOND HALF OF 1800; CORRIE TEN BOOM P/99

 

In this story I will focus on a woman named Corrie ten Boom. She lived from 1892 - 1983. Her parents were Casper ten Boom and Cornelia Johanna Arnolda Luiting. The family lived in Haarlem, the Netherlands, where they had a watch shop. Corrie became the first woman to be licensed as a watchmaker in the Netherlands.

Corrie and her family were members of the Dutch Reformed Church and their faith inspired them to serve their society, which they did by offering shelter, food and money to those who were in need. Some important tenets of their faith included the fact that Jews were precious to God, and that all people are created equal - powerful motivation for the selfless rescue work she would later become involved in.

She, moreover, established a youth club for teenage girls, which provided religious instruction and classes in the performing arts, sewing and handicrafts.

EVANGELICAL WOMEN IN THE SECOND HALF OF 1800; TSAI SU JUAN (CHRISTIANA) P/98

 

In this post I will continue to share the story of Tsai Su Juan or Christina Tsai. She lived from 1890 - 1984. Great suffering awaited Christina, while the Japanese occupied China during WWII, imprisoning many missionaries, including the principal of her school. In weakness, she crawled about on the floor, surviving on meager portions of bread and fermented, salted vegetables. However, she continued to share the gospel and together with Miss Leaman their preaching led many to believe in the Lord.

 After the war, Mary Leaman returned to the United States in 1949, and took Christiana to live with her in Pennsylvania. From there she wrote her autobiography, "Queen of the Dark Chamber," which was later translated into 50 languages.

Christiana also wrote devotionals on the power of prayer, with her writings challenging and inspiring many to live for Christ and to serve Him with deep devotion.

She wrote: "My bed is not a prison, but a training school; the Holy Spirit is my Mentor, and my visitors are my homework." 

Christina died in 1984. 

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.