Women in History-S

Mary Slessor
On August 5, 1876, Slessor set out to begin her mission from Christ. Despite being a woman, despite having been raised in the mills of Dundee, where as a child she worked 12 hours a day, Slessor felt called as a missionary to Calabar, in Africa. The Foreign Mission Board of the United Presbyterian Church offered her the opportunity to fulfill that call. At the age of 27, Slessor left the safety of her home in Aberdeen for the

rigors of Africa. She arrived in what is now Nigeria to face human sacrifice, witchcraft and cruelty, in addition to the challenges presented by Africa's wildlife. At the time of her arrival, human beings were still sacrificed to appease the gods, and suspected criminals were "tested" by poisons. She realized she could not simply demand these activities end, instead she worked to gain the trust and respect of the people, teaching by example. The people gradually modified and abandon some of their more extreme practices. At the time, twins were considered "evil", deserving only death. Slessor put faith into practice: she adopted many of these children.

In honor of her ministry, the Clydesdale Bank has featured Slessor on its ten pound note.

Top

Martha Stearns
Martha Stearns was an exhorter during the Great Awakening. With her brother Shubal and husband Daniel Marshal, she founded Sandy Creek Church in 1755.The Free State of Jones Mississippi's Longest Civil War, Daniel Marshall (1706-1784), Journal cites women's influence in early church, Shubal Stearns and the Separate Baptist Tradition