Christian Woman - Vol 2

Eustochium (c. 368–419)

Daughter of Paula, Eustochium embraced a life of devotion and learning. She supported Jerome’s work and committed herself to Scripture, prayer, and teaching, influencing early Christian scholarship and monastic life.

Hildegard of Bingen (1098–1179)

German abbess, writer, and composer who used her gifts to teach and encourage Christian faith. Her visions, music, and writings emphasized God’s creation, holiness, and the importance of spiritual obedience.

Margery Kempe (c. 1373–1438)

English Christian writer known for her spiritual autobiography. She expressed deep devotion through prayer, repentance, and pilgrimage, sharing her experiences of faith and encouraging others toward repentance and commitment to Christ.

Argula von Grumbach (1492–c. 1568)

German Reformation supporter who defended Protestant teachings through public writings. She boldly upheld Scripture’s authority, challenging religious leaders and encouraging faithfulness to biblical truth during a time of great controversy.

Ann Preston (1813–1872)

Christian physician and educator who promoted medical education for women. Her faith influenced her commitment to service, helping expand opportunities and demonstrate Christian compassion through healthcare and teaching.

Hester Ann Rogers (1756–1794)

Methodist writer whose letters and testimony encouraged believers toward holiness. Her life demonstrated deep spiritual experience, joyful faith, and commitment to Christ, influencing many through her published writings and example.

Mary Taft (1772–1851)

Methodist preacher who boldly shared the gospel despite opposition. Her ministry demonstrated strong faith and commitment, helping expand evangelical work and encouraging greater acceptance of women in preaching roles.

Charlotte Maria Tucker (1821–1893)

Missionary and writer known as “A.L.O.E.” who served in India. She wrote Christian literature and shared the gospel, encouraging faith and devotion among readers and those she ministered to.

Charlotte Elliott (1789–1871)

English hymn writer best known for “Just As I Am.” Though physically weak, she expressed strong faith through writing, encouraging countless believers to come to Christ without hesitation, trusting fully in His grace.

Isabella Bird (1831–1904)

British traveler and missionary who journeyed extensively to share the gospel. Her writings and work reflected deep faith, courage, and commitment to spreading Christianity in remote and challenging regions.

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Adele Marion Fielde (1839–1916)

American missionary to China who learned the language, and trained women

Margery Kempe (c. 1373–1438)

English Christian writer known for her spiritual autobiography

Argula von Grumbach (1492–c. 1568)

German Reformation supporter who defended teachings through public writings

Susanna Anthony (1726–1791)

American Christian known for her deep spiritual life and devotion

Ann Preston (1813–1872)

Christian physician and educator promoted medical education for women

Hester Ann Rogers (1756–1794)

Methodist writer whose letters and testimony encouraged believers

Mary Taft (1772–1851)

Preacher who boldly shared the gospel despite opposition

Charlotte Maria Tucker (1821–1893)

Missionary and writer who served in India. 

Charlotte Elliott (1789–1871)

English hymn writer known for “Just As I Am.” 

Isabella Bird (1831–1904)

British traveler and missionary 

Eustochium (c. 368–419)

Daughter of Paula, embraced a life of devotion and learning

Jane Turell (1708–1735) was one of colonial America’s first published female poets — a minister’s daughter and wife whose pen glowed with reverence, intellect, and early American piety. Raised in a home where Scripture and verse mingled freely, Jane began writing poetry at age 11, drawing inspiration from the Psalms, Puritan sermons, and the everyday trials of Christian life.

Married to Reverend Ebenezer Turell of Medford, Massachusetts, she used her gifts not for public acclaim but for spiritual reflection, encouragement, and moral instruction. Her writings — often meditations on providence, mortality, and grace — were posthumously compiled as Memoirs of the Life and Death of the Pious and Ingenious Mrs. Jane Turell.

Despite a short life, Jane's verses sowed seeds of devotion in an emerging American voice, proving that poetry could be both beautiful and theologically rich. She wrote not to impress, but to express a soul anchored in Christ.

Jane Turell’s Last Words:

“Lord, I am Thine.”
This final confession reflected the very theme of her poetry — belonging wholly to God.

Selected Anecdotes:

Childhood Psalms
Jane’s father, Rev. Benjamin Colman, encouraged her to rewrite psalms in verse. She once penned,
“Each line I write, I pray may rise, a little hymn to reach the skies.”

Poetry in the Parsonage
Though occupied with domestic duties, Jane found time for writing by candlelight. One neighbor remarked,
“Her cradle rocked beside a pen and Bible.”

A Voice Beyond the Grave
Her husband compiled her poems after her death. He wrote,
“She being dead yet speaketh — with grace, with wit, with godliness.”

A Mother's Lament
After losing a child, Jane penned a poem ending:
“Heaven lent, and heaven took — blessed be His name.”

Famous Quotes by or about Jane Turell:

“Her pen was dipped in Scripture.”

“She wrote with the sweetness of devotion and the sharpness of truth.” — Ebenezer Turell (1702–1778)

“Her soul was as measured as her meter — steady, humble, and heavenward.”

“Though she lived little, she wrote much of eternity.”

“In her lines we find the heart of early American faith — plain, pure, and prayerful.” — Colonial Women’s Letters, 1737

“She sang the sorrows and joys of the pilgrim path.”

Legacy:

Jane Turell may not have filled pulpits, but her poetry preached to hearts across generations. Her voice — modest yet mighty — reflected a deep spiritual maturity far beyond her years. As one of the earliest American women whose writings survive, she helped carve a place for Christian women in literature, not through argument but through art and worship.

Her legacy rests not in fame, but in the fruit of a life surrendered — and in poems that still whisper, centuries later, of a soul that loved the Lord.

Lettie Cowman (1870–1960) was a missionary, devotional author, and prayer warrior whose words watered weary hearts around the globe. With her husband Charles, she helped pioneer the Oriental Missionary Society (OMS), sharing the gospel in Japan and beyond. But it was in her season of sorrow — during Charles’s long illness — that her ministry deepened and her pen found its full voice.

From that crucible came Streams in the Desert, a devotional classic born not of theory, but of tears. Her writings flowed with comfort for those in trial, pointing always to the sufficiency of Christ. Lettie believed no suffering was wasted if it led the soul closer to God.

She went on to publish several other devotionals and served as OMS president after Charles’s death. Through grief, leadership, and writing, she proved that the life hidden in Christ is never defeated — only deepened.

Lettie Cowman’s Last Words:

“There are no deserts in heaven.”
Spoken with quiet joy, her final words reflected a lifetime of drawing water from dry places.

Selected Anecdotes:

The Chair Beside His Bed
During her husband's illness, Lettie sat daily by his bedside, praying and writing.
“God did not remove the cup, but He steadied my hand to hold it,” she once said.

The Pages That Traveled
Streams in the Desert was translated into dozens of languages. Soldiers carried it into war zones, missionaries into jungles, and mourners into quiet rooms of prayer.

The Meeting in Japan
She once told a young missionary,
“You may not see the harvest now — but plant anyway, and let God water with His tears.”

A Devotion from Grief
The very first entry of Streams was written after a sleepless night. She wrote,
“The desert is not your home — it is your pathway.”

Famous Quotes by or about Lettie Cowman:

“Streams in the Desert was written with a broken heart — and a living hope.”

“She gave the suffering Church a language of peace.” — Missionary Herald, 1955

“Lettie turned sorrow into Scripture-soaked strength.”

“When others saw loss, she saw offering.”

“Her pen dried tears and pointed upward.”

“She walked through valleys, but left trails of glory.”

Legacy:

Lettie Cowman’s legacy is a stream that has never dried. Her words still flow through devotionals, missions, and lives marked by hardship — reminding each soul that Christ is near in every desert. She modeled endurance not through strength, but surrender. She wrote not as a theologian, but as a witness.

Her devotionals remain among the most widely read in Christian history, echoing comfort, faith, and expectancy. Through trial, she showed that God’s deepest work often begins when everything else falls away.

Margaret Dryburgh (1890–1945) was an English missionary in Singapore and WWII Prisoner. She was a teacher, missionary, and poet whose quiet strength shone brightest in humanity’s darkest hour. Sent to Singapore to share the gospel and educate young minds, she taught literature and Scripture with joy — believing that Christ’s love should be spoken with clarity and lived with grace. But when World War II erupted, her mission was interrupted by war, captivity, and unimaginable hardship.

Interned by Japanese forces in a prison camp on Sumatra, Margaret became a spiritual leader and lifeline to fellow women prisoners. There, without hymnbooks or instruments, she helped form a “Vocal Orchestra” — arranging symphonies and hymns from memory to lift the hearts of the suffering.

Her courage, creativity, and unwavering faith brought peace and dignity into a place of despair. In illness and hunger, she still gave — of herself, her faith, her hope.

Margaret Dryburgh’s Last Words:

“God is with us — even here.”
Whispered near death in the camp, her words reminded others of light that could not be imprisoned.

Selected Anecdotes:

A Symphony in the Sand
With no sheet music or piano, Margaret composed and taught choral arrangements from memory. One woman wrote,
“She gave us Bach — and it felt like heaven.”

The Hymn in the Jungle
Margaret led secret Sunday services in whispers.
“No barbed wire can stop praise,” she once said.

Teaching in Tattered Clothes
Even in starvation, she gathered young girls and taught Scripture.
“Your minds are free — and your souls are held by Christ,” she told them.

A Poem for the Dying
She wrote original hymns and verses for funerals, always signing them,
“With hope, Margaret.”

Famous Quotes by or about Margaret Dryburgh:

“She composed light in the darkest jungle.”

“Her hymns were invisible lifelines.” — Survivor of the Sumatra camp

“She never raised her voice, but it reached the heavens.”

“Music and Scripture flowed from her like water from a rock.”

“Margaret made captivity feel like church.”

“She gave prisoners dignity — and courage to believe.”

Legacy:

Margaret Dryburgh died in captivity in 1945, but her voice lives on in every song of courage sung in affliction. Her story was later told through books, films, and the preserved “Vocal Orchestra” arrangements she created with faith and memory alone.

She proved that true worship needs no building, that mission does not end at the prison gate, and that a life laid down in love is never wasted.

Marianne Williams (1793–1879) was a pioneer missionary, teacher, and translator who helped bring the light of the gospel and the gift of literacy to the Māori people of New Zealand. As the wife of missionary Henry Williams, she sailed from England in 1823 and became one of the first European women to settle in Aotearoa. But she was never merely an assistant — she was a missionary in her own right, bearing the burdens and joys of cross-cultural ministry with courage and grace.

Marianne opened schools for Māori girls and women, believing they deserved both dignity and education. She taught reading, writing, Scripture, and home skills, while also assisting in the translation of hymns and Bible passages. Known for her deep faith and quiet strength, she earned the trust of Māori families and helped bridge cultural divides with kindness and clarity.

Though she endured hardship, illness, and isolation, she never turned back — her eyes were fixed on Christ, and her heart anchored in love.

Marianne Williams’s Last Words:

“The Lord has kept me all my days.”
A whispered testimony to the faithfulness she had lived and taught for over 50 years in the mission field.

Selected Anecdotes:

The First Classroom
Marianne taught the first school for Māori girls under a thatched roof with no desks or books.
“Truth must begin at home — and the heart is the home,” she said.

Peace in the Pa
When tribal conflict threatened nearby villages, she visited with food and prayer.
“Let us build peace before we build fences,” she told her husband.

Translator by Lamplight
After long days of teaching, she worked into the night on hymn and Scripture translation.
“The Word must be heard in the language of the heart,” she wrote in her journal.

The Night of the Storm
A violent storm tore through their mission house. As the children cried, Marianne sang a Māori hymn. One child later said,
“She calmed the sky with her voice.”

Famous Quotes by or about Marianne Williams:

“She taught Christ with her hands and her heart.”

“Her life was a bridge between peoples.” — Henry Williams (1792–1867)

“She gave the Māori daughters the dignity of the gospel.”

“Marianne never preached, but truth walked in with her.”

“The ink of her translation still blesses the land.”

“She served not as a guest in New Zealand — but as a sister.”

Legacy:

Marianne Williams helped shape the spiritual and educational foundation of New Zealand. Her influence reached beyond classrooms — into homes, villages, and generations of women who found hope in Christ through her quiet, steady labor. She modeled the power of humble service in a foreign land, offering the eternal Word in the local tongue.

Her work helped lay the groundwork for the Māori New Testament and the continued ministry of the Church Missionary Society. She showed that missions is not just about preaching — but about listening, teaching, weeping, and loving without condition.

Sara P. Little (1919–2010) was a professor of Christian education. She was a pioneering scholar and educator whose quiet intellect reshaped how the church thinks about teaching the faith. One of the first women to earn a doctorate in Christian education, she taught generations of ministers and lay leaders to approach Christian formation not merely as information—but as transformation. Her work emphasized that education is discipleship, and theology must be lived.

A professor at Union Theological Seminary in Virginia for over 30 years, Sara combined deep theological reflection with practical methods, preparing her students to teach with integrity, humility, and joy. Her groundbreaking book To Set One’s Heart became a cornerstone in the field, urging teachers to lead from conviction and compassion. Never seeking fame, she poured herself into the classroom, the church, and the shaping of minds and hearts. She believed the Spirit was present in every lesson — and she taught accordingly.

Sara P. Little’s Last Words:

“Teach the truth in love — and let Christ do the rest.”
Spoken to a former student, her final words were a fitting benediction to a life devoted to Christian education.

Selected Anecdotes:

The Classroom Shepherd
A student once described her lectures as “gentle fire.” She listened deeply and challenged quietly, always with grace.
“The classroom is holy ground,” she often said.

To Set One’s Heart
Her most influential book was inspired by a question she asked every student:
“What moves you to teach — duty, or devotion?”

The Pew and the Podium
Though a scholar, she never distanced herself from the church pew.
“Theology must smell like Sunday morning,” she once told a colleague.

Letters in the Drawer
After her death, dozens of handwritten notes were found — encouragements she had sent to students during tough seasons. One read:
“You are called — and you are not alone.”

Famous Quotes by or about Sara P. Little:

“She didn’t just teach Christian education — she practiced it every day.”

“Sara made the classroom a sanctuary.”

“Her words carried truth without weight — they lifted you.”

“When she spoke, conviction came with kindness.”

“She was a professor with a pastor’s heart.” — Union Seminary Colleague

“Sara taught us how to teach — by living what we said.”

Legacy:

Sara P. Little transformed the field of Christian education by reminding the church that teaching is sacred work. Her life was a testimony to quiet excellence — shaping thousands without seeking the spotlight. Her students became pastors, educators, missionaries, and leaders — each carrying a bit of her wisdom into the world.

She made theology accessible, education spiritual, and classrooms places where the Holy Spirit could speak. Her legacy lives on wherever truth is taught with love.

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