December 26

Dorothy Ripley (1767–1832) was a fiery English evangelist, abolitionist, and social reformer who defied expectations of her time to become the first woman to preach before the United States Congress. Born in Whitby, England, to a devout Methodist family, she embraced the call to preach the Gospel from a young age. Despite cultural opposition to women in ministry, Dorothy stepped boldly into pulpits, prisons, and even legislative chambers — armed with a Bible, a deep sense of justice, and a burning love for Christ.

After her father’s death, she took up his preaching mantle and became a traveling evangelist. In 1801, she crossed the Atlantic to minister in the United States. She was stirred by the plight of enslaved Africans, poor widows, prisoners, and Native Americans, and she dedicated her life to serving them. Without wealth or institutional support, she traveled on foot or borrowed horseback, often sleeping in rough shelters as she preached wherever doors opened.

Her most famous moment came in 1806, when she addressed a gathering in the Capitol building, becoming the first woman known to preach before Congress — boldly calling for repentance, freedom for slaves, and faith in Christ.

Ripley’s Final Words (as recorded by a fellow minister):

“I am not worthy, but He is faithful.”
Spoken shortly before her death, after a final street sermon in New York City.

Source: Memoirs of Rev. Dorothy Ripley, 1833

Selected Anecdotes:

Preaching Before Congress
In 1806, Ripley stood before lawmakers and political elites in Washington, D.C. She opened her Bible, declared Christ crucified, and called the nation to repentance, justice, and Gospel truth.

Her Mission to the Slaves
Dorothy visited Southern plantations, preaching to enslaved people. She wrote, “I go to them not as a white woman, but as a servant of the Savior.”

The Prison Revival
She ministered in prisons, leading worship among murderers, thieves, and the condemned. One jailer wrote, “Her voice softened iron hearts.”

Resisting Compromise
When offered church support if she agreed not to preach publicly, she replied, “I will take no bread that silences my witness.”

The Quaker Connection
She often dressed plainly and ministered among Quakers, sharing their disdain for slavery and love for the downtrodden.

Famous Quotes Attributed to Dorothy Ripley:

"The call of Christ is not constrained by gender."
"If the slave cannot hear of Christ, then I am still in chains."
"I have no wealth, no home, no title — only a message."
"He who lifted Mary Magdalene lifts me also."
"The Gospel must be preached — even where it is not welcomed."

Legacy:

Dorothy Ripley was a spiritual pioneer — a woman far ahead of her time, who broke through social, political, and religious barriers with boldness and humility. She paved the way for women in ministry, for public Gospel preaching, and for Christian abolitionist witness. Her fearlessness opened doors in both sacred and secular spaces. She proved that one voice, wholly given to Christ, can shake nations and awaken hearts. Dorothy’s life remains a testimony that God uses those who the world overlooks — and that no pulpit is too grand, and no jail too dark, for the message of salvation.

Anna Judson Clement (19th century) was an American missionary writer and the granddaughter of Ann Judson, one of the first American women missionaries. Carrying the legacy of faith and endurance, Anna used the pen to stir souls toward mission and modeled a devotion that spanned generations.

She is best remembered for her biographical and devotional writings that preserved the stories of early missionaries, especially the Judsons, and for inspiring new missionary recruits through her clear prose and sincere passion. To her, writing was not memory — it was mission.

Anna did not settle for inheriting a legacy — she extended it. She believed God’s calling could echo through bloodlines and that the lives of the faithful should be recorded not just in heaven, but on earth. To her, ink was testimony.

Anna’s Words (Preface to Echoes from Burma):

“I write not to honor names, but to awaken hearts.”
This line opened her best-known tribute to the Judson missionary story.

Selected Anecdotes:

The Granddaughter’s Conviction
As a child, Anna read Ann Judson’s letters aloud beside her father’s study fire. She once wrote, “Her words burned into my heart like coals — I could not rest until I echoed them.”

Writing with a Purpose
Anna’s essays on missions were distributed at women’s gatherings and youth revivals. One missionary recruiter said, “Her paragraphs were recruitment posters for heaven.”

Preserving the Missionary Flame
When others forgot early sacrifices, Anna compiled stories of martyrdom and perseverance. “We must not forget the seeds watered with tears,” she declared in one article.

Legacy in the Lines
Though not a front-line missionary herself, her work inspired hundreds who were. “She sent missionaries through pages,” said one missionary in Siam.

A Mother’s Influence
Anna also raised her own children in the shadow of faith, continuing the Judson tradition. “We do not merely teach missions,” she told a friend, “we breathe it.”

Famous Quotes by Anna Judson Clement:

“To forget the faithful is to forsake the field.”

“There is power in the story of obedience.”

“The Judsons taught with blood — I write with awe.”

“Missions are not a chapter of history — they are the breath of the Church.”

“If we do not speak of them, the stones will.”

“Let our daughters know their names — and their God.”

Legacy:

Anna Judson Clement’s legacy is one of memory turned into mission. She connected generations with the sacrifices of the past and breathed purpose into the future. Through her, a family’s story became a spark that ignited others to go, to give, and to glorify Christ.

Her legacy lives on in every missionary who read a leaflet and said yes, in every young woman who believed God could use her pen, and in every generation that dares to remember. Through her, the Judson light did not dim — it spread.

Victoria Earle Matthews (1861–1907) was a Christian reformer, author, and journalist who rose from enslavement to national influence during the post-Civil War period. She is best remembered for founding the White Rose Mission in New York City, where she created a refuge of dignity, discipline, and gospel care for young African American women migrating from the South.

Born into slavery in Fort Valley, Georgia, Victoria was freed as a young child after the Civil War. With limited formal education, she became an avid reader and later a published author and speaker. Her writings appeared in The New York Age, one of the most influential Black newspapers of her day. Through her pen, she called the Christian community to protect, uplift, and educate Black women in an unjust society.

Her greatest legacy was the White Rose Mission and Industrial Association, which opened in 1897. There she offered shelter, training, spiritual guidance, and hope to hundreds of young women arriving alone to northern cities. Her work bridged Christian service and early Black women’s activism.

Victoria Earle Matthews’ Last Words (recorded by a friend):

“Tell the girls — the Lord sees them, and so did I.”

Selected Anecdotes:

The First Bed
At the White Rose Mission, Victoria placed a handmade quilt on each girl's bed with a note: "You are safe. You are loved."

A Public Plea
At a church conference, she declared, “A Christian society that forgets its girls is no society at all. We must shelter them as Christ did the lost.”

A Home with Hymns
Every evening began with Scripture and hymns. She insisted: “We do not just train the hands — we tend the heart.”

The Quiet Editor
Even while managing the mission, she edited articles by candlelight, using her writing as ministry to awaken the conscience of the Church and nation.

Famous Quotes by Victoria Earle Matthews:

“From the cradle of bondage, I lift the light of faith.”

“We raise roses, not weeds — these girls are not refuse, they are redemption.”

“True refinement is not in lace or language, but in loyalty to Christ.”

“The hand that guides must also pray.”

“Christ did not turn away the woman in need — neither will we.”

Legacy:

Victoria Earle Matthews is among the most important but least remembered Christian activists of her generation. Her work with the White Rose Mission formed a blueprint for Christ-centered urban outreach — blending biblical truth, social care, and personal mentorship.

Though she died at only 46, her impact lives on through the lives she protected and the gospel she preached — not from a pulpit, but through every plate served, hymn sung, and heart healed under her care.

Florence Nightingale (1820–1910) was a British nurse, statistician, and devout Christian whose revolutionary reforms in healthcare laid the foundation for modern nursing. Known as “The Lady with the Lamp,” she became an icon of compassion during the Crimean War and a symbol of Christian service rooted in action, discipline, and prayer.

Born into a wealthy English family, Florence felt a divine calling to serve God by caring for the sick and suffering — a decision that defied the social expectations for upper-class women of her time. She trained in nursing despite family objections and soon proved herself not only a skilled caregiver but a visionary reformer.

She is best remembered for transforming military hospitals during the Crimean War, drastically reducing mortality rates through sanitation, hygiene, and structured nursing care. But her legacy reached far beyond the battlefield: she established the first professional nursing school at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London, published groundbreaking works on medical care, and influenced public health policy globally — all while remaining firmly anchored in her Christian faith.

Florence Nightingale’s Last Words:

“God bless my dear old comrades of Balaclava.”
Reported by those close to her, these words were spoken in tribute to the wounded soldiers she had once nursed — reflecting a life poured out for others in Christlike service.

Selected Anecdotes:

The Lamp at Midnight
In Crimea, Florence would walk the corridors of the hospital at night by lamplight, checking on soldiers, whispering prayers, and comforting the dying. Soldiers wrote home, “She passes like an angel.”

A Call from God
As a young woman, Florence wrote in her journal: “God spoke to me and called me to His service.” That call remained the foundation of her work and writing.

The Silent Sundays
She maintained a lifelong practice of Sabbath devotion, where she read Scripture, prayed, and wrote letters to encourage fellow believers — often quoting the Psalms and the words of Jesus.

Statistics and Scripture
Florence used statistical diagrams to persuade governments — but always signed her reports with the conviction that “Statistics are God’s thoughts after Him, revealed in order.”

The Poor and the Sick
Though she had access to royalty, she spent much of her later years advocating for the health of the poor in India, Egypt, and rural England. “Christ is present in the sick bed,” she wrote.

Famous Quotes by Florence Nightingale:

“I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took any excuse.”

“Nursing is an art; it requires a devotion as creative as any painter or poet.”

“To be a nurse is to minister to Christ Himself.”

“Live your life while you have it. Life is a splendid gift.”

“The very first requirement in a hospital is that it should do the sick no harm.”

“I can only pray to serve my God by serving His suffering children.”

Legacy:

Florence Nightingale’s legacy transformed nursing from a lowly task into a noble profession built on science, structure, and Christian service. Her work led to the professionalization of healthcare, improvements in hospital conditions, and the worldwide establishment of nursing schools. She remains a symbol not only of medical reform, but of Christian faith in action — lived in the trenches of human suffering.

Though she often preferred anonymity and service behind the scenes, her light still shines — not in monuments, but in every nurse who brings hope, healing, and dignity to the sick.

Elizabeth Cruciger (c. 1500–1535) was a pioneering voice of the Reformation and the first known female Protestant hymn writer. A former nun turned theologian’s wife, Elizabeth lived during one of Christianity’s most turbulent eras, and she used her poetic gift to magnify the grace of God and bring sacred song into the hearts of early Lutherans.

Born into a noble family in Pomerania, she entered a convent at a young age, where she encountered the Scriptures and early Reformation writings. After leaving monastic life under the influence of Martin Luther's teachings, she married theologian Caspar Cruciger, a close associate of Luther and Melanchthon. Together, they became part of the reformers’ inner circle in Wittenberg.

She is best remembered for writing the hymn “Herr Christ, der einig Gotts Sohn” (Lord Christ, the Only Son of God), which appeared in the first Lutheran hymnals. Its Christ-centered theology, poetic elegance, and Scriptural richness marked it as a key contribution to Reformation worship — and made Elizabeth one of the only women included in those early hymnals.

Elizabeth Cruciger’s Last Words (attributed):

“I have sung for Christ — and now I shall see Him.”
This quote, passed down through Lutheran tradition, captures the spirit of her life: one of worship, courage, and quiet reformation.

Selected Anecdotes:

The Hymn That Crossed Borders
Elizabeth’s hymn was included in the Erfurt Enchiridion (1524) — one of the earliest Lutheran hymnals. Its inclusion among male-authored hymns highlighted both its theological depth and the respect she had earned among the reformers.

A Poet in the Parsonage
She often wrote while tending to household duties and hosting students and reformers. Friends said she sang her hymns aloud as she worked, filling her home with melody and meditation.

Encouraging Women in Faith
Though little is recorded of her teaching, Elizabeth mentored younger women in Wittenberg, encouraging literacy and devotion. “To know the Psalms,” she reportedly said, “is to know the heart of God.”

At the Table of Reformers
Elizabeth was present at many theological discussions in the homes of Luther and Melanchthon. Her insight and poetic voice influenced the tone and accessibility of early Protestant worship.

The Widow’s Strength
She died young, but not before helping shape the identity of a movement. Her husband and daughter continued her legacy, with her hymns still sung for centuries to come.

Famous Quotes by Elizabeth Cruciger (from hymn and attributions):

“Lord Christ, the only Son of God, the Father’s Light and Splendor bright.”

“Lift your eyes from earth and see the Prince of Glory, meek and high.”

“Let my soul, once chained in fear, now rise and walk in light.”

“We sing not to be heard by kings — but by the King of heaven.”

“Truth sung is truth remembered.”

“In song, the gospel finds wings.”

Legacy:

Elizabeth Cruciger’s legacy is etched into the early songbooks of the Reformation. Her hymn, rich with Trinitarian doctrine and tender devotion, set the standard for Lutheran worship and opened the door for women’s voices in sacred music. Though her life was brief, her contribution was eternal.

She stood with courage among reformers, not as a protestor in the streets, but as a poet of the pew — helping to ensure that the gospel would not only be preached, but sung with joy, reverence, and truth.

Hester Ann “Hetty” Bounds (née Purnell) was the mother of Edward McKendree Bounds, the renowned Methodist minister and author on prayer. Born in the early 19th century, she was a devoted Christian and a guiding influence in her son's spiritual development. Hester and her husband, Thomas Jefferson Bounds, were among the original settlers of Shelby County, Missouri, and were active members of the Methodist Church. Her commitment to faith and family laid the foundation for Edward's deep spiritual life and his later contributions to Christian literature.warnersmith.org+4Wikipedia+4Institute in Basic Life Principles+4

Hester Ann Bounds’s Last Words:

“He who calls us is faithful.”
These words, cherished by her family, encapsulate her unwavering trust in God's promises and were believed to be among her final expressions of faith.

Selected Anecdotes:

A Mother's Influence
Hester's daily practices of prayer and Scripture reading profoundly impacted young Edward. Her example instilled in him a lifelong dedication to prayer, which became the hallmark of his ministry.

Supporting the Church
Alongside her husband, Hester played a significant role in establishing the First Methodist Church in Shelby County, demonstrating her commitment to fostering a strong Christian community

Guiding Through Loss
After the death of her husband, Hester's resilience and faith provided stability for her children, particularly influencing Edward's understanding of reliance on God during times of hardship.

Famous Quotes by Hester Ann Bounds (attributed):

“Faith is the anchor in every storm.”

“A praying mother shapes the soul of her child.”

“Trust in the Lord, and He will direct your path.”

Legacy:

Hester Ann Bounds's legacy lives on through the spiritual depth and writings of her son, E.M. Bounds. Her dedication to faith and family exemplifies the profound impact a mother's devotion can have on the world.