Women’s History Month: 5 notable female missionaries
Lottie Moon (1840-1912)
A native of Virginia and only 4-foot-3-inches tall, Lottie Moon was a notable Southern Baptist who is credited with influencing how future missionary work would be handled.
Moon was integral to helping raise money for missions through offerings and is credited with creating the system of furloughs for overseas missionaries, where previously those called to such missions were expected to remain abroad indefinitely.
In 1873, the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention appointed Lottie Moon to serve as a missionary to China, where she served for 14 years before her first break. She would die at the age of 72, on a ship off the Chinese coast.
“She's been a hero to many for her willingness to leave relative comfort, social position, and a loving family behind in the United States to go to a life of discomfort and perpetual struggle,” noted the blog Ethics & Culture.
“Her faithful letter writing to raise funds for all Baptist missionaries led to her becoming the namesake of the Southern Baptist Convention's annual Christmas Offering. Because of her faithfulness, her name has become a rallying point for Southern Baptist Missions.”
