Joseph W. Martin

Betsey Stockton was born into a slave family around 1798. Her parents were the property of Elizabeth (Stockton) Green, the daughter of a wealthy landowner in Princeton, New Jersey. Betsey was characterized as a restless child growing up, but she underwent a remarkable change following her conversion during a revival that hit Princeton in 1816.…

Slavery began in America in the 1600s and lasted for more than 200 years. In order to escape dehumanizing conditions, many blacks were led to freedom via an elaborate network of tunnels, roads and safehouses known as the Underground Railroad. Along its routes, slaves were led from one station to the next by conductors who…

In 1863 Abraham Lincoln met Harriet Beecher Stowe at the White House and said, "So you're the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war." He was referring to Uncle Tom's Cabin, which helped to divide the nation over the issue of slavery. Noted author Harriet Beecher was born on June 14,…

During the 1600s George Fox started a reformation movement known as the Quakers. Also called the Society of Friends, this group was known for its silent meetings, which emphasized individual experience and communion with God, its pacifist political stance and its members' commitment to social justice. This sect played a very significant role in changing…

Fervent and FearlessThe first time Louise Laymen heard the voice of her husband-to-be, Lester Sumrall, it was coming from a shortwave radio that was tuned to station HCJB, "The Voice of the Andes," in Quito, Ecuador. A young missionary, Louise was stationed in Argentina, and she thought this might be the same minister she'd heard…

The First Great Awakening brought major social and religious changes to England that quickly spread to the colonies in America. At a time of great moral and spiritual darkness, evangelists began to preach that all must repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. But this far-reaching spiritual revival might never have been propagated except…

Throughout the history of India it was traditionally men who were concerned with improving the status of women. It was not until the late 19th and early 20th centuries that a number of influential women reformers arose. The most notable of these was Pandita Ramabai. Pandita was born in 1858 into an orthodox Hindu Brahmin…

Most historians consider John and Charles Wesley the two founders of the Methodist church. But behind these men stood a strong mother whose influence molded and shaped their destinies. Susanna Annesley was born on January 20, 1669, in London, England. She was the youngest of 25 children. Her minister father took special interest in Susanna…

THE NILE MOTHER She was called the greatest woman in Egypt and was recognized by national leaders for her humanitarian work. About 6 feet in height, Lillian Trasher stood tall in both body and spirit. Throughout her 51 years of ministry she fed, clothed and sheltered thousands of orphans, widows and blind women. She was…

RADIO PIONEEREdna Jean Green was born on October 23, 1909, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to Salvation Army officers. She was the oldest of six children. Her parents eventually left the Salvation Army and assumed the leadership of a Holiness church in Ionia, Michigan. Edna Jean started preaching in her parent's church at the age of…